2018 AUDI Q5 Complaints

I AM WRITING TO FORMALLY REPORT AN INCIDENT OF CONCERN. I PARKED MY AUDI Q5 IN MY DAUGHTER'S DRIVEWAY, LEAVING MY (VERY MINIMAL, NO METAL, JUST FLANNEL) POCKETBOOK IN THE CAR WITH THE AUDI FOB. IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES, I BROUGHT MY GRANDDAUGHTER WHO IS 4 DOWN TO THE CAR AND STRAPPED HER IN HER CAR SEAT IN THE BACK SEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN I WENT TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR, THE CAR LOCKED UP. IT STAYED LOCKED. NONE OF THE DOORS OR THE HATCHBACK WOULD OPEN. THE KEYS WERE INSIDE. FORTUNATELY, MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS 4 AND CAN UNDERSTAND COMMANDS. SHE GOT HERSELF OUT OF THE CAR SEAT AND UNLOCKED THE DOORS FROM THE INSIDE. BUT THIS WAS VERY TROUBLING. WHAT IF SHE WERE 18 MONTHS OR YOUNGER STILL? WHAT IF SHE PANICKED? I THINK THIS IS A VERY BAD DESIGN FEATURE. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT IF I WERE IN A REMOTE LOCATION AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO CHECK ON SOMETHING AND THEN COULDN'T GET BACK IN. I NEVER TOUCHED THE FOB FROM THE TIME I EXITED THE CAR UNTIL I OPENED THE BACK DOOR FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTER. IT WASN'T LOCKED THEN; IT LOCKED ITSELF AFTER I BELTED HER IN.

SINCE WE LEASED THIS CAR LAST YEAR IN APRIL, WE HAVE HAD MANY ISSUES WITH THE PRE-SENSE PREMATURELY GOING OFF IN THE LATE SETTING ( AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM TO PREVENT REAR COLLISIONS. THERE HAVE MANY TIMES WHERE MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY AND EVEN IN THE LATE SETTING IT PICKED UP VEHICLES FROM THE OPPOSITE LANE AND ABRUPTLY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, SCARING MY WIFE. ONE OF THESE TIMES WHEN IT DID THIS, IT CAME EXTREMELY CLOSE TO WHERE BY THE TIME SHE WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL , ENGAGING IT IN DRIVE SHE WAS ALMOST HIT IN THE BACK OF THE CAR UNTIL SHE COULD ACCELERATE TO THE SPEED LIMIT OF THE ROAD WE LIVE ON WHICH IS 35 MPH. THERE HAS BEEN OTHER TIMES, LIKE BACKING UP IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND IT JUST DECIDES TO GO OFF WITH NO VEHICLES IN THE THE DRIVEWAY??? I HAVE HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THIS TWICE AND HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH AUDI CORPORATE. THEIR LAST COMMENT TO ME IS THE SYSTEM IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. THIS IS MY 20+ AUDI AND CURRENTLY HAVE ONE OTHER 2018 AUDI AND 2018 VW. LAST YEAR ALONE I HAD 4 AUDI'S SO I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE PRODUCT, THIS IS WORKING PROPERLY AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH CONCERNS ME THAT COULD CAUSE MY WIFE TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE PREMATURE ENGAGEMENT. I WANT TO MENTION THAT MY WIFE IS NOW INCONVENIENCED HAVING TO BACK INTO OUR DRIVEWAY THUS PREVENTING IT TO GO OFF WHEN LEAVING FOR WORK EVERY DAY. SINCE WE LIVE ON A SCENIC BYWAY, THERE IS A STEADY FLOW OF CARS BUT AGAIN AT A SLOWER SPEED OF 35 MPH. LASTLY THIS SYSTEM IS SET TO LATE WARNING BUT CAN NOT BE TURNED OFF PERMANENTLY OR WE WOULD. I HAVE SENT MANY EMAILS TO AUDI , SPOKEN WITH THE DEALER AND THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT. THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS ONLINE WITH PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE NEW PRE-SENSE SYSTEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 AUDI Q5. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE TRACTION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI EAU CLAIRE (5201 FAIRVIEW DR, EAU CLAIRE, WI 54701) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 900.

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ON 4/21/2017, I WAS SOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP ON THE ADVERTISED SAFETY FEATURE CALLED THE AUDI PRE SENSE. AUDI PRE SENSE DETECTS COLLISION HAZARDS ALL AROUND THE CAR AND INITIATES SPECIFIC PREVENTIVE MEASURES. ON 1/20/2018 AT 9AM I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET GOING ABOUT 10-15 MPH, I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND WAS DRIVING OFF FROM THE INTERSECTION DUE TO THE GLARE IN MY EYES I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE A CEMENT PILLAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR COLLIDED AND THERE THE ENTIRE FRONT WAS SMASHED IN, THE ENGINE BELT WAS CLIPPED.I CONTACTED AUDI HEAD QUARTERS AND DESCRIBED TO THEM THE INCIDENT, PROVIDED PICTURES, AND POLICE REPORT. AUDI CUSTOMER CARE TOLD ME THAT THE SAFETY FEATURE DOES NOT WORK IN SUNLIGHT AND THAT IN THIS CASED THE AUDI PRE SENSE WOULD NOT OF DETECTED ANYTHING. THIS IS FAR DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD AS WELL AS WHAT IS PUBLISHED ON THEIR WEBSITE. THE AUDI PRE SENSE SHOULD BE 360 VIEW AND MY CAR SHOULD HAVE ALERTED ME THAT I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY IN CHICAGO, TRANSMISSION, AND ALL SAFETY FEATURES COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. PRESSING ON ACCELERATOR HAD NO EFFECT, AND WITH LIMITED STEERING WAS ABLE TO PULL TO ROADSIDE BARELY MISSING HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC. EXPRESSWAY ROADSIDE IS NARROW, SO WAS NEARLY HIT BY MANY CARS WHILE WAITING FOR TOW SERVICE. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AND WITH FULL ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION, NO ABILITY TO PUT INTO NEUTRAL. AUDI ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE DID NOT PROVIDE TIMELY TOW SERVICE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE.

MY VEHICLE HAS A SAFETY FEATURE CALLED AUDI PRESENCE. MY NEW VEHICLE Q5 PRESTIGE (LESS THAN 150 MILES, JUST 6 DAYS OLD) HAD MALFUNCTIONED WITH AN UNEXPECTED AUTOMATIC BREAK ON JAN 17TH 2018 AT AROUND 7:29PM CENTRAL TIME WHILE ON SERVICE ROAD OF HIGHWAY 114 GOING TOWARDS WEST (STRAIGHT ROAD IN MOTION) BEFORE REACHING THE INTERSECTION OF FREEPORT IN IRVING, TX. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE STREET THAT COULD BE IDENTIFIED AS AN OBJECT THAT WOULD CAUSE A COLLISION OR ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT. THE SUDDEN BREAK REALLY CAUSED A MENTAL SHOCK TO ME. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE NO VEHICLE JUST BEHIND ME. I WAS DRIVING AT AROUND 40 MILES PER HOUR. I HAVE USED COLLISION AVOIDANCE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE LAST 3.5 YEARS (MERCEDES BENZ, SUBARU FORESTER AND THE LATEST BEING TOYOTA COROLLA) AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TECHNOLOGY AND NEVER RAN INTO SUCH ISSUES. I CONTACTED AUDI SUPPORT AND THEY MENTIONED IT IS NOT UNUSUAL AND YOU SHOULD TAKE IT TO DEALER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY INFORMED IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND AUDI IS VERY SENSITIVE TO THIS COMPARED TO OTHER BRANDS TO BE MORE SAFE. THEY WERE NOT EVEN WILLING TO CHECK THE VEHICLE AND WANTED ME TO COME BACK IF IT HAPPEN AGAIN. THEY ALSO TOLD THEY HAVE NO WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. ON MY ESCALATION ONE OF THE SENIOR MANAGER IN SALES TOLD ME HE OWNS AUDI AND PRE SENSE RUN INTO THIS ISSUES BUT NEED NOT BE WORRIED.FINALLY THEY RAN AN AUTOMATED TEST AND CONFIRMED THEIR REPORT DOES NOT SHOW ANY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. I AM DRIVING THE VEHICLE NOW BUT HAS THE FOLLOWING CONCERNS:1) AUDI CUSTOMER SUPPORT NOT DEALER IS APPEARS TO BE NOT TRAINED HOW TO HANDLE SAFETY ISSUES WHEN REPORTED. 2) DEALER DID NOT REGISTER MY REPORTED ISSUE. THEIR REPORT PROVIDED DID NOT CAPTURE WHAT ISSUE WAS REPORTED. TO ME THIS IS A BAD PRACTICE. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THIS WAS DELIBERATE.I APPRECIATE WHAT NHTSA DO.