Aluminium Fatigue

It seems, from the responses so far, that mileage or vehicle age are of no relevance in this problem.

Some low mileage cars exhibit the fault, whereas some high mileage ones don't.

Similarly, there are some young cars that have cracks, as well as some from the first model year too.

Let's all just see what Audi are going to implement to resolve the issue. As I pointed out in my email, aluminium doors are becoming more common-place across the range and it would be VERY embarrassing if A8 and TT owners having spent up to £70000 on their cars were to develope the same cracks in a years time!

We may actually end up saving Audi UK money on future warranty claims by demonstrating a problem before it becomes widespread.

Cheers,

Mike
 
ULP is spot on about modern paint matching. The only colour that can still possibly cause problems is silver, though, but it should not be a problem to a good bodyshop. When my Amulet red A2 was repaired, there were no issues at all with the paint not matching, it's perfect.
 
I hope you are right people, if you noticed a piece of trim not removed and possible overspray, can you imagine what a car dealer or a sprayer would notice on your car?

Your car will look good and paint techniques have improved over the years, however it’s not now that the problems show, it’s 5-10 years down the line. Perhaps most of your aren’t keeping you cars for more than a year or 2 so I suppose it doesn’t matter.

Perhaps i'm a really fussy git:D
 
EMM no your not fussy, like me I suspect you want your investment to retain its original look and feel especially if you intend keeping the vehicle for sometime.
Like yourself I have some reservations about a resprayed door not matching even if this is carried out by a Audi approved body shop which does'nt fill me with confidence considering what I have witnessed locally.
Though I will take my A2 in for checking by Audi, mainly to ensure my claim is lodged, I will wait for the approved solution from Germany rather than have a new door which may fail again.
 
Skipton01 said:
I can't see that being the case Carl - if they'd identified it, they could have just made a new, thicker panel for that part of the door and incorporated it into all future cars and had stock of parts ready for warranty claims when they landed.

If that were the case, pretty much all models using coil packs would have been axed.

Cheers,

Mike
Click to expand...
Chances are then if they where still manufacturing the A2 Today they would have picked up on this problem by know and produced a thicker panel/plate on future A2's trust us to be the guinea pigs .......
 
Ollie wont have a full Audi history as we are using a local garage to do some work so can I still go to my Audi dealership here in Ipswich and exspect them to do something about my cracked drivers door??.
If so how do I go about this please??.
 
Way ahead...

I have been in touch with Bristol Audi bodyshop, who tried to put a warranty claim through but this was rejected; I was informed before hand that this would probably be the case but it gets the ball rolling.

Contacted Audi Customer Services who have taken a look as to why the claim was rejected but have told be I can have an independant inspection done (at my expense) and if this inspection proves there is an issue Audi would then be able to do something about it.

I will be contacting the PVWI (the inspectors stated by Audi Customer Services) on Monday to arrange a time and place (I will try to get them to go to Bristol Audi bodyshop) will also find out the cost then.

Will let you know how things go...
 
Just checked

Took delivery of my 2001 1.4 se today had alook, but cant
see anything. Has someone got any photo's of where I should be looking...thanks in advance
 
shezlee said:
I have been in touch with Bristol Audi bodyshop, who tried to put a warranty claim through but this was rejected; I was informed before hand that this would probably be the case but it gets the ball rolling.

Contacted Audi Customer Services who have taken a look as to why the claim was rejected but have told be I can have an independant inspection done (at my expense) and if this inspection proves there is an issue Audi would then be able to do something about it.

I will be contacting the PVWI (the inspectors stated by Audi Customer Services) on Monday to arrange a time and place (I will try to get them to go to Bristol Audi bodyshop) will also find out the cost then.

Will let you know how things go...
Click to expand...

It will be interesting but before spending any £££'s out await feed back from those of us with warranties. My thoughts are if they admit to cars in warranty they must accept all vehicles.

Doctor




Doctor
 
doctor said:
It will be interesting but before spending any £££'s out await feed back from those of us with warranties. My thoughts are if they admit to cars in warranty they must accept all vehicles.

Doctor




Doctor
Click to expand...

Good point, also just checked mine, and very small cracks both front doors.
 
I was told that if the car was still under warranty than there would be no issue; they would replace the doors...

Are A2 is over 5 years old the issue are down to a paint defect (?) or a poorly designed top hinge (arear around the hinge) but as the defect is a tear (due to fatigue) in the door skin suggests that something has failed (the check strap) and the door is opening wider then designed whereby creating the problem we all have.

I will hold off arranging an inspection for a week and await your warranty findings.
 
I had reversing sensors + a detachable towball fitted by Lincoln Audi to my 'new' (2003) A2 last week. The technician doing the work also adjusted the alignment of the driver's door and checked all 4 doors for cracks/tears near the hinges. Fortunately mine seem OK.

The guy working on my car said that he has seen a few A2s over the past few years with this problem but in all cases it was a direct consequence of failure of the door check strap and the door frame being subject to excessive strain around the hinge when the door was then opened beyond its designed stop point.
 
Hmm... as a prospect A2-buyer I don't like this problem at all. It seems the problem is fairly widespread, and not only concerning certain models or production-years.

One question: What will happen if the doors are not fixed? Do you fear that the cracks will get so serious that the function of the doors will be affected? Or simply - that the doors will eventually come off??

One A2-buyer may be pulling his interest over this one. A shame, really, as the car seems great in so many other ways.
 
Apologies from me, still awaiting a response from dealer, will get back onto the case soon (once I get over the new school run:()

Doctor
 
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