NHTSA Complaint #11306619 — 2018 AUDI Q5

THE VEHICLE CAN, AT TIMES, SOUND ALARMS INDICATING A RISK OF GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT WHEN THERE IS NO RISK PRESENT. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR WHILE STOPPED. MY GUESS IS THAT THIS IS DUE TO SIMILAR SAFETY SENSORS INSTALLED ON OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD WHICH MY CAR MAY MISTAKE FOR SIGNALS FROM ITS OWN. I HAVE NOTICES THIS OCCURRING AROUND TESLAS MOSTLY, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED AROUND OTHER MAKES/MODELS AS WELL BUT THOSE ARE MORE RARE. THIS PROBLEM HAS SPECIFICALLY HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MORE THAN ONCE, AND HAS HAPPEND ALSO WHILE SITTING STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHILE NOT MOVING. I WAS NOT (IN MY OPINION) DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO OTHER VEHICLES AT THE TIME. HOW THE CAR REACTS IN THIS SITUATION IS TO BEEP LOUDLY, HALT ALL AUDIO (E.G. RADIO), AND CHANGE THE CENTER CONSOLE VIEW TO A MODE WHERE THE CAR IS ATTEMPTING TO SHOW HOW CLOSE OBJECTS ARE TO IT. THIS VIEW IS NORMALLY DISPLAYED WHILE PULLING INTO OR OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND IS NOT NORMAL FOR IT TO TRIGGER WHILE DRIVING, OR WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT. THIS MAY BE RELATED TO A FEATURE CALLED PRE-SENSE BUT I AM UNSURE IF THAT IS THE CASE. IT MAY SIMPLY BE SENSORS FROM OTHER CARS THAT TRIGGER CERTAIN SAFETY WARNINGS IN THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY SHOULDN'T BE TRIGGERED IN THIS MANNER. I HAVE NOT KEPT A LOG OF THESE INCIDENTS, SO I DO NOT HAVE EXACT SPEEDS OR DATES TO LIST (I PUT ONE ON THE FORM SINCE IT WAS REQUIRED.) BUT EVERY TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED IT HAS BEEN A FALSE POSITIVE. I HAVE HAD A SERVICE SHOP AT THE AUDI DEALER INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE IT. I DOUBT THEY WOULD BUT I WANTED SOME DOCUMENTATION THAT SHOWED I HAD OBSERVED ODD BEHAVIOR IN THE PAST IN THE EVENT THAT THE CAR TAKES AN EVASIVE ACTION ON MY BEHALF THAT RESULTS IN AN ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD - ESPECIALLY IT IT WAS DONE IN ERROR.