NHTSA Complaint #759207 — 1994 AUDI QUATTRO

LIFE THREATENING DEFECT ---URGENT !!! THROTTLE ASSEMBLY STICKS IN WIDE-OPEN POSITION. ACCELERATOR HAS NO CONTROL OF ENGINE SPEED AND CANNOT BE USED TO REDUCE ENGINE SPEED FROM WIDE OPEN STATUS. FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING AND VEHICLE CANNOT BE RESTRAINED EXCEPT BY HEAVY BRAKING OR SWITCHING OFF IGNITION KEY -- A VERY DANGEROUS THING TO HAVE TO DO IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR FROM HIGH SPEEDS. IF CAR IS RESTARTED AFTER INCIDENT HAPPENS ENGINE WILL IMMEDIATELY RACE TO FULL RPM AND WILL POTENTIALLY DESTROY ENGINE ITSELF IF NOT IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF. THIS IS A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT! MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET WHILE APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SWITCH OFF IGNITION IN TIME TO STOP SAFELY BY BRAKING (NO POWER ASSIST WITHOUT ENGINE RUNNING.) CAR WAS TOWED TO AUDI DEALER AND DIAGNOSED (AFTER 5-DAYS) AS HAVING DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY --SPECIFICALLY THAT THE THROTTLE BODY "MOTOR" WAS "STUCK." THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED THROTTLE BODY WHICH MUST NOT HAVE A MECHANICAL SAFETY OVERRIDE SYSTEM. COST OF REPAIRS QUOTED AT $1975.00 ($1500 FOR NEW THROTTLE BODY ALONE.) VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY IN UNREPAIRED STATE AND AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION BY NHTSA IF NECESSARY. I REPEAT --THIS IS A TRULY DANGEROUS LIFE THREATENING DEFECT ASSOCIATED WITH THESE VEHICLES. PLEASE REACT QUICKLY TO PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO DRIVERS OF SIMILAR-EQUIPPED VEHICLES. *AK