NHTSA Complaint #10148565 — 2000 AUDI TT

10-DECEMBER 2005 SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER SIDE SEAT AIRBAG. CONDITIONS: CLEAR ROAD AT 7,000 FEET ELEVATION, ~ 30 MPH ESTIMATED SPEED. AIRBAG LIGHT INDICATOR ON AFTER EVENT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AFTER EVENT, INTERIOR LIGHT ON. NO 4-WAY FLASHER. 13-DECEMBER 2005 DROPPED OFF AT RECTOR MOTORS, BURLINGAME, CA. J. M. HANDLES SERVICE CONTACTED AND INFORMED AUDI CUSTOMER RELATIONS. 23-JANUARY 2006 AUDI CALLED STATING THAT THEIR LIABILITY GROUP HAS ADVISED THAT "IT WAS AN INSURANCE ISSUE, MEANING THAT REPAIR OF THE AIRBAG WOULD BE A COST TO SUBMIT TO MY INSURANCE, NOT ANYTHING AUDI WOULD PICK UP. I POINTED OUT THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT WHETHER THE COST WAS AUDI'S OR MINE BUT RATHER THAT EXPLODING AIRBAGS REPRESENT A SAFETY CONCERN THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. ON 4-JANUARY 4, 2006 DEALER ADVISED THAT AUDI DID NOT REQUEST NOR RECEIVED INFORMATION LOGGED IN EVENT DATA RECORDER AND THAT LOCAL DEALERS DIDN'T HAVE ABILITY TO DOWNLOAD OR VIEW KEY INFORMATION FOR DIAGNOSING PROBLEM. ON 24-JANUARY 2006 INFORMED THAT THE RESPONSE FROM AUDI WAS INADEQUATE. HE STATED THAT THE LIABILITY ENGINEER HAD MADE HIS ASSESSMENT AND THAT THERE WOULD BE NO FURTHER RESPONSE FROM AUDI. I REQUESTED THAT AUDI DOWNLOAD THE DETAILS IN THE EVENT DATA RECORDER AS A MEANS OF IDENTIFYING THE CAUSE OF THE DEPLOYMENT. HE REITERATED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO FURTHER RESPONSE FROM AUDI NOR WOULD THEY BE WILLING TO DOCUMENT THEIR FINDINGS UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT WHICH TIME THEY WOULD PROVIDE A STATEMENT THAT IT WAS THEN OPERATING TO AUDI STANDARDS. I INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WAS NO CAUSATIVE INCIDENT THAT TRIGGERED THE DEPLOYMENT AND THAT REPLACING THE BAG WITHOUT CORRECTING THE UNDERLYING CAUSE POSED ONGOING RISK TO ME, MY PASSENGER AND ANY OTHER VEHICLES THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN THE NEXT DEPLOYMENT. HE STATED THAT THE LIABILITY ENGINEER HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE DEPLOYMENT WAS RELATED THE MARKS BEHIND THE WHEEL AND THAT NO FURTHER ASSESSMENT WOULD BE MADE BY AUDI. *AK