We just picked up our new 2006 A4, and only my wife had driven it at first (it's her car). Now that I drove it around the neighborhood, I've found the distortion of the driver's area of the windshield to be unbearable. I feel like my eyes are getting crossed, as if the screen's like a spectacle lens... it's a horrible experience, but my wife doesn't seem to notice it!! If I look at something ahead while I'm stopped, and I move my head up and down, I can see a gentle but obvious ripple in the glass. I've always had exceptional eyesight, so if anyone would notice, I'd be the one... that's the only way I can explain my wife would be less aware of the defect (thankfully, this is probably why she doesn't mind my face too much).

Has anyone else experienced something like this? We have two Hondas and a Sebring Convertible, and I've not seen this on the other cars.

I've very thoroughly washed the windshield (inside and out) using a Vileda cloth with Mr. Clean in warm water. It doesn't help.

 

very rare but not unheard of, take it back in and have it checked/replaced it could be dangerous

 

i'm sure your audi dealership will replace it under warranty if there is a defect

 

that sucks! i couldn't imagine driving that at night, with all the lights blurry.

is the distortion just in a certain area? if it is, one cause could be that the dealer had a minor scratch polished out.

or, is it throughout the entire windshield?

is it the original glass? dealers will also have windshields replaced if they arrive broken, replacements tend to have more distortion.

either way, if it bothers you that much definately take it back so they can do something about it.

 

maybee you just need to stop drinking a few beers before driving. lol,
but seriously, take it back the dealer will fix it!

 

replacements tend to have more distortion??
Ack! But I doubt the replacement could be worse than this one!

This car's brand new... (door jamb says "manufactured in October, 2005"). It arrived on the transporter with 10 miles on it just last Saturday morning, and we took it home on Monday evening! What a beautiful car! Too bad about the windshield... quality control should've picked that up. I just tried a side-by-side test next to the Sebring Convertible, looking at identical posters on the garage door. The Sebring's almost perfect except at the top and bottom edges (quite acceptable). The Audi has a general, milder, distortion over much of the windshield, with the worst area just where the driver looks through the window!!! I've tried raising the seat and lowering it. No good.

Thanks for the advice folks... avant/bentframe/sandman, I'll be taking the car back this week. I hate to have a factory installation disturbed, but I can't drive it like this!

 

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replacements tend to have more distortion??
Ack! But I doubt the replacement could be worse than this one!

This car's brand new... (door jamb says "manufactured in October, 2005"). It arrived on the transporter with 10 miles on it just last Saturday morning, and we took it home on Monday evening! What a beautiful car! Too bad about the windshield... quality control should've picked that up. I just tried a side-by-side test next to the Sebring Convertible, looking at identical posters on the garage door. The Sebring's almost perfect except at the top and bottom edges (quite acceptable). The Audi has a general, milder, distortion over much of the windshield, with the worst area just where the driver looks through the window!!! I've tried raising the seat and lowering it. No good.

Thanks for the advice folks... avant/bentframe/sandman, I'll be taking the car back this week. I hate to have a factory installation disturbed, but I can't drive it like this!
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There is your problem it was made during Octoberfest LOL

 

i was suggesting that it might have already been replaced without you knowing it.

 

Oh, i see... wow, jja, that's a smart observation!

I just went out to take a close look at the windshield, in case there's any evidence of it being replaced. It doesn't look like it. There's nothing I can see to suggest it's been disturbed. I had a new windshield put into our Honda Accord, and you could see looking up close that it wasn't the original, although it's not obvious.

Your idea made me start to wonder if they'd had to replace the windshield once it was delivered (it's always possible they could've damaged it in transit). But it seems unlikely. When we first visited the dealership, they didn't have this color of A4. I'm sure they would have shown us the car if it really was in stock (and presentable). Then, just the next morning, they called saying the car had just arrived, and we checked it out the same afternoon. It looked like it had just been delivered, with some protective plastic here and there.

Thanks anyway jja, for raising the possibility!

Surely they have some means of objectively measuring glass defects?

Hey, one thing I'll say after looking closely all over the windshield and engine... the engineering is "hoechste Qualitaet" (highest quality)!!

 

Okey dokey... we now have a new windshield... the dealership replaced the one that was a problem (after a delay because they'd ordered the wrong one! They'd first ordered one for a sedan, while this is the convertible).

It's definitely a lot better, I don't feel the immediate problem of the distorted view. On the other hand, there's still a definite ripple, just as perhaps you could expect from a windshield that's not factory-installed. I'll get used to it of course.

Now that I'm over 50, I wouldn't be surprised if my eyes had changed to some degree, and smaller distortions are now more obvious to me.

Either way, I suspect jja hit the nail on the head! Perhaps they'd broken the windshield in Germany before shipping, and then put in a replacement. This could now be the 3rd windshield in this car. If we spring for an A6 in the future, I'll be very definitely checking the windshield before buying. All of the display room Audis have been okay any place I looked, but now I do know what to watch for!