NHTSA Complaint #11350209 — 2018 AUDI Q5

CAR SUDDENLY TIED WHILE DRIVING IN CITY; ENGINE/ALL SYSTEMS SHUT OFF. IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO ARRIVE, AND THE 1ST 2 TOWING COMPANIES COULD NOT DISENGAGE THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO LOAD ONTO TRUCK! ONCE VEHICLE TOWED TO AUDI DEALER, THEIR DIAGNOSIS WAS "GATEWAY CONTROL MODULE J533, WATER IN CONTROL MODULE, CORROSION IN CONNECTOR, CAUSING FUSE FOR GATEWAY CONTROL UNIT TO BLOW" WE WERE TOLD BY DEALER THAT "LIQUID MUST HAVE SPILLED INTO AREA BEHIND REAR SEATS". WE HAVE NO YOUNG CHILDREN, AND NOBODY WAS RECENTLY SITTING IN REAR SEAT. VEHICLE IS PARKED IN GARAGE AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION; 2 YEARS OLD / 24,000 MILES. THIS WAS A $3,200 REPAIR NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A DESIGN DEFECT. AFTER SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS I HAD WITH AUDI USA AND LOCAL DEALER, THOSE (2) PARTIES TOLD ME THIS REPAIR WOULD BE COVERED AS A "GOODWILL ADJUSTMENT" NOT A "WARRANTY ITEM". I FOUND SIMILAR REPORTS ONLINE: HERE IS A DISCUSSION I STARTED ON AN ONLINE FORUM: HTTPS://WWW.AUDIWORLD.COM/FORUMS/Q5-SQ5-MKII-DISCUSSION-218/CONTROL-MODULE-RUINED-MOISTURE-CORROSION-3001605/PAGE3/ ANOTHER ONE I FOUND: HTTPS://WWW.AUDIWORLD.COM/FORUMS/Q5-SQ5-MKII-DISCUSSION-218/COMPLETE-ENGINE-CONTROL-MODULE-FAILURE-2952745/ ATTACHED IS INVOICE. SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO UPLOAD PHOTOS THEY SENT ME DUE TO FILE SIZES. REPAIR TOOK ALMOST A MONTH TO COMPLETE. WE ENDED UP RENTING A CAR FOR A WEEK-LONG ROAD TRIP AS THE DEALER LOANER IS ONLY FOR LOCAL USE.