2007 Audi S4

WHILE DRIVING TO NEW YORK CITY FROM NORTH CAROLINA ON INTERSTATE 95, I ENCOUNTERED HEAVY TRAFFIC AROUND SILVER SPRING, MD. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES OF DRIVING IN SLOW-MOVING TRAFFIC, THE CLUTCH PEDAL FAILED TO RETURN FROM ITS ENGAGED POSITION AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. WITH THE ENGINE OFF, I MANUALLY PULLED AND RETURNED THE CLUTCH PEDAL BACK TO ITS RELEASED POSITION. I THEN PROCEEDED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND PRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL. AGAIN, THE CLUTCH PEDAL REMAINED STUCK IN THE ENGAGED POSITION. MOMENTS LATER SMOKE BECAME TO APPEAR FROM UNDER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOOD. A POLICE OFFICER WHO HAPPENED TO BE NEARBY HELPED PUSH THE CAR TO THE LEFT SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE AND LEFT, WHILE SMOKE KEPT ESCAPING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED BY THE POLICE OFFICER. SHORTLY AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF THE POLICE OFFICER, FLAMES APPEARED ALONGSIDE THE SMOKE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOOD AND THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FILL UP WITH DENSE SMOKE. WHILE FRANTICALLY REMOVING MY DOG, SUITCASES AND OTHER PERSONAL BELONGINGS FROM THE VEHICLE, A MOTORIST STOPPED TO ASSIST ME AND WITH THE USE OF HIS OWN FIRE EXTINGUISHER PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE DAMAGED VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A NEARBY AUDI DEALERSHIP AND SUBSEQUENTLY TAKEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION TO BE EVALUATED BY AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER AND BY AUDI OF AMERICA. A RENTAL CAR HAD TO BE USED TO COMPLETE THE TRAVEL. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER HAS SINCE DECLARED THE DAMAGED VEHICLE A "TOTAL LOSS". THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION HAD NOT MISSED ANY MANUFACTURE-RECOMMENDED SERVICE AT AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALERSHIPS. THE LAST SUCH SERVICE WAS CONDUCTED THE WEEK PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT. *TR

MY 2007 AUDI RS-4 QUATTRO SEDAN HAD A BRAKE MALFUNCTION OF SOME SORT THAT CAUSED THE FRONT WHEELS TO LOCK EVEN WHILE THE ESP SYSTEM WAS ACTIVE AND ABS WAS IN PROPER WORKING ORDER AND THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED NO WARNINGS ON THE INFO DISPLAY. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL WHILE WE WERE DOING 40MPH BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T TURN IN THE CURVE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL WE WERE DESCENDING, A FEW TIMES THAT DAY THE CAR HAD A VIBRATION GO THROUGH IT ALMOST AS THOUGH A TIRE WAS BAD OR A BRAKE WAS DRAGGING, WITH A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL TO ACCOMPANY IT. BUT STILL NO LIGHTS OR WARNING DISPLAYS CAME ON, ON OUR WAY TO DINNER MY FRIEND AND I WERE DESCENDING THE HILL NEAR TO THE RESTAURANT WE WERE GONG TO AND THE BRAKES DIDN'T SEEM TO GRAB AT FIRST THEN SEEM TO HAVE LOCKED UP.. WE CRASHED DOING A FULL 40MPH. THE ANGLE WE HIT THE RAIL AT AND THE ANGLE OF THE RAIL ITSELF DEFLECTED US SLIGHTLY CAUSING THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR OF THE CAR TO ALSO HIT IT. THEN AS THE REAR HIT THE RAIL IT BOUNCED THE REAR OUT TO THE LEFT CAUSING US TO HIT THE RAIL WITH THE RIGHT FRONT AGAIN THEN DEFLECTED US OFF OF THE SMALL CLIFF ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHERE THE CAR WAS LAYING ON ITS DRIVER'S SIDE IN THE DITCH AND HAD RUN DOWN 3 SMALLER TREES, ALL THIS ENERGY AND DAMAGE, YET NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED NOT EVEN THE HEAD CURTAINS, AS A RESULT I SUFFERED HEAD INJURIES A FRACTURED T3 VERTEBRAE ALOT OF MUSCLE STRAINS AND A SPRAIN PLUS NERVE DAMAGE THAT DISABLED ME FROM FEELING MY LOWER EXTREMITIES AND FEET FOR A FEW DAYS, MY FRIEND WHOM WAS DRIVING SUFFERED A CONTUSION ON HIS BRAIN THAT BLED FOR A WHILE AND COULD HAVE CAUSED HIM TO BECOME PARAPLEGIC. HE STRUCK HIS HEAD ON THE B-PILLAR AND STEERING WHEEL, EVEN THOUGH WE BOTH WORE OUR SEAT BELTS, WHICH MY BELT HAD TO BE CUT OFF AS IT WOULDN'T UNLATCH. I HAVE LOOKED ON A FEW AUDI FORUMS AND HAVE SEEN COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER RS4 OWNERS. I HOPE THIS CAN BE ADDRESSED, THANKS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 AUDI S4. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATED TO APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WITHIN TWO SECONDS. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 40 MPH. APPROXIMATELY TWO DAYS LATER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FROM 50 TO 70 MPH WITHIN FOUR SECONDS. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE RPM'S CONTINUED TO INCREASE. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE ACCELERATION FAILURE WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CLUTCH BURNED OUT AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE CLUTCH REPLACED BEFORE THE FAILURE COULD BE INVESTIGATED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 840 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 725. UPDATED 02-25-08 *BF UPDATED *JB