NHTSA Complaint #11119453 — 2018 AUDI S5

MY CAR HAS A "TOP VIEW" REAR CAMERA SYSTEM TO AID IN REVERSING. THIS SYSTEM FAILS AND IS IN AN UNPREDICTABLE STATE ON THE SCREEN EVERY TIME I REVERSE, NOT SHOWING THE VIEW AROUND MY CAR. THIS IS DISTRACTING, AND LEADS TO PROBLEMS IN TRYING TO SWITCH MY TOP-VIEW CAMERA ON (IT REQUIRES A COMPLEX SERIES OF 8 BUTTON PRESSES WHILE IN REVERSE!) WHILE BACKING UP. I HAVE NEARLY HIT OBJECTS AND PEDESTRIANS DUE TO THIS SAFETY DEFECT, AND IT DIMINISHES MY ABILITY TO SAFELY OPERATE MY VEHICLE WHEN IT IS REVERSING. THIS SAME DEFECT AFFECTS ALL AUDI MODELS WITH THIS OPTION SOLD IN CY 2017 AND 2018 (INCLUDING A4, S4, A5, S5, Q5, AND Q7). I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS SAFETY DEFECT TO MY DEALER ON SEPT 17, 2017. AUDI HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS DEFECT, AND CLAIMS IT HAS A FIX, BUT HAS REFUSED TO DISTRIBUTE THE FIX TO EXISTING VEHICLES FOR 6+ MONTHS. IN THE TIME IT HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AUDI MISREPRESENTED THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THEIR NEW VEHICLES SOLD IN THE US, AND CONTINUED TO SELL VEHICLES WITH THIS EXPENSIVE SAFETY OPTION KNOWING THAT THE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY -- AND, IN FACT, IS SO DISTRACTING AS TO REDUCE SAFETY WHILE REVERSING INSTEAD OF ENHANCING IT.