2003 Audi A4: stuck in gear or won't shift

6 of the 210 complaints about the 2003 Audi A4 describe stuck in gear or won't shift.

owner complaints: 6
of this car's complaints: 3%
typical mileage: 80,000
recalls: 0

Is there a fix? 15 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Stuck in gear or won't shift by model year

2018
3
2010
2
2009
1
2008
2
2007
1
2006
3
2005
2
2003
6

What owners say

Filed Aug 12, 2020 · Transmission · 174,400 miles · AL

2003 audi a4 3.0 cabriolet convertible started shifting rough and hesitant and shut off, cranked back up went into limp mode and all the shifting gear lights came on r n d 2 , barely made it back home, put code reader on car had a lot of codes on it I reset codes but rnd2 lights still on , possible bad TCM?

Filed Jul 1, 2017 · Transmission · 86,000 miles · MO

Car stuck in limp mode and car will jump at certain speeds

Filed Sep 11, 2014 · Transmission · 73,000 miles · WI

Stopped at stop light in rush hour traffic. Light turned green. Attempted to accelerate- but car just jerked and rocked back and forth and then rolled backward- almost rolling into car behind me. Had to call 911 to redirect traffic and get a tow truck. 2nd incident occurred on 7/12/14: picked car up from service shop. Driving home in rush hour traffic. Stalled at traffic light. Restarted car and it was able to move, but wouldn't shift. Had to make an illegal u-turn to get out of traffic and was able to pull off the side of the road. 3rd incident occurred on 8/12/14: pulling out of driveway and car stopped shifting. Stalled in driveway. Had to get towed and was found to have "no problem" as car was operating when arrived at the service shop. 9/9/14- driving to work in rush hour traffic. Going 35mph up a hill and car stopped shifting. Car was still moving (slowly) and I was able to pull into a residential driveway to get out of traffic. Car would not move after restarting. Tow truck came and towed to service center. All issues related to faulty CVT transmission that audi is aware of, but will not take responsibility for due to the car being over 10 years old (it was 10 years 6 months at the first incident). I have contacted audi USA to discuss these safety concerns with the car stalling in traffic and possible recalls that should be issued, but they have offered no assistance.

Filed Dec 4, 2009 · Transmission · 80,000 miles · WA

I have a 2003 a4 convertible audi. I have been researching problems I have been experiencing, and have found that many people are having the same transmission issues. The problem is in the transmission control unit. The range switch telling the transmission which gear to go into goes out. The dangerous symptoms include an inability to go into reverse, the car not accelerating when the gas is pressed and then lunging forward. When the car slows to a stop, it often doesn't shift down and the car lunges forward before killing the engine. There have been numerous reports of this problem, and audi has been unwilling to admit fault in the manufacturing, and/or provide a solution. The fix has come at a costly $8k new transmission.

Filed May 27, 2008 · Transmission · 48,500 miles · SC

The vehicle sometimes does not go into reverse and jumps forward when applying brakes. The p r n d lights flash on the dashboard. The dealer says it needs a transmission control module (TCM).

Filed Jan 4, 2008 · Transmission · 64,000 miles · IL

In february 2007, my 2003 a4's multitronic CVT (transmission) started to fail. It was slow to engage to reverse and to first gear from a complete stop, and the prnd indicator on the dashboard began to blink continuously. Although these were obvious problems, the mechanic at our audi dealership informed me the car was 'operating according to manufacturer's specifications.' the car only had 61,000 miles. Soon thereafter, the transmission got worse. On one occasion, my infant daughter and I were put in danger when the transmission didn't engage as I attempted a left turn. We were stuck in oncoming traffic in a car that would not move. It was only after I pressed the gas pedal multiple times, revving the engine significantly, that the car bucked into first gear and lurched forward. On another occasion, the car would not go into reverse when I tried to back out of a space in a busy parking lot. This space was on a slight incline, causing the car to roll forward when I stepped on the gas in the attempt to engage the reverse. Instead of reversing, again the engine revved significantly and rolled forward, nearly missing the parked car in front of me. After several attempts the reverse suddenly engaged and lurched backwards. Thank goodness nobody was injured in either situation. At 64,000 miles the transmission failed completely. I had to replace it at a cost of $6,500. Audi even required that my broken transmission be sent back to them so they could study the failure. The technical staff at my audi dealership, as well as the owner of the repair shop where I eventually had the transmission replaced, remarked that the multitronic CVT's design is problematic, and that they're seeing major issues with them.