2024 Audi S5

The contact owns a 2024 Audi S5. The contact stated that while his wife was seated in the front passenger’s seat with dam clothing after a workout, the air bag malfunction warning light would illuminate. The contact's wife had to sit on a towel while seated in the passenger’s seat to activate the air bags, and to turn off the warning light. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer stated that the air bag sensor was not designed to activate if the seat was affected by moisture. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

I was turning west (left-hand turn) from a turn lane in the median, across three southbound lanes. I initiated the turn from a stop, after waiting through a traffic light. No nearby oncoming traffic. One car behind me in the turn lane. Halfway through the turn, the car suddenly and aggressively applied the breaks. Nearly caused the car behind me to collide with my rear. No evident reason for the car to stop. This is the second time something like this has happened with the "pre-sense" breaking system.