NHTSA Complaint #768903 — 2002 AUDI AUDI

THE PROBLEM I AM EXPERIENCING IS A LAG IN THROTTLE RESPONSE. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED THERE IS A MOMENT WHERE NOTHING HAPPENS THEN, A SECOND LATER THE CAR ACCELERATES VERY RAPIDLY. THIS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN DRIVING IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC WHERE YOUR FOOT GOES FROM THE BRAKE TO THE THROTTLE FREQUENTLY. MY WIFE ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS DELAY; SHE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN ACROSS THE ONCOMING LANE, WHEN AN OPENING APPEARED, SHE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND FOR A MOMENT NOTHING HAPPENED, THEN THE CAR FINALLY GOES AND PUTS HER RIGHT INTO THE PATH OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HAD THE ONCOMING CAR NOT BRAKED, SHE FEELS SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NOT A CONVENIENCE ISSUE. I CONTACTED AUDI VIA E-MAIL TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THIS AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIC AND ROAD TEST WHICH I DID. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAR IS "OPERATING WITHIN MANUFACTURER'S SPECS'' AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. WHEN I FOLLOWED UP WITH AUDI THEY CONCURRED WITH THE DEALER AND AGAIN STATED THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. I LOGGED-ON TO AN AUDI ALLROAD FORUM(AUDIWORLD.COM) AND MANY OTHER ALLROAD OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS, AND GETTING THE SAME RESULTS WHEN THEY CONTACT AUDI, WHICH IS NO AKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE PROBLEM. SOME OWNERS REPORT TO HAVE HAD CLOSE CALLS. MANY OWNERS FEEL IT IS THE DRIVE BY WIRE ACCELERATOR WHILE OTHERS FEEL IT IS THE TRANSMISSION. EITHER WAY IT IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY AUDI . DT