2022 Audi e-tron Electrical System Failure Complaint
A 2022 Audi e-tron owner filed a complaint with NHTSA (ID 11716739) detailing a catastrophic electrical failure while driving, which resulted in smoke filling the cabin. The incident is attributed to prior undisclosed collision damage and improper repairs, leading to the vehicle being inoperable.
Owners of the 2022 Audi e-tron should be aware of a significant complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ID 11716739) regarding a catastrophic electrical failure. This incident involved a severe safety risk, including smoke in the vehicle cabin, and has rendered the vehicle inoperable for an extended period.
What Owners Are Reporting
The owner of a 2022 Audi e-tron reported that while driving with passengers, the dashboard displayed a critical warning: "ELECTRICAL FAILURE - PULL OVER WHEN SAFE." This message was immediately followed by a loud, explosive pop sound, and the cabin rapidly filled with smoke. This experience highlights a severe and sudden failure of the vehicle's electrical system, posing an immediate danger to occupants.
Potential Root Cause
The complaint details that the root cause of this 2022 Audi e-tron electrical failure is believed to be prior undisclosed collision damage and subsequent improper repairs. The vehicle was sold as having "no accidents" by Morrie's Golden Valley Cadillac in August 2025, after they had removed the front bumper in June 2025 (Repair Order #78683). A later inspection revealed cut wiring and other improper repairs (Invoice #94609), suggesting that the vehicle's electrical integrity was compromised before the catastrophic failure.
Safety Concerns and Current Status
The primary safety concern from this incident is the smoke-filled cabin, which endangered the vehicle's occupants, and the potential for a fire hazard. The vehicle has been inoperable for over three months. While Audi corporate technicians have reportedly repaired the major problem, the vehicle continues to experience unresolved charging issues that predated the catastrophic failure.
If You've Experienced This
If you own a 2022 Audi e-tron and have experienced similar electrical system issues, dashboard warnings like "ELECTRICAL FAILURE - PULL OVER WHEN SAFE," smoke in the cabin, or unexplained charging problems, it is crucial to report your experience. You can file a complaint directly with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on their website. Providing detailed information, including any repair orders or invoices, can help NHTSA identify potential safety trends and initiate investigations.
Source: NHTSA Complaint ID 11716739
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened to the 2022 Audi e-tron in NHTSA Complaint 11716739?
- The owner reported a catastrophic electrical failure while driving, where the dashboard displayed "ELECTRICAL FAILURE - PULL OVER WHEN SAFE," followed by a loud pop and smoke filling the cabin. The vehicle became inoperable.
- What was the suspected cause of the 2022 Audi e-tron electrical failure?
- The owner attributes the failure to undisclosed prior collision damage and improper repairs, specifically mentioning cut wiring, which occurred before the vehicle was sold as accident-free.
- Are there ongoing issues with the vehicle after the electrical failure?
- Yes, even after repairs by Audi corporate technicians for the major electrical problem, the vehicle still has unresolved charging issues that were present before the catastrophic failure.
- What are the safety implications of this 2022 Audi e-tron electrical failure?
- The incident created a significant safety risk due to the smoke-filled cabin, which endangered occupants, and raised concerns about a potential fire hazard.
What Audi e-tron owners report
Counted from the records in our database across 5 model years.
- 158
- Owner complaints
- 14
- Recalls
- 1,706
- Service bulletins
- 7
- Crashes reported
- 6
- Fires reported
- 3
- Injuries reported
The 2022 model year
31 complaints, the 3rd most of 5 model years on file. Owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires and 2 injuries for this year, which also has 6 recalls on file.
Complaints by model year
| 2019 | 84 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 36 | |
| 2022 | 31 | |
| 2023 | 6 |
Most-reported systems
- Electrical System — 81
- Power Train — 24
- Engine — 23
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 18
- Service Brakes — 18
Latest recalls for the 2022 model year
- 26V240000 — Service Brakes, Hydraulic (Apr 2026)
- 25V900000 — Back Over Prevention (Dec 2025)
- 23V867000 — Electrical System (Dec 2023)
Recent owner reports
While driving, the vehicle displayed three simultaneous warnings — “Drive system malfunction, safely stop vehicle,” “Electrical system malfunction, restart not possible, contact service,” and “All-wheel drive malfunction, limited stability” — and lost…
Read owner complaints →The vehicle is experiencing an intermittent but active 'Electrical system: malfunction!' safety alert on the dashboard and myAudi app, caused by an internal high-voltage battery cell circuit fault (Diagnostic Trouble Code P0DB400 / U04A300) and a failure in…
Complaints are owner reports filed with NHTSA. They are unverified, and counts depend on how many vehicles were sold, so they are not a failure rate.
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