NHTSA Complaint #10378488 — 2010 AUDI A5

AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON A COLD JANUARY MORNING HERE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC, THE WATER PUMP BROKE AGAIN AFTER AUDI REPLACED IT ABOUT A YEAR AGO. THE COOLANT LEAKED QUICKLY, AND THE "SHUT ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. I WAITED FOR FOUR HOURS BEFORE A TOW TRUCK WAS AVAILABLE. ACCORDING TO MY DEALER, AUDI IS AWARE THAT THESE PLASTIC WATER PUMPS ARE DEFECTIVE BUT DID NOT INFORM AUDI DRIVERS FOR TWO REASONS: 1) THEY DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT PARTS IN STOCK TO REPLACE ALL THE PROBABLE DEFECTIVE ONES AND ACCORDING TO REGULATIONS, THEY MUST HAVE AMPLE PARTS BEFORE THEY CAN ISSUE A VOLUNTARY RECALL; AND 2) IT HAS NOT BEEN REQUIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT COMPLAINTS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BROKEN PUMP WITH ONE THAT IS NOW SUPPOSEDLY MADE OF METAL INSTEAD OF PLASTIC. IT TOOK THEM ONLY A DAY TO GET THE REPLACEMENT PART IN, AS OPPOSED TO A WEEK THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH 5-10 CASES OF BROKEN WATER PUMPS EACH WEEK SINCE THE COLD WEATHER STARTED - AUDI A5/Q5S. *TR