2011 AUDI A3 Complaints

AUDI REFUSES TO REPLACE CITING LACK OF PARTS YET KEEPS SENDING ME NOTICES TO REPLACE. THIS IS WASTING A LOT OF TIME FOR BOTH PARTIES.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V079000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED KEYES AUDI (5239 VAN NUYS BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA, (818) 528-5931) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE ON BACKORDER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *JS

VEHICLE DOES NOT SWITCH GEARS PROPERLY. ONCE DRIVE GEAR IS SELECTED THEN THE GEAR INDICATOR FLASHES (EX. THE D FLASHES OR P FLASHES). VEHICLE DOES NOT SWITCH GEARS UNTIL 5500 RPM IS REACHED. AND VEHICLE DOES NOT ENGAGE R GEAR ONCE CAR HAS BEEN IN DRIVE. HAVE TO TURN VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON TO GET TO R. VEHICLE IS PRETTY MUCH NOT DRIVABLE IN CURRENT CONDITION AS IT NEEDS TO BE SHUT OFF AND TURNED ONE MULTIPLE TIMES JUST TO PARK THE CAR. SOMETIMES BEHAVES NORMALLY FOR SHORT BURSTS.

TAKATA RECALL. THE RECALL ON THIS AIRBAG ISSUED IN FEB 2016 AND I AM STILL BEING TOLD THAT THERE IS NO REMEDY AVAILABLE. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED YET, BUT I AM APPARENTLY DRIVING AROUND WITH AN AIRBAG THAT IS KNOWN TO BE HAZARDOUS.

UNABLE TO TRADE IN VEHICLE WITH DEALER. STATES ONLY VALUED AT $2500; $5000 LESS THAN ACTUAL TRADE IN VALUE. UNACCEPTABLE THAT AUDI DOES NOT STAND BY MISTAKE.

TAKATA RECALL: AUDI HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHEN THE TAKATA AIRBAG INFLATOR(S) WILL BE REPLACED. IT HAS BEEN APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR, AND WE HAVE KEPT THE CAR GARAGED FOR FEAR OF SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. AUDI HAS OFFERED NO INFORMATION THE STATUS OF THE RECALL, NO LOANER VEHICLE/RENTAL VEHICLE, AND APPEARS TO HAVE NO PLAN IN PLACE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE AFFECTED AIRBAG INFLATOR(S).

I RECEIVED A LETTER AND EMAIL FROM MY DEALERSHIP AROUND THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY INFORMING ME THAT MY CAR HAD A DEFECTIVE TAKATA DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG AND TO COME IN AND TALK TO SOMEONE REGARDING MY OPTIONS. I SCHEDULED AN APPT WITH MY DEALERSHIP FOR FEBRUARY 25, 2017 AND MET WITH SARSI KAZIMI, SALES MANAGER, AT KEYES AUDI AT 5239 VAN NUYS BLVD, VAN NUYS, CA 91401. SARSI CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS NOT A REMEDY AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME, AND TRIED TO OFFER ME A TRADE-IN DEAL FOR MY CAR AGAINST ANOTHER AUDI. I CURRENTLY HAVE 1 1/2 YEARS MORE UNTIL FULL PAYOFF OF MY VEHICLE (CAR LOAN THROUGH MY CREDIT UNION, NOT THE DEALERSHIP). I INFORMED SARSI THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO LOCK MYSELF INTO A NEW LOAN FOR ANOTHER 5-7 YRS WHEN MY MINE IS ALMOST PAID OFF. THE FOLLOWING WEEK HE OFFERED ME A NEW LEASE OPTION FOR THE A3 SPORTBACK ETRON, BUT THE PAYMENT WOULD BE HIGHER THAN MY CURRENT MONTHLY PAYMENT AT $399/MO, NOT TO MENTION, I WOULDN'T EVEN OWN THE CAR AT THE END OF THE LEASE. I TRIED TO MEET HIM WITH A REASONABLE OFFER FOR THE LEASE OPTION BUT HE WOULD NOT CONCEDE. I FELT MY OFFER WAS FAIR IN REGARDS TO THE AIRBAG NOT HAVING A REMEDY AT THIS TIME. I DID NOT WANT TO GO LOWER THAN MY CURRENT MONTHLY PAYMENT, SO I TOLD HIM I WAS WILLING TO LEASE A NEW A3 SPORTBACK FOR 3 YEARS, NO MONEY DUE AT SIGNING, 12,000 MILES/YEAR, FULLY LOADED, W/ NOTHING HIGHER THAN $350/MO. AUDI ALREADY HAD A CURRENT OFFER FOR SOMETHING SIMILARLY ADVERTISED. LEASE THE SAME CAR WITH MONTHLY AMOUNT $359 AND APPROXIMATELY $2600 DUE AT SIGNING (SEE ATTACHED). I FIGURED THIS WAS FAIR AND REASONABLE BASED ON COMPARISON TO THEIR CURRENT ADVERTISEMENT. HE CAME BACK WITH THE LOWEST HE COULD POSSIBLE GO WAS NO MONEY DOWN FOR THE STIPPED DOWN VERSION (NO ADDITIONAL "ADD-ONS"), AT $399/MO. HE WAS NOT WILLING TO BUDGE. I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THIS DEAL AND WALKED OUT. PLEASE ADVISE ON HOW I SHOULD PROCEED.

COOLANT PUMP- AUDI ACTION CODE-19L2-"THE COOLANT PUMP MAY DEVELOP A SMALL LEAK OVER TIME." MY AUDI SUFFERED A COOLANT LEAK AND HAD TO FIX FOR $1100 IN DIAGNOSIS/REPAIRS. I REPAIRED IT ON MY OWN AND LATER I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FROM AUDI. I NEED TO GET MY REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE MONEY I PUT UP TO FIX COOLANT LEAK.

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A DEALER IN HOUSTON, TX ON OCT 3, 2016. PRIOR TO PURCHASE, I SUBMITTED THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION AND NOTICE TO US CUSTOMS FOR EXPORT TO CANADA. I ALSO CONTACTED AUDI CANADA TO DETERMINE THAT THERE WERE NO OUTSTANDING RECALLS. THE VENDOR PROVIDED A TEMPORARY PERMIT FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH PERMITTED US TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. WE IMPORTED THE VEHICLE INTO CANADA AT PORT HURON WITH NO COMPLICATIONS ON OCTOBER 21, 2016, PAYING THE REQUIRED DUTY AND HST. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, WE RECEIVED NOTICE FROM RIV THAT THEY COULD NOT ISSUE CLEARANCE, AS A RECALL FOR THE TAKATA AIRBAG REMAINED OUTSTANDING. RIV INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE MUST COMPLY WITHIN 45 DAYS OR BE RETURNED TO THE US. I ENQUIRED ABOUT RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE SELLING DEALER. HOWEVER, AS THE TEXAS TITLE HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO MY NAME, THE VEHICLE MUST NOW BE COMPLIANT FOR RESALE IN THE US. I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS INQUIRIES OF AUDI CANADA AND WHILE THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO BE HELPFUL, THEY INDICATE THAT NO REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND NO DATE HAS BEEN PROVIDED REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF PARTS. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED AUDI MISSISSAUGA, (WHO HAVE SERVICED OTHER AUDI VEHICLES FOR US), AS WELL, AS THE ORIGINAL SELLING DEALER IN SAN ANTONIO, TX, TO ASK THEM TO INCLUDE OUR VEHICLE IN THE QUEUE, SHOULD PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. IN THE MEANTIME, THE VEHICLE SITS IN MY GARAGE, SOMEWHERE IN BUREAUCRATIC NO-MANS-LAND. WHILE I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE THE RECALL COMPLETED, I AM NOT CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ACCEPT THAT RESPONSIBILITY. ARE YOU AWARE OF OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCE AND HAVE THEY BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE? OR, CAN YOU SUGGEST AN ALTERNATE COURSE OF ACTION THAT MAY LEAD TO A RESOLUTION?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V079000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.....UPDATED 02/06/17 *BF UPDATED 09/08/2017 *JS