2003 Audi RS6

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2003 AUDI RS6 WITH REPEAT SUSPENSION FAILURES STEMMING FROM AUDI'S DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL (DRC). THE SYSTEM FIRST BEGINS LOSING HYDRAULIC PRESSURE, THEN SLOWLY LEAKS THE FLUID OUT OF THE LINKED DAMPER SYSTEM UNTIL THE CAR IS IN EFFECT RIDING ON THE SPRINGS WITH INADEQUATE DAMPER CONTROL. THE END RESULT IS A VERY POOR DRIVING CAR WITH EXCESSIVE BUMP-STEER AND BOUNCE. IF LEFT UNATTENDED, IT RESULTS IN A UNSAFE DRIVING SITUATION DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABLE HANDLING OF THE CAR. I HAVE PUT 12,000 MILES IN THE CAR IN ONE YEAR AND HAVE HAD THE SHOCKS AND CENTRAL ACCUMULATOR VALVES CHANGED 3 TIMES. I FULLY EXPECT TO BE BACK INTO THE DEALER IN 5,000 MILES OR LESS, AND I JUST PICKED THE CAR UP FROM THE DEALER ON THURSDAY, AUG 14TH. *TR

THE DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL (DRC) FAILED IN MY CAR, AND I UNDERSTAND IT FREQUENTLY FAILS IN THIS TYPE OF CAR. IT HAS JUMPY HANDLING AND SIDESTEPPING OVER BUMPS ON THE INTERSTATE. ROUNDING CURVES AT SPEED OVER EXPANSION JOINTS IS PLAIN DANGEROUS WHEN THE DRC FAILS. THE CAR BOUNCES, WHEELS LOSE CONTACT AND CAR SIDESTEPS. OBVIOUSLY THE FACT THAT IT REPEATEDLY FAILS IN THESE CARS IS THE ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 AUDI RS6. THE CONTACT SMELLS GASOLINE NEAR THE FUEL TANK, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THE SMELL IS NOTICEABLE USUALLY AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN AND PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER OR MECHANIC AT THIS TIME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 44,000.

MY SHOCKS AND CENTRAL CONTROL VALVES LEAK FLUID WHICH CAUSES INSTABILITY IN THE SUSPENSIONS SYSTEM. THE FLUID LEAKS OFF REDUCING THE SYSTEM PRESSURES WITHIN THE SHOCK SYSTEM SUCH THAT STABILITY IS EFFECTED WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, EXCESSIVE LEANING AROUND CORNERS, TRAMMING WHEN ENCOUNTERING GROOVING IN THE ROAD SURFACES, DIRECTIONAL STABILITY WHEN GOING OVER HOLES IN THE ROAD SURFACE IN CORNERS, ETC. ONCE THE SHOCK START LEAKING IT ONLY GETS WORSE AND EFFECTS THE SPRING DAMPENING AND GENERAL STABILITY OF THE CAR. A SIMPLE DROP TEST COMPARISON CAN BE MADE TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECT BETWEEN A CAR WHICH HAS NOT LEAKS IN THE SYSTEM AND ONE WHICH HAS HAD LEAKING SHOCKS FOR AWHILE (I.E. LOWER SYSTEM PRESSURE). THE SHOCK AND VALVES HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURE ON BOTH OCCASIONS. HOWEVER, I CONTINUALLY SEE RE-OCCURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM REPORTED ON THE WEB SITES. MY ORIGINAL SHOCKS AND CENTRAL VALVES WERE LEAKING AND FINALLY REPLACED AFTER BEING ON BACKORDER FOR QUITE SOME TIME. LESS THAN 5000 MILES LATER THE SHOCKS WERE LEAKING AGAIN AND ALL SHOCKS AND CENTRAL VALVES WERE REPLACED AGAIN.. I'M VERY CONCERNED THIS FAILURE WILL CONTINUE HAPPENING WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INSTALLING RE-DESIGNED PARTS WHICH WILL NOT EXHIBIT THIS PREMATURE FAILURE MODE OF LEAKING RESULTING IN INSTABILITY WHEN ONE LEAST EXPECTS IT. *TR

2003 AUDI RS6. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AND OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS HAVE HAD SHOCK ABSORBER FAILURES ON 3 OF THE 4 CORNERS. LEFT FRONT AND LEFT REAR SHOCK HAVE EACH FAILED ONCE AND THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK HAS FAILED 4 TIMES. THIS VEHICLE HAS ACCUMULATED LESS THAN 16,500 MILES AS OF 6/12/2008. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT OF SHOCK ABSORBER FAILURE OCCURRED IN MAR 2008 WITH A RIGHT REAR SHOCK. THE SHOCK AND ASSOCIATED CENTRAL CONTROL VALVE WAS REPLACED AT AN AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALER. TWO MONTHS LATER THE SAME SHOCK WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH IT'S ASSOCIATED CENTRAL CONTROL VALVE. THIS WAS AFTER ONLY 600 MILES OF DRIVING. WHEN THE SHOCKS DEPRESSURIZE THE CARS HANDLING IS COMPROMISED AND RESULTS IN UNPREDICTABLE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS THAT COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. ALTHOUGH IN MY CASE AN ACCIDENT HAS NOT OCCURRED AT THIS POINT, IT CERTAINLY COULD SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE AS THE SYSTEM IS UNRELIABLE. THE ONLY THING PREDICTABLE ABOUT THIS "DRC" DYNAMIC RIDE CONTROL SYSTEM IS THAT IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE SHOCKS FAIL AGAIN. A SINGLE SHOCK FAILURE COSTS BETWEEN $1,200 AND $1,700 TO REPAIR DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SYSTEM AND THE ASSOCIATED PARTS THAT ALSO MUST BE REPLACED. TOTAL COSTS OF REPAIRS TO THE DRC SYSTEM ON MY VEHICLE TO DATE IS OVER $8,000. KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 16,500 MILES ON THE CLOCK AS OF JUNE 2008. THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY COVERED THE COSTS OF THESE REPAIRS FOR THE FIRST 4 YEARS AND NOW THE EXTENDED WARRANTY IS COVERING THE COST SINCE THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED LESS A DEDUCTIBLE. IN MY OPINION THE "DRC" SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE WAS EITHER UNDER ENGINEERED OR THE FACTORY HAS A VENDOR PROBLEM WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS. IN ANY CASE THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR ANY CAR AND ESPECIALLY FOR A CAR THAT HAD A STICKER PRICE OF $88,000 IN 2003. *TR