NHTSA Complaint #10984399 — 2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET

WE RECEIVED TWO SAFETY RECALLS FROM AUDI: NHTSA RECALL #16V647 AND #16V642. WE WERE INFORMED BY AUDI THAT THE SERVICE WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPLETED BY AN AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALER. THE CLOSEST AUDI DEALER IS IN HONOLULU, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE US TO SHIP OUR CAR FROM MAUI. GIVEN THIS WAS AN AUDI RECALL, IT WAS MY EXPECTATION THAT THEY WOULD EITHER PAY THE COSTS OR AUTHORIZE THE WORK TO BE DONE ON MAUI BY THE VW DEALER, WHICH IS ONE OF AUDI'S SISTER COMPANIES. NEITHER RECALL HAS BEEN COMPLETED AS OF TODAY. SINCE THESE ARE SAFETY RECALLS, I WOULD FULLY EXPECT AUDI TO PAY FOR ALL COSTS AS WELL AS THE INCONVENIENCE OF NOT HAVING A CAR FOR AT LEAST A WEEK, DUE TO INTER-ISLAND SHIPPING SCHEDULES. ALTHOUGH AUDI CLAIMS THEY WOULD CONSIDER COMPENSATING US FOR OUT OF POCKET COSTS, BASED ON A RECENT REPAIR THAT IS COVERED BY OUR WARRANTY, I DO NOT TRUST THAT AUDI WILL COMPENSATE US. ON APRIL 25, 2017, THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT AND AIR BAG ALERT LIGHTS LIT UP FOR NO REASON. THE OWNER'S MANUAL SAID THAT WHEN BOTH LIGHTS ARE ON, THE OWNER SHOULD GET THE CAR TO A TECHNICIAN IMMEDIATELY. WE HAD THE CAR EVALUATED AND REPAIRED BY THE LOCAL VW DEALER, PAYING FOR IT OUT OF POCKET. ON MAY 1, I CONTACTED AUDICARE TO GET UNDERSTAND THE REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS. I WAS TOLD TO SEND IN THE WORK ORDER AND PROOF OF PAYMENT AND THEY WOULD PROCESS IT UNDER THE WARRANTY COVERAGE. THE CASE NUMBER THEY ASSIGNED US IS CASE NUMBER 170475720. COPIES ARE ATTACHED. TODAY, MAY 8, I CALLED AUDI TO CONFIRM RECEIPT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO COMPENSATE US. THEIR REASONING IS THAT BECAUSE THE WORK WAS NOT DONE BY AN AUDI TECHNICIAN, THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE COST. HOWEVER, GIVEN THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE RELATED TO A FAULTY AIRBAG SENSOR, WE HAD TO GET THE CAR TO A TECHNICIAN IMMEDIATELY. GIVEN THIS WAS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE, THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD SHIP THE CAR TO AN AUDI DEALER ANYWAY.