NHTSA Complaint #10732364 — 2012 AUDI A3

WHILE DRIVING AT 50MPH, AN MIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. A CONSISTENT CHANGE IN POWER OR DRIVABILITY WAS NOT EXPERIENCED IMMEDIATELY, BUT INTERMITTENT MOMENTS OF SLIGHT POWER LOSS WERE NOTICED (1 SECOND DROP IN POWER) DURING BOTH CRUISE OR ACCELERATION DURING THE REMAINING DRIVE HOME AFTER THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN I ARRIVED HOME, I INSPECTED THE ENGINE FOR ANY OBVIOUS SIGNS SUCH AS DISCONNECTED OR LOOSE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS, OIL LEVEL, ETC. I DID FIND A POOL OF OIL ON TOP OF THE CYLINDER HEAD POOLING AROUND THE INJECTOR PORTS. THIS CAUSED ME GREAT CONCERN, SO ON JULY 3, I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST AUDI DEALERSHIP. AFTER TWO DAYS, AN ASST. SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME TO PRESENT A DIAGNOSIS THAT THE EXHAUST FLAP, ASSOCIATED WITH THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM, REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AND THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED BY AUDI FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. THE OIL POOLING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO REMNANTS FROM A PREVIOUS SERVICE VISIT TO THIS SAME DEALERSHIP. THE ASST. SERVICE MANAGER REPORTED THAT THE OIL WAS CLEANED FROM TOP OF ENGINE AND THEN THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN WITH NO PERCEIVABLE OIL DISCHARGE OCCURRING AFTERWARD. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE EXHAUST FLAP IS AN ISSUE FOR ALL VEHICLES WITH THE CBEA ENGINE TYPE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY AUDI DUE TO FAULTY QUALITY. BEING AN EMISSIONS COMPONENT, THE QUALITY OF THE EMISSIONS CONTROL MUST BE IMPACTED OR AT LEAST DETRIMENTAL TO OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE SYSTEM WHICH REGULATE THE EMISSION OF NOXIOUS GREENHOUSE GASES. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE DRIVABILITY COULD SUFFER TO A GREATER EXTENT OVERTIME IF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM BECOMES COMPROMISED BY THIS FAULTY EQUIPMENT. MY HOPE IS THAT AUDI WILL OPEN A CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THIS COMPONENT FOR LOYAL CUSTOMERS AND PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE TDI CLEAN DIESEL AND ITS REMARKABLE REDUCED EMISSIONS TECHNOLOGY.