Auburn Hills, MI – May 5, 2021 – Volkswagen  (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) – which owns the Audi brand – has recalled 40,993 Audis, including a number of 2021 Audi SUVs, because a part of the suspension may break. The recall includes:

• 2020 – 2021 Audi A4
• 2019 – 2021 Audi A5
• 2020 – 2021 Audi A6
• 2020 – 2021 Audi A7
• 2020 – 2021 Audi A8
• 2020 – 2021 Audi Q5
• 2020 – 2021 Audi S4
• 2019 – 2021 Audi S5
• 2020 – 2021 Audi S6
• 2020 – 2021 Audi S7
• 2020 – 2021 Audi S8
• 2020 – 2021 Audi SQ5
• 2020 – 2021 Audi S5 Cabriolet
• 2021 Audi Q7
• 2021 Audi Q8
• 2021 Audi RS Q8
• 2019 – 2021 Audi RS5
• 2021 Audi RS6 Avant
• 2021 Audi RS7

The component name is ”Lock nut M14x1,5,” part number WHT 007 610.

Recall summary  

The recall stems from an issue with a single nut in the car’s trailing arm suspension. The trailing arms is a type of suspension that helps keep the rear wheels aligned properly. 

Due to a supplier error, the nuts used to connect the trailing arm to the rest of the car were not manufactured “according to specification.” As a result, certain batches of nuts may get corroded or damaged, causing them to break.

Risks

When the nut holding the trailing arm breaks, the rear wheels could become misaligned, changing the direction the car is moving in. “It cannot be completely ruled out that [the car] could suddenly and uncontrollably move in the wrong direction at higher speeds,” Volkswagen says in recall documents. If this occurs, the driver can lose control and crash.

Warning signs

Drivers with a broken trailing arm nut may notice the steering wheel is not aligned when they are driving or that the vehicle lists to one side when they hit the gas or brake. Volkswagen knows of two incidents of this kind; both took place outside the US.

Other Audi recalls

Volkswagen recently recalled over 150,000 Audi A3-generation cars for faulty airbags. These passenger-side airbags are prone to deactivating while someone is sitting in the seat, upping that passenger’s risk of injury in a crash. 

The repair

Volkswagen and Audi dealers will replace the defective nut and will check for existing damage. If the part is already damaged, the whole screw connection will be replaced. Both services are provided for free. The repair is not yet available, but owners will receive more information about the recall by June 25.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Nearly 41,000 vehicles are included in this Audi recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.