NHTSA Complaint #11311528 — 2015 AUDI Q5

WHILE IN MOTION ON A DARK COUNTRY ROAD IN VT, MY 2015 AUDI Q5 CAR WITH JUST 61,000 MILES ON IT STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE AND BECAME UNDRIVABLE. THE DRIVER SAT ON THE ROAD AND WAITED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST AUDI DEALER, WHICH WAS 40 MILES AWAY. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, AUDI DRAINED THE OIL IN THE ENGINE AND FOUND METAL SHAVINGS. NO ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AT THE TIME OF BREAKDOWN, BUT IT HAD GONE ON TWO TIMES BEFORE THE EVENT AS DID THE COOLANT LIGHT. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, WE TOOK THE CAR TO AUDI, WHERE THEY WIPED THE DASHBOARD CODE AND SENT US ON OUR WAY. AFTER LEARNING OF THE FATAL ENGINE FAILURE, I REACHED OUT TO AUDI TO REQUEST THEY STANDBY THEIR ENGINE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. AUDI RESPONDED WITH THE FOLLOWING: AUDI CLAIMS TO HAVE A POLICY THAT REQUIRES ITS OWNERS ONLY VISIT SERVICE AT THE AUDI SERVICE CENTER; I HAVE YET TO SEE THIS IN WRITING. AUDI ALSO MAINTAINS THE MANN OIL FILTER IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THEIR CARS, YET IT IS WHAT THEY USE IN THEIR SERVICE CENTERS. AUDI HAS USED THESE FACTORS TO DENY A CLAIM REQUESTING THAT THEY OFFSET THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE. ENGINES DO NOT DIE AT 61,000 MILES. HAD MY SON BEEN ON A HIGHWAY DRIVING AT A FASTER SPEED, HE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, BUT YET STILL, AUDI EXECUTIVES CONTINUE TO CHOOSE TO IGNORE THE ISSUES THAT PLAGUE THE AUDI Q5.