NHTSA Complaint #10641516 — 2010 AUDI S4

I WAS DRIVING ON A NORMAL STRETCH OF FLAT HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 65MPH AND THE DASH LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE OUT OF THE BLUE. CAR INDICATED REVERSE GEAR NOT AVAILABLE, TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHTS, AND TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM PROBLEM ALL AT THE SAME TIME. CAR WENT IN TO A "LIMP MODE" AND IT ONLY SHIFTED IN EVEN NUMBER GEARS, AND FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS DANGEROUSLY UNSTABLE DUE TO ERRATIC MISSED SHIFTING. THE CAR HAD RECENTLY BEEN IN PRIOR FOR A SERVICE CHECK AND HAD NO CODES OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEMS AT ALL! AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM THAT THE MECHATRONICS FAILS ON THIS VEHICLE RATHER OFTEN. THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. COST OF REPAIR WAS NEAR 3300$. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 4K MILES OUT OF WARRANTY WHEN THIS OCCURRED, AFTER NUMEROUS PERSISTENT EXCHANGES WITH AUDI OF AMERICA THEY FINALLY DECIDED TO COVER THE FAILURE AS I WAS CONSIDERING SEEKING LEGAL ACTION. ( I HAD THE PART IN HAND AND COULD SUBMIT IT TO FAILURE ANALYSIS ENGINEERING FOR CAUSE). ON AN POLL ON A POPULAR AUDI WEBSITE, APPROXIMATELY 15% OF THESE MECHATRONICS HAVE FAILED. THE DESIGN ISSUE IS A CIRCUIT CARD EMBEDDED IN HOT TRANSMISSION FLUID THAT AFFECTS THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL OF THE TRANSMISSION. IF THE TRANSMISSION IS DAMAGED IT CAN BE OVER A +10K$ REPAIR. *TR