NHTSA Complaint #10133232 — 2005 AUDI A6

ON 6/25/05 I PURCHASED A NEW 2005 AUDI A6 3.2 SEDAN FROM AUDI OF OAKLAND CA AND HAVE RECENTLY BECOME AWARE OF A POTENTIAL HAZARD. AUDI NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE STATES THAT THE CONDITION OF MY CONCERN IS COMMON TO ALL AUDI A6 VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. DEPENDING ON THE PARTICULAR DRIVING CONDITIONS AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE CAN TEMPORARILY FAIL TO RESPOND TO PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS USUALLY OCCURS AFTER A SHARP DECELERATION FOLLOWED BY AN ATTEMPT TO RESUME SPEED THAT CALLS FOR A CHANGE OF GEARING. WHEN THIS CONDITION OCCURS THERE IS AN APPROXIMATE ONE TO TWO SECOND DELAY WHEN THERE IS NO ENGINE POWER. AFTER THE DELAY THE ENGINE WILL LURCH IN TO POWER UPON FINDING A LOWER GEAR. THE PROBLEM CAME TO MY NOTICE WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE QUICKLY OUT OF AN INTERSECTION WITH TRAFFIC BEARING DOWN FROM THE SIDE. IT WAS A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE AS FOR THAT BRIEF PERIOD THERE WAS NO ENGINE POWER AND I THOUGHT THAT THE ONCOMING VEHICLE WOULD HIT ME. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD WITH THE DEALER AND WITH AUDI NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEIR REPLY WAS THAT THE RESPONSE DELAY IS ''NORMAL OPERATION FOR THE VEHICLE'' AND FURTHER THAT AUDI DOES NOT CONSIDER A NEED TO REMEDY THIS DESIGN DEFECT. SINCE THEN I HAVE TESTED A NUMBER OF OTHER VEHICLES IN THE SAME CLASS MADE BY OTHER AUTO MANUFACTURERS AND NONE OF THEM HAVE THIS DEFECT. I ASK THAT YOU INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND THAT YOU USE YOUR AUTHORITY TO MAKE AUDI FIX THIS DEFECT AND ISSUE A RECALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND ASSISTANCE. *AK