NHTSA Complaint #10498341 — 2013 AUDI S4

STARTING AROUND FEBRUARY 2, 2013 MY VEHICLE STARTED DISPLAYING INTERMITTENT BIZARRE STEERING BEHAVIOR. THE ISSUES WERE TWO FOLD. FIRST, WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED BUT MOST COMMONLY OVER 50 MPH THE STEERING EXHIBITED A "SLIP AND CONNECT FEELING" WHERE THE STEERING WOULD FEEL DISCONNECTED (OR VERY LOOSELY CONNECTED) TO THE WHEELS. LARGE DRIVER STEERING INPUTS RESULTED IN ONLY MINOR CORRECTIONS. ONLY WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL ABOUT TWO INCHES IN EITHER DIRECTION WOULD THE STEERING GRAB AND FEEL NORMAL AGAIN. THIS PHENOMENON HAS RESULTED IN SEVERAL NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS WHERE THE CAR SWERVES INTO THE ADJACENT LANE. THE SECOND ISSUE IS A STEERING NOTCHINESS WHICH OCCURS AT ANY SPEED AND MOST APPARENT DURING TURNS. I CAN BEST DESCRIBE THIS AS IF THE STEERING, WHICH IS ELECTRONIC, CHANGES FROM HIGH TO LOW TO HIGH BOOST WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. ALTHOUGH NOT AS MUCH A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE FIRST ISSUE, IT REQUIRES VIGILANT ATTENTION TO ENSURE CAR CONTROL. BOTH OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN REPORTED BY MANY AUDI DRIVERS ON SEVERAL ONLINE FORUMS. THE FOLLOWING THREAD HAS OVER 850 POSTS FROM CONCERNED AUDI DRIVERS, MANY WITH THESE SAME ISSUES. HTTP://WWW.AUDIZINE.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/513862-STEERING-ISSUES-2013. *TR