NHTSA Complaint #10782288 — 2005 AUDI A6

VERY COMMON PROBLEM - "IGNITION MODULE DEFECTIVE" CODE AT 190,000 MILES. TEMPORARY REPAIR OF THE ISSUE WITH DTC RESET. FULL LOGGING OF CAR DATA VIA OBD-II PORT REVEALS ZERO FAULTS WHILE CAR IS RUNNING, AND DIAGNOSTIC TRAFFIC ON THE CAN BUS AT STARTUP SHOW ZERO FAULTS. ONCE KEY IS INSERTED IN DASH AND TURNED TO "ACCESSORY", MODULE FAULTS OUT WITHOUT ANY TRAFFIC SENT/RECEIVED. HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND DEALERSHIP STATES THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP-ONLY REPAIR, PER MULTIPLE AUDI SERVICE TECHNICIANS, AUDI OF AMERICA REFUSES TO COMPLY WITH MASSACHUSETTS RIGHT TO REPAIR LAW BY MAKING AVAILABLE TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS, THE NECESSARY TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT TO ACCESS THE IMMOBILIZER HARDWARE. DEALER ESTIMATES/QUOTES RANGE FROM $2100-$3700 TO REPLACE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WITH THE ATTACHED AND SEPARABLE IGNITION MODULE (ACCESSIBLE VIA 2 SCREWS AND 1 RIVET). DEALERSHIPS REFUSE TO REPLACE/RE-CODE ONLY THE IGNITION MODULE, STATING THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS REPLACED. MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THE SAME ISSUE WITH OTHER C6 BODY AUDI A6 OWNERS CONFIRM THE SAME DETAILS. NOTHING IS PHYSICALLY WRONG WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH OR MODULE, AND CLEARING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO START IMMEDIATELY. SUSPECT PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE OF THE PART IN QUESTION.