2018 Audi A5

I am writing to formally bring to your attention a potential violation of federal vehicle safety reporting requirements by Audi regarding an Electronic Control Unit (ECU)/Comfort Control Module failure in my 2018 Audi A5. As the original owner of this vehicle, I experienced a critical ECU failure approximately 2yrs after purchase (Sept 2017), which I believe qualifies as a major safety defect under 49 CFR 573.6-577.7. According to federal regulations, manufacturers are required to report such safety defects to the NHTSA within five (5) days of discovery. Furthermore, a root cause analysis should have been conducted & its findings reported w/in sixty (60) days. However, I have strong reason to believe that Audi failed to meet these reporting obligations, as I have never been provided with any findings from the investigation, nor have I seen any publicly available reporting on this defect. Key Concerns: • Unexplained ECU Failure: My vehicle’s ECU/Comfort Control Module failed inexplicably despite being only 2yrs old at the time. • Failure to Report to NHTSA: I haven't found record of Audi disclosing this issue to the NHTSA, despite clear requirement to do so. • Root Cause Analysis Not Provided: Audi informed me that analysis was conducted in Germany, but I was repeatedly told that the results were “not yet available.” This raises concerns that the findings may have revealed a broader defect affecting multiple vehicles of the same model/yr. • Potential Safety Risk: If this is not an isolated case, other Audi A5 owners may unknowingly be at risk of ECU failures, which could lead to critical vehicle malfunctions, including loss of control, electrical failures, or immobilization while driving. Given the seriousness of this issue, I urge the NHTSA to investigate Audi’s compliance with 49 CFR 573.6-577.7 & determine if this defect affects a broader range of vehicles. If Audi has indeed failed to report this defect properly, appropriate action be taken for consumer safety

AUDI PRE SENSE, IS THE TECHNOLOGY AUDI USES FOR PREDICTIVE SAFETY. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL AUDI PRE SENSE BRAKING MALFUNCTIONS. THE AUDI PRE SENSE IN MY VEHICLE WILL ABRUPTLY & VIOLENTLY COME TO A FULL STOP, WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS OR HAZARDS ANYWHERE NEAR THE VICINITY OF THE CAR. FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED ON 405 HIGHWAY HEADING NORTH ON SECOND OCCURRENCE HAPPENED ON 24TH ST IN REDMOND, HEADING NORTH ON NOVEMBER 27TH AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 PM, DRIVING APPROXIMATELY AT 33 MPH..THE ROADS WERE CLEAR NO DRIVERS ANYWHERE IN MY VICINITY. THE ROAD WAS DRY. THE CAR COMES TO A VIOLENT SUDDEN STOP, RED HAZARD TRIANGLE APPEARS ON THE DASHBOARD, THESE TWO THINGS HAPPEN SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE SEATBELT ENGAGES & I'M SLAMMED FORWARD. THE BRAKES EMIT A LOUD GRINDING & CRUNCHING SOUND. IT TAKES SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE I CAN BEGIN TO DRIVE AGAIN AS THE CAR IS LOCKED UP. THERE WERE NO OBSERVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE ROAD FOR IT TO MAKE THE CAR EMERGENCY BRAKE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT FELT LIKE I HAD HIT SOMEONE/SOMETHING, THAT WAS HOW VIOLENT THE STOP WAS. IT IS TERRIFYING AND DANGEROUS. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AGAIN, MY CAR DID NOT GO OVER ANY HAZARDS OR OBSTRUCTIONS AS THE VEHICLE THINKS THERE WAS, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PERSONS IN MY VICINITY, THE ROAD WAS SMOOTH AND CLEAR. THE PRE SENSE HAS A MALFUNCTION RESULTING IN A BRAKING RESPONSE FAILURE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO AUDI SERVICES AND THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR 1 WEEK, THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS & SAID THEY COULD NOTHING WRONG. THIS OCCURRENCE HAS HAPPENED 4X BEFORE, 1ST CLAIM NHTSA #11288922 AUDI INSISTS PRE SENSE IS WORKING AS IT WAS DESIGNED & THERE IS NO FLAW. THEY WILL NOT WORK ON THE CAR ANY FURTHER. IF THIS OCCURRED DURING A TIME WHEN TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GRAVE DANGER TO ME & OTHER PASSENGERS. AUDI IS KNOWINGLY & WILLINGLY SENDING UNSAFE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD.

AUDI PRE SENSE, THE NEW TECHNOLOGY AUDI USES FOR PREDICTIVE SAFETY. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL AUDI PRE SENSE BRAKING MALFUNCTIONS. THE AUDI PRE SENSE IN MY VEHICLE WILL ABRUPTLY & VIOLENTLY COME TO A FULL STOP, WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS OR HAZARDS ANYWHERE NEAR THE VICINITY OF THE CAR. FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED ON 405 HIGHWAY HEADING NORTH ON OCTOBER 27, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 PM, DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. THE ROADS WERE CLEAR NO DRIVERS ANYWHERE IN MY VICINITY. THE ROAD WERE WET FROM HEAVY RAINFALL EARLIER IN THE EVENING. THE CAR COMES TO A VIOLENT SUDDEN STOP, RED HAZARD TRIANGLE APPEARS ON THE DASHBOARD, THESE TWO THINGS HAPPEN SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE SEATBELT ENGAGES & I'M SLAMMED FORWARD. THE BRAKES EMIT A LOUD GRINDING & CRUNCHING SOUND. IT TAKES SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE I CAN BEGIN TO DRIVE AGAIN AS THE CAR IS LOCKED UP. THERE WERE NO OBSERVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE ROAD FOR IT TO MAKE THE CAR EMERGENCY BRAKE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT FELT LIKE I HAD HIT SOMEONE/SOMETHING, THAT WAS HOW VIOLENT THE STOP WAS. IT IS TERRIFYING AND DANGEROUS. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AGAIN, MY CAR DID NOT GO OVER ANY HAZARDS OR OBSTRUCTIONS AS THE VEHICLE THINKS THERE WAS, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PERSONS IN MY VICINITY, THE ROAD WAS SMOOTH AND CLEAR. THE PRE SENSE HAS A MALFUNCTION RESULTING IN A BRAKING RESPONSE FAILURE. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUDI SERVICES AND THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR 2 WEEKS, RECALIBRATE & RESET THINGS. I DROVE THE CAR FOR 8 MONTHS WITHOUT INCIDENT ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME THING REPEAT. THIS SAME ISSUE HAS HAPPENED 3 OTHER OCCASIONS WHILE REVERSING. AUDI MAINTAINS THAT PRE SENSE IS WORKING AS IT WAS DESIGNED & THERE IS NO FLAW. THEY WILL NOT WORK ON THE CAR ANY FURTHER. IF THIS HAPPENED DURING A TIME WHERE OTHER VEHICLES WERE AROUND, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GRAVE DANGER TO ME & OTHER PASSENGERS. AUDI IS KNOWINGLY & WILLINGLY SENDING UNSAFE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD.