NHTSA Complaint #10545592 — 2003 AUDI A4

MY AUDI WOULD NOT START. HAD CAR TOWED TO CAR REPAIR SHOP NEAR. THE REPAIR SHOP CHARGED MY BATTERY AND IT STARTED PROMPTLY. MECHANIC LEFT ENGINE RUNNING FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD BOOOOM, IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT. SMOKE IMMEDIATELY STARTED COMING FROM THE CABIN OF THE CAR. THE AIRBAGS (DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE) HAD DEPLOYED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND ENGINE RUNNING... NO IMPACT. I FILMED THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF THE EXPLOSION...THE VIDEO IS HERE HTTP://YOUTU.BE/WBCNXZAYGP0 I CALLED AUDI AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO JIM ELLIS AUDI (ATLANTA). THEY "RESEARCHED THE ISSUE" AND SENT THEIR FINDINGS TO AUDI NORTH AMERICA WHO ARE SAYING THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX CAR DUE TO CORROSION IN THE AIRBAG MODULE. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN FLOOD DAMAGED AND I HAVE NOT MADE A HABIT OF LEAVING SUN ROOF OPEN SO THAT THE INTERIOR IS DRENCHED IN WATER CAUSING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THIS AS A MATTER OF POOR DESIGN AND AUDI IS SHIRKING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY OF DESIGNING CERTAIN COMPONENTS SAFELY (I.E. NO RISK OF CORROSION) SO THAT AIRBAGS DO NOT DEPLOY BY THEMSELVES. I COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 80 AND CRASHED INTO A WALL OR A SEMI-TRUCK HAD THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. MANY OTHER PEOPLES LIVES COULD BE AT RISK DUE TO THIS VERY ISSUE. I WAS FORTUNATE. THIS IS A MATTER OF PRINCIPAL AND AUDI SHOULD DESIGN THEIR CARS BETTER ESPECIALLY FOR COMPONENTS THAT HAVE LIFE AND DEATH IMPLICATIONS. *JS