2006 Audi A3

TAKATA RECALL. IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 60 DAYS SINCE AUDI, AUDIUSA AND THEIR PARENT COMPANY, VW, CONCEDED THAT SOME AUDI VEHICLES MAY HAVE DEFECTIVE TAKATA AIRBAGS. DESPITE THIS FACT, NO RECALL NOTIFICATION LETTERS HAVE BEEN SENT OUT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, NO ACTUAL REPLACEMENT OF POTENTIAL DEFECTIVE TAKATA AIRBAGS HAVE BEEN INITIATED BY ANY OF THE MENTIONED COMPANY. NHTSA SHOULD REMIND THESE COMPANIES TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL LAW AND SEND OUT THE RECALL NOTIFICATION LETTERS AND TO COMMENCE THE RECALL OF POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE TAKATA AIRBAGS. I CALLED AUDIUSA TODAY ASKING ABOUT THE RECALL NOTIFICATION LETTER. AUDIUSA'S REPRESENTATIVE SEEMED OBLIVIOUS TO THE OBLIGATION TO NOTIFY OWNERS IN A TIMELY MANNER AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2006 AUDI A3. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THREE OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED HEAD, LEFT ARM, AND LEFT LEG INJURIES THAT NEEDED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

FAULTY DESIGN IN AUDI A3 TAIL-LIGHTS CAUSE MELTING OF THE BRAKE LIGHT/TAIL-LIGHT HOUSING. MELTED COMPONENTS, DEFORM AND BREAK THE CONTINUITY OF THE CIRCUIT AND BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL. BULBS ARE GOOD, AND FUNCTIONAL, CIRCUIT IS AFFECTED (BULB HOLDERS MELT AND FAIL) CAUSING BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE. THIS HAPPENS UNDER ANY DRIVING CONDITION, INCLUDING DRIVING.

NO ACCIDENT HAS HAPPENED YET, BUT IS ONE JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND AFTER A ROLL STOP. THE ACCELERATOR HAS TO BE COMPLETELY DEPRESS AND WAIT A FEW SECONDS IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO START ROLLING. IF I WOULD NEED TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AFTER A STOP AT AN INTERSECTION THERE IS A GREAT RISK OF A CRASH SINCE THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND TO EQUALIZE THE SPEED OF INCOMING TRAFFIC. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO AFFECT MANY, MANY OF THESE VEHICLES YEAR AND MODEL ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS FORUMS. OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW AND AUDI HAVE DISREGARDED THE COMPLAINTS. ACCORDING TO OWNER'S FORUMS THE MECHATRONIX UNIT INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION IS AT FAULT, AND A SIMPLE SOFTWARE REFLASH FROM AUDI WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS QUITE SIMILAR TO THE IGNITION PROBLEM RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN GM VEHICLES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 AUDI A3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND THE SELECTOR LEVER ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE SIDE, THE ENGINE STALLED, AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V333000 (POWER TRAIN). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

TODAY MY AUDI A3 2.0T WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. WE WERE MERGING FROM I-80 TO I-55. WITHOUT WARNING OR ANY INDICATOR LIGHTS WE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THE SHIFTER IN D-DRIVE BUT NO POWER WAS GOING TO THE WHEELS. WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC ON THE RAMP BUT IT WAS A CLOSE CALL WITH THE CAR BEHIND US ALMOST HITTING US. THE CAR EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEM ABOUT A HALF HOUR BEFORE AT A GAS STOP BUT I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THE CAR FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE DASH INDICATORS FLASHED DNRS WHEN WE TRIED TO MOVE AGAIN. WHILE WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK I LOOKED UP RECALLS AND IT SEEMS THE 2007-2009 A3 HAVE RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AS DO OTHER AUDI MODELS WITH THE SAME DSG TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS LISTED HERE FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. WHY IS NOT THE 2006 RECALLED AS WELL? THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT PUT MY WIFE AND I IN HARMS WAY. EVEN MORE DISTURBING IS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. *TR

REFERENCE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE09035, RECALL NUMBER: 09V333000 I HAD EXACTLY THE SAME TYPE OF ISSUE OCCUR ON MY 2006 AUDI A3. THIS A3 HAS A 2.0T ENGINE AND 6 SPEED DSG TRANSMISSION. TODAY WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN ON A VERY BUSY STREET, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND WITH NO WARNING DOWNSHIFTED AND THEN ALL PRNDS LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLASH. I WAS STUCK IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND GOT INTO THE CENTER LANE WHERE I EVENTUALLY MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN. IT APPEARED TO HAVE ONLY ONE FORWARD GEAR (1ST). I HAD TO DRIVE IT HOME 20 MILES AWAY WITH NO REVERSE AT 15 MPH AND 3500 RPM. I HAVE KEPT THE CAR WELL MAINTAINED AND IT WAS ONLY DEALER MAINTAINED UNTIL RECENTLY. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS RIDICULOUS. HAD I BEEN GOING FASTER, I WOULD HAVE LIKELY HAD AN ACCIDENT. THE DOWNSHIFT WAS ABRUPT AND CAUSED A VIOLENT JERKING IN THE CAR. THE CAR HAS NOT DISPLAYED ANY EVIDENCE OF HARDER SHIFTING OVER TIME. THIS IS THE SAME GEARBOX SYSTEM AS IN THE RECALLED LATER MODEL YEARS. THE RECALL MUST BE ADJUSTED TO INCLUDE EARLIER MODELS WITH THE SAME SYSTEM. THIS IS A SYSTEMIC DEFECT. I HAVE FOUND THIS ISSUE ACROSS NUMEROUS AUDI OWNER FORUM WEBSITES COVERING WIDER MODEL YEARS THAN LISTED ON THIS RECALL. I CONTACTED AUDI OF AMERICA AND THEY SAID THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY; TOO BAD. THE CLOSEST DEALER IS 150 MILES AWAY. I REQUEST NHTSA INVESTIGATE. *TR