NHTSA Complaint #11300531 — 2019 AUDI SQ5

THE TRUNK LID HAS OPENED ON ITS OWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE NIGHT TIME, SOME SMALL CARGO (MADE OF PLASTIC) FELL OUT OF THE TRUNK AND WAS DESTROYED BY THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AND IN ADJACENT LANE WHILE CREATING SOME MINOR ROAD HAZARD. INSTANTLY PULLED OVER ON A SOFT SHOULDER, PUT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND GOT OUT TO CHECK OUT WHAT HAPPENED. THE TRUNK WAS WIDE OPEN BUT HAZARDS WERE NOT VISIBLE AS THEY ARE ATTACHED TO THE TRUNK LID WHICH WAS OPEN AND FACING UPWARDS, EFFECTIVELY MAKING THE HAZARD LIGHTS INVISIBLE TO THE TRAFFIC IN THE NIGHT TIME BEHIND ME. SMALL REFLECTORS ON THE BUMPER ARE SO TINY THAT IN THE NIGHT TIME ARE PRACTICALLY USELESS AND INVISIBLE TO THE CARS BEHIND YOU IF THEY ARE CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. A FEW CARS BEHIND ME HAD TO BRAKE HARD AND CHANGE LANES. THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY TWO SAFETY PROBLEMS: 1) THE TRUNK OPENED WHILE DRIVING (NO SOUND OR DASHBOARD WARNINGS) AND 2) DESIGN FLAW OF THE TAILGATE LIGHTS WHICH ARE ATTACHED TO THE TRUNK LID INSTEAD OF AT LEAST PARTIALLY BEING ATTACHED TO REAR PART OF QUARTER PANEL. SINCE IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO STAY ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE NIGHT, I PULLED IN TO A NEAREST PARKING LOT TO REPORT TO AUDI ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. IMAGINE THE SITUATION WHEN SOMEONE GETS A FLAT IN THE NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY AND NEEDS TO CHANGE THE TIRE THEMSELVES, IF THE TRUNK IS OPEN WHILE YOU GET THE SPARE AND TOOLS , THEY ARE IN GREAT DANGER. DISCUSSED THIS WITH AUDI CORPORATE AND THEY SENT ME TO A DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS BUT DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPLICATE IT. SEEMS LIKE NEITHER OF THEM HAVE A SOLUTION. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU.