NHTSA Complaint #10192217 — 2004 AUDI A4

VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING AND ATTEMPTING TO GET UP TO SPEED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN THE CLUTCH SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION FAILED IN-BETWEEN GEAR SHIFTS. THE CLUTCH PEDAL BECAME LODGED/STUCK AGAINST THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PANIC IN THE BELIEF THAT SOME FOREIGN OBJECT WAS INTERFERING WITH THE NATURAL RETURN OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN GEAR, AND WAS COASTED TO A SHOULDER WITH THE CLUTCH PEDAL STILL STUCK AGAINST THE FLOORBOARD. ONCE SAFELY ON THE SHOULDER, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE DRIVER INVESTIGATED THE CAUSE OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL STICKING TO THE FLOORBOARD. NOTHING WAS FOUND TO BE BLOCKING/INTERFERING WITH THE CLUTCH. AN ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE CAR AND PLACE THE VEHICLE IN FIRST GEAR RESULTED IN THE CAR STALLING OUT. THE CAR WAS NO LONGER OPERABLE. AN AUDI DEALERSHIP ASSESSED THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AND DETERMINED THAT THE SUDDEN CLUTCH FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE CLUTCH DISK BEING OVERHEATED, AND THE FRICTION MATERIAL BEING COMPLETELY WORN OUT DESPITE ONLY 29,000 MILES BEING LOGGED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS THE MATTER IS BEING LITIGATED. *TR