Steering Issues - 2013

[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.

[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]

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

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

33 affected, 12 not.

Thx!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.


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[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.

[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...."

[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.

[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]

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[kooltechie]

the point is we don't know if Audi had a defective design when they introduced the electromechanical steering for the B8.5 models and if they have found the cause(s) and if they have found a definitive fix.
so we've asked them these questions, but their answers have been pretty much "oh, no, you're the first customer with such issue."
I for one would be more patient and give them a reasonable time to come up with an actual fix IF Audi told me there's an issue and that they're working on it now, instead of giving this BS "huh? I don't know.... what issue????" kinda response.
believe it or not, I'm trying to give Audi a chance to make things right before they lose me, and maybe some of the other affected owners, as a customer for a long time.

[offthewall]

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.

All I'm saying is from a percentage perspective it could or could not be a minuscule number affected. You have a very small sample from a very biased source (people seeking out threads on steering issues).

An equally false statement would be to say of the 24,000 views this thread has had only 0.125% (30 out of 24,000) have the issue.
:)

P.S. It would really really suck to have this steering issue on a brand new car. I feel for those with it. I'm glad my 2013 is so far unaffected and hope it stays that way. I just can't believe that it's that wide spread or it would be all over the evening news. The relative obscurity of it is what is working against those of you trying to get Audi's attention.


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[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.

[Heresy]

If anything my email to AOA told me was that it likely never made it out of the first tier of "Customer Advocates," which most likely consists of a small staff of people whose job it is to respond to email inquiries and complaints with a variety of form letters customized to fit the particular issue at hand. We need to find a way to elevate this out of this first tier and into the second or third tier. Ideally, our concerns should reach a level at which something can actually happen. These first tier people have no authority to do anything but respond politely, as was the case with my email. I am sure there is a VP in charge of customer care or owner experience. That's who should get any kind of group letter or individual email. If anyone has an idea of how to do that, that would be helpful information.

The truth is, and I told Audi this in my email, I am seriously considering canceling my order until this issue is resolved. I would like more assurance than the promise of a warranty. All the warranty in the world has not seemed to be able to fix this problem. It would be nice to know that A) Audi is aware of the issue; B) They acknowledge it as a problem; and C) They have a team of engineers assigned to fix the issue.

If Audi's motto is truly "Truth in Engineering," then truth begins with acknowledging when you screw up, then working like crazy to fix the problem for your customers. Burying your head in the sand or denying a real problem exists is certainly NOT "Truth in Engineering."

[kooltechie]

If anything my email to AOA told me was that it likely never made it out of the first tier of "Customer Advocates," which most likely consists of a small staff of people whose job it is to respond to email inquiries and complaints with a variety of form letters customized to fit the particular issue at hand. We need to find a way to elevate this out of this first tier and into the second or third tier. Ideally, our concerns should reach a level at which something can actually happen. These first tier people have no authority to do anything but respond politely, as was the case with my email. I am sure there is a VP in charge of customer care or owner experience. That's who should get any kind of group letter or individual email. If anyone has an idea of how to do that, that would be helpful information.

The truth is, and I told Audi this in my email, I am seriously considering canceling my order until this issue is resolved. I would like more assurance than the promise of a warranty. All the warranty in the world has not seemed to be able to fix this problem. It would be nice to know that A) Audi is aware of the issue; B) They acknowledge it as a problem; and C) They have a team of engineers assigned to fix the issue.

If Audi's motto is truly "Truth in Engineering," then truth begins with acknowledging when you screw up, then working like crazy to fix the problem for your customers. Burying your head in the sand or denying a real problem exists is certainly NOT "Truth in Engineering."

could not have said it better....I wholeheartedly agree.

had I known there's a "small" number of B8.5 owners having this steering issue, I would've never even considered to purchase one.
how unlucky the B8.5 S5 I test drove did not have the issue
after taking delivery of my car and noticing the issue, I went back to the dealer to test drive another B8.5 S5 to compare....guess what, it had the issue!

[Doc Brown]

call them

It is old school, but register a complaint. Particularly those of you who were told nothing is wrong. Words like "safety", "afraid to drive my car", "lemon" get the attention of even the most low level functionary who answers the phone. Request a call back from someone higher up the food chain. Get names. Get phone numbers. Call back.

When I called BMWUSA with the M-DCT failure in my first M3, it was second visit. The car was at the dealership. I told the phone agent my story, requested a call back, commented that "I just lemoned a car from Audi and really don't want to lemon this one too" and I got a call back in less than a day.

Polite by aggressive. I will not be brushed off and you should not allow that to happen either.

[BzzzBom]

Why don't we send the letter via certified mail, receipt required directly to Scott Keogh, President AOA?

[Leor604]

Why don't we send the letter via certified mail, receipt required directly to Scott Keogh, President AOA?

NHTSA has a toll free number "to report suspected safety defects in your vehicle". I would certainly let Audi know that if they don't give you some satisfaction, you have a list of 30 people ready to call NHTSA. I think that may get their attention.

[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]

It's important to make it clear to AoA that this is a significant issue, no doubt about that.

But, we have to realize that Audi is unlikely to announce anything until they figure out what's wrong with these cars. A bad batch of steering racks, design flaw, etc. As long as Audi hasn't finished investigating this, what else can they say?

[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.

[Surfdoc37]

Again noting my experience with the dealer and their interaction with Audi on my behalf:

Reported the "notchy", or maybe more accurately a "ridge", not a notch, at 12 o'clock making it difficult to aim the car straight as it wants to settle in at 11:57 or 12:03 instead and taking additional effort to steer thru the center, causing me to slalom down the straights or end up on the shoulders.

Service manager drives it and has the same problem, notes similar steering feel in the other S4/5's on their lot, not error code, and let's me know things seem to be to spec.

I presented them with highlights of this thread, especially parts about the system thinking its working fine and not throwing error codes, and that in some cases the rack has been replaced, and specifically request they contact Audi tech.

Audi authorized steering rack replacement the next day. Currently waiting on parts.

Dealer tells me it's OK if I want to drive the car while waiting on the parts. Uncomfortable with a car that steers itself into trees, I continue to drive their loaner Q5.

In fairness, Audi sells some 4,000 A4/S4's a month. Even if ten or one hundred times more cars are affected, that would be 10-15% of the run thus far? Which gives me some hope that "simply" replacing the faulty system will solve the problem.

I am unhappy to have the problem, but generally happy with the steps taken to address it thus far and hopeful to avoid further disappointment after the fix.