2014 Audi A5

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 AUDI A5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V229000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER (JACK DANIELS AUDI OF UPPER SADDLE RIVER, 243 NJ-17, UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ 07458) CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: 18V229 MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER: 19N4 RECALL DATE: I WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS IN DECEMBER OF 2017. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED YET, BUT IT IS SEPT 10TH 2018 AND THERE IS NO SOLUTION. I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE A TRADE-IN OF MY VEHICLE DUE TO THE UNRESOLVED RECALL ISSUE. I DO NOT THINK THIS HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF IN A TIMELY MANNER.

AUDI OF SEATTLE CONFIRMED 1/22/2018 THAT MY CAR IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED, BUT I BELIEVE THIS DESIGN IS UNSAFE AND UNDESIRABLE. SPECIFICALLY, WHEN DRIVING IN REVERSE USING THE BACKUP CAMERA VIEW, IF I RECEIVE AN INCOMING CELL PHONE CALL TO MY PAIRED PHONE, THE CAR PRIORITIZES THE TELEPHONE SCREEN VIEW OVER THE BACKUP CAMERA SCREEN VIEW, WHICH IMMEDIATELY DISAPPEARS. BACKING UP IS OF COURSE A TIME WHEN THE DRIVER'S ARMS AND HANDS ARE NOT WELL POSITIONED TO POKE THE "IGNORE" BUTTON ON THE PHONE SCREEN.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT UP BEYOND 6TH GEAR (8 SPEED TRANSMISSION) AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TRANSMISSION COULD BE SHIFTED MANUALLY INTO 7TH AND 8TH GEARS, BUT ENGINE WAS LUGGING ON LEVEL HIGHWAY AT 60MPH. AUDI SERVICE CENTER STATES THE HYDRAULIC TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAS FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE TIMING ISSUES THAT COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IF DRIVEN FURTHER. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 87K MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED SINCE PURCHASED NEW. THERE ARE NUMEROUS INTERNET SITES DETAILING AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH VW / AUDI ENGINE PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM THE HYDRAULIC TIMING CHAIN TENSION MECHANISMS. MANY CONSUMERS ARE REPORTING REPAIRS OF SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. MY CONCERN (ASIDE FROM REPAIR COSTS FOR A KNOWN PROBLEM) IS WHAT HAPPENS TO AN ENGINE THAT HAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AT HIGH SPEEDS ON A BUSY INTERSTATE? IRONICALLY I HAD MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN 80C5-AUXILLARY HEATER. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT INTO THE AUDI SERVICE CENTER IN BLOOMINGTON INDIANA ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018, AT 9:45AM AND REPAIRS ARE NOT YET COMPLETE WITH NO ESTIMATED TIME FOR COMPLETION AS OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 9TH.