NHTSA Complaint #10053234 — 2001 AUDI A6

THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO THE AUDI RECALL REFERENCING REPLACEMENT OF TIRES TO MEET AXLE WEIGHT OF VEHICLE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NO #03V143000.TIRES 225/45 R17 91Y WERE TO BE REPLACED BY 225/45 R17 94W. IN NOV 03 TOOK VEHICLE TO THE AUDI PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP IN COLORADO SPRINGS TO MEET COMPLIANCE PER RECALL LETTER. DEALERSHIP TOOK THE PERFORMANCE "ALL SEASON" TIRES OFF THE VEHICLE AND REPLACED THREE TIRES WITH 225/45 94W PERFORMANCE "SUMMER" TIRES AND ONE TIRE WITH A 225/45 91Y PERFORMANCE SUMMER TIRE. FIRST BY LOOKING AT THE SPECS OF THE TIRES THEY INSTALLED THEY PARTIALLY MET THE RECALL CRITERIA. SECONDLY, BY CHOOSING TO TAKE THE ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE "ALL SEASON" TIRES OFF THE VEHICLE IN THE PRESENT WINTER SEASON AND REPLACING THEM WITH A PERFORMANCE "SUMMER" TIRE WITHOUT TELLING ME (THE CONSUMER) OF THE TYPE OF TIRES THEY INSTALLED AND SENDING ME ON MY WAY ASSURING ME THAT MY SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE RECALL HAD BEEN MET, BOTH AUDI USA, AND AUDI PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP CONFIGURED THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE FOR NORMAL OPERATION. THE RECALL CRITERIA WAS NOT MET, ADDITIONALLY BY TAKING AWAY THE ALL SEASON TIRES AND REPLACING THEM WITH SUMMER TIRES IN WINTER SEASON WITHOUT ADVISING THE CONSUMER PRIOR TO RELEASING THE VEHICLE GENERATED A NEW HAZARD. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS CHANGED, VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND AS DRIVER WAS ACCUSTOMED PRIOR TO RECALL, AND AS A RESULT DURING ICY ROAD CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE SLID AND SUFFERED DAMAGES. AUDI USA DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, NOR PHIL LONG DEALERSHIP. THE RECALL ATTEMPTED TO MEET ONE HAZARD, AND BY THE CHOICE OF TIRES CHOSEN AS REPLACEMENT WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF VEHICLE LOCATION, AND FAILURE TO ADVISE CONSUMER OF REPLACEMENT TIRES SPECIFICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS GENERATED A GREATER HAZARD.*AK