2018 Audi A5

Without warning or alerts from vehicle, car became disabled while partially into a left turn at a four way intersection. Car engine would rev, but not move. Gear selector worked, but wheels would not turn. Front wheels were completely locked and vehicle had to be dragged onto a flatbed truck. Police had to be dispatched to ensure safely of other drivers passing through the intersection until my vehicle was removed. Had a [XXX] child in the car with me that had to be received by my spouse. After towing car to an ASE certified independent repair shop, a full transmission replacement was recommended. Car has approximately 38,900 miles and is 8 years old. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The water pump failed on my vehicle. Initially reported 2/2025 at Authorized Audi Service Center. They claimed it was normal for coolant to dip. Audi USA Confirmed I have a settlement class vehicle in 03/2025. Mentioned an 80K Mileage limit. (Car only had 69K miles at the time) When the issue persisted I reached out for repair in accordance to Water Pump Settlement. McKenna Audi Service center initially stated the extended warranty expired 05/2025, and mentioned an 8 Year Limit (8/80K whichever comes first) 9/3 Reached out to Audi USA again and they initially provided an approval. Instructed to take to authorized service center for official diagnosis. 9/5 Audi USA recanted approval 2 days later. Instructed to Call Settlement Administrator. SA stated this is fully Audi responsibly warranty does not expire until 9/2025 unable to assist. Spoke to supervisor at Audi USA who stated extended warranty did not expire until 09/26/2025 09/08 Audi Beverly Hills confirmed water pump malfunction. Sent invoice to supervisor at Audi USA. $2338.25 Supervisor informed me later that warranty is expired after all. Stated a regional manager would look at it but no guarantees. At this point I have spent $350 for a diagnosis I did not need to satisfy the demands of the Audi warranty that is now being denied.

I am writing to formally bring to your attention a potential violation of federal vehicle safety reporting requirements by Audi regarding an Electronic Control Unit (ECU)/Comfort Control Module failure in my 2018 Audi A5. As the original owner of this vehicle, I experienced a critical ECU failure approximately 2yrs after purchase (Sept 2017), which I believe qualifies as a major safety defect under 49 CFR 573.6-577.7. According to federal regulations, manufacturers are required to report such safety defects to the NHTSA within five (5) days of discovery. Furthermore, a root cause analysis should have been conducted & its findings reported w/in sixty (60) days. However, I have strong reason to believe that Audi failed to meet these reporting obligations, as I have never been provided with any findings from the investigation, nor have I seen any publicly available reporting on this defect. Key Concerns: • Unexplained ECU Failure: My vehicle’s ECU/Comfort Control Module failed inexplicably despite being only 2yrs old at the time. • Failure to Report to NHTSA: I haven't found record of Audi disclosing this issue to the NHTSA, despite clear requirement to do so. • Root Cause Analysis Not Provided: Audi informed me that analysis was conducted in Germany, but I was repeatedly told that the results were “not yet available.” This raises concerns that the findings may have revealed a broader defect affecting multiple vehicles of the same model/yr. • Potential Safety Risk: If this is not an isolated case, other Audi A5 owners may unknowingly be at risk of ECU failures, which could lead to critical vehicle malfunctions, including loss of control, electrical failures, or immobilization while driving. Given the seriousness of this issue, I urge the NHTSA to investigate Audi’s compliance with 49 CFR 573.6-577.7 & determine if this defect affects a broader range of vehicles. If Audi has indeed failed to report this defect properly, appropriate action be taken for consumer safety