Smith837

Hi all, took delivery of a new S4 and discovered that the fuel door is not flush with the quarter panel along the top edge (pic below). Bottom edge looks perfect. Top edge seems to be protruding about 2 mm above the quarter panel, particularly in the upper left corner (where the spring/magnet are located). Any thoughts on what can or should about this? It's an eyesore—especially since it's a high touch area that I will interact with every time I gas up.

I purchased the car out of state and this issue didn't show in the photos that the dealer sent me. This week, my local dealer's service department looked at it. The service advisor called it an "imperfection", and basically said just live with it. He mentioned that some cars on their lot are like that (i.e., that somehow it's normal). He also said he knew of no way for them to adjust it, and that it appeared to be the result of "flex" in the fuel door panel itself. Not sure if that diagnosis is accurate—on the whole, the local dealer seemed more interested in pushing me back to the selling dealer for this issue and others. The service advisor added that if they were to replace the fuel door, they'd have to send the original part back to Audi and that Audi would charge them for it (which they didn't want, understandably).

While they called this an imperfection, I call it a defect. Not sure if there's a way to correct this without replacing the door (e.g., adjusting/lowering the spring mechanism that the door sits on). And if replacement is the only fix, and they have to order (and paint) a new door for the car, will the color match? I don't want to trade one eyesore for another, but also don't want to accept shoddy workmanship on such a spendy vehicle. Appreciate any input!


The top edge of the fuel door sits above the quarter panel, which is more pronounced in the upper left corner.

Bobby Kinstle

Yea it's a common problem. They aren't going to fix it. You should probably sell your car and buy a 911 instead if you need to have that level of detailed service.

Smith837

Unfortunately, it's a lease (not that I would sell a brand new car and take a depreciation hit to solve such an issue). I take it you're joking. Why do you say they won't fix it? And by "they", are you referring to the dealer, Audi corporate, or both? Thanks!

angrypengu

Hell this is the case on my A8! (pre covid delivery!)

Smith837

Sorry to hear!

Yeah, GM of the dealership that sold me the car said it looks "fine" to him. He added that he expected it to be worse in my case, which is saying something about their standards. We agreed to disagree, but it's almost hard to believe this should be an argument. It's a sloppy build and Audi should address it if the customer isn't happy with it. Should have nothing to do with "service level", or dealer opinion, and I shouldn't have to buy a 911, or even an A8 or S8, for this to matter to them. That's my take. If I can't get the dealer or another dealer to sympathize, I'll take it up with AoA.

PS, my new car also has a leak — water is rising up behind the passenger door glass (between the glass and the door seal) whenever the car gets wet. Dealer so far is telling me it's "not a leak" because water "isn't getting into the interior". That said, it's not flowing properly through the door and is getting trapped in the door and needs to be investigated. Another dealer said he's never seen it before, but added "maybe they are all like that". Stunning. And this is not my first Audi by a long shot. What gives? I mentioned to them that I've found posts online with other Audi owners talking about this issue, and they bashed the boards and said they don't take them seriously.

angrypengu

I wouldn't say the problem is solely on audi. Cars are not what they used to be. A lot of cost cutting due to customer demanding more and more for less. I see this en masse in the new S class.

Blame audi, and the consumer, and electric cars is my unpopular opinion. My next car is a Ghost. I'm getting really tired of seeing cars not being as well built as they used to be.

Smith837

Understood. Good points — it's all connected. I'm not looking to blame. I'm still amazed that they've managed to build anything decent during the pandemic. But I expected a greater willingness to correct it and stand behind the product/brand. And certainly, if customers are not going to hold them accountable, then why should they change?

If you can manage a Ghost, more power to ya.

Bobby Kinstle

By They I mean the dealership, and no I'm not joking.

Regarding the water in the door, because of how the window seals work, it's almost impossible to keep water out of the door. It's designed to direct the leaks away from everything critical. Nearly all cars will get water in their doors.

Smith837

I don't expect much from dealers except pushback. I am hoping that Audi will be more willing to remedy. I guess we'll see.

Just to clarify, my comment about you joking had nothing to do with dealer posture; rather, the idea that one should have to buy a 911 to expect quality service. I believe that service and caring for others should be something we all value and instill in one another, and not a pay-for privilege. Notwithstanding the reality of our world, if Audi owners don't expect and insist on quality product and service, and don't hold the manufacturer and dealers accountable, then how can we ever expect to get it? Complacency on this over time just lowers the bar for us all.

I'm well aware of how car doors are designed, and how they are designed to move water through them. That said, water should always move downward and out. In my case, water rises from below via capillary action and gets trapped between the glass and inner seal, suggesting either a blockage, a bad seal, a misalignment, or something else. It's possible that there's some other explanation related to the gap in question, or possibly a materials science issue (e.g., residue on the rubber). But either way, the fact that this happens on only 1 of 4 doors, and has never happened with any other vehicle I've owned (a dozen) or rented (hundreds) tells me something is off.

Bobby Kinstle

When I said buy a 911 I originally wrote buy a Ferrari but I thought maybe that took it too far. My point was you'll need to buy a much more prestigious car who's dealers and buyers take things like panel gap much more seriously than Audi does.

If you pop over at any of our audio threads, there are a lot of complaints about water in the doors. It's quite common if you live in a rainy place.