2015 Audi Allroad

ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER, STEERING INTERMITTENTLY DEVELOPED RESISTANCE AT CENTER POINT WHILE IN MOTION - FROM 30 MPH ON UP. STEERING WOULD NOT STAY POINTED STRAIGHT AHEAD, WOULD KICK OFF TO ONE SIDE OR ANOTHER. PROBLEM WOULD GO AWAY IF CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND ON, ONLY TO REOCCUR. PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS INTERNAL STEERING RACK FAULT CAUSING STEERING SHAFT TO HEAT UP AND BIND. SOLUTION WAS TO REMOVE AND REPLACE ENTIRE RACK ASSEMBLY AND STEERING KNUCKLE.

UPON RETURNING TO THE CAR AFTER A REST STOP, A RED STEERING WHEEL SYMBOL APPEARED IN THE DASHBOARD ALONG WITH "DO NOT DRIVE". IT GOT TOWED TO A DEALER WHO REPORTED ENGINE CODE DTC B2000. CAR WAS 1 MONTH OUR OF WARRANTY. REPAIR WAS >$3000 REPLACING THE STEERING GEAR AND POWER STEERING MODULE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE BAD HAD IT FAILED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. THE CAR ONLY HAS ABOUT 34,000 MILES. THIS IS A SERIOUS AND IN MY VIEW POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ISSUE. NOT TO MENTION EXPENSIVE.

AROUND 3,000 MILES I NOTICED A CHANGE IN THE CHARACTER OF THE STEERING. AT TIMES THE STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WOULD FEEL VERY LIGHT (ALMOST LIKE EXTRA BOOST OR ASSISTANCE) AND AT OTHER TIMES THE STEERING WOULD BE VERY FIRM, ALMOST TO THE POINT OF NOT MOVING / TRACKING NATURALLY WHILE DRIVING. IF TURNED, THE WHEEL WOULD STAY IN THAT POSITION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE SENSATION OF A "DETENT" AT THE CENTER POSITION OF STEERING BECOME PROGRESSIVELY MORE NOTICEABLE, ULTIMATELY TO THE POINT THAT IT WOULD TAKE NOTICEABLY EXTRA EFFORT TO TRANSITION THE CAR FROM A RIGHT TURN TO A LEFT TURN AND VICE-VERSA (I.E. CROSSING CENTER TOOK EXTRA FORCE, AFTER WHICH THE RESISTANCE WOULD FALL OFF CAUSING OVERSTEERING). I TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER AND THE CAR WAS THERE FOR 5 BUSINESS DAYS. WHEN I DESCRIBED WHAT WAS HAPPENING THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT -- THEY CALLED IT "NOTCHY" STEERING. THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK AND COLUMN AFTER A REGIONAL REP CAME TO EVALUATE THE CAR. INITIALLY THE CAR FELT RELATIVELY NORMAL AFTER REPAIR, BUT I AGAIN AM STARTING TO INTERMITTENTLY FEEL THE "DETENT" IN STEERING AT CENTERLINE. THIS SENSATION IS ONLY APPARENT AT HIGHWAY SPEED (HENCE MY CONCERN!). TO MY SURPRISE (AND HORROR) A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A REAL PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE, MOSTLY 2013 MODELS. THERE ARE TWO YOUTUBE VIDEOS SHOWING THE PROBLEM, AND MULTIPLE FORUM DISCUSSIONS ON THE TOPIC. TO MY KNOWLEDGE ONLY 2013 MODELS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON THE INTERNET TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT OBVIOUSLY MY 2015 MODEL-YEAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, SUGGESTING WHATEVER IT IS HAS NOT BEEN FIXED IN THE LINEUP AND LIKELY 2014 & 2015 MODELS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT MAKES THE CAR'S STEERING UNPREDICTABLE, AND I DO NOT ALLOW MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS I AM NOT CONFIDENT IN ITS SAFETY. I WORRY THE STEERING COULD FAIL OR LOCK UP -- AGAIN ALL AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *TR