Volkswagen recalls Audi Sportbacks for faulty wiring

December 21, 2020 Rebecca Rand Audi Recalls, Volkswagen Recalls

Auburn Hills, MI – December 21, 2020– Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has recalled 5,426 Audi Sportbacks whose wiring may become damaged in a crash, preventing the doors from being opened from the outside. Hazard lights may also fail, increasing the risk of an injury and death to the occupants of the vehicle.

The recall includes:

2020-2021 Audi A5 Sportbacks
2021 Audi RS5 Sportbacks
2020-2021 Audi S5 Sportbacks

Recall summary

The recall concerns the wires in the rear of the car that control the rear lights and supply power to parts of the car. Due to a supplier error, these wires were not built with scuff protection and may become damaged in the event of a crash.

Safety concerns

The damage – that could occur during a rear crash at 50 miles per hour – could affect the vehicle’s power supply, making it impossible to turn on the hazard lights or open the car doors from the outside. Both of these problems increase the risk of injury in the case of a crash. Hazard lights serve to warn approaching drivers of a stopped or a slowed car, preventing rear-end crashes.

Inability to open doors from the outside may result in the death or injury of the driver and passengers, especially if they are incapacitated and the car is burning.

The repair

Audi will notify owners of the recall by Jan 22, 2021. As a free fix for this Audi Volkswagen problem, dealers will apply adhesive tape to protect the wires. This repair is not yet available.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 5,000 vehicles are included in this Volkswagen recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Audi recalls Q7 SUVs over higher risk of head injury in event of crash

November 27, 2020 Aleksandra Snesareva Audi Recalls, Volkswagen Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – April 14, 2022 – Volkswagen AG (NASDAQ:VWAGY) has remedied issues with 86,004 2018-2020 Audi Q7 that were dealing with roof issues caused by inadequate padding on the c-pillar. Additionally, 154 of these 2018-2020 Audi Q7 vehicles have been declared unreachable and 0 have been removed from the recall. One group of these Audi Q7 models with c-pillar issues that may cause head injuries were remedied in 2020 and four more groups were remedied in 2021.

Pleasanton, CA – November 27, 2020 – Volkswagen AG (NASDAQ:VWAGY) has recalled nearly 10% of its 2018-2020 Audi Q7 luxury SUVs due to inadequate padding on one of the pillars – a structure that supports the roof of the car. This issue may translate into a higher risk of a head injury in the event of a crash. Around 94,000 vehicles are affected by this recall.

Part number for the deformation element is 4M0 880 619.

Recall summary

C-pillar is one of the four or five pillars that support the roof of the car and is located towards the back of the car. Recalled vehicles do not have enough padding on this pillar, due to a production error made by a sub-supplier based in Austria.

Risks

Inadequate padding may result in a head injury if a passenger who is not wearing a seatbelt hits his or her head during an accident. Until your car is repaired, pay special attention to your surroundings to protect your loved ones.

The repair

Dealers will replace the non-conforming element of C-pillar free of charge. It is not clear from the recall documents if that element is padding.

The recall started on November 17 but it is uncertain when the remedy will be available.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 94,000 vehicles are included in this recall. To see if your Q7 is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Volkswagen recalls six models with potentially dangerous backrests

September 30, 2020 Rebecca Rand Audi Recalls, Volkswagen Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – Aug 27, 2020 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS: VWAGY) has recalled 4,854 vehicles with faulty front-seat backrests that may break in the event of a crash. The recall includes:

2020 Volkswagen Jetta compact cars
2020 Audi Q5 and SQ5 compact SUVs
2021 Volkswagen Atlas SUVs
2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUVs
2020 Volkswagen Tiguan SUVs

Recall summary

The seat-back adjustment mechanism on these vehicles’ front seats was not “welded properly” and may break if the car is rear-ended.

Volkswagen discovered the issue in July during a road test but it is not the first time the company faces backrest woes.

Risks

If the backrest breaks during a rear-end crash, the occupants of both the front and back seats may be hurt by the instability.

The breakage is especially perilous for children in the backseat who could suffer the worst of the injuries and even be killed. In a 2016 verdict, Volkswagen’s Audi unit was ordered to pay $124.5 million to the parents of Jesse Rivera Jr. after a weak driver’s seat broke during a crash and collapsed into the seven-year-old, leaving him with permanent brain damage.

The company argued that neither the driver – the boy’s father – nor the child wore seat belts, a fact that the family denied.

A 1960s standard

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) standard for seat back strength has not been updated since the 1960s and – as of 2016 – the bar was set so low that even a cheap banquet chair could pass.

Despite that, several manufacturers have increased the seat strength and the NHTSA may be moving in the same direction. Last July, the agency released a study showing that the seat back rotation should be reduced to “prevent injury to the seat occupant and occupants seated directly behind it.”

Where to put children

The backseat is still the safest place for children, though safety experts now recommend putting children behind unoccupied seats or the lightest front seat passenger.

The repair

Not all the recalled vehicles are certain to have defective backrests, but owners may be able to tell that there’s something wrong if the backrest is unstable or makes noises. Regardless of whether anything appears wrong, it is recommended that owners contact their dealer without delay.

Volkswagen will inspect the front seats to see if they’re defective, and will replace any seats if needed, free of charge. This remedy is currently available, and should take less than half a day, but may take longer if a replacement seat is needed.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 4,000 vehicles are part of this Volkswagen recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Volkswagen recalls nearly 13,000 Audi luxury sedans for engine fire risk

August 7, 2020 Nate Gouldsbrough Audi Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – July 16th, 2020 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS: VWAGY) is recalling all 2013-2018 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles that were manufactured between June 2012 and July 2017. The company warns that a faulty part of the engine compartment may increase the risk of a fire.

Recall summary

The recall stems from an issue with the engine compartment seal, a flexible strip that seals the engine compartment against the hood and helps keep the engine cool.

In “rare cases,” after being exposed to large temperature fluctuations near the hot engine, metal inside the rubber seal can warp and deform the seal. As a result, the seal—and possibly components surrounding it—can scorch and cause a fire.

Smells like trouble

The first sign of a problem for one Audi owner in McKinney, Texas, was a “rubber/plastic smell coming from under the hood,” the driver said in a post to an Audi World forum.

“I opened things up and the rubber seal (that seals the engine compartment against the hood when it is closed) had fallen off right above one of the turbo assemblies.”

The poster drives a 2016 Audi S8 and claimed to have looked into the issue back in March, four months before Volkswagen issued their recall.

Volkswagen became aware of incidents of burning and warping seals in September 2019, but received no reports from North America.

Safety tips

If you smell something burning while driving, stop the car someplace safe. Check the tires first. Wait for the engine to cool down before popping the hood to take a look– you do not want to burn your fingers on a hot component.

If you suspect there is an actual fire under the hood, do not open it. Oxygen will rush in and feed the flames. Instead, get yourself and others away from the vehicle, at least 100 feet. Call the fire department at 911 when you are in a secure location. Do not return to the vehicle for any reason.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), car fires kill over 300 people a year on average. But, the number may be higher because it is often hard to tell whether the person died from the crash or from the fire. Between 2008 and 2017, vehicle fires caused, on average, over a thousand injuries per year.

The repair

Volkswagen dealers will install a retaining plate that will hold the engine seal in place and keep it from loosening. As of [date of publication] the repair is not yet available. Repairs may be forthcoming by September, when the recall officially begins.

In the meantime, customers can check the condition of their engine compartment seal by looking under the hood to see if the seal is in the correct position.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Nearly 13,000 cars are included in this Volkswagen recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool to check your car for open recalls.

Audi’s May Lose Steering Control

March 25, 2020 Marshall Earley Audi Recalls

Laguna Hills, CA – March 25, 2020 – Volkswagen Group of American, Inc. is recalling 2019 Audi Q8 vehicles and 2017-2019 Audi Q7 vehicles.

A manufacturing defect in the 2019 Audi Q8 and 2017-2019 Audi Q7 vehicles may cause drivers to lose ability to control steering.

Bolts connecting both the steering gear and the steering shaft may loosen, resulting in a loss of steering control.

There have been three reported field incidents surrounding the recall, but no reported injuries.

The defect

If you have been having trouble using your steering wheel on your Audi vehicles then your car may be under this recall. Vehicle owners experiences remain the same across the board – the steering wheel becomes unresponsive during the vehicle’s operation.

One Audi Q7 owner in Toronto, outlined his experience when his “steering wheel suddenly stiffened and locked.” In March 2018 he wrote, “Sometime about 2 months ago, while driving in local streets, my steering wheel suddenly stiffened and locked.

Let me explain… imagine your car is off and your steering wheel doesn’t move – the “lock” feeling is kind of like that! The “stiffening” feeling is what leads up to that.”

Don’t worry, there have been no injuries associated with this recall – but if not fixed, the problem could be a serious risk to your safety and the safety of other vehicles.

Even if you have not had problems with the steering assembly on your vehicle, it would be better safe than sorry to check the VIN of your vehicle for specific recalls.

Volkswagen aware of the problem

Volkswagen first received reports of certain incidents involving the steering wheels back in February 2019. The steering wheel in the incidents reported to Volkswagen seemed to be overly loose, leaving room for excessive play when the drivers tried to turn the wheel.

Excessive play here means that regularly a slight turn of the wheel to the right would have turned the vehicle slightly to the right, but now a drastic turn of the steering wheel will only slightly turn the vehicle in that direction.

Although this is the first incident that Volkswagen chose to report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it seems that Audi’s have been having a couple of problems before that.

In 2006, a customer in Mexico reported that their Audi A6 had a few malfunctions with the steering wheel’s more technical features. All buttons on the steering wheel, including volume control and the car horn, stopped working entirely.

Ten years later, another customer experienced the same problem, writing in the online forum Audizine, “My steering wheel controls such as the volume control and track change function don’t work.”

2016 seemed to be a year filled with steering wheel issues for Audi Q7 and Q8 models, for multiple other owners wrote to online forums complaining of “hard/stiff steering”.

This correlates more to what March 9, 2020’s recall is referring to – a bolt that was not tightened enough causing the steering to either stiffen up or become too loose. Either way, if your vehicle is affected Volkswagen and Audi will fix your Audi vehicle free of charge.

The best steps forward are to check Motorsafety.org for any other repairs that may be needed on your Audi Q8 and Audi Q7 vehicles. This is not the first recall for this vehicle.

Just last year Audi Q8 vehicles were also recalled due to another problem with suspension and vehicle steering. However, most Audi recalls in the past several years have been unrelated to steering issues.

Kelly Blue Book wrote that most Audis in the recent past have been “recalled for Violations of the EPA Clean Air Act over excessive diesel emissions, while others have been recalled for faulty Takata airbag inflators.”

The solution

Although Audi has issued recalls on previous vehicles they are mostly unrelated to the steering mechanism. If you would like to check the specifics of recalls on your vehicle, use your VIN number and Motorsafety.org will be able to find all recalls relating to your car.

For more information on this or other recalls past or present, visit MotorSafety.org.

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About MotorSafety.org

MotorSafety.org is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to vehicle safety and assisting consumers with the identification and resolution of vehicle manufacturing recalls and defects. Through education, awareness, government relations, repair facility referrals and strategic partnerships, MotorSafety.org hopes to remove every unsafe vehicle from the road, facilitate its proper repair, and ensure its prompt return to the owner once the vehicle has met the required safety and performance standards. For more information about MotorSafety.org, please email support@motorsafety.org.

Volkswagen recalls Audi cars with Takata airbags

February 7, 2020 Joe Glaser Audi Recalls

The new Takata airbag recall includes shrapnel

Audi 2000-2001 TT Roadster, 2000 TT Coupe, 1999 Audi A8, 1998-2000 Audi A6, and 1999-2000 Audi A4 vehicles are under recall
Takata has recalled 1.4 million air bag inflators that may expel shrapnel
107,000 older Audi luxury vehicles are under this recent recall

Laguna Hills, CA – Aug 24, 2022 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has remedied issues with 1,652 vehicles including the 1999-2000 Audi A4 that had problems with Takata airbags. So far, 6,024 of these Audi vehicles have been declared unreachable and 132 have been removed from the recall. Two groups of these Audi vehicles were remedied in 2021, and one group was remedied in 2022 due to this issue with airbags that could over-inflate.

Laguna Hills, CA – Feb 6, 2020 – The recent Takata airbag recall forced Volkswagen to act. Volkswagen is notifying Audi owners that their vehicles may not be as safe as they thought.

In December, Takata recalled 1.4 million airbag inflators. This recall came about because when the airbags inflate following a car accident, they can do so with an excessive amount of force.

This causes a metal canister to explode and metal fragments may fly out, potentially harming a vehicle’s occupants. The risk is a significant consideration for Audi owners due to the exploding factor.

An ongoing problem

According to reports, Takata has been aware of its airbag risk since 2014. Because of this, airbag recalls have been occurring for years. Some vehicles are at a higher exploding risk.

These include Honda and Acura vehicles from 1996 to 2000. In March 2019, the driver of a 2002 Honda Civic died in the hospital following a crash that initiated the rupturing of the airbag and injured the driver.

Deaths and injuries worldwide

It is suspected that Takata inflators have caused about 25 deaths and 300 injuries throughout the world.

In the United States, more than 50 million Takata inflators are in recall status, resulting in the most vehicle recalls in the country’s history. The problem has been so big and impactful that it forced the airbag company into bankruptcy.

When can owners expect notification?

On October 21, 2019, German car manufacturer Volkswagen, Audi’s parent company, received reports from suppliers about issues with NADI inflators found during field tests.

Audi’s safety board was notified a few weeks later in November, and talks with the supplier commenced.

After confirming the risk, Audi notified the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the risk and the findings of their investigation so far, and Audi began an analysis of retrieved parts from the German and international markets in early January 2020.

Simultaneously, Takata sent out a defect report detailing the issues with the NADI inflators and the danger they posed. Audi independently verified the risk on January 22, 2020, when their own test results showed that there was indeed a risk of slow or no airbag deployment.

Repair

Volkswagen is recalling all vehicles that have faulty airbags to prevent the owners and occupants of their vehicles from harm. Replacement parts are not yet available.

In recall documents, Volkswagen told NHTSA, “At this point, due to the age of the vehicles, a repair is not available. Audi is working intensively on a remedy with the supplier, but currently, it is unclear when the remedy will be available.”

When can owners expect notification?

This round of Audi recalls started on March 27, 2020. Those affected by the recall should have been notified or will be soon. Audi owners will receive a second notification when the parts are available. In some cases, both the driver’s airbag and the passenger’s front airbags are at risk.

Volkswagen wasn’t the first to issue a recall

BMW recalled 357,000 older automobiles back in January. This recall includes an estimated 293,000 BMW 3-Series from the year 2000 to 2006 as well as approximately 60,000 3 Series and 1 Series BMWs from 2006 to 2012. Some of the automaker’s SUVs were also equipped with faulty airbags.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Nearly 107,000 cars are part of this Audi recall. As of March 29, 2021, repairs were still not available.

To check back on the repair status, bookmark MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

Note: June 8, 2021

We have noticed a large number of readers are interested in this recall. For that reason, we have edited the article to reflect that the parts are not yet available and to add Volkswagen’s statement pertaining to this fact.

Loose Wheel Arch Forces Recall for Certain Audi SUVs

October 23, 2019 Sean Reyes Audi Recalls

Laguna Hills, CA – Oct. 23, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of North America has announced it’s recalling nearly 174,300 Audi SQ5 and Q5 sport utility vehicles due to an improperly installed wheel arch cover that may loosen during the course of driving.

Should it detach, it may result in an accident for the owner or another motorist. All the vehicles have model years between 2018 and 2020.

Operators are encouraged to remove their SUVs from the road and heed this Audi SQ5 and Q5 recall by bringing their vehicles to an authorized VW or Audi dealership. Should it be deemed necessary, the faulty clips securing the rear wheel arch trim will be swapped out for fully operating ones.

The defect

In filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Volkswagen stated that it seeks to recall 174,278 Audi SQ5 and Q5 SUVs from the marketplace over an apparent manufacturing flaw affecting the rear wheel arch cover, which may have not been appropriately affixed to the wheel during the course of assembly.

The part’s disconnection from the car could present a road hazard that may result in a crash and the potential for injury.

Timeline of events

Typically, when the details of recalls are made publicly available by NHTSA, the agency provides written details that document how the recall came about, what the results were when officials investigated the nature of these issues and when they occurred.

However, these specifics were not published before the notice went to press.

This isn’t the first recall for Audi or VW in 2019. In August, VW informed NHTSA that it was recalling approximately 7,000 Audi E-Tron’s – an all-electric vehicle – worldwide due to fears that its onboard battery may start a fire. This recall was not just in the U.S., but worldwide as well.

Prior to that, VW also recalled an estimated 138,000 Audi vehicles – specifically A3 E-Tron, A3 Cabriolet, S3, and R3 – because of an onboard computer issue that prevented the system from recognizing the installed air bags.

Motorists affected by these recalls should have already received notifications either from VW, NHTSA or both via first-class mail.

The solution

As for the Audi SQ5 and Q5 recall – which is the automaker’s best-selling model – VW believes it has the remedy that will fix the rear wheel arch cover so it stays put.

As such, drivers who received notifications – which are due to be sent out by Nov. 1 – should take their SUVs off the road so that they can bring them to their local VW or Audi dealership.

A mechanic will inspect the automobile to see if a fix is necessary. Should it be, the clips securing the front portion of the rear wheel arch trim will be replaced so the hold is snug.

For more information on the Audi SQ5 and Q5 recall, please visit MotorSafety.org. You can also use our website to see if there are any existing recalls from this automaker or others so you can take the appropriate measures that ensure your car is always safe to drive.

Audi Recalls E-Trons Shortly After Model Debut

August 30, 2019 Sean Reyes Audi Recalls

Laguna Hills, CA – August 22, 2019 – Volkswagen Group says it will recall certain Audi E-Tron electric automobiles after discovering that the sport utility vehicle’s battery may pose a fire hazard.

The problem is related to moisture-rich air which could seep into the structure that holds the battery and cause an adverse reaction. VW says it will reach out to owners to brief them of what they should do to resolve this issue when the time comes.

The defect

Volkswagen AG, the parent company of Audi, may recall an estimated 7,000 E-Tron automobiles worldwide due to fears that its onboard battery may start a fire, Bloomberg reported.

According to the spokesperson Mark Dahncke, a small-scale voluntary Audi E-Tron recall was initially ordered – affecting 540 vehicles – but the company now believes the problem may impact more luxury models than it initially determined.

Triggering this decision are built-in flaws within the E-Tron’s cell wall. In certain circumstances, moisture – such as condensation – could come into contact with the battery through a wiring harness, which is believed to be the source of the issue, Bloomberg reported.

Approximately 1,644 E-Trons were shipped from the company’s corporate headquarters, roughly a third of which have since been purchased by consumers, Dahncke stated. VW noted affected E-Trons that remain unsold will be fixed so the problem isn’t passed on to buyers.

Timeline of events

The E-Tron SUV is VW’s very first electric vehicle offering, which went on sale in April 2019 in the U.S.

It’s been a tumultuous first few months, however, as at least five instances have been brought to the company’s attention in which battery problems led to inexplicable “check engine” dashboard alerts for motorists.

Because some of these reports emanated from outside the U.S., the Audi E-Tron recall may reach 7,000 globally, a substantial portion of which would likely affect customers in Germany, said Audi spokesperson Udo Ruegheimer.

That said, the company is unaware of any accidents or injuries stemming from this issue.

As for Audi of America, the luxury automaker wants to get out ahead of this issue, indicating as such in a statement to Jalopnik.

“The recall is in response to a potentially faulty seal that may allow moisture to enter the battery compartment which could lead to a short circuit or in extreme cases to a thermal event,” Audi explained.

We are applying an abundance of caution … The recall repair is expected to become available in August 2019.”

Audi and its parent company VW have a reputation to uphold with the E-Tron. The luxury electric SUV recently received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick+ designation, the highest rating possible.

E-Tron scored “good” in several different crash testing classifications, include overlap front, driver-side small overlap front, roof strength, side, passenger-side small overlap front and head restraints. It also received a “superior” score for its automatic emergency braking.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen Group is dealing with other recalls beyond the most recent Audi E-Tron recall.

In partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker pulled nearly 138,900 various Audi brand nameplates from the marketplace in July over defective air bags, including the A3 Cabriolet, S3 Sedan and RS3. Model years ranged from 2016 to 2019. Mailers informing owners were just recently issued.

The solution

Although neither VW nor Audi know the precise date for when the recall begin, E-Tron owners impacted will receive a loaner vehicle and an $800 cash card to cover the cost of gas while their automobiles get serviced, Bloomberg reported.

Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Over 138,000 Audis Recalled Over Air Bag Malfunction

July 16, 2019 Sean Reyes Audi Recalls

Laguna Hills, CA – July 16, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of North America Inc. is recalling over 138,000 Audi vehicles of various models and years because of an air bag detection issue.

The flaw may prevent the system from working in the event of a crash, thus increasing the risk of injury for drivers and occupants. All Audi models and body types subject to the safety recall were built between 2015 and 2019, including the A3 Sedan, A3 e-tron, RS3 and S3.

Operators of these automobiles should receive a notice from the German automaker no later than August 18, and are encouraged to take their vehicles back to the dealer so the passenger occupant detection system can be repaired free of charge.

The defect

According to documentation filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an arm of the Department of Transportation, Volkswagen is recalling approximately 138,896 Audi brand motor vehicles. There are several models involved and include the following:

2016 Audi A3 e-tron
2015 – 2016 Audi A3 Cabriolet
2015 – 2019 Audi S3 Sedan
2017 – 2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet
2019 Audi RS3

Each of these models potentially suffer from the same issue: a faulty node that causes the passenger occupation detection system to malfunction, thus preventing the air bag from deploying should motorists experience a collision.

This dramatically raises the likelihood of injury, depending on the severity of the crash in question. Frequently, when safety recalls are announced, it’s not a guarantee that the vehicles involved have the glitch.

However, in this case, NHTSA and Volkswagen believe that 100% of them have the flaw, and are urging operators to make sure they take their cars off the road so the fix can be installed as soon as possible.

Timeline of events

The errant air bags first came to the attention of the German automaker in the first quarter of 2018 after receiving several field reports from suppliers of the passenger occupant detection systems.

This led to an injury that lasted seven months, and required the involvement of NHTSA’s product safety committee, where additional research and testing was performed.

The investigation determined that the detection issue traced back to a flawed electrical contact that was preventing the system from communicating the air bag was in place.

While no injuries were reported to authorities, Volkswagen and NHTSA mutually determined that a voluntary safety recall was the best path forward, which the automaker made official on June 19, and was acknowledged by NHTSA a week later.

Air bags were deemed mandatory by the federal government back in 1984, and required automakers to install them in all models tracing back to April 1989.

Based on the most recent statistics available from NHTSA, frontal airbags have saved 50,500 lives, with 2,800 traffic fatalities avoided in 2017 alone.

In recent years, many of the automotive safety recalls have been related to various issues involving air bags and their proper deployment.

The solution

Volkswagen, in consultation with NHTSA, will inform registered owners of the models in question by first-class mail starting on August 18.

Recipients of these mailers are encouraged to bring their Audi vehicles back to their nearest dealership so an optimized connecter and cable can be swapped out and replaced with one that is fully functional. As per usual, this repair will come at no expense to the owner.

Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Audi Recalling E-Trons Due To Fire Risk

June 18, 2019 Sean Reyes Audi Recalls

Laguna Hills, CA – June 18, 2019 – Around 1,600 Audi e-Tron EV vehicles are being recalled after the model’s parent company, Volkswagen Group of America, learned some of the vehicles may have defective seals that could compromise its battery system, should moisture leak inside.

In such a scenario, the battery could pose a fire hazard. Although Audi hasn’t determined when specifically it will inform owners of this issue, it expects to do so before June concludes. The component necessary to resolve the problem will likely arrive in August, which dealers will install for free.

The defect

Volkswagen Group, which owns Audi, says it’s recalling 1,644 2019 Audi e-Trons due to a sealant issue that affects the electric vehicle’s propulsion system, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It turns out that the seal meant to prevent moisture from coming into contact with the high-voltage battery may be damaged, an issue that likely occurred during the assembly process.

If rain, snow, or other types of moisture gets in between the battery charging socket and other components of the voltage system, it raises the risk of an engine fire. However, neither Audi nor its parent company are aware of any such events thus far.

Moisture leaking into the battery would be virtually impossible to detect on its own, but the onboard computer will alert motorists to this problem before it becomes a potential safety issue, with a message on the dashboard panel that warns of an electrical fault or failure.

Audi says that motorists should stop driving immediately if they receive this warning and to contact roadside assistance.

Timeline of events

Mechanical issues often come to light from motorists themselves by reaching out to the automaker or NHTSA, but this one was recognized by Audi during quality control testing.

It found two instances in February 2019, where the charging units failed to function. This led to a follow-up investigation, which determined in mid-March that the problem likely originated from a faulty seal that exposed the charging socket to moisture.

Analysts’ suspicions were confirmed when customers alerted Audi to instances in which they received “check engine” warnings on their display panels above the steering wheel.

Mechanics for Audi reached out to one of the owners who experienced this issue and found that moisture was the likely culprit. This prompted the dispatching of Audi’s Product Safety Committee, which began its inquiry in mid-April and concluded the review June 3.

It confirmed that, although unlikely, a fire could ignite if moisture from the charging socket made its way onto the high-voltage battery. Audi subsequently informed NHTSA of the voluntary recall.

The solution

Audi says it will make e-Tron owners aware of this issue before the end of June, so they can have their vehicles examined. Dealers will diagnose whether the sealant happens to be compromised and install a corrective grommet to prevent moisture from coming into contact with the battery.

As per usual, the fix will be provided free of charge.

Check your car’s recall status using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Recall summary

Safety concerns

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall summary

Risks

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall summary

Risks

A 1960s standard

Where to put children

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall summary

Smells like trouble

Safety tips

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

The defect

Volkswagen aware of the problem

The solution

The new Takata airbag recall includes shrapnel

An ongoing problem

Deaths and injuries worldwide

When can owners expect notification?

Repair

When can owners expect notification?

Volkswagen wasn’t the first to issue a recall

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

The defect

Timeline of events

The solution

The defect

Timeline of events

The solution

The defect

Timeline of events

The solution

The defect

Timeline of events

The solution

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