NHTSA Complaint #10700681 — 2009 AUDI A4

THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO ROTATE BECAUSE OF A STRONG RESISTANCE TO ROTATION. THIS BEHAVIOR WAS DANGEROUS BECAUSE I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL IN NORMAL TRAFFIC WITHOUT EXTREME FORCE. THE AUDI DEALERSHIP TESTED THE CAR AND REPLACED THE "INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT" BUT WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. A CARS STEERING SHOULD WORK FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. I QUOTE THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN'S REPORT: 'CONFIRMED CUSTOMER COMPLAINT AND FOUND THE STEERING WAS JERKY AND WOULD NOT RETURN TO CENTER. INSPECTED STEERING COMPONENTS AND FOUND THAT INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WAS BINDING CAUSING THE STEERING TO JERK. REMOVED AND REPLACED SHAFT AND TESTED AND FOUND CAR TO BE OPERATING AS DESIGNED." I REQUESTED THE REPLACED PART WHICH I HAVE. (PART NUMBER 8K1 419 753 F). THE PART INCLUDES TWO UNIVERSAL JOINTS , ONE ON EACH END. EACH UNIVERSAL JOINT INCLUDES TWO FLEXIBLE BEARINGS WHICH ALLOW THE SHAFT TO BE FREE TO ROTATE FOR CHANGE IN ANGULAR POSITION. ONE OF THE ROTATING PINS WAS FROZEN AND WOULD NOT ROTATE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND MAY BE OCCURRING ON MANY OF THIS TYPE OF SHAFT. THE NUMBER OF REPLACEMENTS BY AUDI SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED TO DETERMINE IF A RECALL INSPECTION IS NEEDED. I TOLD AUDI US HEADQUARTERS THAT I WOULD BE FILLING A CLAIM IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT. AS A RESULT THEY OFFERED TO PAY 50% OF THE $714.70 BILL WHICH I ACCEPTED INSTEAD OF WAITING FIVE MONTHS FOR A HEARING IN MASSACHUSETTS SMALL CLAIMS COURT. *TR