2013 Audi A4 Allroad

MY 2013 AUDI A4 QUATTRO HAS 52,346 MILES. THIS WEEK, WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, I EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT RESTRICTION IN THE STEERING WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL TO CHANGE LANES AND MAKE TURNS RIGHT AND LEFT. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED MY LOCAL AUDI DEALER AND TOOK THE CAR IN FOR INSPECTION. THE SERVICE TECH CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WHICH IS CAUSING THE STIFFNESS AND BINDING THAT IS INTERFERING WITH THE FREE MOVEMENT OF THE UNIVERSAL JOINTS. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. FURTHERMORE, I'VE SINCE ASCERTAINED THAT AUDI HAS A "TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN" REGARDING THIS ISSUE DATING TO JULY 10, 2014 COVERING A NUMBER OF AUDI MODELS AND MODEL YEARS BUT HAS NOT INSTITUTED A RECALL. (SEE ATTACHED) IN ADDITION, I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE THAT THE SPECIFIC PART IS CURRENTLY ON BACKORDER AND MAY TAKE FROM TWO WEEKS TO TWO MONTHS. HE LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE AS MANY AS THIRTY (30) CUSTOMERS AWAITING THIS PARTICULAR PART. I HAVE BEEN ADDED ME TO THE WAIT LIST. I ASKED THE SERVICE TECH ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE AND IF IT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE THAT I COULD EXPERIENCE TOTAL STEERING LOSS WHILE DRIVING. HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THAT'S NOT LIKELY, IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE I MAY NEED TO SWERVE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT THAT THE STEERING RESPONSE COULD BECOME AN ISSUE. MY MAJOR CONCERN IS DO I DRIVE THE CAR WHILE WAITING FOR THE PART? AUDI IS NOT AT THIS MOMENT PROVIDING ANY ASSISTANCE IN THE WAY OF A LOANER VEHICLE SO I'M ON MY OWN. I'VE UPLOADED THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN.

AFTER TWO TEST DRIVES WE PURCHASED A USED AUDI A4 ON 2/10/2018. WHILE TEST DRIVING WE DIDN'T NOTICE ANY ISSUES WITH STEERING, BUT THE FOLLOWING DAY WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR WE NEARLY SIDE SWIPED A TRACTOR TRAILER ON THE I80 OHIO TURNPIKE. THE STRAIGHT LINE STEERING IN THIS VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE, SCARY AND DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS AT ANY SPEEDS ABOVE 20+ MPH. NHTSA ISSUED A VEHICLE SAFETY RECALL TO REPLACE THE AUXILIARY HEATER, I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE AUXILIARY HEATER IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN THIS STEERING PROBLEM. STEERING COMPLAINTS CLEARLY OUTNUMBER OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE, BUT SEARCH OUTSIDE OF THIS SITE AND SEE JUST HOW WIDESPREAD THIS PROBLEM IS. AUDI IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE, A TSB HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOFTWARE CHANGES AND STEERING RACK, NEITHER ADDRESS THE ISSUE, AND BOTH ARE AT THE CUSTOMER EXPENSE. IT'S TIME FOR NHTSA TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE STEERING COMPLAINTS AND ISSUE THE SAFETY RECALL THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN ISSUED YEARS AGO. LET'S DO IT BEFORE A FAMILY IS KILLED.

BOUGHT MY 2013 AUDI A4 USED I NOTICE A NOTCHY FEEL WHILE DRIVING JUST AFTER I BOUGHT IT, BUT THOUGHT THIS WAS NORMAL. AS TIME WENT ON IT BECAME MORE UNCOMFORTABLE AND FELT UNSAFE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS(OR SLOW SPEEDS) WHEN YOUR STEERING WHEEL WOULD MOVE TO THE LEFT & RIGHT WHILE DRIVING. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND THERE ARE PLENTY MORE PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM, SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AND AUDI KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT WANTS YOU TO PAY FOR A SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT MIGHT COST YOU $150 - $200......PLEASE HELP GET THIS RECALLED BY AUDI!

THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP IN CERTAIN SPOTS AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO TURN WHILE DRIVING OR AT REST. THERE IS A CURRENT TSB FOR THIS ISSUE TSB#-48-14-61 AND IT INVOLVES REPLACING THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. THIS SHOULD BE CHARACTERIZED AS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF OCCURENCES WHILE IN MOTION ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEEDS AND WHILE CORNERING. IF THERE ARE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO RELEASE A TSB AND IT INVOLVES STEERING AT HIGH SPEEDS I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS PART.

THE STEERING BECOME INTERMITTENTLY STIFF BOTH WHILE STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. TURNS WERE HARDEST TO MAKE AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE STEERING GOT PROGRESSIVELY HARDER AS TIME WENT ON (SEVERAL WEEKS). I INITIALLLY THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS THE WINTER TIRES, BUT THOSE WERE CHANGED AND THE PROBLEM WORSENED. NOW IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE POWER STEERING HAS COMPLETELY FAILED. IT TAKES CONSIDERABLE EFFORT TO MAKE ANY TURN AT ANY SPEED.

THE ISSUE APPEARED IN COLD WEATHER. WHEN STATIONARY THE ISSUE LOOK LIKE A 'ZONE', LOCATED APPROXIMATELY EVERY 90 DEGREES WHEN YOU TURN WHEEL RIGHT/LEFT, WHERE THE WHEEL IS 'JAMMING' AND DRIVER HAVE TO APPLY AN EXCESSIVE FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL FURTHER OR BACK TO NEUTRAL. IN MOTION THE ISSUE LOOK LIKE 'JAMMED WHEEL': IT'S HARD TO TURN WHEEL MORE THAN 90 DEGREES RIGHT/LEFT AND... IF IT'S ALREADY ROTATED AND 'IN THE ZONE', IT REQUIRE AN EXCESSIVE FORCE TO TURN THE WHEEL BACK TO NEUTRAL. THE WHEEL WILL NOT RETURN TO CENTER POSITION THEMSELVES AS IT DOES WHEN STEERING BEHAVE NORMALLY. OVERALL ISSUE FEELS LIKE FAILING POWER ASSIST.

AUDI A4 2013. THE CAR WILL NOT STAY CENTERED IN THE LANE ON THE HIGHWAY. IT WANDERS OFF CENTER WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN THE ROAD OR POSITION OF THE STEERING WHEEL. IT CONSTANTLY FEELS LIKE IT IS BEING BUFFETED IN A HEAVY WIND.. WHEN I TURN TO CORRECT, THE CAR OVERSHOOTS AND I HAVE TO TURN BACK AGAIN TO CENTER IT. SOFTWARE UPGRADE DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS DANGEROUS, AS THE CAR DRIFTS FROM SIDE TO SIDE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL HELD STEADY. DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL FOR AUDI CARS. NOT TRUE, AS I DROVE A 2017 A4 WITH NO STEERING ISSUES AT ALL. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTROMECHANICAL STEERING.

LIKE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ON THIS WEBSITE, MY AUDI HAS A SIGNIFICANT "NOTCHY" FEELING IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH HAS GROWN CONSIDERABLY WORSE IN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. IT STARTED RIGHT WHEN THE CAR WAS NEW. IT IS LIKE THE WHEEL IS FIGHTING AGAINST MY EFFORTS TO STEER IT, ESPECIALLY TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ABOUT A YEAR FOR THE SAME COMPLAINT AND WAS BETTER FOR A WHILE, BUT MUCH WORSE NOW