NHTSA Complaint #11396648 — 2018 AUDI A3

ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED. I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC WITH SAFE DISTANCE, WHEN THE CAR BECAME "DORMANT" AND STALLED. LUCKILY, THERE WAS A CENTER LANE THAT I COULD COAST INTO TO AVOID CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. UPON RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE SCREEN DISPLAYED "START/STOP SYSTEM: MALFUNCTION". I SHUT OFF THE SYSTEM AND DROVE HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CAR DID THE SAME EXACT THING- HAD JUST STARTED UP THE CAR AND BEGAN DRIVING- AND IT LOST ALL POWER TO THE GAS PEDAL/WE ALMOST CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP- BUT THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING, THEN IT QUICKLY RESET ITSELF. THIS TIME MY SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER AND TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS BAD GAS AND THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO CERTAIN GAS STATIONS -MARATHON OR SHELL ONLY AND ONLY PUT PREMIUM FUEL IN IT (ALTHOUGH THE MANUAL STATES THAT I CAN USE 87 OR 89). THE CAR IS UNSAFE AND IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I AM PUTTING MYSELF AND MY OCCUPANTS IN DANGER AND ALSO THE LIVES OF OTHERS AROUND ME. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT THAT WAS FILED IN 2020- THIS CANNOT WAIT- THERE MUST BE A RECALL- SOMEONE WILL GET SERIOUSLY HURT OR EVEN DIE BECAUSE OF THIS.