NHTSA Complaint #10223446 — 2003 AUDI A6

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 AUDI A6 3.0 QUATTRO ON THURSDAY 04/03/2008 AROUND 10:30PM. I WAS TRAVELING 25MPH ON SYLVAN AVENUE IN ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON MY DASH BOARD AND STARTED FLASHING, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, WHEN I PULLED OVER I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OF THE VEHICLE AND POPPED THE HOOD TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON... I POPPED THE HOOD TO FIND THE IGNITION COIL ON THE THIRD CYLINDER (BACK LEFT CYLINDER) HAD STARTED ON FIRE WITH ABOUT 12INCHES OF FLAMES. THANK GOD THIS ALL HAPPENED I ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE FIRE OUT, OTHERWISE THE WHOLE CAR WOULD HAVE BURNED TO THE GROUND. IF I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC OR ON THE HIGHWAY THIS CAR WOULD HAVE MOST DEFINITELY BURNED TO THE GROUND. I FEEL VERY LUCKY MY TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS NOT IN THE CAR WITH ME. NEVERTHELESS, THE IGNITION COIL IS COMPLETELY MELTED AS WELL AS THE WIRING HARNESS. I ALWAYS HAVE DONE ALL THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE VEHICLE AND THE CAR WAS JUST AT THE DEALER SERVICE CENTER ON 04/01/2008 FOR MAINTENANCE, I HAD THEM LOOK OVER THE WHOLE CAR AND THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE. AFTER SPEAKING TO SERVICE TECHNICIANS AT AUDI I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMONLY RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THEIR IGNITION COILS, SPECIFICALLY PERTAINING TO THE THIRD CYLINDER, THEY CLAIM IT OVERHEATS BECAUSE THE DESIGN IS TO CLOSE TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. ALL I KNOW IS SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE, I HAVE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE WHERE YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE SOME TYPE OF ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION THAT I WOULD BE MORE THEN WILLING TO SHARE. PLEASE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING BEFORE A LIFE IS LOST FROM THIS MANUFACTURER ERROR.!!! *TR