NHTSA Complaint #10677092 — 2015 AUDI ALLROAD

AROUND 3,000 MILES I NOTICED A CHANGE IN THE CHARACTER OF THE STEERING. AT TIMES THE STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WOULD FEEL VERY LIGHT (ALMOST LIKE EXTRA BOOST OR ASSISTANCE) AND AT OTHER TIMES THE STEERING WOULD BE VERY FIRM, ALMOST TO THE POINT OF NOT MOVING / TRACKING NATURALLY WHILE DRIVING. IF TURNED, THE WHEEL WOULD STAY IN THAT POSITION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE SENSATION OF A "DETENT" AT THE CENTER POSITION OF STEERING BECOME PROGRESSIVELY MORE NOTICEABLE, ULTIMATELY TO THE POINT THAT IT WOULD TAKE NOTICEABLY EXTRA EFFORT TO TRANSITION THE CAR FROM A RIGHT TURN TO A LEFT TURN AND VICE-VERSA (I.E. CROSSING CENTER TOOK EXTRA FORCE, AFTER WHICH THE RESISTANCE WOULD FALL OFF CAUSING OVERSTEERING). I TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER AND THE CAR WAS THERE FOR 5 BUSINESS DAYS. WHEN I DESCRIBED WHAT WAS HAPPENING THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT -- THEY CALLED IT "NOTCHY" STEERING. THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK AND COLUMN AFTER A REGIONAL REP CAME TO EVALUATE THE CAR. INITIALLY THE CAR FELT RELATIVELY NORMAL AFTER REPAIR, BUT I AGAIN AM STARTING TO INTERMITTENTLY FEEL THE "DETENT" IN STEERING AT CENTERLINE. THIS SENSATION IS ONLY APPARENT AT HIGHWAY SPEED (HENCE MY CONCERN!). TO MY SURPRISE (AND HORROR) A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A REAL PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE, MOSTLY 2013 MODELS. THERE ARE TWO YOUTUBE VIDEOS SHOWING THE PROBLEM, AND MULTIPLE FORUM DISCUSSIONS ON THE TOPIC. TO MY KNOWLEDGE ONLY 2013 MODELS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON THE INTERNET TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT OBVIOUSLY MY 2015 MODEL-YEAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, SUGGESTING WHATEVER IT IS HAS NOT BEEN FIXED IN THE LINEUP AND LIKELY 2014 & 2015 MODELS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT MAKES THE CAR'S STEERING UNPREDICTABLE, AND I DO NOT ALLOW MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS I AM NOT CONFIDENT IN ITS SAFETY. I WORRY THE STEERING COULD FAIL OR LOCK UP -- AGAIN ALL AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *TR