2010 Audi A5

WE HAVE A NEW A5 CONVERTIBLE AND USED IT IN SNOW FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY. - WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF A LIGHT SNOWFALL THE WIPERS BEGAN TO ICE UP. THE DEFROSTER WAS ON HIGH WITH THE TEMPERATURE AT 80 WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. - WE HAD ZERO VISIBILITY - EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. - MY WIFE DROPPED ME OFF AT WORK AND CONTINUED ON A ROAD THAT YOU CANNOT STOP ON TO "CLEAN THE BLADES" AND COULD NOT SEE BUT THROUGH A NARROW 1/2" SLOT IN THE WINDSHIELD!! - I MADE IT TO WORK AND ASKED TWO OF MY EMPLOYEES, ONE WITH AN S5 AND ONE WITH A WAGON AND THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. - THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED. - MY WIFE, WHO I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FOR IS NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE IT WITH ANY SNOWFALL. - I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE SINCE THIS IS A VERY STORMY SEASON. *LN

THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW WITH THE 2010 AUDI A5 AND AS A RESULT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE UNRELIABLE IN SNOW AND RAIN CAUSING SEVERE RESTRICTIONS ON VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. THERE ARE TWO ISSUES: 1.) THE AUTOMATIC RAIN SENSOR OVERRIDES DIRECT DRIVER INPUT SO THAT SOMETIMES WHEN I TURN THEM ON, THEY DO NOT STAY ON CAUSING IMPAIRED VISION. 2.) THE UNIQUE WIPER DESIGN OF THE B8 PLATFORM MEANS THAT THE WIPER BLADES THEMSELVES CONSISTENTLY TURN INTO BLOCKS OF ICE IN WINTER DRIVING. THEY ARE POSITIONED BELOW THE DEFROSTER AND, ONCE FROZEN, CAUSE SEVERELY IMPAIRED VISION IN ALREADY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. I'VE CHECKED NUMEROUS ONLINE FORUMS AND THIS CONDITION IS OCCURRING REGULARLY TO OWNERS OF AUDI VEHICLES BASED ON THE B8 PLATFOM (PREDOMINANTLY THE A4/S4 AND A5/S5.) THEY ALL SHARE THE SAME RAIN SENSOR/ WINDSHIELD WIPER DESIGN, AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE TRACTION OF QUATTRO MEANS NOTHING IF YOU CAN'T SEE! *TR