2013 Audi A4 Allroad

I JUST LEASE 2013 AUDI A4 ON MARCH 15, 2013 FROM DEALER IN (NY); THE STEERING CONTROL/MECHANICALS ARE COMPLETELY OFFLINE, UNABLE TO KEEP STEERING/WHEELS STRAIGHT. I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO TURN STEERING TO KEEP THE WHEELS STRAIGHT, AS IF CAR IS DRIFTING EITHER TO LEFT OR RIGHT, ESPECIALLY AT 20 MILES OR OVER. ON HIGHWAY THE STEERING WILL NOT HOLD A STRAIGHT LINE. I AM CONSTANTLY MAKING CORRECTIONS EVERY FEW SECONDS TO MAINTAIN LANE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP STEERING AND CAR GO STRAIGHT. I HOPE AUDI ENGINEERS ARE CHECKING THE PROBLEM. I AM UNHAPPY AND DISAPPOINT WITH AUDI A4. *TR

STEERING CONTROL IS NOTCHY AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND NOT FREQUENTLY ONLY 5 TIMES IN TWO MONTHS. DURING EACH EPISODE THE STEERING HAD A HIGH AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE THEN JUMPED TO THE NEXT POSITION. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (70 MPH) THE STEERING WILL NOT HOLD A STRAIGHT LINE AND SMALL CORRECTIONS MUST BE MADE EVERY FEW SECONDS TO MAINTAIN YOUR LANE. THE STEERING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP ON CENTER MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE LONG TRIPS. THIS IS AT ALL TIMES WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE DEALER REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT MY VIN IS FLAGGED FOR STEERING PROBLEMS BY AUDI BUT NO FIX WAS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. *TR

THIS IS FOR MY 2013 AUDI ALLROAD (STATION WAGON, BASED ON AN A4). OUTSIDE TEMP: ~ 34 DEGREES F. 1550 MILES ON ODOMETER. I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE PAVEMENT WAS NOT CROWNED, AND IN FACT WAS VERY SMOOTH. THERE WERE NO RUTS FROM HEAVY TRACTOR/TRAILER USAGE. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND THERE WAS NO DETECTABLE WIND. NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE ANYWHERE NEAR ME TO CREATE BUFFETING. WITH NO WARNING, THE STEERING WHEEL JUMPED APPROXIMATELY TO 2.0 INCHES TO THE RIGHT - - THE CAR QUICKLY STARTED TRAVELING TO THE RIGHT. WHEN I ATTEMPTED A CORRECTION TO THE LEFT, THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS RESISTANCE IN THE STEERING WHEEL FOR ~ 2 INCHES, AND THEN IT WENT TO ZERO. THE SAME OCCURRED WHEN I WENT BACK TO THE RIGHT. IT'S AS IF THERE IS A NOTCH, OR DETENT, TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT. IT IS EXTREMELY UNNERVING. NOW WITH 3350 MILES, IT HAS CONTINUED WITH THE SAME DEGREE OF ERRATIC BEHAVIOR, REGARDLESS OF THE PAVEMENT TYPE OR QUALITY. THE PROBLEM OCCURS, REGARDLESS OF SPEED, EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. IF I DRIVE FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES, IT SOMETIMES DISAPPEARS. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S NEW ELECTRIC OR ELECTRO-MECHANICAL STEERING SYSTEM. I AM VERY AFRAID THAT THE SYSTEM WILL FAIL AND I WILL BE IN A CRASH. *TR

THE CAR STEERING IS NOTCHY. IT IS HARD TO DRIVE STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY- THE STEERING EITHER CLICKS INTO SLIGHT LEFT OR SLIGHT RIGHT. IT IS UNSAFE BECAUSE IT IS REALLY HARD TO DRIVE THE CAR. PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ON VARIOUS WEBSITES BUT AUDI HAS NOT RECALLED ANYTHING YET AS FAR AS I KNOW. THERE ARE YOUTUBE VIDEO POSTS ALSO- HERE IS ONE: HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=MW9M2N3CYM4. *TR.... UPDATED 03/08/13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. UPDATED 03/11/13

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING BECAME VERY IRREGULAR AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL CAUSING THE CONTACT TO SWERVE IN AND OUT OF HIGHWAY LANES. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND SHUT DOWN. AFTER RESTARTING, THE FAILURE CEASED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL AND OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 3,600.

AT ANY SPEED, MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL THROUGH CENTER PRESENTS A "NOTCHY" FEEL, WHERE RESISTANCE IS FELT AND THEN THE WHEEL JUMPS TO ANOTHER POSITION. THESE "NOTCHES" ARE FELT THROUGH ABOUT 10-20 DEGREES OFF CENTER. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP IN A STRAIGHT LINE AS THE STEERING FIGHTS THE DRIVER TO REMAIN ON-CENTER. THE DEALER, WHEN CONTACTED, REPLACED THE "STEERING RACK", WHICH MADE THE PROBLEM GO AWAY. I HAVE READ A DOZEN OR MORE REPORTS FROM OTHER 2013 AUDI A4/A5/S4/S5/ALLROAD OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE, AND AT LEAST ONE REPORTED THAT THE PROBLEM RETURNED AFTER A STEERING RACK REPLACEMENT. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS JUST A TEMPORARY FIX AND THAT THE PROBLEM WILL RECUR. *TR

AFTER 3500 MILES THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A "NOTCHY" SENSATION IN THE STEERING FEEL THAT VARIED IN INTENSITY AND WOULD OCCUR AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS NOTCHY SENSATION WOULD OCCUR ANY SPEED ABOVE 20MPH, AS IF SWITCHED ON. WHEN SYMPTOMS WOULD OCCUR THERE WOULD BE A HEAVY, NOTCHY FEELING ON EITHER SIDE OF STRAIGHT STEER THAT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF FORCE TO OVERCOME AND THEN ONCE FEELING LIKE THE WHEEL IS OVER THE NOTCH, IT WOULD OVER CORRECT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN A LANE. THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE PLACED IN THOSE NOTCH POSITIONS, AS IF TRYING TO DRIVE USING A CLICK WHEEL. THE NOTCHINESS IS ALSO FELT THROUGHOUT ALL WHEEL TRAVEL, NOT JUST ON CENTER, STRAIGHT WHEEL. THIS MAKES STAYING ON A GIVEN PATH DIFFICULT AND UNSAFE. AT RANDOM TIMES STEERING FELT SO HEAVY THAT IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING IN MANEUVERS. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE STEERING RACK BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY THE NOTCHY STEERING SYMPTOMS REAPPEARED RANDOMLY. THERE IS NO SET OF CONDITIONS TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON OR TURNING THE WHEEL LOCK TO LOCK ALLEVIATES THE SYMPTOMS. THE SYMPTOMS HAVE SLOWLY INCREASED IN FREQUENCY SINCE THE REPLACEMENT AND OCCUR AT RANDOM TIMES, ESPECIALLY DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR AUDI HAS INTRODUCED ELECTROMECHANICAL STEERING INTO THEIR CARS IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A NEW DESIGN FLAW THAT HAS GOTTEN THROUGH TESTING OR A NEW PRODUCTION DEFECT AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED QUICKLY. MANY OTHER 2013 AUDI (VARYING MODELS) OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. *TR