2018 Audi Q5

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHEN DRIVING THE AUDI Q5 THE PRE-SENSE ENGAGES INAPPROPRIATELY (NO TRIGGER) RESULTING IN AN IMMEDIATE AND HARSH BRAKING OF THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP. IN TRAFFIC, THIS POSES A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF A CRASH RESULTING IN DAMAGE AND POTENTIAL BODILY INJURY. THE AUDI PRE-SENSE IS DESIGNED TO STOP A CAR FROM AN IMMINENT CRASH, HOWEVER AN APPARENT FLAW IN THE TECHNOLOGY ENGAGES THE PRE-SENSE WITHOUT TOTALLY UNNECESSARILY (NO CROSS TRAFFIC, AT LEAST 10 FEET FROM A BUSH OR OTHER OBJECT). NOT ONLY DOES THE UNEXPECTED AND UNNECESSARY HARD AUTO-BRAKING ADD WEAR AND TEAR TO THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION, IT POSES A REAL RISK OF AN ACCIDENT AS OTHER DRIVERS DO NOT EXPECT THE SUDDEN AND UNNECESSARY BRAKING. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT A PATTERN IN DRY AND WET WEATHER ON A FLAT SURFACE OR AN INCLINE. ALWAYS OCCURS WHEN IN REVERSE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 AUDI Q5. THE CONTACT STATE THAT THE VEHICLE INDEPENTLY ENGAGED THE COLLISION BRAKE SYSTEM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE FIRST WAS THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 12TH AT APPROXIMATELY 19:00 EST. WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH ON LAHSER ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES IN THE AREA THE VEHICLE SENSED A POTENTIAL FRONT END COLLISION AND APPLIED FULL BRAKES. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE THE SECOND EVENT WAS MARCH 4 AT APPROXIMATELY 16:00 EST. WHILST DRIVING HOME I CAME TO A STOP AT THE LIGHT WITH A TRUCK IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. NO WARNING WAS DETECTED. AS THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME DEPARTED THE VEHICLE WARNING SYSTEM CAME ON. IT DID NOT APPLY BREAKS AT THIS TIME JUST A FALSE POSITIVE SENSOR WARNING. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS PASSED OFF AS THE RESULT OF ICE, WHILE NOTICE SENSOR WARNING WAS EVIDENT THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER ON MARCH 4 AND NO RESPONSE HAS BEEN RECEIVED. I FEEL THIS VEHICLE HAS TWICE PROVIDED UNSAFE ACTIONS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE I HAVE A CHILD IN THE VEHICLE AND HAVE AN INCIDENT THAT HARMS AN INDIVIDUAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI OF ROCHESTER HILL 45441 DEQUINDRE ROAD ROCHESTER HILL MICHIGAN 48307 PHONE NUNBER (248)-997-7400 TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE COLLISION SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DUE TO ICE ON THE SENSOR. THE VIN INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600.

YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING ON US HWY 41 IN MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN (BELOW THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT - I WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MPH) AND WHILE BRAKING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE VEHICLE LOST TRACTION AND DID NOT ENTER THE SKID CONTROL MODE. UPON APPROACHING THE SIGNAL TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE SKID INTO THE ADJACENT RIGHT LANE. THERE WAS NO CAR IN THE ADJACENT RIGHT LANE AND NO COLLISION. MY AUDI IS EQUIPPED WITH AUDI'S RECOMMENDED WINTER WHEELS AND WINTER TIRES (AUDI WINTER WHEEL AND TIRE PACKAGE NUMBER: NPN071069), I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT THE DEALER'S RECOMMENDATION TO MATCH THE WINTER TIRE PRESSURE TO THAT OF THE ALL-SEASON OEM TIRES CAUSE THE WINTER TIRES TO BE OVER-INFLATED, AND THUS NOT MAKE PROPER CONTACT WITH THE ROAD. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER DO NOT PROVIDE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURES SPECIFIC TO THE WINTER TIRES 1) ON THE TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION TAG ON THE B-FILLER, 2) NOR IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, 3) AT THE DEALERSHIP, NOR ON 4) THE MANUFACTURER'S ONLINE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR DATABASE AUDI ERWIN PORTAL (WWW.ERWIN.AUDI.USA.COM). I HAVE ASKED THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR ASSISTANCE ON 2 OCCASIONS, AND HAVE RECEIVED THE SAME ANSWER - THE COLD INFLATION PRESSURE OF 33 PSI FRONT AND 36 PSI REAR FOR THE ORIGINAL FACTORY TIRES (225/45 R20 101H) SHOULD BE USED FOR THE WINTER TIRES (235/65 R17 104H M+S). EVEN IF THIS ANSWER WOULD BE FOUND TO BE CORRECT, IT SHOULD BE SUPPORTED BY APPROPRIATE RESOURCES READILY AVAILABLE TO THE CUSTOMER. IF THE ERWIN PORTAL DID PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION (WHICH IS DOES NOT), THE CUSTOMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A SUBSCRIPTION TO ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. I'VE ATTACHED THREE (3) ITEMS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ARE ATTACHED.

AS I WAS PREPARING TO PARK AT MY LOCAL GROCERY STORE IN AN ASSIGNED SPACE I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE FRONT END SLAMMED INTO A CONCRETE RETAINING WALL, CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO BOTH MY VEHICLE AND THE RETAINING WALL. THE CAR WAS PRACTICALLY AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THIS OCCURRED. ADDITIONALLY WHEN I REVERSED THE CAR IT ACCELERATED BACK AT A RAPID SPEED. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND THANKFULLY NOBODY WAS INJURED OR WORSE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS OR FATAL SITUATION AND I FEEL THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF ELECTRONIC FAILURE. CONSIDERING THE SAFETY RECORD ON THIS CAR I FELT VERY UNSAFE AND NOT IN CONTROL.

ON THREE OCCASIONS BEGINNING IN THE SPRING OF 2018, THE TAILGATE HAS RANDOMLY OPENED WITH NO COMMAND FROM THE OWNERS. EACH TIME THE CAR HAS BEEN IN OUR GARAGE AND WE HAVE BEEN ELSEWHERE. EACH TIME THE TAILGATE COLLIDED WITH THE GARAGE DOOR WHEN WE OPENED THE GARAGE DOOR WAS OPENED CAUSING BODY DAMAGE. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR THE AUDI Q5 AND OTHER MODELS AND THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED OUTSIDE ON STREETS AND ROADS AS WELL AS INSIDE. THE DEALER SAID THAT AUDI HAS A PROVIDED THE DEALER WITH A TECHNICAL BULLETIN TO MAKE SOFTWARE CHANGES REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, EVEN AFTER THE SOFTWARE CHANGES, THIS PROBLEM HAS RECURRED. AUDI HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE BODY WORK. ON THE FIRST OCCASION, I PAID FOR THE BODY WORK. ON THE SECOND OCCASION, THE DEALER PAID FOR THE BODY WORK AFTER AUDI REFUSED TO PAY. THE CAR IS NOW GOING INTO THE DEALER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD SO THAT THE DEALER CAN WORK WITH AUDI ENGINEERS TO HOPEFULLY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL. IF THE TAILGATE OPENS ON A HIGHWAY AND LUGGAGE FALLS OUT, SOMEONE COULD BE HURT OR KILLED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 AUDI Q5. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE COLLISION ALERT SYSTEM INDEPENDENTLY ENGAGED THE BRAKE SYSTEM, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND REGAIN HIGHWAY SPEED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE COLLISION SYSTEM MAY HAVE SENSED AN OBJECT IN THE ROAD AND CAUSED THE COLLISION SYSTEM TO ENGAGE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE COLLISION ALERT SYSTEM ENGAGED WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PARALLEL PARK. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH AUDI BIRMINGHAM (1314 GRANTS MILL WAY, IRONDALE, AL 35210, (855) 627-3378) TO INQUIRE IF THE COLLISION ALERT SYSTEM COULD BE DISABLED. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

WHEN DRIVING, THERE WAS NO INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATING TO ALERT US OF LOW TIRE PRESSURE OR A FLAT TIRE. AFTER DRIVING FOR 2-3 MILES, WITH NO FLAT TIRE INDICATION, WE SMELLED A BURNING ODOR AND HEARD LOUD NOISES. WE STOPPED TO SEE A FLAT TIRE DOWN TO THE RIM. THERE WAS NEVER A WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD ABOUT A TIRE PROBLEM. AUDI SAYS THAT THE LIGHT ONLY ILLUMINATES AT THE FIRST TIME THE TIRE PRESSURE GOES LOW AND NEVER ILLUMINATES AGAIN. WE NEVER SAW THIS FIRST INDICATOR LIGHT AND WHEN WE DROVE ON A DARK RURAL ROAD - WE HAD THE FLAT TIRE DESCRIBED ABOVE, WITHOUT ANY INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. IF WE HAD EVER SEEN ANY INDICATION ( VISUALLY, OR IN THE HANDLING OF THE CAR)WE NEVER WOULD HAVE DRIVEN ON A DARK EVENING. WE WERE LEFT TO WAIT ALONE ON THIS DARK ROAD UNTIL 1 HOUR WHEN AAA ARRIVED. BOTH THE DEALERSHIP IN ALBANY, NY AND AUDI CORPORATE STATES THAT NO LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED - WE HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR WITHOUT THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT STAYING ON UNTIL YOU GET THE TIRE FIXED. THE LIGHT ALWAYS STAYED ON AND THIS IS A NEW DESIGN IN THE 2018 AUDI Q5. I THINK IT IS A DESIGN FLAW AND CAN CAUSE THE POSSIBLITY OF A DANGEROUS TIRE BLOWOUT THAT COULD CAUSE SWERVING INTO ANOTHER LANE, AND/OR A WORSE MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION. WE WERE DRIVING ON A RURAL UPSTATE NY ROAD GOING STRAIGHT. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATION TO US THAT OUR TIRE WAS LOOSING PRESSURE AND WOULD GO COMPLETELY FLAT.THIS WAS A HORRIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR US AS WE ARE EXPERIENCED AND COMPETENT DRIVERS AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS LACK OF ALERT ON A CAR IN MANY YEARS OF DRIVING.