Audi A6 Investigations
10 ODI actions on file.
- PEPE08008RECALLOpened 1/31/2008FUEL TANK LEAKFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
VOLKSWAGEN (VW) IS RECALLING CERTAIN VW PASSAT 4MOTION AND AUDI A6 QUATTRO AND ALLROAD QUATTRO ALL-WHEEL DRIVE PASSENGER CARS.VW VEHICLES SUBJECT TO RECALL WERE MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2000 THROUGH MAY 31, 2005 AND AUDI VEHICLES SUBJECT TO RECALL WERE MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 2, 2001 TO JUNE 1, 2005.THE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER FOR THE VW VEHICLES IS 08V-156 (VW ALSO IS CORRECTING DEFECTS RELATED TO HEAT SHIELD AND FUEL LINE HAZARDS FOR THESE VEHICLES AND FOR 1999-2000 PASSATS IN THIS RECALL ACTION.)THE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER FOR THE AUDI VEHICLES IS 08V-157.SINCE 2006, ODI HAS RECEIVED 17 COMPLAINTS OF FUEL LEAKING FROM THE SUBJECT VEHICLES' FUEL TANKS.THE 400 COMPLAINTS SHOWN ABOVE MAY INCLUDE DUPLICATE REPORTS TO ODI AND THE MANUFACTURER. WHILE THE CONSEQUENCE (FUEL LEAKS FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK) IS SIMILAR FOR BOTH THE PASSAT AND AUDI SUBJECT VEHICLES, DIFFERENCES IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION REQUIRE A DIFFERENT REMEDY FOR EACH VEHICLE.ON THE PASSATS, THE VENTILATION LINE COULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IMPROPERLY WITH TENSION AND WITH AN INCORRECTLY POSITIONED CABLE TIE.THE TENSION COULD CAUSE CRACKED OR BROKEN NIPPLES ON THE FUEL TANK ROLLOVER VALVE.ON THE AUDI VEHICLES, A MATERIAL CHANGE (EFFECTIVE JUNE 2, 2001) WITH DIFFERENT AGING CHARACTERISTICS USED FOR THE ROLLOVER VALVE AND THE USE OF AN INFLEXIBLE ALUMINUM VENTILATION LINE COULD CAUSE CRACKING OF THE NIPPLE ON THE ROLLOVER VALVE.VW IS RECALLING ALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO THESE DEFECTS.IT WILL INSPECT PASSATS TO ENSURE THAT THE VENT LINE IS TENSION FREE AND CORRECT THE INSTALLATION IF TENSION IS FOUND.IF A CRACK OR FUEL LEAK IS FOUND, VW WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK.AUDI WILL REPAIR ALL SUBJECT VEHICLES BY REINFORCING THE FUEL TANK ROLLOVER VALVE WITH AN EPOXY ADHESIVE.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
- RQRQ06003RECALLOpened 2/27/2006DRIVER'S SIDE DASH FIREELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. (VOA) CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 04V133) TO ADD A PLASTIC COVER TO THE TOP SECTION OF THE KNEE BOLSTER CROSSMEMBER TO PREVENT CONTACT WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WIRING HARNESS.THE SCOPE OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL COVERED MODEL YEARS 1998 THROUGH 2004 WITH VEHICLE PRODUCTION DATES OF AUGUST 1997 THROUGH DECEMBER 2004.THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION HAS RECEIVED NINE COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THAT AFTER HAVING THE RECALL REMEDY PERFORMED, A FIRE STARTED IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASHBOARD AREA.VOA REPORTS THAT IF THE PLASTIC COVER IS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY BY THE DEALERS, THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WIRING HARNESS COULD CONTINUE TO CONTACT THE CROSSMEMBER, RESULTING IN A SHORT AND/OR FIRE IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASHBOARD AREA.VOA WILL CONDUCT A NEW SAFETY RECALL TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL (AND LARGER) COVER OVER BOTH THE KNEE BOLSTER CROSSMEMBER AND THE PLASTIC COVER ASSEMBLY INSTALLED IN THE FIRST RECALL.ALL OF THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS AND ALL BUT 3 VOA CLAIMS ARE FOR MY 1998 THROUGH MY 2000.VOA REPORTS THAT BEGINNING IN MY 2001, AUDI EXTENDED THE TIME FOR THE DEBURRING PROCESS OF THE CROSSMEMBER.VOA WAS NOT ABLE TO VERIFY THE CAUSE OF FIRE IN THE MY 2001 AND LATER VEHICLES DUE TO EITHER EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE OR OTHER REASON.THE RATE OF FIRE OCCURRENCE IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS FOR THE MY 2001 AND LATER VEHICLES. THE RECALL COVERS MODEL YEARS 1998 THROUGH 2000 WITH VEHICLE PRODUCTION DATES OF AUGUST 1997 THROUGH MAY 2000.VOA WILL RECALL 66358 MY 1998-2000 AUDI A6, A6 AVANT, S6, AND S6 AVANT VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF A TOTAL OF 59 WARRANTY, FIELD AND CONSUMER REPORTS FOR THESE VEHICLES.THE RECALL IS IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA NUMBER 06V-198.
- EAEA04017RECALLOpened 6/30/2004STUCK-OPEN THROTTLEFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
VWOA HAS RECALLED APPROXIMATELY 28,300 MY 1998-99 A6 VEHICLES IN COLD WEATHER STATES THAT EXPERIENCED THE HIGHEST RATE OF THROTTLE ICING INCIDENTS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (04V-495).THE FAILURE RATE IN THE A4 AND PASSAT VEHICLES IS MUCH LOWER THAN IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE EXPERIENCE IN THE A4 AND PASSAT VEHICLES.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS FOR THE AUDI A4 OR VW PASSAT VEHICLES.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY A CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES. FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
- PEPE04023CLOSEDOpened 3/5/2004STUCK-OPEN THROTTLEFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY ODI AND AUDI ALLEGE THAT, IN EXTREME COLD WEATHER, THE THROTTLE MAY UNEXPECTEDLY FAIL TO RETURN TO IDLE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE.IN MARCH OF 2004, AUDI PERFORMED A SERIES OF TESTS TO INVESTIGATE THE POSSIBLE CAUSES OF THROTTLE ICING.AUDI CONCLUDED THAT UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS - ONLY SHORT DISTANCE TRIPS OVER SEVERAL WEEKS WHERE COOLANT TEMPERATURE REMAINS BELOW 70?C (158?F) - WATER MAY ACCUMULATE IN THE MOTOR OIL. WATER THAT HAS ACCUMULATED IN THE MOTOR OIL WILL EVAPORATE AFTER THE ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 70?C (158?F) AND COULD, WITHIN 15 TO 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED WITH AN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE BELOW -20?C (-4OF), CAUSE ICE TO FORM IN THE THROTTLE BODY.ACCORDING TO AUDI, THIS CONDITION OCCURS AT RELATIVELY LOW THROTTLE SETTINGS AND RESULTS IN THROTTLE STICKING AT POSITIONS THAT CAN BE CONTROLLED BY BRAKING.DURING TYPICAL VEHICLE USAGE (MIXTURE OF SHORT AND LONG DISTANCE DRIVING) THIS PHENOMENON IS NOT EXPECTED TO OCCUR.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.
- EAEA03025RECALLOpened 11/25/2003DRIVERS SIDE DASH FIREELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A KNEE BOLSTER LOCATED UNDER THE DASH, NEAR THE DRIVERS KNEES.A WIRING HARNESS IS ALSO LOCATED IN THE DASH, IN THAT SAME AREA.AUDI'S ANALYSIS OF 39 VEHICLES INDICATED THAT THE KNEE BOLSTER WAS RUBBING AGAINST THAT WIRING HARNESS.OVER TIME THE HARNESS SHEATHING WEARS AWAY AND THE WIRES COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE METAL KNEE BOLSTER, RESULTING IN A FIRE. AUDI WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL ON AN EXPANDED SCOPE OF AUDI A6 VEHICLES, TO ADD A PLASTIC CAP TO THE TOP OF THE KNEE BOLSTER BRACKET, WHICH WILL PREVENT ABRASION TO THE WIRING HARNESS. AUDI WILL RECALL 186,000 MY 1998-2004 AUDI A6 VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF A TOTAL OF 24 WARRANTY, FIELD AND CONSUMER REPORTS FOR THESE VEHICLES.THE RECALL IS IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA NUMBER 04V-133.
- PEPE03035CLOSEDOpened 7/25/2003DRIVERS SIDE DASHBOARD FIREELECTRICAL SYSTEM
OF THE 22 TOTAL COMPLAINTS, 11 WERE RECEIVED FOR THE 1999 MODEL YEAR AND 11 FOR THE 2000 MODEL YEAR. AUDI IS CONDUCTING TESTING TO DETERMINE THE ORIGIN AND CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
- PEPE03019CLOSEDOpened 5/15/2003STEERING WHEEL HEATER OVERHEATSSTEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
THIS PE WAS OPENED BASED ON FOUR ODI COMPLAINTS THAT THE STEERING WHEEL OVERHEATS. VW HAS SHOWN THAT MOISTURE AND PRESPIRATION PERMEATE THE STEERING WHEEL COVER CAUSING THE HEATING ELEMENT TO CORRODE.THIS CORROSION MAY CAUSE A SMALL, LOCALIZED AREA OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO EXPERIENCE A BRIEF DURATION OF OVERHEATING.THERE ARE NO REPORTS OF THE STEERING WHEEL SUSTAINING COMBUSTION. THE INVESTIGATION HAS FOUND NO OCCURRENCES OF SEVERE BURNING AND NO CONSUMERS REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
- PEPE02008CLOSEDOpened 1/23/2002BRAKE AND CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKETSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- PEPE99065RECALLOpened 10/28/1999FUEL SUPPLY LINE LEAKVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
There is no summary currently available
- PEPE99001RECALLOpened 1/1/1999FUEL EXPULSIONVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
BY LETTER DATED MARCH 22, 1999, VOLKSWAGEN NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WOULD TAKE SAFETY RECALL ACTION TO CORRECT THE SPITBACK PROBLEM ON ALL THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.BASED ON THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL ACTION (ODI 99V-058), THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.