NHTSA Complaint #11716747 — 2023 AUDI Q4 E-TRON

Front suspension ball joint failure occurred while driving approximately 70 mph on an interstate highway, resulting in sudden loss of vehicle control and requiring immediate emergency response. The vehicle is a 2023 Audi e-tron A5. Two weeks prior to the sudden failure, an Audi dealership inspected the same front corner of the vehicle following earlier damage and stated that the front suspension and wheel components were safe and the vehicle was fit to drive, replaced the rear right tire and recommended replacing the rear wheel housing after not being able to get the full car alignment to spec. I told them I wanted to defer that service until later in February unless it was catastrophic when we discussed the findings. They told me that the car was safe to drive and proceeded with the wheel alignment and replacement on the rear. The ball joint failure was catastrophic and presents a serious safety concern, particularly given the recent dealer inspection and the short time between inspection and failure. Warranty coverage was later denied by the dealership, despite having just inspected the car for damage and claimed that the failure of the front ball joint was caused by deferring the rear wheel housing service. I am submitting this complaint due to the safety implications of a suspension component failure at highway speed and concern that the defect may have existed and should have been detected during the prior inspection.