NHTSA Complaint #10358077 — 2006 AUDI A4

PASSING ON FREEWAY HILL. PRESSED ACCELERATOR TO SHIFT AUTO TRANSMISSION INTO LOWER PASSING GEAR. RESULT WAS AS IF I'D SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. WITH ACCELERATOR PLANTED FIRMLY TO THE FIREWALL THE RPMS WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 4K. TRIED EVERY POSSIBLE COMBO (OVER THE COURSE OF A 50 MILE FREEWAY TRIP) WITH AUTO TRANS SELECTOR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE EXCEPT IN THE "DRIVE" MODE. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE LIT. CLEARLY, WHEN THE "DRIVE" MODE AUTOMATICALLY SELECTED A LOWER GEAR, IT WAS AS IF I'D SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. AFTER THE CAR SAT FOR A BIT, THERE WAS NOT PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT CAR TO BE TRUSTED. ANOTHER CUTE TRICK: NOW AND THEN IT LOCKS ALL THE DOORS AFTER I'VE EXITED THE CAR AND LEFT THE ENGINE RUNNING, WHICH SHOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE ON THIS VEHICLE. I WILL NEVER AGAIN TRUST THIS CAR TO SAFELY PASS ANOTHER. DEALER INDICATES I COULD BRING THE CAR IN, BUT THAT'S 200 MILES EACH WAY...NO CERTAINTY OF DIAGNOSIS. *TR