jeff968

How do these WPs fail? My 1 and only problem with my previous vehicle, a 2002 MB ML320, was the water pump. It just started to make noise telling me the bearings were on their way out. The WP continued to function without issue and I had plenty of time to schedule an appointment and get it replaced. I was never stranded. When the Q5 3.2 WP goes does it leave you stranded?

The G Man

Its not a wear and tear like your old MB. These water pumps will fail as early as 2000 miles and according to some, its the shalf seal that is failing. It will empty out the coolant pretty quick.

polaraudi

I do live in Alaska. And you're right, my build date is right in the range of the others that have been replaced, and I have the plastic WP.

But, what I guess I didn't express very well in my original post is that she told me is that there is no water pump problem with the Q5s and there haven't been a ton of Q5s with failed pumps. That's what's so incredible to me. She just kind of laughed it off as a big internet hoax.

jeff968

Maybe she is right? I know the coil packs on my 2.0T 2006 A4 were replaced under recall just this summer and the car is 4 years old now. Why not set up a poll here and see how many have actually had the issue. Maybe it is not that big a deal.

The G Man

It’s her job to down play any potential problem with Audi, I am sure you have heard that from the dealer before. The internet on the other hand is opposite, some people make a post only when something goes wrong with their car, therefore, the % of failure on a internet poll is always higher. The true failure rate is somewhere in the middle.
Does anyone know if there is a replacement campaign # in the continental US? Maybe you can give Audi USA the campaign # and try to make a compromise like splitting the cost or something.

john1r

Has anyone tracked how many people on this forum have had it fail?

polaraudi

DrV was kind enough to start a poll on this just a bit ago, which will be interesting, but I counted 11 on the spreadsheet the JusForFun maintains.

audi40

Try entering your VIN in the following link to Audi recalls/service campaigns:

http://www.audiusa.com/us/brand/en/o...in_lookup.html

m1964

Yes,
WP failure will leave you stranded because the coolant leaks over the serpentine belt, and the belt starts lipping over the alt. and PS pump pullleys -so not only you lose coolant, but you also lose PS.

For someone living in Alaska, WP failure can be quite "inconvinient"...

ERPGURU

I can't comment on whether there is an 'official' recall or campaign, only my personal experience. I have an early (1st to my dealership) 2009 Q5's. I had read the stories on here and all, and called my dealership (Audi of Plano, Texas), I was polite and played dumb. The service rep entered by VIN and said there was a campaign for the WP replacement. I took it in a day or two later, and it was replaced.. I did look up my VIN on the Audi website and at no time was there anything listed - so again, not sure if it was a recall, the rep at the dealership only said that there was a 'campaign'.

I was in the same boat as the one person who posted, I was going on a 1300 mile each way trip through west Texas to Vegas - not exactly a place where you want to get stuck as there isn't even cell service in parts on the area.