NHTSA Complaint #10502189 — 2013 AUDI A4 ALLROAD

THIS IS FOR MY 2013 AUDI ALLROAD (STATION WAGON, BASED ON AN A4). OUTSIDE TEMP: ~ 34 DEGREES F. 1550 MILES ON ODOMETER. I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE PAVEMENT WAS NOT CROWNED, AND IN FACT WAS VERY SMOOTH. THERE WERE NO RUTS FROM HEAVY TRACTOR/TRAILER USAGE. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND THERE WAS NO DETECTABLE WIND. NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE ANYWHERE NEAR ME TO CREATE BUFFETING. WITH NO WARNING, THE STEERING WHEEL JUMPED APPROXIMATELY TO 2.0 INCHES TO THE RIGHT - - THE CAR QUICKLY STARTED TRAVELING TO THE RIGHT. WHEN I ATTEMPTED A CORRECTION TO THE LEFT, THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS RESISTANCE IN THE STEERING WHEEL FOR ~ 2 INCHES, AND THEN IT WENT TO ZERO. THE SAME OCCURRED WHEN I WENT BACK TO THE RIGHT. IT'S AS IF THERE IS A NOTCH, OR DETENT, TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT. IT IS EXTREMELY UNNERVING. NOW WITH 3350 MILES, IT HAS CONTINUED WITH THE SAME DEGREE OF ERRATIC BEHAVIOR, REGARDLESS OF THE PAVEMENT TYPE OR QUALITY. THE PROBLEM OCCURS, REGARDLESS OF SPEED, EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. IF I DRIVE FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES, IT SOMETIMES DISAPPEARS. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S NEW ELECTRIC OR ELECTRO-MECHANICAL STEERING SYSTEM. I AM VERY AFRAID THAT THE SYSTEM WILL FAIL AND I WILL BE IN A CRASH. *TR