Audi News and Notes

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters.

We try to boil down it to the most important bits and pieces -- the recalls, service bulletins, and lawsuits that can help you solve you car problems. Interested in getting these quick story bits as an email? Signup over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. The suction pumps inside of Audi gas tanks aren't doing their job and could prevent owners from refueling. Well, that sucks.

    "The problem occurred during manufacturing when seal rings inside the suction pumps were assembled with too much force, damaging the seals that could then allow fuel to leak into the evaporative emissions systems. VW says a driver may notice problems when putting gas in the vehicle, namely fuel nozzles that stop while refueling or fuel that flows back out of the car."…

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  2. Back in 2015, owners started complaining to Audi that they were smelling gas inside their cars.

    Not much was done about it, maybe just a thank you for your concern and some pre-canned response about how we value you as a customer, yadda yadda. But then...

    "The automaker found small cracks in the fuel pump flanges but couldn't determine the root cause, but engineers found that adding butyl rubber bands fixed the problem."…

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  3. The hoses that carry fuel throughout your car are degrading, falling apart, and started to dump fuel instead of carry it.

    "Audi saw an increase in warranty claims related to leaking fuel hoses and the automaker opened an investigation, finding the hoses showed an abnormal aging due to the porous structures of the hoses. Engineers at first couldn't duplicate the problem, but then they determined hose damage mostly occurs by restarting the engine."…

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  5. For the second time in three months, the 2017 Q7 has been recalled.

    So much for brand new and worry free. This time the SUV's third-row seats can move when they shouldn't, such as during a frontal collision.

    "Audi says it discovered the seat problems during internal testing in May 2016 and opened an investigation to determine if there was a problem with the test, or defective parts. It wasn't the tests, as engineers found the lower transverse pipe used in the third-row seating was improperly manufactured, causing the seat structure to weaken"…

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  6. A while ago Audi issued a software update in order to save some of the energy used for lighting.

    Not long after, thousands of Audi owners said their lights wouldn't turn on. Mission accomplished?

    "the lights go completely out when the vehicles are locked at the same time the parking lights are on.

    That includes the side marker lights, parking lights, and the headlights. For a full list of the affected vehicles see this article on CarComplaints.com.

    keep reading

  7. The Audi A8's engine is leaking antifreeze onto all the wrong places and rather than catch on fire, the car is retreating into "limp home mode."

    "The automaker says about 9,100 Audi A8 cars have problems that can cause the engines to stall. The 2010-2013 Audi A8 vehicles have coolant valves that can leak and allow antifreeze to enter the engine control modules."…

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  8. The Green Mountain State is seeing red.

    "Vermont has turned down Volkswagen's U.S. emissions cheating settlement offer and opted to sue Audi, Porsche and VW for showing a "blatant disregard" for the protection of the state’s natural resources and the health of its residents."…

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  10. File this under news deep down you knew was true but didn't want to believe it: A team of researchers found vulnerabilities that can affect 100 million vehicles with keyless remote entry worldwide.

    The researchers say a simple radio device is all that's needed to intercept a keyless remote signal, giving thieves full access to the car for around $40.

    Anyway, if you need me I'll be in my bunker.

    keep reading

  11. A German newspaper says Volkswagen has been cheating again.

    This time using unapproved software on its 3-liter diesels. Oh, wünderbar.

    "The programs are allegedly used to shut off nitrogen oxide emissions controls after 22 minutes, about two minutes longer than the 20 minutes it takes to perform a typical emissions test. If true, emissions regulators would see normal emissions levels on test machines, then after about 22 minutes the emissions levels will shoot up."…

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