2019 Audi Q8

On 12/12/2022 I was driving and the Q8 lost power and I coasted to a stop. All lights on driver panel were flashing or sequencing through. After sitting on the side of the road for 5 or so minutes I tried starting the car again. This time it started and I drove another 8 miles almost to my home when the car again just died in the road. This time I couldn't get it to restart. I had to have it towed to my local garage as my dealership was an hour and fifteen minutes away. The car has been diagnosed with needing an alternator, which no one including the dealerships have because this is a problem with many vehicles. It has now been over two months without my car.

In September 2022, I contacted the dealership to schedule my 50k service after observing a yellow battery light indicator flash on and then resolve itself by turning off. The mileage on my Q8 was approximately 44K at this time. I was also experiencing a passenger seatbelt warning issue despite no one in the passenger seat. The soonest the Audi service department could get me scheduled was on February 14, 2023. This has been an issue with Audi service departments at least the past 2 years. Since scheduling, I've experienced the warning issues several times On Thursday, February 2, 2023, I got a flashing yellow battery light in addition to other warnings that flashed on and then off. Because of this, I decided to take my car to the dealership for an emergency service on Friday, February 3, 2023, before traveling out of town the next week. While enroute to the dealership, the instrument panel alerted to an electrical system malfunction by displaying a yellow and then red battery icon. Multiple other warning lights for other systems malfunctioning displayed and the car stopped in traffic. My car was towed to the dealership. Once at the dealer, I was told that this was due to the generator failing and the part is on backorder due to being manufactured in Ukraine. The dealership stated this failure is apparently widespread, citing 56+ cars at this dealership and 100+ at the other with the same issue. Based upon this, the dealership informed me I qualified for the Audi USA buyback program and to contact them for a case number. When I called, I was told I had to wait 10 days to file or have had 3 reported incidents on record. On Februrary 14, 2023, I was told I did not qualify because my car was over 50k at the time it broke down. My mileage is 54,128. The issue began before 50k. I learned from the dealership, I qualify for the buyback because Audi extended the factory warranty on 1/31/2023 to include unlimited miles. I have an audio recording.

Got Electrical System Malfunction to start. I called service and they said car was safe to drive. Continued driving got a fault for automatic start/Stop malfunction, followed by: Right lug nut loose Right brake light malfunction Parking brake malfunction Distance indicator malfunction Power Steering malfunction Drive train ,malfunction. Car engine started hesitating and dash went totally blank. Car was hard to steer , luckily I live near the dealership. Dealer said there are 30 cars in their service department with the same problem. I am #3000 on Audis waitlist for parts to fix problem. 48 volt battery and alternator.

Electrical malfunction warning light. Vehicle stop and was steering wheel locked and then unlocked. Then stated ok to steer but steering was very hard. No power. Multiple systems fail warnings lights. Alternator is what they have stated. No part available. They currently (from what the service dealer states they have approximately 15 cars waiting). One dealer The issue is the in-operability of the car. Just stops which is highly worrisome.

My alternator failed with "electrical malfunction" alerts until the car decided to shut down on the highway with my newborn and wife. The bigger issue is I'm being told there is a national shortage for this part with no ETA on receiving the part and that it could be MONTHS until they receive the alternator replacement.My car is in dealership since Dec 6 2022. Today is 01.10.2023

While driving in heavy traffic on 12/23/22 the entire electrical system shut down and all power was lost. Fortunately I was not hit by another vehicle and coasted into a parking lot with no power. This is very dangerous. Per conversations with the dealership and with Audi (1/10/23), alternators on thousands of vehicles are failing (possibly due to a software issue). The vehicles are sitting on dealer lots and in driveways useless. Audi online forums confirm this as well. There are no alternators available. No recall has been issued and no warning of this unsafe situation has been made by Audi. Per the dealership, they are largely in the dark as well as there has been no meaningful communication by Audi. Someone will get hurt when their car dies on a highway. People are paying thousands for their cars to be undrivable. Audi dealers will not trade the vehicles because they are effectively worthless until repaired.