Steering Issues - 2013

[jackal15]

B8.5 owner with 3000 miles. I'm having the same notchy/deadspot feeling at 12 o'clock. Hasn't been so severe that i'm concerned about safety but I will have them take a look during my 5K. Hopefully there will be a fix by then!

[spl1011]

i would also recommend this: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

[kooltechie]

unit, Henkka82, Surfdoc37, jackal15 added to the list.
32 owners w/ issue and 10 without....3 out of 4 owners of B8.5 models are affected by the issue, at least from AZ, thus far.

Thx!

[Doc Brown]

I have not noticed the problem yet - nearly 4000 miles. 2013 S4, adaptive steering, build in Sept/Oct '12

I had one instance of slowing abruptly from about 40mph to make a right turn onto a side street and when turning the wheel got VERY heavy and I needed both hands to muscle it through for the first few degrees of rotation and then suddenly it "gave". It felt at first like I lost all power assist and then it came back. Other than that - no floatiness. No wander. No notchiness. I have a 100 mile drive tomorrow to one of our remote offices. We will see what happens then. It is an Audi. I have had them before and despite my attraction to them, they have reliability and quirkiness "issues", at best. I have found that if you get good one, you may be lucky. I have also found if you get a bad one, the field mechanics never seem to be able to make it right.

Interesting observation above about the turn lock to lock. The way my car is parked at home, I pretty much do lock to lock in the process of getting the car out. And when I work I back in (paranoid New Yorker at heart - I never know when I may need to make a speedy getaway). I park the car with the front wheel turned to lock (whichever side I think it more susceptible to someone backing out near me and tagging the car - in essence putting the wheel out to block the hopefully light tap rather than the fender take it. Often that requires a turn near to opposite lock to exit the lot.

[mrrun2fast]

I dropped my Q5 at the dealership this morning. They gave me a '13 A4 2.0T loaner and the steering on it is a lot better than mine. I talked to the service manager and he said he hasn't had any other customers complain about this issue, but he heard that the Q5 3.0T has had notchy issues.

[Franky_d]

I dropped my Q5 at the dealership this morning. They gave me a '13 A4 2.0T loaner and the steering on it is a lot better than mine. I talked to the service manager and he said he hasn't had any other customers complain about this issue, but he heard that the Q5 3.0T has had notchy issues.

I have '13 Q5 3.0 tdi since September 2012 and had notchiness from the beginning. Has been following up with local dealer since October 2012, in January 2013 they accepted it is a known issue, but no solution currently available.

[JFrA5]

I also dropped my 2013 A5 at the dealer this morning but I am not expecting any resolution. Keeping my fingers crossed. I also received a new A4 loaner like mrrun2fast and agree that the steering felt heavier and more responsive than my A5. I actually preferred the steering feel on the A4. Wish me luck guys!!!

[407guy]

No issues for us with our 2013 B8.5. *knock on wood*

Only have about 1,200 miles on the car.

[407guy]

No issues for us with our 2013 B8.5. *knock on wood*

Only have about 1,200 miles on the car.

Update for me.

Took the car on the freeway today, 200 miles round trip. We have the 19" with Continental tires.

Trip down was in Comfort (100 miles). Trip back was in Dynamic (100 miles). Both ways speeds 70-80 mph range. Mostly cruise control too.

Can't say I felt any issues in either mode. Yeah, there was some wind on the drive back that caused me to adjust but nothing I can say jumped out to me to make me think there was an issue.

Not sure if this is an issue just waiting to appear though.

I have a set of VMRs in the garage waiting to be installed but I'm not sure right now only because if the issue appears after the new wheels are installed I don't want the dealership blaming the non-OEM wheels to be causing whatever issue.

I'll add, our S4 has a build date of 07/12. (Side note, we bought it the fist week of December 2012. Damn, that car had been sitting around for some time.)

[mrrun2fast]

Update - the dealer said there's no issues with my car. They have blamed it on the snow tires, yet this issue was happening with the OEM tires. They said that they switched out tires with another Q5 and there were no issues with it. that's what makes this issue frustrating is that it comes and goes. Now I'm thinking about switching out my snow tires with OEM so they can experience the issue when it's happening.

[stactum]

Update - the dealer said there's no issues with my car. They have blamed it on the snow tires, yet this issue was happening with the OEM tires. They said that they switched out tires with another Q5 and there were no issues with it. that's what makes this issue frustrating is that it comes and goes. Now I'm thinking about switching out my snow tires with OEM so they can experience the issue when it's happening.

That what my dealer said as well about my S4. They admitted though in the paperwork that they were able to replicate the symptoms. I think I won't let it slip and I am trying to figure out the pattern how steering acts in different circumstances so I can clearly state my issue.

It's kinda silly of Audi to blame tires when there is pretty evident electric steering implementation issues.

[JFrA5]

My car is still at the dealership and haven't heard a word since I dropped it off at 7am this morning

[JFrA5]

And I got my car back with the standard answer that my "vehicle is operating normal". I'm not surprised that they did nothing. I'll just complain every time I go in until I decide to trade away the problem!!

[Heresy]

FWIW: I sent an email to Audi customer service on Friday explaining that I have recently ordered an S4 and have been concerned about what I am reading on this forum thread. I referred them to this thread and asked if Audi was aware of problems with the electric power steering in the new 2013 S4s. This is the response I received today.

Thank you again for contacting the Audi Customer Experience Center regarding your recently ordered 2013 Audi S4. Please accept this written response to your concerns.

At this time, I do not have any information on any electric steering problems in the 2013 model year vehicles. I understand that you have found information on different forums online, however Audi is unable to verify any of that information.

I would hope that you do not experience any concerns with your vehicle in the future, has set a warranty in place for any shortcomings that could possibly occur.

I want to reassure you that Audi does stand behind its engineering and hopes to offer you an ownership experience above your expectations.

I hope this information was helpful and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your inquiry. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at the Audi Customer Experience Center at (877) 615-2834, extension 43192, Monday-Sunday, 8AM-11PM Eastern Standard Time. If I am not available at the time of your call, please provide the reference number listed at the top of this e-mail to any associate so they can assist you directly.

Sincerely,

Shelby Meyers
Audi Customer Advocate

I make no interpretation of this response, other than that I know that the service (maintenance and repair) people and the customer service people don't always talk to each other. I'm not sure what effort this Advocate took to research the problem. But this is AOA's current stance from the customer service side. I guess I didn't really expect anything different, but I thought I would ask. Do with this what you will.

[kooltechie]

FWIW: I sent an email to Audi customer service on Friday explaining that I have recently ordered an S4 and have been concerned about what I am reading on this forum thread. I referred them to this thread and asked if Audi was aware of problems with the electric power steering in the new 2013 S4s. This is the response I received today.

Thank you again for contacting the Audi Customer Experience Center regarding your recently ordered 2013 Audi S4. Please accept this written response to your concerns.

At this time, I do not have any information on any electric steering problems in the 2013 model year vehicles. I understand that you have found information on different forums online, however Audi is unable to verify any of that information.

I would hope that you do not experience any concerns with your vehicle in the future, has set a warranty in place for any shortcomings that could possibly occur.

I want to reassure you that Audi does stand behind its engineering and hopes to offer you an ownership experience above your expectations.

I hope this information was helpful and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your inquiry. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at the Audi Customer Experience Center at (877) 615-2834, extension 43192, Monday-Sunday, 8AM-11PM Eastern Standard Time. If I am not available at the time of your call, please provide the reference number listed at the top of this e-mail to any associate so they can assist you directly.

Sincerely,

Shelby Meyers
Audi Customer Advocate

I make no interpretation of this response, other than that I know that the service (maintenance and repair) people and the customer service people don't always talk to each other. I'm not sure what effort this Advocate took to research the problem. But this is AOA's current stance from the customer service side. I guess I didn't really expect anything different, but I thought I would ask. Do with this what you will.

that's exactly what I expect from Audi, but has NOT been the case thus far.

[SixShifter]

FWIW: I sent an email to Audi customer service on Friday explaining that I have recently ordered an S4 and have been concerned about what I am reading on this forum thread. I referred them to this thread and asked if Audi was aware of problems with the electric power steering in the new 2013 S4s. This is the response I received today.

Thank you again for contacting the Audi Customer Experience Center regarding your recently ordered 2013 Audi S4. Please accept this written response to your concerns.

At this time, I do not have any information on any electric steering problems in the 2013 model year vehicles. I understand that you have found information on different forums online, however Audi is unable to verify any of that information.

I would hope that you do not experience any concerns with your vehicle in the future, has set a warranty in place for any shortcomings that could possibly occur.

I want to reassure you that Audi does stand behind its engineering and hopes to offer you an ownership experience above your expectations.

I hope this information was helpful and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your inquiry. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at the Audi Customer Experience Center at (877) 615-2834, extension 43192, Monday-Sunday, 8AM-11PM Eastern Standard Time. If I am not available at the time of your call, please provide the reference number listed at the top of this e-mail to any associate so they can assist you directly.

Sincerely,

Shelby Meyers
Audi Customer Advocate

Just for your infomation ... I had contacted AoA via their on-line chat regarding what I considered to be an issue with the low fuel indicators ... basically my belief is that when the low fuel warning light comes on, there are more than the ~2.1 to 2.4 gallons of fuel left because after driving 26 miles after the light first came on and showing 10 miles to empty on the display, I was only able to get 14.2 gallons of gas in the car. The only part of this story that matters is that Shelby Meyers was the Customer Advocate who responded to my inquiry ... and the last paragraph above is a letter-for-punctuation mark copy of what I received from her. What research did she do before getting back to me? She called the service department of the dealer from whom I purchased the car. When AoA asked me for feedback from our interaction, I asked do away with their high school summer hire program and instead find technical people who can adequately research/respond to customers' technical questions/concerns/issues.

[visualguy]

Just for your infomation ... I had contacted AoA via their on-line chat regarding what I considered to be an issue with the low fuel indicators ... basically my belief is that when the low fuel warning light comes on, there are more than the ~2.1 to 2.4 gallons of fuel left because after driving 26 miles after the light first came on and showing 10 miles to empty on the display, I was only able to get 14.2 gallons of gas in the car.

Mine comes on when there are 3 gallons left. This doesn't bother me, but having a small gas tank is seriously annoying. Even two more gallons would have been nice, although this car should really have a 20 gallon tank (like the A6/A7) considering its gas consumption.

[achilleas101]

Originally Posted by Heresy
FWIW: I sent an email to Audi customer service on Friday explaining that I have recently ordered an S4 and have been concerned about what I am reading on this forum thread. I referred them to this thread and asked if Audi was aware of problems with the electric power steering in the new 2013 S4s. This is the response I received today.

Thank you again for contacting the Audi Customer Experience Center regarding your recently ordered 2013 Audi S4. Please accept this written response to your concerns.

At this time, I do not have any information on any electric steering problems in the 2013 model year vehicles. I understand that you have found information on different forums online, however Audi is unable to verify any of that information.

I would hope that you do not experience any concerns with your vehicle in the future, has set a warranty in place for any shortcomings that could possibly occur.

I want to reassure you that Audi does stand behind its engineering and hopes to offer you an ownership experience above your expectations.

I hope this information was helpful and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your inquiry. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me at the Audi Customer Experience Center at (877) 615-2834, extension 43192, Monday-Sunday, 8AM-11PM Eastern Standard Time. If I am not available at the time of your call, please provide the reference number listed at the top of this e-mail to any associate so they can assist you directly.

Sincerely,

Shelby Meyers
Audi Customer Advocate

Just for your infomation ... I had contacted AoA via their on-line chat regarding what I considered to be an issue with the low fuel indicators ... basically my belief is that when the low fuel warning light comes on, there are more than the ~2.1 to 2.4 gallons of fuel left because after driving 26 miles after the light first came on and showing 10 miles to empty on the display, I was only able to get 14.2 gallons of gas in the car. The only part of this story that matters is that Shelby Meyers was the Customer Advocate who responded to my inquiry ... and the last paragraph above is a letter-for-punctuation mark copy of what I received from her. What research did she do before getting back to me? She called the service department of the dealer from whom I purchased the car. When AoA asked me for feedback from our interaction, I asked do away with their high school summer hire program and instead find technical people who can adequately research/respond to customers' technical questions/concerns/issues.

just out of curiosity, did your form letter reply have the same weird grammatical issue (in bold) that Heresy's response had? it's like Shelby messed up on her cut and pasting of 2 different sentences.

Meantime, as i'm anxiously awaiting delivery of my B8.5 s4, set for late March, i sure as hell hope i don't have the issue. i've been hoping my S4 experience will be better than my A4, but this is making me a bit nervous! i didn't realize they had switched to electro steering this model year. and this issue just makes me feel like an old fart scared of technology (even though i'm 35 and work in IT), because the more stuff that becomes electronic, the more stuff seems to go wrong and the harder it is to fix it. Then again, being in IT, i know how software almost always has bugs, so maybe its because of that that i have a sceptical viewpoint.

as another example of one of my frustrations, drive by wire- why?? why? just to save a gallon or 2 of gas over months. you have a perfectly functioning mechanical throttle that never fails, but you switch that out and then you risk problems like a throttle position sensor going haywire which gives your car a mind of its own (happened to my wife's Legacy recently). sigh.

[kooltechie]

engineer29, Doc Brown, 407guy added to the appropriate list.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...=1#post8381472

33 affected, 12 not.

Thx!

[BzzzBom]

I thought AOA was aware of the steering issue - At least that is the response from several dealerships as stated on this thread.

[kooltechie]

There seems to be no definitive fix from AOA for the steering issue as of now and some of the affected owners have agreed that we need to escalate the issue to AOA and that we need some real answers from them.

Some of us have drafted a letter to AOA in hopes of getting a valid answer from them.
This is NOT a legal action against them, but a simple request to let us, the owners of B8.5 A/S models with the steering issue, know what’s causing the issue, what the fix is, and when it will be fixed.
I think it’s crucial that more owners support and join this to show AOA how widespread and serious the issue is.

Here’s the draft of the letter - please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments:


Dear Audi of America,

As the current owners of the 2013 A4, S4, A5 and S5 models, we want to alert you to a safety concern with the electromechanical steering on our cars.

There are two issues which occur without warning, usually when the car is cold or while driving on the freeway. The first issue occurs when traveling in a straight line and is a "slip" in the steering wheel when crossing the 12 o'clock position where it feels like it's holding fine and then suddenly "slips" and then grabs again when you turn the wheel off center. This happens with no change in road conditions, acceleration, or vehicle speed. When this occurs it is unsettling and has caused drivers to inadvertently drift into the adjacent lane. The second issue is a "notchy" feel which happens at any speed, any steering mode and any wheel position. Like the first steering issue, this also feels unsafe as the driver often over or under corrects steering input.

A recent thread, regarding this issue, was started November 20, 2012 on the Audi forum, Audizine. As of today over 23,000 Audi enthusiasts have viewed this thread and approximately two-thirds of owners have reported having the same or similar steering issues. The link to the thread is: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...teering-Issues (please refer to page 9 of the thread to view the number of affected owners vs. those that are not).

Several dealerships have stated that Audi of America is aware of this issue but as of now we haven’t heard what is causing the issue, what the fix is and when it will be fixed. Due to the large number of owners affected we are concerned that this poses a significant safety issue and interferes with the driving satisfaction of this expensive, luxury sport car. We are looking forward to your reply.

Thank you.

[spl1011]

So as some of you are getting your steering racks replaced, could you be so kind as to share details of it - part numbers, service invoice naming, and whether or not the fix is working for you.
The racks I have had have been olive green in color. So sharing what your rack looked/s like would be cool too.

As some may know, I started reporting this issue back in Dec and had my rack already replaced on 12/27. The next day the problem came back although symptoms have been less frequent. I have had a TSM check the car out with no problems found (though he collected some "interesting" data) and have been postponing another rack replacement. I would like to see what starts happening to people and how they get their problems solved - I want one fix, not kicking the can down the road.

Also, another allroad owner had his rack replaced (with 400 miles) before I did and his symptoms are re-appearing after another 400 miles. So that kinda has me in a wait-and-see mode. Also, the fact that the TSM noted something of importance in looking at the data in between car starts makes me reconsider - this may end in a software fix.

If the rack is the fix and my AR buddy and I just happened to get another two bad racks then waiting will guarantee my part is as far away from the bad production batch.

[kooltechie]

So as some of you are getting your steering racks replaced, could you be so kind as to share details of it - part numbers, service invoice naming, and whether or not the fix is working for you.
The racks I have had have been olive green in color. So sharing what your rack looked/s like would be cool too.

As some may know, I started reporting this issue back in Dec and had my rack already replaced on 12/27. The next day the problem came back although symptoms have been less frequent. I have had a TSM check the car out with no problems found (though he collected some "interesting" data) and have been postponing another rack replacement. I would like to see what starts happening to people and how they get their problems solved - I want one fix, not kicking the can down the road.

Also, another allroad owner had his rack replaced (with 400 miles) before I did and his symptoms are re-appearing after another 400 miles. So that kinda has me in a wait-and-see mode. Also, the fact that the TSM noted something of importance in looking at the data in between car starts makes me reconsider - this may end in a software fix.

If the rack is the fix and my AR buddy and I just happened to get another two bad racks then waiting will guarantee my part is as far away from the bad production batch.

+1
if this issue is not fixed at the first attempt, then it's not a fix at all.

[BzzzBom]

There seems to be no definitive fix from AOA for the steering issue as of now and some of the affected owners have agreed that we need to escalate the issue to AOA and that we need some real answers from them.

Some of us have drafted a letter to AOA in hopes of getting a valid answer from them.
This is NOT a legal action against them, but a simple request to let us, the owners of B8.5 A/S models with the steering issue, know what’s causing the issue, what the fix is, and when it will be fixed.




















I think it’s crucial that more owners support and join this to show AOA how widespread and serious the issue is.

Here’s the draft of the letter - please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments:






















Dear Audi of America,

As the current owners of the 2013 A4, S4, A5 and S5 models, we want to alert you to a safety concern with the electromechanical

















steering on our cars.

There are two issues which occur without warning, usually when the car is cold or while driving on the freeway. The first issue occurs when traveling in a straight line and is a "slip" in the steering wheel when crossing the 12 o'clock position where it feels like it's holding fine and then suddenly "slips" and then grabs again when you turn the wheel off center. This happens with no change in road conditions, acceleration, or vehicle speed. When this occurs it is unsettling and has caused drivers to inadvertently drift into the adjacent lane. The















second issue is a "notchy" feel which happens at any speed, any steering mode and any wheel position. Like the first steering issue, this also feels unsafe as the driver often over or under corrects steering input.

A recent thread, regarding this issue, was started November 20, 2012 on the Audi forum, Audizine. As of today over 23,000 Audi enthusiasts have viewed this thread and approximately two-thirds of owners have reported having the same or similar steering issues. The link to the thread is: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...teering-Issues (please refer to page 9 of the thread to


view the number of affected owners vs. those that are not). Several dealerships have stated that Audi of America is aware of this issue but as of now we haven’t heard what is causing the issue, what the fix is and when it will be fixed. Due to the large number of owners affected we are concerned that this poses a significant safety issue and interferes with the driving satisfaction of this expensive, luxury sport car. We are looking forward to your reply.

Thank you.

Letter mailed to Scott Keogh, President AOA this afternoon.

[kooltechie]

Letter mailed to Scott Keogh, President AOA this afternoon.

much appreciated

[holmes4]

I think your description of the problem is inaccurate - at least as it affected my car. The issue happened at any speed and my car doesn't have dynamic steering (though I know this could be enabled through VAG-COM). When the steering rack was replaced, the problem disappeared, leading me to conclude it is a mechanical issue, not electrical. My concern is that your attempt to diagnose the problem will lead to AoA responding that there is no such issue.

[kooltechie]

I think your description of the problem is inaccurate - at least as it affected my car. The issue happened at any speed and my car doesn't have dynamic steering (though I know this could be enabled through VAG-COM). When the steering rack was replaced, the problem disappeared, leading me to conclude it is a mechanical issue, not electrical. My concern is that your attempt to diagnose the problem will lead to AoA responding that there is no such issue.

Steve,
thanks for the input.
the description of the issue has been modified as following (steering modes removed):

"....The first issue occurs primarily at highway speed when traveling in a straight line and is a "slip" in the steering wheel when crossing the 12 o'clock position where it feels like it's holding fine and then suddenly "slips" and then grabs again when you turn the wheel off center. This happens with no change in road conditions, acceleration, or vehicle speed...."

[Doc Brown]

The simple reality is that this will all be driven by dollars.

The only leverage you (or I) have with AoA is a Lemon Law claim. I would suggest that you document your first visit to AoA for the problem, as the "clock" starts for buy back when AoA is first made aware of the problem. Your refund of purchase price will be pro-rated for the miles you used the car before the "defect was discovered", so earlier is better for you. AoA will do little early on but register your complaint. Lay the paper trail.

As you approach the criteria to qualify for Lemon Law claim in your state, Audi will become more eager to resolve this issue. They eat a truck load of loss on a Lemoned car as it is essentially worthless for them to re-sell.

The only exception is if this is truly deemed a safety issue as that will force AoA (and Audi) to take notice and eat the loss rather than getting fined/sued. Although the issue(s) as described sound bad, they 'may' not have met the criteria for a safety defect (Toyota accelerator). At least not yet. I hope no one gets hurt.

Those of you who have the issue, whether or not the dealer agrees, would benefit from registering your concern with Audi. No group letters. Each of you individually.

For those of you who do not have a strong Lemon Law behind you, well, you are "royally screwed and jolly-well F'd"
I am sorry, but that is the harsh truth.

[offthewall]

unit, Henkka82, Surfdoc37, jackal15 added to the list.
32 owners w/ issue and 10 without....3 out of 4 owners of B8.5 models are affected by the issue, at least from AZ, thus far.

Thx!

I wouldn't jump to that statistic just yet. 3 out of 4 looking to READ A THREAD ABOUT steering issues claim to have them. That isn't surprising. If you could somehow poll ALL AZ readers, I suspect the number would be miniscule.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[kooltechie]

I wouldn't jump to that statistic just yet. 3 out of 4 looking to READ A THREAD ABOUT steering issues claim to have them. That isn't surprising. If you could somehow poll ALL AZ readers, I suspect the number would be miniscule.

yes, I agree what I said isn't quite accurate - I should've said "3 out of 4 owners of B8.5 models that have responded in AZ are affected by the issue thus far"
however, it'd be nice to have all B8.5 owners on AZ involved and participated, but 30+ owners (as of now) having this issue is anything but miniscule.

[spl1011]

Everyone (in the United States) needs to go here and fill out the online form. Takes but 10 minutes.
This needs visibility.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

AoA is VERY much aware of the problem as they have authorized work on my car and had a regional Technical Service Manager inspect my vehicle and collect data. I would take Audi's response as salesman BS - they ship demo cars to potential customers to clinch a sale but once the sale is done you are on your own - no above and beyond to clinch a current customer. Hindsight is 20/20 but I would walk away for this price.

[holmes4]

I would remove the "primarily at highway speed". It happened to me at any speed - read 3-5MPH or more. I described it as a "notchiness" and it wasn't just at cemter. but also a bit away from center.

[kooltechie]

I would remove the "primarily at highway speed". It happened to me at any speed - read 3-5MPH or more. I described it as a "notchiness" and it wasn't just at cemter. but also a bit away from center.

I agree - though it feels worse at highway speed, it certainly occurs at all speeds.
the letter has been updated.
thanks.

[holmes4]

I'm trying to understand the position here. Some of us reported the problem to the dealer and got a fix. We don't know if it's a permanent fix, but if not it will almost certainly show up again during the warranty period. It would be nice to expect a completely defect-free car, but that just doesn't happen in the real world.

Now if Audi steadfastly refused to fix the problem, that's something else, but that isn't happening. If your dealer stalls, then by all means contact your regional AoA office. I agree with Doc Brown that some sort of group letter isn't going to be effective.

[Doc Brown]

I'm trying to understand the position here. Some of us reported the problem to the dealer and got a fix. We don't know if it's a permanent fix, but if not it will almost certainly show up again during the warranty period. It would be nice to expect a completely defect-free car, but that just doesn't happen in the real world.

Now if Audi steadfastly refused to fix the problem, that's something else, but that isn't happening. If your dealer stalls, then by all means contact your regional AoA office. I agree with Doc Brown that some sort of group letter isn't going to be effective.

I would argue that a polite call and registering your "disappointment" even if it appears to be durably repaired is not "bad" and may save you some $$ down the road should the problem recur.

Regardless of manufacturer/cost/etc., there should not be this many people with similar (perhaps not all the same) defect with a new car, and they all appear to be due to a new system and it extends across model lines. This is really not good for Audi.

And this is not the radio changing stations randomly. This is the steering malfunctioning which at least gives the operator the sense of loss of control (from what those of you have written). Fixed or no, this would get a call to AoA from me. Not that they have anything to do (as it is fixed), but just to start the clock and share your disappointment. Register your complaint.

I know the "performing within specs" argument. I was being told that when my A6 2.7T was losing boost and power. So bad, it could not maintain highway speed on hills. And AoA stonewalled me as they knew I had no recourse. That car was leased in NY and under NY law at that time, leased cars were exempt from the Lemon Law (2000). AoA had my by the short ones and they knew it. I ended up buying another car and parking the Audi for a month or two until I could turn it in early from lease without penalty. It just sat in the driveway.

Those of you being told "within specs" need to be on the phone with AoA. You know it is not right.

I still have them saved as a contact on my phone 1800 822 2834

[BzzzBom]

I'm trying to understand the position here. Some of us reported the problem to the dealer and got a fix. We don't know if it's a permanent fix, but if not it will almost certainly show up again during the warranty period. It would be nice to expect a completely defect-free car, but that just doesn't happen in the real world.

Now if Audi steadfastly refused to fix the problem, that's something else, but that isn't happening. If your dealer stalls, then by all means contact your regional AoA office. I agree with Doc Brown that some sort of group letter isn't going to be effective.

Please explain how replacing the steering rack is "a fix." Did they tell you what the problem was? Did they replace it with a new or updated part? If we are going to get anywhere with AOA we need to use good critical reasoning skills.

[BzzzBom]

Replacing the steering rack is NOT a fix unless AOA has identified that the the current one is faulty, has identified the fault(s) and revised the part. IMO, AOA is authorizing rack replacement as a temporary measure to hold off unhappy owners until they identify the real issue. The fact that the issue has reappeared after steering rack replacement indicates that it is not the fix. There is no way I would allow AOA to replace the steering rack on my car until there is a TSB identifying the issue and a revised rack as the replacement.

[kooltechie]

I agree this issue needs to be addressed individually to AOA by submitting a complaint via NHTSA or taking a legal action against them (lemon law) or etc.
but I disagree that a group effort won't be effective.
personally, I'd like to pressure AOA in every way possible to let us know if they have found the cause and the fix for the issue.
30+ owners should be a concern to Audi simply because it'll cost them a lotta money in making an attempt, or more, to fix the issue.

[holmes4]

Do we know that the original design was defective? It could have been a run of bad manufacturing. I don't know and my dealer most likely wasn't told either. Mine was the first case they had encountered.

However, I will call AoA and let them know I am concerned.

[Doc Brown]

Do we know that the original design was defective? It could have been a run of bad manufacturing. I don't know and my dealer most likely wasn't told either. Mine was the first case they had encountered.

However, I will call AoA and let them know I am concerned.

Learn from my mistake of NOT doing so early enough with my RS4, which cost me a fair amount of $$$ when it finally went lemon. Six DRC "repairs", engine torn down twice for carbon, out of service for two of the first six months.

Your points are well taken. We don't know what is wrong, and maybe it is more than one issue, but it would appear that something IS wrong and who is at fault (Audi Engineering, in house manufacture or a sub contractor) matters little to me. Audi sold me the car. Audi needs to satisfy me and deliver the premium product I purchased. Audi can deal with whomever they need to be made whole on this on the back end. Not my problem.

It is like Boeing and the 787 smoke issues. I doubt the airlines who bought the planes and now cannot use them really care if it is a design issue or a sub contractor manufacturing issue in a control module (as is being floated now).

and it is not just an issue of "electric steering feels different". We all know it does. I have driven the past 70K miles in an E90 M3 and am used to a highly responsive and tactile steering. Everything feels a little numb to me. That said, numbness aside, my car does NOT do the things people on this board describe. Kinda numb and wooly, yeah. The Adaptive steering is a bit weird, yeah. Does it track where I point it - yes. Can I feel what the front tires are doing - not really, but it isn't an M3. I don't expect to feel them.

Does it get loose on the highway - no. Does it wander around in the lightest of winds - no. Is it notchy - no. Am I afraid it is going to kill me - no.

All of you with this problem - your car is broken. Audi sold you a broken car or one that broke not long after you took it home. They can only do right by you if you let them know.