NHTSA Complaint #10043091 — 1998 AUDI A6

THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR OF OUR AUDI A6 KEPT FILLING UP WITH WATER WHILE DRIVING -- EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT RAINING. THERE WAS NO DRAIN IN THE FLOOR TO ALLOW THE WATER TO EXIT, SO WE BAILED IT LIKE A BOAT AND FINALLY PUNCHED A HOLE THROUGH THE FLOOR WITH A SCREWDRIVER. HOWEVER, SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CAR STOPPED DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD: THE BRAKES LOCKED AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE REGARDLESS OF WHAT GEAR IT WAS PLACED IN. BY REPEATEDLY TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN I WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION BRIEFLY AND MOVE THE CAR THREE OR FOUR FEET AT A TIME UNTIL IT WAS OFF THE HIGHWAY. MY PASSENGERS AND I WERE UNDERSTANDABLY FRIGHTENED AS THERE WAS TRAFFIC COMING FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS AND WE WERE UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE CAR WAS FLATBEDDED TO THE NEAREST DEALER WHERE ULTIMATELY IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A CLOGGED AIR CONDITIONING COWL DRAIN WHICH CAUSED CONDENSED WATER TO ACCUMULATE IN THE PASSENGER FLOOR AND WHICH ULTIMATELY SHORTED OUT THE TRANSMISSION AND BRAKE CONTROL COMPUTERS WHICH ARE LOCATED IN THE CENTER TUNNEL. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS ROUTINE FOR AUDI DEALERS TO INSPECT THIS DRAIN FOR CLOGGING, YET THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE NEED OR IMPORTANCE TO DO THIS IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, HOW TO DO IT, OR THE IMPLICATIONS FOR FAILING TO DO SO. OUR CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR SOME TIME AND THEREFORE THIS SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED. DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM AND REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPUTERS WILL TOTAL APPROXIMATELY $4,000.00 NONE OF WHICH AUDI USA FEELS IS ITS RESPONSIBILITY. IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE SHORTING OF THE COMPUTERS WE WERE TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-95 AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC (WITH TWO INCHES OF WATER ON THE FLOOR.) HAD THE COMPUTERS CHOSEN THIS TIME AND PLACE TO MALFUNCTION MY ENTIRE FAMILY AND I WOULD LIKELY BE DEAD OR SEVERELY INJURED. I BELIEVE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO REMEDY THIS DANGEROUS DESIGN DEFECT. THANK YOU. *LA