I'm not sure what what causes the part to fail, but the part was superceded with a new part number (part number ending in A). I'm not sure if this new part number is more reliable than the old.
I ended up paying £90 for a genuine OEM part from Audi as my car was relatively new and didn't want to risk going for a £20 chinese copy, but i'm sure they are just a reliable.
Audi should be ashamed of themselves on how they have dealt with this fault and has left a bitter taste in many owners mouths.
I moved from a Peugeot 406 Coup to the Audi A5 Sportback, thinking that the quality will be a step up, and to be honest the Peugeot, despite it's age was very reliable!