NHTSA Complaint #11118873 — 2013 AUDI S5 CABRIOLET

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR DOWN A SIDE ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE CAR HAD A MESSAGE 'POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION. DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE'. LUCKILY FOR ME, I WAS NOT GOING VERY FAST OR ON A BUSY ROAD, AND COULD STOP THE CAR SAFELY. THE WHEEL WAS EFFECTIVELY USELESS AND I COULD NOT MANEUVER THE VEHICLE AT ALL. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AUDI AND BECAUSE THERE IS NO 'KNOWN' ISSUE WITH THIS HAPPENING AND THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BESIDES QUOTE ME $3200 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER STEERING RACK. IF SOMEONE WAS DRIVING ON A CURVED ROAD OR ON THE HIGHWAY, I WOULD HATE TO IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE AT ALL. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF STEERING PROBLEMS ON AUDI FORUMS AND A COUPLE OF CASES JUST LIKE MINE BUT NO FORMAL INVESTIGATION OR RECALL YET. I HOPE AUDI ACTS BEFORE ANYONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT.