NHTSA Complaint #10875681 — 2006 AUDI A6

I HAVE A USED 2006 AUDI A6 QUATTRO 3.2 [WHEN PURCHASED IN 2013 IT ONLY HAD 89,000 MILES - CURRENTLY AT 111,139 MILES]. LAST WEDNESDAY 06/15/2016, THE CAR REFUSED TO TURN OVER, HOWEVER, THE RADIO, MMI, EXTERIOR/INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ALL OPERABLE. AFTER INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE MORE, I REALIZED THAT THE ELECTRICAL WINDOWS REFUSED TO RAISE, THE DASH DIDN'T ILLUMINATE, AND I WAS UNABLE TO PLACE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. LATER THAT EVENING, MY INSURANCE PROVIDER SENT A TOW TRUCK WITH A FLATBED - THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE CHAINED TO THE TOW TRUCK AND PULLED OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT BECAUSE THE WHEELS WERE LOCKED. IN THE INTERIM, I RESEARCHED MY ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS RELATED TO MY EXACT ISSUE, WHICH WAS LATER DISCOVERED AS A TRANSPONDER FAILURE THAT WOULD REQUIRE AN ENTIRE NEW STEERING COLUMN BECAUSE THE COMPANY (AUDI) DID NOT SELL THE PART SEPARATELY. THESE ENTRIES WERE FROM DRIVERS OF AUDI A4, A6, AND TT MODELS FROM YEARS 2004-2007. THE FOLLOWING MORNING [THURSDAY, 6/16/2016] I SPOKE WITH JOHN AND KEVIN FROM THE SERVICE CENTER IN THE MAPLE HILL AUTO GROUP IN KALAMAZOO, MI WHICH IS A VW/AUDI DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A TRANSPONDER FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE PARTS AREN'T SOLD SEPARATELY. THEY QUOTED A PRICE OF NEARLY $2200.00 FOR REPAIR AND LABOR - I ADVISED THAT I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND ONE SOLUTION ON THE INTERNET THAT ADVISED THAT AN AUDI SERVICE CENTER (DIDN'T HAVE THE LOCATION) USED AUTEL MAXISYS PRO TO REMOVE THE CODES IN THE AUTH/ACCESS MODULE AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO TURN OVER. KEVIN ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO USE THIS PROCESS. SPOKE WITH SEAN FROM AUDI'S CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT ON 6/16/16 WHO HAD THE CONCERN REVIEWED AND ADVISED ON MONDAY 6/21/16 THAT AUDI WAS UNABLE TO OFFER ANY RESOLUTION DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE.