NHTSA Complaint #10294316 — 2005 AUDI A6

MY ABS LIGHT, PARKING BRAKE FAILURE, AND ESP LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 AUDI A6 4.2 S-LINE MODEL THROUGH A SUDDEN SNOW STORM IN COLORADO. MY ABS IMMEDIATELY FAILED AND MY BRAKES LOCKED, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE, AND FORTUNATELY I AVOIDED A CRASH (I WAS AT LOW SPEEDS). THE QUATTRO ALL WHEEL DRIVE WAS ALSO DISABLED AT THIS TIME AND I WAS UNABLE TO GAIN TRACTION ON THE ICY ROAD. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DEVASTATING CRASH RESULTING IN INJURIES IF I HAD BEEN GOING THE SPEED LIMIT THAT NIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE ON 12/2/09 AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO HAVE THE ABS MODULE REPLACED AT A COST OF AROUND $1600. WHY WAS THIS NOT A RECALLED PART? ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE TECH AT STAMMLER AUDI IN BOULDER, CO IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 MODEL YEAR BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST YEAR TO HAVE SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED IN THE VEHICLE'S DRIVING SYSTEMS. I AM EXTREMELY UPSET THAT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO BUT PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A DEFECTIVE PART, THAT AUDI ALSO AGREES WITH, JUST TO DRIVE SAFELY ON THE ROADWAYS. *TR