2016 AUDI A3 Complaints

AUDI ETRON SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING. WHILE FUTZING WITH THE WINDOWS TRYING TO STOP THE "WOOP WOOP WOOP" AIR PRESSURE THING THAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WINDOWS ARE PARTIALLY OPEN, THE SUNROOF EXPLODED OUT OF THE CAR. SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT, HAPPENED IN A SPLIT SECOND, SCARED THE BEJESUS OUT OF ME. THE ENTIRE CENTER OF THE SUNROOF DISAPPEARED INSTANTLY. THE DEALER SAYS TO REPLACE IT MIGHT TAKE WEEKS, AND COST THOUSANDS. APPARENTLY, THEY HAVE TO REPLACE ALL OF THE GLASS ON THE ROOF, TAKE OFF THE DOORS, AND GUT THE INTERIOR ROOF. ARGH

A-RECALL SUCTION PUMP SMELL INSIDE CAR LEAK VAP SYSTEM GAS A-RECALL SIDE MARKER LIGHTS

I BOUGHT A CPO 2016 A3 1.8T FROM AUDI OF PALO ALTO ON MAY 20, 2017 WITH A LITTLE UNDER 19100 MILES. GREAT FAST CAR. UNTIL JUNE 17, 2017 WHEN IT HAD 19878 MILES. THE CAR STARTED TO STUTTER/SPUTTER/JERK WHILE ON THE FWY. I WAS GOING ABOUT 50-60MPH ON THE FWY, CRUISING, AND THEN IT STUTTERED. IT LOST THE POWER TO ACCELERATE TO KEEP UP THE FWY PACE AND IT SLOWED DOWN CONSIDERABLY SO I PULLED OVER. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER (AUDI OF CONCORD). IT WAS THERE FROM 6/17 TO 6/29. DEALER SAID IT HAD A FAULTY TURBO, STATING THE WASTEGATE FAILED, SO THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE TURBO. I GOT THE CAR BACK WITH ABOUT 20072 MILES, SO APPARENTLY THEY DID SOME ROAD TESTS. YESTERDAY, JULY 3, 2017, WHILE PICKING UP SOME GIFTS FOR MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY, THE ISSUE CAME BACK AGAIN. THIS TIME, MY WIFE AND 2 SMALL CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR. WE WERE CRUISING AROUND 60-65 MPH. IT WAS SCARIER AS I HAD TO THINK FOR THEIR SAFETY FIRST AND FOREMOST. IMAGINE A CAR THAT SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION POWER ON THE FREEWAY AT AROUND 6:30PM. WE EASILY COULD HAVE GOTTEN REAR-ENDED. ANYWAY, I RESEARCHED ON AUDI'S RELIABILITY AND DID READ ON SOME COMMENTS ABOUT HOW LOUSY THEY ARE. I GAMBLED AND DECIDED TO BUY ONE ANYWAY. BOY DID I LOSE BIG. AT THIS POINT, I'D RATHER HAVE A KIA OR CHEVY.

DRIVING 50-60 MPH ON THE FWY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED TO JERK/STUTTER AND THEN IT LOST SPEED. THE JERKING IS SIMILAR TO A NEW DRIVER LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHERE YOU'RE THROWN FWD AND BACK SOMEWHAT VIOLENTLY. AS I TRIED TO ACCELERATE BACK TO FWY SPEED, IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. IT KEPT SLOWING DOWN INSTEAD. NO CEL ILLUMINATED. I DECIDED TO EXIT AND PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT.

WE RECEIVED TWO SAFETY RECALLS FROM AUDI: NHTSA RECALL #16V647 AND #16V642. WE WERE INFORMED BY AUDI THAT THE SERVICE WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPLETED BY AN AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALER. THE CLOSEST AUDI DEALER IS IN HONOLULU, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE US TO SHIP OUR CAR FROM MAUI. GIVEN THIS WAS AN AUDI RECALL, IT WAS MY EXPECTATION THAT THEY WOULD EITHER PAY THE COSTS OR AUTHORIZE THE WORK TO BE DONE ON MAUI BY THE VW DEALER, WHICH IS ONE OF AUDI'S SISTER COMPANIES. NEITHER RECALL HAS BEEN COMPLETED AS OF TODAY. SINCE THESE ARE SAFETY RECALLS, I WOULD FULLY EXPECT AUDI TO PAY FOR ALL COSTS AS WELL AS THE INCONVENIENCE OF NOT HAVING A CAR FOR AT LEAST A WEEK, DUE TO INTER-ISLAND SHIPPING SCHEDULES. ALTHOUGH AUDI CLAIMS THEY WOULD CONSIDER COMPENSATING US FOR OUT OF POCKET COSTS, BASED ON A RECENT REPAIR THAT IS COVERED BY OUR WARRANTY, I DO NOT TRUST THAT AUDI WILL COMPENSATE US. ON APRIL 25, 2017, THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT AND AIR BAG ALERT LIGHTS LIT UP FOR NO REASON. THE OWNER'S MANUAL SAID THAT WHEN BOTH LIGHTS ARE ON, THE OWNER SHOULD GET THE CAR TO A TECHNICIAN IMMEDIATELY. WE HAD THE CAR EVALUATED AND REPAIRED BY THE LOCAL VW DEALER, PAYING FOR IT OUT OF POCKET. ON MAY 1, I CONTACTED AUDICARE TO GET UNDERSTAND THE REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS. I WAS TOLD TO SEND IN THE WORK ORDER AND PROOF OF PAYMENT AND THEY WOULD PROCESS IT UNDER THE WARRANTY COVERAGE. THE CASE NUMBER THEY ASSIGNED US IS CASE NUMBER 170475720. COPIES ARE ATTACHED. TODAY, MAY 8, I CALLED AUDI TO CONFIRM RECEIPT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO COMPENSATE US. THEIR REASONING IS THAT BECAUSE THE WORK WAS NOT DONE BY AN AUDI TECHNICIAN, THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE COST. HOWEVER, GIVEN THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE RELATED TO A FAULTY AIRBAG SENSOR, WE HAD TO GET THE CAR TO A TECHNICIAN IMMEDIATELY. GIVEN THIS WAS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE, THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD SHIP THE CAR TO AN AUDI DEALER ANYWAY.

CONTINENTAL PROCONTACT 225/45R17 91H DOT AF7RWBRD4615 RIGHT FRONT TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT AFTER GOING OVER SMALL DRIVEWAY CURB AT VERY LOW SPEED VEHICLE 2016 AUDI A3 ETRON

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. IT WAS UNKNOWN HOW THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

THERE IS NO WARNING, AND NO IGNITION LOCKOUT, WHEN THE ETRON POWER PORT DOOR AND COVER IS LEFT OPEN AT THE FRONT OF THE CAR. (THE POWER PORT IS HOW TO RECHARGE THE BATTERIES IN THE CAR). THIS ALLOWS WATER TO BE FORCED INTO THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN, WHICH COULD TRIGGER AN ELECTRICAL FIRE OR MALFUCTION IN THE SYSTEM AND POSSIBLY EXPLODE THE LITHIUM ION BATTERIES THAT POWER THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED ON THE 2017 MODEL, BUT THERE IS NO SOLUTION (YET) FOR A 2016 ETRON ACCORDING TO DEALER.

THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE A3 E-TRON. THERE IS A DELAY BETWEEN STARTING THE CAR AND THE CAR BEING ENGAGING THE POWERTRAIN AND BEING "READY" TO DRIVE. DURING THAT DELAY, ONE IS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR BEFORE THE ENGINE IS 'READY'. THIS CREATES SITUATIONS WHERE YOU CAN PUT THE CAR IN GEAR ON A HILL, AND THE CAR ROLLS BACKWARDS AND YOU DO NOT HAVE STEERING OR POWER BREAKS TO STOP THE CAR. THE ONLY WAY TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR IS TO TO PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE BREAK (WITHOUT POWER STEERING), PUT THE CAR IN GEAR, AND POWER CYCLE THE CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS FAILING. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN....UPDATED 12/14/16 *BF UPDATED 08/10/2017*JS