AUDI Complaints

SAFETY RECALL 69Z4 PASSENGER OCCUPANT SECTION SYSTEM (PODS) FOR AUDI A3S. I RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL FROM AUDI IN AUGUST 2019 AND AT THE TIME THERE WAS NO REPAIR AVAILABLE. I WAS RECEIVING THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND AUDIO WARNING SIGNALS INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. THE RECALL REPAIR BECAME AVAILABLE IN SEPTEMBER AND I HAD THE RECALL COMPLETED IN LATE SEPTEMBER 2019 AT THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM BRAND NEW. IN OCTOBER OF 2019 THE SAFETY WARNINGS AND AUDIO WARNINGS ABOUT MY SAFETY SYSTEMS AND MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I CALLED THE AUDI WILISONVILLE (OREGON) TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND THEY AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT IN NOVEMBER. IN DECEMBER, AGAIN THE SAME WARNING LIGHTS AND SOUNDS CAME ON. I AGAIN LET THEM ATTEMPT TO FIX THE ISSUE IN JANUARY 2020. THEY TOOK 13 DAYS AND GOT AUDI USA INVOLVED TO HELP SERVICE TO FIX THE PODS ISSUE. IN FEBRUARY OF 2020, I AGAIN AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES WITH MY AIRBAGS AND SAFETY SYSTEMS AND WARNING LIGHTS. AUDI JUST CONTINUES TO ATTEMPT TO FIX THE CAR, BUT UNDER OREGON LEMON LAW I ONLY NEEDED TO ALLOW AUDI WILSONVILLE 1 CHANCE AT FIXING THE PODS PROBLEM BECAUSE AND THE ISSUE CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH AND I QUOTE FROM THE AUDI RECALL NOTICE "IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS SWITCHED OFF/NOT WORKING." THE DEALERSHIP IS OFFERING TO PAY OFF THE REMAINDER OF WHAT I OWE ON THE CAR, BUT I WOULD STILL BE LOSING OVER $17,000 IN MONEY I PUT DOWN AND HAVE ALREADY PAID IN MONTHLY PAYMENT. THE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON RANDOMLY WHEN I'M DRIVING OR STATIONARY WAITING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. AUDI WILSONVILLE DOESN'T SEEM INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH ME TO FIND A RESOLUTION.

THERE IS A 3-4 SECOND DELAY IN THE STEERING ASSIST AFTER ENGINE RESTARTS FROM A START/STOP EVENT. (AUTO START/STOP FEATURE) I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I EXPECTED THE POWER STEERING TO BE ACTIVE WHILE THE CAR IS ON. I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN ON A TRAFFIC LIGHT, WHEN I LET GO OF THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE STARTED AND CAR STARTED MOVING FORWARD. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN MY STEERING WHEEL SO THE CAR WENT FORWARD AND I ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN THE NEXT LANE OVER. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THAT AUDI KNEW ABOUT THIS AND STATED THAT THIS IS WITHIN SPECIFICATION. (ATTACHED THEIR INTERNAL TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE) MEANWHILE MY CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR A WEEK, I HAD A LOANER AUDI SQ5 THAT DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. NOR ANY OF THE CARS I'VE EVER DRIVEN BEFORE. I EVEN SHOWED THIS ISSUE TO A FEW OF MY FRIENDS AND EVEN THEY AGREED THAT THIS WAS NOT SAFE. WHAT'S EVEN MORE UPSETTING IS THAT AUDI'S RESPONSE WAS "AUDI TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RECOMMENDS TURNING OFF START/STOP SYSTEM TO AVOID STEERING CONCERN" SO WHY WOULD I PAY FOR A FEATURE THAT I AM NOT ABLE TO USE AND IF I DO USE THE FEATURE, I'M ENDANGERING MYSELF AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD? (THIS IS ALSO INCLUDED IN MY ATTACHMENTS.) I DO HOME SOMEONE CAN HELP ME BECAUSE AUDI WILL NOT.

ON MONDAY 3/9/2020 AROUND 6:45PM EDT, I WAS DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL ZONE APPROX. 25-30 MPH. I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN AND PRESSED THE BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. THE CAR SLOWED SLIGHTLY BUT DID NOT STOP, DESPITE MY INTENSE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. INSTEAD, THE ENGINE REVVED SPONTANEOUSLY SEVERAL TIMES AND I PROCEEDED HALF-WAY THROUGH THE (THANKFULLY EMPTY) INTERSECTION. I CONFIRMED I WAS IN REGULAR DRIVE GEAR (NOT THE SEMI-MANUAL MODE), THEN QUICKLY PUT THE CAR IN PARK TO STOP THE VEHICLE, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON, THEN CONTINUED DRIVING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THAT NIGHT, I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND ANOTHER CUSTOMER REPORTED A NEARLY IDENTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH A 2017 AUDI Q5 ON MARCH 16 2017 (BRAKES FAILED PROBLEM). THAT CUSTOMER'S DEALER FOUND A FAULT WITH THE ABS BRAKE MODULE, WHICH WAS REPAIRED. I TOOK MY CAR TO AN AUDI DEALER (ZIP CODE 48301) THE FOLLOWING DAY BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANY "FAULTS" AND THEREFORE MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE IS 2017 WITH APPROX. 17K MILES, STILL UNDER OEM WARRANTY.

MY CAR RECENTLY STARTED FEELING STIFF WHILE TAKING TURNS AND IT LOOKS AS IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING REPORTED ISSUE. NOTHING THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED IN THE PAST HOWEVER MOST REPORTS ARE OF PEOPLE "FIXING" THE PROBLEM ONLY FOR IT TO CONTINOUSLY COME BACK.

WHEN DRIVING IN ANY STANDARD DRIVING MODE, WHEN YOU START TO COME TO A STOP WITH AUTO S/S ENABLED (E.G. SLOW DOWN) TO LESS THAN 6MPH, THEN ACCELERATE AGAIN, THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE LAG FOR THE VEHICLE TO START ACCELERATING AGAIN (ABOUT 1-2 SECONDS). THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS WHEN THERE IS CROSS TRAFFIC AS THE VEHICLE OFTEN DRIFTS INTO THE INTERSECTION AND YOU CAN'T QUICKLY ACCELERATE AWAY. HAVE HAD MANY CLOSE CALLS AND THE ISSUE IS EASILY REPLICABLE ON ANY 2019 Q8.

RUST, CORROSION THAT MAY DETACH FROM BODY OR FRAME COMPONENTS OR OTHER STRUCTUAL COMPONENTS THAT MAY PRESENT A SAFETY HAZARD.

AUTO START/STOP IS SO LAGGY WHEN RE'STARTING THE ENGINE, ESPECIALLY AT LARGE CROSSINGS W HEAVY TRAFFIC OR ROUNDABOUTS. I HAD ALMOST 5 ACCIDENTS IN THE PAST YEAR BECAUSE YOU ANTICIPATE ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND FROM EXPERIENCE YOU KNOW YOU CAN EASILY TURN OR GO, AND THEN YOU JUST ROLL A BIT AND THERE IS NOTHING HAPPENING AND YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO DO ANYTHING.

WHEN START/STOP SYSTEM IS ENABLED, THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF WHEN COASTING TO A STOP. IF YOU TRY TO ACCELERATE IT TAKES 2-3 SECONDS FOR THE CAR TO ACCELERATE. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ON LEFT HAND YIELD TURNS WHERE THERE IS ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED BY TURNING OFF THE START/STOP SYSTEMS OR PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO SPORT MODE WHICH WILL AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF THE START/STOP SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, THE CAR DOES NOT REMEMBER YOUR SETTING WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. SO EVERYTIME YOU START THE VEHICLE YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE START/STOP SYSTEMS. AUDI DEALER ASKNOWLDEGED THE ISSUE AND PERFORMED UPDATE, BUT THE ISSUE STILL PERSISTS.

COOLANT MIGRATION INTO THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN ON THE INTERSTATE CREATING UNSAFE CONDITION. DEALER STATED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH A COOLANT VALVE FAILING. CREATES FIRE HAZARD BY ALLOWING COOLANT INTO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHICH CAN THEN DESTROY THE ECU ON THE VEHICLE

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A RECALL REGARDING THE AFTER-RUN COOLANT PUMP ON DECEMBER 10TH TO 27,2019. THEY PERFORMED THE RECALL SERVICE. THEY CHARGED MY EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE SERVICE REPAIR. AT THE END OF JANUARY 2020 THE EPC LIGHT CAME ON AND ON 2/10/2020 THE AUDI DEALER INDICATED THAT THE AFTER-RUN COOLANT PUMP WAS DEFECTED BECAUSE IT WAS PLASTIC AND IT CAN CRACK EASILY WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY INDICATED THAT THEY REPLACED IT.THEY SUGGESTED THAT I HAVE A FLUSH OF THE FLUIDS AND I TOLD THEM I WOULD LOOK OUTSIDE OF THE DEALER FOR THESE SERVICES. ON 2/23/2020 THE EPC LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME THE DEALER IS INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A BUILD UP OF DEBRIS AND IS CAUSING THE COOLANT PUMP TO MALFUNCTION. HOWEVER, THEY ARE STATING THAT THIS IS DUE TO MY NEGLIGENCE OF NOT FLUSHING THE FLUIDS. I ASKED WHY THE FLUID WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHANGED THE TWO TIMES THEY REPLACED THE COOLANT PUMP? THEY SAID THEY DO NOT FLUSH THE SYSTEM THEY ONLY PUT BACK WHAT WAS LOST DUE TO THE CHANGE OF PART. I TOOK MY CAR FOR A SECOND OPINION AND THE NEW MECHANIC CALLED THE AUDI DEALER TO GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. HE EXAMINED THE CAR AND REMOVED ALL PARTS IN QUESTION. HE INDICATED THAT THE AFTER-RUN COOLANT PUMP HAS A FILTER BAG THAT HAS BROKEN OPEN AND EXPELLED PELLETS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM. HE WILL NOW HAVE TO REPAIR THE ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT THESE PELLETS ARE CLEARED OUT. HE INDICATES THIS IS BAD DESIGN ON THE MANUFACTURE AND THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE THE DEALER NOR HIM CAN WITH 100% CERTAINTY GET ALL THE PELLETS OUT. THESE PELLETS CAN STAY STUCK IN ANY COMPONENT OF THE COOLING SYSTEM AND DISLODGE AT ANY TIME AND CAUSE THE DAMAGE TO OCCUR AGAIN. CAN YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I CAN REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COOLANT PUMP RECALL EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE ALREADY REPLACED IT ONCE?