Alternator failure related to mild hybrid system?

[Audi Death Trap]

Audi Executive Office have asked to speak to me to try and negotiate a better outcome. They are keen to do this before the DVSA come back to me. I've refused to engage.

[MikeyW]

23 minutes ago, Audi Death Trap said:

The three year Audi warranty would have run out early 2022. The replacement part is guaranteed for two years until June 2026. The extended warranty would supposedly run for seven years from first registration which would actually end before that date rendering it useless. I did go back to the Ombudsman once I was told about the extended warranty but it remains out of their remit on a technicality. Because the warranty applies to a specific part only and not the entire vehicle there's nothing they can do for me. How convenient!

worth pushing them - it seems they dont want to help when they could chose to if they wished....i'm confused by your dates as if the 3 year initial warranty ran out early 2022 then you'd have 4 more years from that point on that part.....or at least thats my understanding on how they are applying the 7 year warranty on the 48v system.  Saying that Audi UK cant or wont comment about the 7 year warranty as they sy thats between the factory and the dealership.....!!!

[MikeyW]

22 minutes ago, Audi Death Trap said:

Audi Executive Office have asked to speak to me to try and negotiate a better outcome. They are keen to do this before the DVSA come back to me. I've refused to engage.

I would pose them the points you want answering in much the same way that they will be having to answer the DVSA.....reiterate the safety issue and the potential consequences.  I dont know what powers DVSA have in terms of getting you any financial recovery for the costs and problems and I suspect that that will be zero, but you might still get something out of Audi UK......have Audi asked you what you want? - they have me.....

[Audi Death Trap]

I was advised the part had an extended warranty as if it had been in situ from the date of registration in early 2019. This would therefore run out early 2026 if it ran for seven years but nobody can explain the duration. The replacement I just paid for myself plus £800 for a knackered steering arm wrecked during recovery has its own two year guarantee that will theoretically run longer than the warranty.

[Audi Death Trap]

They asked me what kind of settlement I was looking for and I told them with all honesty that I did not know. My life was put in jeopardy as I was unable to get my car or myself out of the way of heavy docks traffic on a UK Strategic Road Network dual carriageway. Even with a guarantee or warranty in place I live in dread of any kind of recurrence. I could have easily been rear-ended by a 40mph juggernaut and I didn't even have hazard lights.

[Steph1234]

You are very welcome to tell the DVSA and executive I am also happy to back you with your complaint as I am in total agreement after experiencing the same issue with my A3. 
 

What do you think are chances are of getting on watchdog!? 

[MikeyW]

10 minutes ago, Audi Death Trap said:

They asked me what kind of settlement I was looking for and I told them with all honesty that I did not know. My life was put in jeopardy as I was unable to get my car or myself out of the way of heavy docks traffic on a UK Strategic Road Network dual carriageway. Even with a guarantee or warranty in place I live in dread of any kind of recurrence. I could have easily been rear-ended by a 40mph juggernaut and I didn't even have hazard lights.

Completely get your fears - my first failure left me on the slip road off the M25 on a bend, no hard shoulder....and the second as I knew the signs I was able to get off the motorway and found a layby, just.  But I totally get it - and would really like Audi to get it too....

[Audi Death Trap]

I've gone over the same points with them again and again but when it comes to the perilous position I was put in they won't comment at all. Obviously they don't want to admit any kind of liability but how is it possible for a luxury car to break down in 2024 with literally no power at all with the driver sealed inside awaiting his fate. I also believe it is against the law to recover a vehicle with the driver still inside but there I was still at the steering wheel when my car was finally loaded up onto the transporter. The whole thing would be laughable if it wasn't for the potential element of death. The steering arm was wrecked by the Highways Agency recovery team as the wheels could not be straightened before my car was pulled up the trailer. Audi Executive Office suddenly wanted to re-evaluate my complaint the minute the DVSA became involved and I was told it had been escalated to Audi AG.

[Audi Death Trap]

I'd consider a convoy to Milton Keynes but I wouldn't want to chance it in my A8. My new thirteen-year-old Hyundai i10 would be a safer bet!

[Stevey Y]

1 hour ago, Audi Death Trap said:

I'd consider a convoy to Milton Keynes but I wouldn't want to chance it in my A8. My new thirteen-year-old Hyundai i10 would be a safer bet!

Hi I have been watching this from afar and what you poor devils are going through defies any logic or reason, having been involved in car maintenance and ownership for forty years and until I owned an Audi I never knew what an intransigent and uncooperative manufacturer was, having owned several Fords two of which I bought at four years old, for at least three of them I received letters for safety recalls that they did without quibble despite me having wracked up milage using the vehicle as a taxi, one of the problems was a section of rubber pipe to the fuel filter which was mounted at the rear of the car and if it ruptured it sprayed fuel all over the rear of the exhaust, the most unusual thing I came across was Alfa Romeo, they chased my car through the four previous owners to tell me to bring the car in to have the front bottom arm bushes replaced, the thing was nine years old when I bought it, Audi claim to produce luxury cars, with this problem would it be better to call them luxury COFFINS, don't get me wrong every brand has its faults but the faults that may kill you are like hens teeth, I really wish you the best of luck with this one, most of the American sites you look on are littered with people ranting about the Audi brand being unreliable and super expensive to fix and the dealers not very knowledgable, BUT they all stick together and work their way through any persistent problems, Try Rip Off Britain they would do a number on Audi with this one.

Steve.

[Audi Death Trap]

After 8 years with Lexus I'm just not used to this kind of near death experience. The way my concerns have been dismissed by Audi UK has been a total and complete disgrace. I thank you Mike, Steph and Steve for your support. I hope the DVSA come to the right conclusion and force Audi to take decisive life-saving action. Hopefully the wait for that decision is almost over. If I can't force a recall with my list of circumstances I doubt anyone can. This is for everyone impacted by Audi's arrogance and apathy.

[Mark2]

MikeW the 7 year extended warranty is from the date of the cars registration.

[Audi Death Trap]

My 7 year extended warranty became valid when the car was 5 years old immediately after I paid to have the alternator replaced myself. My 7 year extended warranty will run for about 20 months and be worthless since the replaced part comes with its own 24 month guarantee. After that I'm on my own again and looking at another £2000 bill the next time it fails. If I live again.

[Mark2]

David you may be lucky and the replacement only last 18 months, in which case you will be quids in! Some hope.

[Audi Death Trap]

Audi Executive Office have kindly archived my case 48 hours before the deadline for Audi UK to provide the DVSA with a written report explaining how it was possible for my car to fail in such a catastrophic life-endangering way. I will not be shut down or cancelled!

[MikeyW]

I guess if you have not responded they probably have a policy of this if there's no response - this happened to me a while back.  I just wrote and said the matter wasnt closed and copied in Andrew Doyle...

[Audi Death Trap]

I've explained to the DVSA that Audi have archived my case and emplored them to pursue Audi relentlessly for the information they require. Surely the DVSA will have sufficient powers to make them comply.

[MikeyW]

14 minutes ago, Audi Death Trap said:

I've explained to the DVSA that Audi have archived my case and emplored them to pursue Audi relentlessly for the information they require. Surely the DVSA will have sufficient powers to make them comply.

You would expect so - but if Audi have contacted you to say they have archived your case I would reply and say that the matter isnt closed and that they need to reopen it.  I would cc Andrew Doyle too and perhaps make reference to the fact that you have felt compelled to bring the DVSA into the matter due to lack of any progress from Audi UK.

[Audi Death Trap]

DVSA says

"Thank you for your email. 

Their response appears to be at the end of an email discussion, and it is their prerogative as to whether they wish to continue communicating with Customers. 

Irrespective of their Customer Relations stance,  DVSA will continue to communicate with their technical section (as they will with us). 

Thank you"

[cliffcoggin]

Like many I am appalled at Audi's attitude to this problem and have every sympathy for the sufferers. However sympathy will get you nowhere so may I make a few suggestions in the way the claim is pursued?

Concentrate on the essential heart of the matter, which from what I have read seems to be a design or manufacturing flaw leading to unsafe operation. Don't add red herrings such as whether Audi is a luxury brand, or damage during recovery, or the legality of recovery with an occupant in the car. Such distractions only give the parties involved ideal opportunities for prevarication and avoidance of the central issue.  Stick to your guns and stick to the central issue.

I wish you the best of luck.

[Audi Death Trap]

Thanks Clifford. It's ultimately down to the DVSA now. My own dealings with Audi Executive Office have hit a brick wall as they won't discuss safety issues. Comments are just disregarded as if they didn't exist or have no merit. They are well aware that the DVSA are involved since the matter has been escalated to Audi AG. That hasn't stopped them shutting me down. All I can do is wait and see where the investigation goes next. At least I have Highways Agency staff as witnesses.  

[Stevey Y]

30 minutes ago, Audi Death Trap said:

Thanks Clifford. It's ultimately down to the DVSA now. My own dealings with Audi Executive Office have hit a brick wall as they won't discuss safety issues. Comments are just disregarded as if they didn't exist or have no merit. They are well aware that the DVSA are involved since the matter has been escalated to Audi AG. That hasn't stopped them shutting me down. All I can do is wait and see where the investigation goes next. At least I have Highways Agency staff as witnesses.  

Hi I don't personally think the mention of the car being a luxury brand is an irrelevance, after all thats what you have paid for, the build quality should be unimpeachable as with your Lexus and surely this fault should have been picked up on testing but I rather think that its the same old story, the testing vehicle was fitted with another suppliers alternator and performed well at well over the milage expected, then we have the first run of production where the cost cutting teams step in and start shaving money off the production line costs by sourcing parts from another manufacturer which are lower cost to them and almost certainly inferior in build quality, this situation you have now should not exist full stop and having done a recent search in to the reputation of Audi world wide and it doesn't make good reading, from a personal point of view I think Audi have reached rock bottom everywhere purely because of their myopic obsession with all electric which has cost them dearly so now they think they can recover some of the costs overcharging existing vehicle owners, it all smacks of desperation, when you bought the car in good faith it was probably due to the Audi legend of superior reliability as with Lexus, we all know things fail but surely not like that.

Steve.

[Mark2]

It’s not s much that the alternator fails as these things happen. The real failure is the fact there is no warning light to tell you the battery is no longer being charged. The reason Audi gave me for that was ‘ it is no longer a European Directive requirement’.  No one at Audi has gone through the ‘ what if scenarios’ , no one has done a risk assessment of what would happen if the driver is not told the battery is no longer being charged. If they had someone would have worked out - catastrophic failure! ! !  This is designed negligence.

[MikeyW]

33 minutes ago, Mark2 said:

It’s not s much that the alternator fails as these things happen. The real failure is the fact there is no warning light to tell you the battery is no longer being charged. The reason Audi gave me for that was ‘ it is no longer a European Directive requirement’.  No one at Audi has gone through the ‘ what if scenarios’ , no one has done a risk assessment of what would happen if the driver is not told the battery is no longer being charged. If they had someone would have worked out - catastrophic failure! ! !  This is designed negligence.

I maybe mistaken in my recollection of the event, but when my last one failed i'm almost certain that the 'My Audi' app gave a warning about low battery status......i've since changed cars so cant see any history or logs but I have a memory of this occurring - nothing on the car display, just on the phone which passes updates to my watch.....i'm sure I recall an error which was then followed by the in car failures that we will all be familiar with.  I dont think i'm miss remembering.....but odd if the app knows but nothing in the car alerts you, so maybe i'm wrong...

[Stevey Y]

1 hour ago, Mark2 said:

It’s not s much that the alternator fails as these things happen. The real failure is the fact there is no warning light to tell you the battery is no longer being charged. The reason Audi gave me for that was ‘ it is no longer a European Directive requirement’.  No one at Audi has gone through the ‘ what if scenarios’ , no one has done a risk assessment of what would happen if the driver is not told the battery is no longer being charged. If they had someone would have worked out - catastrophic failure! ! !  This is designed negligence.

Yes if you remember back a few years ago and on a lot of newer cars now, if the battery is not being charged by the alternator a bright red battery appears on the dash just to let you know, how hard would it be to have that sort indicator combined in to the wiring loom regardless of any European directive, apparently common sense is not a feature and if the European directive was that all Audi management were told to stick their head in an unlit gas oven do you think they would do it?.

Steve.