2006 Audi A6

I HAVE A USED 2006 AUDI A6 QUATTRO 3.2 [WHEN PURCHASED IN 2013 IT ONLY HAD 89,000 MILES - CURRENTLY AT 111,139 MILES]. LAST WEDNESDAY 06/15/2016, THE CAR REFUSED TO TURN OVER, HOWEVER, THE RADIO, MMI, EXTERIOR/INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ALL OPERABLE. AFTER INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE MORE, I REALIZED THAT THE ELECTRICAL WINDOWS REFUSED TO RAISE, THE DASH DIDN'T ILLUMINATE, AND I WAS UNABLE TO PLACE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. LATER THAT EVENING, MY INSURANCE PROVIDER SENT A TOW TRUCK WITH A FLATBED - THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE CHAINED TO THE TOW TRUCK AND PULLED OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT BECAUSE THE WHEELS WERE LOCKED. IN THE INTERIM, I RESEARCHED MY ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS RELATED TO MY EXACT ISSUE, WHICH WAS LATER DISCOVERED AS A TRANSPONDER FAILURE THAT WOULD REQUIRE AN ENTIRE NEW STEERING COLUMN BECAUSE THE COMPANY (AUDI) DID NOT SELL THE PART SEPARATELY. THESE ENTRIES WERE FROM DRIVERS OF AUDI A4, A6, AND TT MODELS FROM YEARS 2004-2007. THE FOLLOWING MORNING [THURSDAY, 6/16/2016] I SPOKE WITH JOHN AND KEVIN FROM THE SERVICE CENTER IN THE MAPLE HILL AUTO GROUP IN KALAMAZOO, MI WHICH IS A VW/AUDI DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A TRANSPONDER FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE PARTS AREN'T SOLD SEPARATELY. THEY QUOTED A PRICE OF NEARLY $2200.00 FOR REPAIR AND LABOR - I ADVISED THAT I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND ONE SOLUTION ON THE INTERNET THAT ADVISED THAT AN AUDI SERVICE CENTER (DIDN'T HAVE THE LOCATION) USED AUTEL MAXISYS PRO TO REMOVE THE CODES IN THE AUTH/ACCESS MODULE AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO TURN OVER. KEVIN ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO USE THIS PROCESS. SPOKE WITH SEAN FROM AUDI'S CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT ON 6/16/16 WHO HAD THE CONCERN REVIEWED AND ADVISED ON MONDAY 6/21/16 THAT AUDI WAS UNABLE TO OFFER ANY RESOLUTION DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE.

THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THE A6 (C6) PLATFORM. IF YOU HAVE YOUR PARKING BRAKE LIGHT ON, WHETHER IT BE RANDOM OR CONSTANT IT IS MORE THAN LIKELY THE PARKING BRAKE MODULE LOCATED IN THE TRUNK ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE BEHIND THE SIDE PANEL CARPET. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A RECALL. I HAVE SEEN PLENTY OF AUDI'S WITH THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE HAVE THIS FAILURE. HOWEVER IT IS AN EASY FIX AND ABOUT A 100-AND UP PART (I BOUGHT MINE USED FOR 120). BUT I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL.

I RESEARCHED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND FOUND THAT NHTSA ID'S 10555091 AND 10444769 DESCRIBE THE EXACT SAME ISSUE I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED. I PUT THE KEY IN THE CAR TO START IT AND THE IT WOULD NOT EVEN TURN OVER. THE DASH LIGHTS COME ON, THE RADIO WORKS, HOWEVER THE CAR IS STUCK IN PARK AND ALL WHEELS ARE LOCKED. CAR HAD TO HAVE DOLLIES PUT UNDER EACH WHEEL IN ORDER TO ROLL IT UP ONTO A TOW TRUCK. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE TO BE A FAILED COMPUTER MODULE ON THE STEERING COLUMN, WHICH CANNOT BE REMOVED AND REPLACED BY ITSELF. THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED. THERE ARE SO MANY FORUMS OUT THERE DESCRIBING THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE. THIS MUST BE INVESTIGATED AND TAKEN CARE OF. I DON'T MIND PAYING FOR CAR REPAIRS, HOWEVER, WHEN THERE IS A PATTERN OF UNUSUAL AND EXTREMELY COSTLY REPAIRS, THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT A JUMP START. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE REMAINED ON WHEN THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

I ENTERED TODAY'S DATE AND MILEAGE BECAUSE I HAD TO DEAL WITH IT AGAIN THIS EVENING, BUT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE THE CAR HAD 70000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS NOW GOTTEN SO BAD THAT I HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF EVERY 30 SECONDS OR SO WHILE DRIVING SO THEY WILL STAY ON ENOUGH TO GET THE CAR HOME. I DO NOT DRIVE IT AT NIGHT IF I DO NOT HAVE TO. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE FIXED. 141 OUT OF 188 COMPLAINTS YOU HAVE RECEIVED ON THIS CAR ARE DUE TO PEOPLE'S HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY $1000-2000 TO ATTEMPT TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW THAT OCCURS IN CARS WITH AS FEW AS 20000 MILES AND UP. I SAY ATTEMPT BECAUSE IF YOU READ THE THREADS ON THE TOPIC OF "AUDI DIPPED HEADLIGHT" YOU WILL FIND THAT NO FIX IS A SURE THING OR PERMANENT. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I SUBMITTED THIS SAME SAFETY COMPLAINT TO YOU A FEW YEARS AGO, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE AND, TO THIS DAY, PEOPLE ARE STILL SUBMITTING COMPLAINTS AFTER THEY ARE SUDDENLY DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH NO LIGHTS. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED BEFORE AUDI IS FORCED TO DO A RECALL? *TR

WHILE REPLACING A HEADLIGHT BULB I NOTICED THAT THE INSULATION ON WIRES INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT COMPARTMENT HAD FLAKED OFF, EXPOSING AT LEAST 1 INCH OF MULTIPLE WIRES (LOW BEAM AND HIGH BEAM) ALL ALONG THE LENGTH OF THOSE WIRES. BOTH HEADLIGHTS SHOW THE SAME SYMPTOM. HIGH BEAM WIRES (+V AND GND) ARE HELD TOGETHER WITH A ZIP TIE AND THERE IS FLAKING INSULATION ALL AROUND IT, SO USING THE HIGH BEAM COULD RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING. AS ALL OF THE WIRES ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT NORMAL USE OF THE CAR (E.G. BOUNCING ALONG A ROUGH ROAD) COULD CAUSE THE WIRES TO CONTACT EACH OTHER AND SHORT CIRCUIT. *JS