NHTSA Complaint #11366863 — 2015 AUDI A3

CAR RECEIVED PODS RECALL FIX CODED 69Z4 IN JANUARY 2020. THE FIX DID NOT SOLVE THE ANNOYING AND LIFE THREATENING MALFUNCTIONION THAT LEADS TO AUDI PRESENSE FAILURE ALERT AND DEACTIVATION OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED. IT WOULD ALSO TRIGGER THE ERROR WHEN NO PASSENGER WAS SEATED, REQUIRING TO FASTEN THE SEATBELT TO AN EMPTY SEAT TO GET RID OF THE SEATBELT BEEPS. CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO AUDI DEALERSHIP OCTOBER AND AFTER AN INSPECTION, THE ISSUE WAS FOUND TO BE THE SENSOR ITSELF THIS TIME. THE DIAGNOSIS REPORT DILIGENTLY RULED OUT ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CONNECTOR AND WIRING WHOSE FAULT WOULD MEAN A POTENTIAL REPAIR AND THE INSPECTION WOULD BE AT NO COST TO OWNER. HOWEVER, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE'S COMPLAINTS OWNER WAS PRESENTED WITH A 1,500 DOLLAR QUOTE FOR REPLACING THE SENSOR + $250 FEE FOR USING THEIR VAGCOM ("INSPECTION"). THE ERROR CODE WAS B12251B (MAT RESISTANCE TOO HIGH). AUDI'S INTERNAL DOCUMENTS ACCESSED THROUGH NHTSA REPORT THAT "IF FAULT, 'B12251B: SEAT OCCUPIED RECOGNITION SENSOR MAT RESISTANCE TOO HIGH' IS STORED IN THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE, DO NOT DIAGNOSE OR REPLACE ANY COMPONENTS FOR THIS FAULT BEFORE PERFORMING THIS REPAIR. THE 69Z4 TOPIC IS NOT THE ONLY CAUSE OF THIS FAULT. ANY DIAGNOSIS RELATED TO THIS FAULT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER THIS CAMPAIGN." AUDI OPENLY ADMITS THAT THE SCOPE OF THE 69Z4 RECALL AND THE SENSOR ISSUE ARE LINKED TOGETHER BY VIRTUE OF HAVING SIMILAR BEHAVIORS FOR THE CAR SYSTEMS AS WELL AS FAULT CODES. HOWEVER AUDI PERFORMS THE CHEAPER BANDAID OUT OF POCKET AND EXPECTS THE OWNER TO PAY FOR THE FAULTY PART WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME BEHAVIOUR AND SAME PART (THAT IS TRADITIONALLY NOT YOUR USUAL WEAR&AND&TEAR PART LIKE A BATTERY) WARRANT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MALPRACTICES OF AUDI IN DEALING WITH THIS RECALL AND ITS CUSTOMERS.