After run collant pump caught fire and damaged the engine wiring harness. I reported it to progressive insurance and they came and inspected it at a body shop. They concluded it was due to an open recall on the vehicle so insurance refuses to cover it. Had car towed to Audi dealership and they reported it to Audi USA. They came back and told me that because of the mileage and year of the vehicle that they wouldn't cover it.
Audi A4 fire or smoke problems
40 of the 2,899 owner complaints about the Audi A4 describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2001 model year.
- owner complaints
- 40
- worst model year
- 2001
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,600
- typical mileage
- 90,500
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Headlights 4Check engine light 4Overheating 3Transmission failure 2Oil consumption 2Hesitation 2ABS 2Stalling 1
What owners say
I own a 2009 audi a4. On the Month of october 2024 my transmission failed. I towed my car to a mechanic who then replaced my transmission i picked up my car on December 11 2024 at 7 am from audi of fresno. I have had no prior issues and like always i expect a dealership to inspect a new vehicle that comes in ,as i have never been able to get work done with out them always doing their own diagnostic. Any ways . On the morning of [XXX] at [XXX] i went to pic up breakfast from carls jr with my boyfriend . As i placed my order and drove up to the window without a single warning my car engulfed in flames from the front driver side . I turned my car off jumped out called. The fire department and watched as my car continued to build flames until the fire department finally showed up. Had i taken the freeway that day instead of the streets i wouldnt have noticed the fire until it was to late. . Im in shock and also just [XXX] that something like thus happened. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owned a 2013 Audi A4. The contact stated that his grandson was driving at an undisclosed speed when he heard a loud unidentified sound coming from the engine compartment. Suddenly, white smoke and flames were emerging from the engine compartment. The vehicle was successfully pulled to the side of the road by the contact's grandson. After the grandson managed to exit the vehicle, a short while later the vehicle caught fire. A bystander came over and assisted in extinguishing the fire. No one was injured during the incident. The fire department arrived and extinguished the remaining flames. There was no police or fire department report filed. The vehicle was towed and the insurance company determined the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.
This took place about a week ago. The car was parked in our driveway when the fire started. My husband had returned home just 15 minutes prior to the fire starting. I noticed there was smoke coming in our living room window. Then I looked at our security camas. And saw smoke pouring out from underneath the hood of my car. We tried to put the fire out with our two hose system set up and it wouldn't go out. So we knew it was electrical. We couldn't get close enough to open the hood so I couldn't pour baking soda on it. Two fire extinguishers later like 10 minutes the firefighters showed up and we're able to put it out. They confirmed that the arch came from the battery terminals /cables. Two of the fireman said they'd never seen anything like this before. Then the car tried to START ITSELF as my husband and the two fireman were standing right in front of the Audi. They had to cut the remaining battery cable that wasn't completely burned through before it stopped. My neighbor has a recording of the whole incident. The engine compartment is destroyed! The engine might be all right but we don't have the finances to do anything but clean up. Oh and for extra fun one of the fireman took an ax the the hood of the A4 cabriolet I have had for maybe a month. Now we have no car and no real means of being able to fix it.
The coolant light came on after I replaced coil packs and I stopped to look wasn't leaking anywhere. Drove to work and it caught on fire due to overheating I guess not really sure. I was driving a car on fire down a highway and didn't even know it. I stopped to take a left turn into work and smoke stared billowing out and around the entire car. Other drivers couldn't see me or nothing I could have been in an accident. The fire department checked the car out sort of and it's in a mechanics shop now. Trying to figure it out. Oil light was on and that's it. AN then the coolant light would kick on and off. Nothing else after I changed the coil packs. And it was well after I did that.
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 audio a4. The contact stated while driving at 25 MPH, she saw smoke emerging from the front of the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, notice flames in the head light compartment upon opening the hood. The contact stated they attempted to extinguish the flames with water but that failed and the fire department was contacted to extinguish the flames. The contact was unaware if a police or fire department report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a junk yard. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic for diagnosis. The contact stated that with the fire damage she believed that vehicle was a total loss. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
2002 audi a4 with 370k burned a bit of oil which was fine cleaned the engine out with cleaners it smoked a bit which is normal.. Headlights started flickering 'hids' so I parked it. 3 days later I go to take the car on a test drive and the drivers headlight lit on fire ! Not sure if it was a headlight issue or a wiring issue.. Insurance will not cover it.
Initially drove car home from grocery store hit a bump and noticed a spark coming from front driver's side of car. Pulled over and checked for spark evident once stopped there was no sign of spark or anything. Got car home and parked about an hour later my car was on fire, after putting the fire out my husband lifted the hood and tried to investigate the issue when he discovered the battery was melted to the hood and is where the fire initially caught. The location of the battery we believe to be the issue and wanted to make sure to report it immediately.
Engine coolant and engine light etc came on. The vehicle was on the highway. I have a small child. Based on the audi message my vehicle could catch on fire.please send me info to have this problem corrected.
2001 audi a4 quattro 2.8l. As driving smoke was coming from hood.. Park and realize the engine was on fire. It look like it started by the passenger side headlight and spread. I read that audi had a recall on head light switch but did not rec, a recall letter. Not exactly sure where the fire started my audi caught on fire. I dont't have pictures to upload but I will soon. I am very hurt to know that the car I enjoyed driving caught on fire/disappointed with audi
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, as a result of a problem in the production process of the ignition switch, the anchor point of the spring may crack. This could potentially cause the return spring force to be insufficient for returning the ignition key to the running position after starting the engine.
- Risk
- This condition causes electrical accessories such as windshield wipers and headlights to become inoperative increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new ignition switch with an optimized anchor point free of charge. The recall began on november 27, 2006. Owners may contact audi at 1‑800‑822‑2834. Note: this recall supersedes the remedy program under a previous recall (please see 00v317).
Recall number 06V403000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The plastic ignition switch housing can fracture at the return spring anchor point. Fracture of the housing could cause the return spring force to be insufficient for returning the ignition key to the running position after starting the engine.
- Risk
- This condition causes electrical accessories such as windshield wipers and headlights to become inoperative.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ignition switch.
Recall number 00V317000 · Recall details
Electrical system: horn
- What is wrong
- The horn can work only intermittently due to insufficient electrical ground contact.
- Risk
- This condition could prevent a driver from sounding a warning by using the horn increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Corrective action: dealers will install a ground contact spring which will enhance the electrical ground connection.
Recall number 96V088000 · Recall details
Questions about the Audi A4 fire or smoke
Which Audi A4 years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2001 (6 complaints), 2002 (6 complaints) and 2003 (5 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fire, smoke or burning smell on the Audi A4?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,600 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Audi A4?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history