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Audi Q5 defective transmission

2

Comments

  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    I bought the car back a day later after the mechatronics was replaced and insisted on a loaner car till the Audi rep came down , this gave me the 30 days I needed. No turning back for them !
  • MLB6MLB6 Member Posts: 12
    Now this is getting too eerily similar to the BMW saga, as seen here:

    http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262130
    and here:
    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f11ffdc

    And I had one of these dreadful 2007 X3 that got reprogrammed many many times, mechatronic, valve and cam replaced while BMW claiming nothing's wrong with my X3. Just about to leave BMW for good and move to Q5, thank goodness I listened to one guy who told me to stay away with Q5 also. I went with the [non-permissible content removed]. But is there really a missing link between these two rivals' cute-ute's, that we should know? Anyone?
  • juchsjuchs Member Posts: 10
    Thanks Alex. I took it in on Monday. They gave me a free rental from Budget...Ford Escape. They called me today and left me a message to tell me that they looked at the computer logs on my car and that it seems that the transmission needs a different kind of filter and fluid...the transmission fluid wasn't reaching all areas of the transmission. I need to call them back and see what the hell they are talking about...sounds sketchy. They need to keep it until Friday most likely to make the fix and "thoroughly test it out to make sure I don't bring it back a few days later with the same problem".
  • lisalblisalb Member Posts: 1
    Uh oh. I'm getting really concerned because we are in the process of getting a new car in the next couple of monts and the two we are looking at are 2010 BMW X3 or 2010 Audi Q5. I don't know which of the two is the best bet at this point! :confuse:
  • bmlexusbmlexus Member Posts: 755
    X3 will be redesign soon, and you should really consider other vehicles over the x3 which I consider a very bad vehicle. I personally don't like it at all.

    I do like audis these days, its not something I see everyday like bmws, benz and lexus. But after these issues, I know this will not happen to all the audi owners, but I am still concerned.

    I just don't like the idea of having trouble in a new car. As a Toyota owner without a single problem in over 4 years.

    Looking at an upgrade for a long time now. Everyone has this idea that lexus is a boring car which I somewhat agree, and it also has its own issues recently.
  • MLB6MLB6 Member Posts: 12
    Spending this kind of money you should at least get peace of mind knowing the company stands behind their product. And you shouldn't limit yourself with just 2 vehicles. Go look around you may find better vehicles that suit your needs. Given only these two I would go with the Q5 because the X3's styling has been around for close to 7 years. When you bought a new car, you should feel driving a new car, with an X3 it will be difficult. And if you do get a lemon transmission, from all I can see only Audi would admit the problems, not like BMW who would tell you all kinds of excuses that all X3's are like that and wait for an update. You look at the sale volume of X3s after 2007, you'll know all the smart money is staying away of the X3s.
  • juchsjuchs Member Posts: 10
    Update -- the dealer has had my Q5 for 5 days now. They told me yesterday they thought it would be ready today. Today they called me to say that while working to put in the new transmission filter suggested by Audi HQ, they discovered an internal transmission valve that was "clearly installed improperly at the factory". Audi HQ has apparently seen this before and has now ordered a new valve to be cross-shipped directly from the valve supplier to Santa Monica Audi. The soonest it may arrive is Monday and "possibly not until middle of next week". So I might be without my Q5 for another week by the time they make and test the fix...at which point I will have had the car in my possession for only 2 of the 4 weeks I've owned it! I told the dealer (both the service dept. and the sales guy) I want a different Q5. They should take this one back. They said that is not an option unless they end up needing more than 30 days to fix the problem. They did at least promise to alert the owner to what is going on and relay my dissatisfaction. We'll see how he treats me. This being my only experience with Audi we are definitely NOT off to a good start. They still have a chance to right the ship however...so we'll see...my patience is growing thin...
  • juchsjuchs Member Posts: 10
    The sales rep that sold me the Q5 just told me I can expect a call from the general manager of Santa Monica Audi. I sincerely look forward to hearing what they have to say.... One bright spot worth mentioning...the service guy at Audi Santa Monica handling my case has done a great job keeping me up to date as events unfold at their end. He has called me at least once a day with updates and detailed explanations. Much appreciated.
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    Good luck, this sounds familiar, mine is ' rotting " at the dealership again but yes I
    have much more than 30 days out of service, I think I had the car in my possesion only about 2-3 weeks, the valve will not work, my entire valve body was replaced and NO improvement, the lawyers have it now, it is a shame because I really enjoyed driving the vehicle as long as I didn,t have to slow down !!!, Probably taking the money back, too afraid of another issue. Not sure what to get now . One thing
    they will try to "patronize " you, I asked for a replacement vehicle initially and I was denied, NOW it will be MY CHOICE !
  • blin279blin279 Member Posts: 21
    "...transmission valve was "clearly installed improperly at the factory".

    Do you know by chance what was the point of final assembly? I guess - Germany. Actually transmission can be assembled somwhere else by cheap laborers who have two hands and both are left.
    Why does it takes so much time to fix this problem? WHY???
    The right part can be delivered overnight + one more day (maximum!!!) to install it
    and return a vehicle to a customer! I doubt that their service department is so busy.
  • albert72albert72 Member Posts: 200
    When you get an audi that is running properly, there is nothing like it. Problem is that they are such complex and sophisticated cars that by default, there is more to go wrong. Love the way they and other european cars drive but would never own one again that was a daily driver. Too many problems. We got our first Acura 4 months ago and it feels like a cross between a typical asian and european car. Drives like a dream. When most people talk about the performance of their european cars I chuckle a bit since most have never really driven their cars hard which requires a closed track to do so.

    Want a fun hassle free ride, try an RDX.
  • dafuowndafuown Member Posts: 11
    :) Hi Guys, Believe it or not, my Q5 is now cured from the tranny problem we discussed here. I don't know how it happened. But I will tell you what I did. Last Thursday I had to drive from LA to Oxnard to make a business presentation. On the way to Oxnard, I was on Fwy 101 with the typical 6 pm traffic that certainly gave me a good taste of all the symptoms (it kept on missing the shifting in bumper-to-bumper traffic and did not seem to know what to do with the acceleration). I took an associate with me and even he can tell the jerky shifting and acceleration. Anyway, once we got to Oxnard, I picked another associate to go to dinner together. This guy was big and about 250 lb. He sit in the front passenger seat and the other associate now sit behind me. For some unknown reason, the car had responded nicely ever since to all my instructions - no more jerky shifting. Even the acceleration lag is much less and can hardly tell (I would say normal now). I was so happy about this. It's been almost one week and some 400 miles later. Everything is still fine. I have been driving in the heavy rain we had in the last few days and I really love this car in every aspect - handling, lighting, visibility, GPS re-routing to avoid freeway traffic........ This is really what a $50K car should do. I don't know whether the heavy loading from my associate made the difference. But the car is cured from the tranny problem. I suggest you all try this - it won't hurt anyway. Have one (or more) of your big and heavy friends sit in the car to give it a fair shake. It may have something to do with the electronic device that is weight sensitive!!??? Let us know how you did, I will really be interested to know!!! Good luck with this. ;)
  • basquiat2010basquiat2010 Member Posts: 6
    Post #64 just floored me. Definitely has my vote as THE best post in this thread thus far. Now if only Audi can somehow include this advice in their owner's manual...
  • alex102alex102 Member Posts: 34
    am floored too as post #65!!!! lol....
    you got it man!(64)! too bad my Audi was taken back n can't try lifting heavy people from the side of the road n experiment!! still laughing. it was about time to have some joy in this thread...

    good it's fixed!
  • juchsjuchs Member Posts: 10
    Suprise surprise...no call yet from the general manager of the dealership. Apparently I'm going to have to call him instead. On another note, the service department just told me that my replacement valve just arrived at a port in New Jersey, shipped from overseas. It should arrive at the dealer on Friday and they hope to have my Q5 back to me early next week. I'll believe it when I see it. The fact that the part was shipped over via shipping container on a boat is puzzling...either they decided to ship a lot of them over to the states because this problem is rampant or somebody's just not thinking...it's costing them $40/day for my rental car and every day that goes by they're closer to the lemon law not to mention really pissing me off...why wouldn't they spend a little extra on shipping to get it here faster? It will have been 8 days in transit by the time it arrives at the dealer....very weird. The service guy also told me that Audi HQ seems absolutely convinced this will fix the problem. Again...not holding my breath! Should have bought an MDX.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    But I've really enjoyed driving my '07 RX350, Bmlexus. I haven't been bored with it at all! It does every thing so well. I've got less than eight months left on my lease, and I'm not sure I want to part with it. Let's just say I've had peace of mind for the last three-and-a-half years. :D
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    LFMAO!!!!!!!!!
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    My update is that my Q5 has been out of service approx 45 calendar days, Audi
    corporate called and said they will be installing the new transmission this upcoming week, I do have the vehicle with a lemon law attorney, I am confused, I thought at this point the vehicle would be deemed a lemon since the " requirements" have been made, Audi corporate has told the attorney the new transmission must be installed first ??? He has filed with the local BB auto line, he said I will probably lose as the vehicle might be repaired at point, then a suit will be filed against Audi, I guess the lemon law doesn"t have enough" teeth " , I assumed a transmission would be considered a ' non conformity ", the hassle continues !!
  • alex102alex102 Member Posts: 34
    wait a minute. after 30 days of your car being at the shop where you can't use it, it's a lemon no matter what!!!! when mine was re purchased I was at 29 days n the car was fixed, they just knew I was trouble n a pain. my advice, as it happen in my case too, your attorney it's slowing you down, I lost first at my arbitration with the bbb auto line, you have to take matters on your own hands, get involved in filling the paperwork so there are no gaps for them to use, and most importantly, call n write Audi arbitration and don't ask, DEMAND a repurchase, after 30 days they don't have the option, your lawyer it's not well informed, if you are in California, as I know there are different rules in dif. states, but after 30 days it's a done deal (as long as the car was not available for you to use) no questions asked!!!

    sorry if I sound abrupt but I went through all this n they will try to circle around as ling as you or your representation let's them. it has established by all of us in this blog that Audi corporate will do whatever to keep you in the car, what company wants to loose money n customers?! thee are no ethics for them!!! yes! it pisses me off!!

    good luck!
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    Yes , I thought this was a no brainer also, in Pa, you have to go thru BB arbitration and yes I am sure Audi know this and the question then remains if the nonconformity is considered a safety issue or impedes the value of the vehicle, even if I lose a suit will still be filed, I guess Audi knows that by the time the arbitration is scheduled the vehicle will be repaired, the funny thing is that Audi corporate has been calling me with updates that the transmission will be installed this week and not the dealer who has been horrible to work with their attitude, if your car was fixed on the 29th day how did you get a repurchase, was their still issues after the transmission was installed ? If I just received a substantial amount of cash , I would just trade the vehicle in and use the cash to offset any depreciation lost .
  • alex102alex102 Member Posts: 34
    I lost the arbitration so make sure you find the right documents and do research regarding safety, http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/dsg_faq.htm here is one, you will need this to win, and find more, Audi never told me to stop driving n that was when I became a pain in their neck and told them I could not trust them and they had put me in danger as no car with any tranny issue should be driven. which at my arbitration did not know that. the arbitrators, in my experience, dont know anything about cars, don't put your $ in that basket, tell Audi replacement or repurchase. period.
    to bbb the value is not a problem FYI as the car is good.
    you only get deducted from all your payments, initial n monthly, the use of the car until the first time you reported the problem. my case was like 1,800 miles n meant like $550, I got the rest of $$s back.
    in my eyes, you should have by now a repurchase contract, tell them directly, dont even go to the arbitration process, my dealer told me that if they go to arbitration is cause they think they can win or convince you to do what they want, if you are clear that's not the case then they will settle as they hire a 3rd party to showup at the arbitration. expenses for them. they need to minimize the cost if they know you won't give in. hope any of this helps, good luck.
    my car had no problem when they re purchased it but I kept asking them to take it, they never offered of course, you have to ask, they did offered a new 2010 n I said no, I don't trust Audi nor I want to represent this brand.
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    I just fired my lemon law attorney, he was worthless and he never even filed with audi, like he claimed as I am still receiving calls from Audi customer care, they would not be allowed to contact me if I was under representation, I basically told
    him I was not happy with his lack of representation and i gave him 48 hours to come up with a repurchase agreement, he then withdrew from the case, I knew he was worthless from the beginning as he kept calling me by my wrong name!
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    I hate to inform you, it will not fix the problem, my valve body was replaced and no improvement, the next step is a transmission and an arrogant service manager !
  • juchsjuchs Member Posts: 10
    They replaced the transmission valve, filter and fluid and gave me the car back yesterday. The problem is definitely not resolved on mine either. I am VERY dissapointed. I genuinely was hoping this would be the fix I needed. This is a fantastic vehicle as long as you never go slower than 10mph. Sadly, in LA you spend a LOT of time going less then 10mph! The jerkiness upon slowing to a stop is still there. I felt it myself. My wife experienced the acceleration lag again too...both are still somewhat intermittent...the lag moreso than the jerkiness upon coming to a stop. Still, enough to mean that this car is undrivable and totally useless to us. At worst it's dangerous. At best it'll make you carsick like driving with someone in a manual transmission car who doesn't know how to drive stick. I took it back to Santa Monica Audi today. They have an Audi engineer on the way to look at it tomorrow.

    On the bright side, Santa Monica Audi's General Manager seems like a decent guy. He seems to share in my frustration and dissappointment and really wants to find a way to make things right. I give him credit for that. He is really trying. All is not lost yet in my mind because of him. He is ready to stand behind his dealership and the Audi brand, and want to ensure the customer is happy. He is going to talk to Audi of America and come back to me with a gameplan by the end of the week. I have not lost faith in Audi as a company yet or in Santa Monica Audi. I hope they can set things right.

    That said, I am unfortunately quickly losing confidence in the Q5. Even the rental car place that supplied me with my loaner car said they have a new Q5 back at the Santa Monica dealership right now with the same symptoms as my car, plus a full electrical failure. In fact, they specifically mentioned the acceleration lag happened to them multiple times on left turns after waiting for a gap in oncoming traffic. Scared the crap out of them just like it did my wife.

    Don't want to speculate but Audi could be one bad traffic accident away from a class-action lawsuit. For the sake of all the Q5 drivers out there I hope no one is so unlucky as to have it lead to that.

    I'll let you all know what I hear at the end of the week. Hopefully good news. I still have hope at this point...
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    Yes I have lost faith in Audi, I am supposed to picking mine up today with the replaced transmission after the valve body replacement failed, at lease your dealership is being understanding, mine is not, I have 51 calendar days logged and I am in process in going thru the lemon law, I repeatly have asked Audi corporate to replace the car but they keep on saying it needs to be repaired first before they
    can do any other requests ? WTF ? Just remember the word " Patronize and Pacify", this is what you will receive from Audi corporate, I traded in an Acura Mdx
    with 95000 miles on it and no problems, yes the Audi drives better after 10 mph but
    I would take my Acura back over this, and yes I almost got into an accident merging on the hwy as the car hesitated and bucked and also trying to park, the car will lurch forward so I had to stop halfway and then let the car " jump" into the parking spot, No audi has not changed , same old crap, also there has been a number of reports of water pump failures, I guess that's next!
  • alex102alex102 Member Posts: 34
    wow! 51 days!! you've been too patient!! you guys have to get on twitter, Facebook, MySpace n such, erute stuff and copy those messages to your Audi corp contacts, bash on the Q5, destroy Audi, and that scares the hell out of them. trust me, so far am the only one who got the car repurchased at 29 days after loosing arbitration. that was an advice that i took from another person that had problems with a BMW, so far is working. Audi should do what you guys want. specially over 30 days of service. there is no law that says the can fix it after the 30 days and that you have to wait until they say so.
  • dafuowndafuown Member Posts: 11
    Just want to let you frustrated guys know that my Q5 is still running fine as it should be. I still do not know what happened to it, but it is definitely cured from the tranny and acceleration problems. This means it is a defect that can probably be cured easily. I really suggest you guys try this - see my posting on #64. Wish you guys luck. ;)
  • juchsjuchs Member Posts: 10
    Glad to hear yours is running ok--really wish mine were too! Unfortunately, mine has real problems that wouldn't have gone away on their own. They told me that when they first took the transmission cover off that the filter was completely unattached and literally just floating in the transmission fluid! The valve it was supposed to be attached to was "clearly installed incorrectly". And, Audi of America told the service dept. that they had decided to go with a different type of transmission filter and fluid in all Q5s since the manufacture date of my Q5...so the filter and fluid also needed to be changed.

    Sadly, though the GM of Santa Monica Audi had thought that an Audi Engineer would be out to the dealership this week to look at my car (which is now back at the dealer for the second time and going on a total of 19 days with them as of tomorrow!), they just told me today that the engineer won't be able to come look at my Q5 until Monday 2/1. By then they will have had my Q5 for 22 days and counting. I only have had it in my posession for a total of 15 days...so who's car is it really at this point...seems to be more there's than mine! I'm really growing tired of this whole situation. It just stinks. My confidence that this is going to end well is dwindling by the day.

    Sad thing is, I was in the process of negotiating for an MDX when Audi decided to play ball and meet my price. If they hadn't, I might be a happy Acura owner right now instead of a pissed off Audi owner driving around in a Budget rental car for 3 weeks.
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    I am hopefully at the end with a repurchase, the replacement transmission did not work and get this, they had to order another one, AOA called but I have to go thru my attorney, they are finally looking to do the right thing after 55 days !!!
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    I thought Audi was going to do the right thing but Audi corporate is really a bunch of bastards, I am without my vehicle still to this day at 54 calendar days, the replacement transmission DID not work so they ordered ANOTHER transmission, what is the chance of one replacement transmission being defective ? Anyway Audi corp called and asked me to sign a
    form that I am not being represented by an attorney and THEN they would inform me of my options, I stated I am being represented and they then hung up on me, I still have to go thru with the bbb auto arbitration, you would think Audi would just admit defeat at this point and refund my money. Yes I do hope someone from Audi corporate reads this message!
  • alex102alex102 Member Posts: 34
    2009 Q5 SAFETY RECALL ALREADY GOING ON, that info has to help you win in your arbitration.
  • juchsjuchs Member Posts: 10
    Wow that really sucks. So sorry to hear they are treating you that way. I suppose that may not bode well for me then if they can't get mine fixed. Maybe I should start lining up a lawyer now just in case.

    Here's an update on my rapidly deteriorating situation:

    The Audi Engineer that came out to Santa Monica Audi yesterday said that he is seeing hard data that shows that my transmission is not functioning according to spec. I don't fully understand the terminology but the service rep explained it as follows (paraphrasing):

    "...the transmission is having trouble getting to neutral during breaking/coasting...it wants to get there but can't...it seems to be waiting until the car dips under a certain speed threshold...hence the noticeable downshifting. Furthermore, the engineer looked at the number readings that measure the behavior of the adaptive channels (which, not to get too technical, loosly correlate to rpm ranges and related feedback the software uses to control shifting behavior/timing) and saw that a couple of the numbers were "out of the proper range". His goal is to find a way to get these numbers back into the proper range and vet them thoroughly via a very prescriptive series of tests."

    To that end, the engineer tried to install a software patch today on my Q5 that has "not been released for the Q5 yet" but rather for the A4 or one of their other models (the service rep wasn't sure for which model but was sure it was not released for the Q5 yet). The patch didn't take and apparently corrupted the software. They now plan to completely delete and reinstall the transmission software. After that they will run more tests.

    Also, nowhere in this process did they admit to feeling the delay/jerk forward during acceleration...they are not even trying to address that. They are only focused on the downshifting issues right now. So even if they fix that it may not fix the other major problem.

    Today is day 23 that they have been working on this issue. 23 days in and they are trying software patches not even compatible with the Q5. Not encouraging. The patch was the second attempt at fixing the problem. The re-installation of the transmission software will be the third attempt.

    They promised another update tomorrow.
  • rxitrxit Member Posts: 1
    Yikes! I Googled transmission problems and Audi Q5 to discover this thread. My wife's Q5 has about 10 or 11 K miles on it and we are having the same issues as described here. I'm leary to take it in to the shop until I see that a fix has been identified. The vehicle does still run, but is concerning. I am finding the lag less frequently than the "jumping".

    I'm not much of a car person, but does this seem more like a compuetr/software problem? Seems like the physical attempts to repair have not worked. Very frustrating!!

    Almost got the Lexus RX instead... now thinking I may have made a mistake. I did get a recall notice yesterday, but it was for a clip of some sort and not related to the transmission.
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    I got mine back tonight after the 3rd transmission install, so far so good, I am still going forward with my lawsuit as I have 56 calendar days and also the way AOA and the dealer have treated me, I am not sure what will happen at the arbitration IF the vehicle remains trouble free , I did meet all the requirements for the lemon law, it is amazing when AOA found out about the attorney that the 3rd transmission came in in less than 5 days compared to 3 weeks !!!
  • juchsjuchs Member Posts: 10
    Glad to hear your Q5 may be working properly now. That does give me some hope.

    As for mine, the dealer called me today to say that the Audi engineer had re-installed the transmission software and had run extensive diagnostics and that everything looked good...the metrics that were out of the expected range the other day are apparently now back in range.

    Instead of just taking the car back, I took it for a test drive this evening with the Santa Monica Audi service dept. foreman riding shotgun. The harsh downshifting/jerking when coasting or breaking to a stop seemed to be much improved during our 15 minute test drive (good news!). However, we both felt the lag/jerk when accelerating forward from a "rolling stop". The car seemed to want to shift into neutral or something just as I was hitting the gas and wanting it to accelerate forward. The result was that the engine would audibly rev, there would be a slight delay, and then the car would jerk forward slightly snapping both of our heads back. Once we both identified how to recreate this problem (wait until the car was just about to stop -- 1 or 2 mph -- coast for a second, then accelerate), I was able to reproduce the problem about 5 more times in 10 minutes of driving around side streets near the dealership. The service foreman confirmed he felt it every time too and when we got back to the dealership acknowledged as such to the general manager of the dealership.

    That's when things turned really disappointing. Of the two initial problems I reported, this being one and the jerkiness upon slowing/coasting to a stop being the other, this is the problem that is a safety issue (in addition to making you carsick!). It can be hair-raising when making a left turn at a busy intersection or trying to cross over a busy street if you never know what will happen when you step on the gas! Will the car accelerate immediately or will there be a 1/2 second lag as it creeps forward into oncoming traffic? I explained this concern. I expected them to want to look into the problem and correct it. Instead, their service manager told me "all Q5s do this -- it's normal". I told them I wouldn't take the car back while it behaves like this. They said that the Audi engineer wants me to put 1000 more miles on the car and they think it will help. I told them I wouldn't ask my wife to drive our 3 month old baby around in an unsafe car for 1000 miles hoping that the car would somehow become more safe over time.

    We are now at a bit of an impass. They still have the Q5, I drove home in the rental car they have been putting me up in. They are going to call Audi of America tomorrow to see what they can do. Sadly, I would have been happy to trade this Q5 for one with a working transmission...but now it seems they are telling me that all Q5's have some sort of design flaw rendering their transmissions jerky and unsafe in low gear...which they refer to as "normal"?! It may be called "typical" if every Q5 really has this problem, but it is by no means "normal". Actually, I suspect it's not even that typical. I know for a fact there are many happy Q5 owners out there not having this problem (I have even spoken with a few who have never experienced any of the problems I am having).

    Not sure what's going to happen. I still think the GM of Santa Monica Audi wants to do the right thing and take care of his customer. He is really trying. I hope AoA supports him in his efforts tomorrow when he calls them. They should really do the right thing.

    I mean jeezuz...the car was driven for over 300 miles without a transmission filter attached...who the hell knows what happened to the transmission during that time...and that's on top of this lag/jerk issue. Maybe they should just replace the transmission altogether. Seems to have worked for you.

    If they can't fix the problem I'm going to need them to give me a different Q5 with a smooth transmission or my money back so I can go buy a Lexus or an Acura. Today was day 24 already. I'm really getting sick of this!
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    Sorry to give you hope, mine is starting to exhibit the same " neutral issue " again although not as bad as before, I am also hearing a whining now in I would assume gears 1 and 2 when I accelerate, back to the dealer again today, at least your dealer seem willing to work with you, I hope even mine will take the car in today and give me a loaner again, I am at 56 calendar days, unfortunately I have to wait unitl arbitration as Audi will not admit " defeat', also do not count on much hope from Audi, they will probably at some point point ask you to sign an attorney waiver and THEN inform you of your options, I do not think I have ever dealt with a worse car company like Audi, I will be going back to Acura after this, maybe the Acura ride is only 3/4 of an Audi, but at least I have a greater chance I won't be spending any time back and forth with the dealership,report this also to the NHTSB , there is one other complaint besides my self, if you need any help I have been through the crap with Audi, they are extremely patronizing.
  • juchsjuchs Member Posts: 10
    Wow. That sucks. As for me, Audi of America is now forcing me to take the car back today. They won't even try to address the acceleration lag/jerk issue. They keep insisting the car "operates according to spec" and that their diagnostic tests show nothing for them to fix. Maybe they need some additional diagnostic tests!

    I have already filed with NHTSB...last week I think.

    The general manager of Audi Santa Monica told me to drive the car for a while and see if it gets better (which was the advice of the Audi engineer). I told him if I do that and it doesn't get better I'm bringing it back to him again. He said that's fine.

    I can tell you this -- if I drive the car for a while and the problem still won't go away and I take it back to them and they still won't address the issue, the next step will be for me to call a buddy of mine who works for the automotive section of the LA Times. With what is happening with Toyota right now they just might jump at the chance to talk to all of us frustrated Q5 owners and see if there is a story there worth exposing. Imagine how many Q5 owners will come out of the woodwork to tell the LA Times how Audi is making them drive unsafe cars and won't address their problems once that story hits the Times...followed by the local news...etc....then maybe a class-action law suit...

    But of course my hope is still that driving the car for a while will fix the problem...that would be by far the best outcome here, at least for me personally. Guess we'll see.
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    Good news, I am finally receiving a repurchase without going to arbitration, finally RELIEF !, No more Audi for me, ever!!!
  • alex102alex102 Member Posts: 34
    good news!!! congratulations!! welcome to the "no Audi for me ever" club! it is a pleasure to have you, hahaha! our club is growing, what did you do in the end that made them do it?

    RELIEF! I know the feeling, hopefully the others will get there soon.
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    After the replacement trans was installed, I bought the vehicle back the next day as I was still having the " bump" issue when coming to a stop under certain traffic situations, as usual the shop foreman goes for a ride, says nothing if it is normal or not and then says, if you wait a little bit the Audi rep is here, at the same time Audi corp called and asked about the repair and I told her I still had issues, she then said
    the arbitration dept was looking into a repurchase but they would have to speak with my attorney, I asked her if I should leave the car and get a loaner and she said yes, to make a long story short the service manager refused a loaner and said in front of the audi rep and shop foreman that the car was operating normally as ALL audis lurch and bump, Service manager then accused my attorney for holding up any repurchase
    that might happen, I flipped at that point and got in my Q5, I then went back to the dealership and demanded a loaner car, at that point the Audi rep had left who by the way never acknowledged my existence and all of a sudden a loaner car appeared, there must have still been an issue with the car or else why then would they have accepted the vehicle for repair again, Then last night i received a voice mail from my attorney, Audi has offered a repurchase or replacement , Hell no to any replacement , i am free fromAudi and also their direct injection engine carbon buildup issues which had also concerned me and audi even acknowledges the issue in their engine patent, looks like down the road the same issue as with the coil packs, Audi sucks and I will never ever consider a VW or Audi product again, ever !
  • tigamtigam Member Posts: 2
    I've had a 2006 A6 3.2 since 2007. Recently, I was looking at trading it in for a Q5 and, while poking around up here for Q5 feedback, found this thread. I'm both disappointed and shocked to say that this transmission behavior is something I've lived with for 3 years in my A6. I've repeatedly complained about it to Audi Service, to no avail. I've actually gotten used to it and when I need to make a quick stop and go, have now made shifting into Sport mode a normal part of my driving (in order to avoid the weird pause before the transmission picks up after stopping quickly or coming to a near-stop). I don't think one should have to do this, but with absolutely no acknowledgment by Audi of what is so much an apparent problem (and otherwise loving the car) I just found a way to put up with it. I was really looking forward to NOT having this problem in a new Q5, but now am terribly disappointed. It is inconceivable that Audi CONTINUES to ignore such a major design/programming flaw!! Does anyone have any recent updates or any kind of official statement from Audi?!?!?
  • khestkhest Member Posts: 5
    My Lexus RX did the exact same thing. There are many threads about it in the Lexus forums.
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    edited February 2010
    I am so happy to be finally rid of this car via a repurchase, people need to stop drinking the "Audi Koolaid", I even sat in my old car one last time as I was cleaning it out, you know
    what, I am so happy to be rid of it, it is amazing how many flat bed tow trucks are always pulling into the dealership, I have no intention ever of purchasing an Audi or VW product ever again, at least now with my new Acura I can drive less than 10mph in slow traffic and not get " jerked" and " lurched" around!
  • qactusqactus Member Posts: 3
    I read somewhere that in 2011 the q5 and other Audi models would come out with an 8-gear ZF automatic gearbox. Well, might just be a rumour.
    By the way: I recently test drove a 2.0 FSI here in Mexico City (high altitude as at about 7000 ft). I was surprised at how responsive the rather small engine was (a lot better than a Alhambra/Sharan (Seat/Volkswagen) with a 6 cylinder engine.
    As to the "gap" when accelerating from a stop: yes, I felt it, too, and was less in S-mode, but I guess one can indeed get used to it. What probably annoys users (in this as well as in similar German forums) is the following: as the immediate response is the lack of a "kick", one steps on the gas pedal, therefore, once the clutch has fully engaged and the turbo "bites", the engine is getting more gas than it normally would and the car accelerates strongly, thus making the initial "lag" even more evident. Mind you, it is not that the car was not moving at all after accelerating from a stop, just the irregular pace of acceleration is what may drive people crazy.
    I hope to be able to test a 3.0 TDI these days and see if the same occurs.
    By the way: the car I tested (owned by a colleague, with 5000 k on the odometer) had no problem whatsoever between 1st and 2nd gear (I did all the forum-recommended tests) - shifting was incredibly smooth.
    Hope this helps.
  • qactusqactus Member Posts: 3
    I read somewhere that in 2011 the q5 and other Audi models would come out with an 8-gear ZF automatic gearbox. Well, might just be a rumour.
    By the way: I recently test drove a 2.0 FSI here in Mexico City (high altitude as at about 7000 ft). I was surprised at how responsive the rather small engine was (a lot better than a Alhambra/Sharan (Seat/Volkswagen) with a 6 cylinder engine.
    As to the "gap" when accelerating from a stop: yes, I felt it, too, and was less in S-mode, but I guess one can indeed get used to it. What probably annoys users (in this as well as in similar German forums) is the following: as the immediate response is the lack of a "kick", one steps on the gas pedal, therefore, once the clutch has fully engaged and the turbo "bites", the engine is getting more gas than it normally would and the car accelerates strongly, thus making the initial "lag" even more evident. Mind you, it is not that the car was not moving at all after accelerating from a stop, just the irregular pace of acceleration is what may drive people crazy.
    I hope to be able to test a 3.0 TDI these days and see if the same occurs.
    By the way: the car I tested (owned by a colleague, with 5000 k on the odometer) had no problem whatsoever between 1st and 2nd gear (I did all the forum-recommended tests) - shifting was incredibly smooth.
    Hope this helps.
  • oz10oz10 Member Posts: 2
    2010 Q5, 800 miles, purchased at Keyes Audi (Van Nuys)

    I started experiencing the 2-->1 bump at around 400 miles, only then did I find this thread, unfortunate.

    Went to the local Santa Monica service center this morning without an appointment. My goal was to see how it was handled. Foreman went around the block and we replicated the problem, at which point he pretty much said:
    1. This is how this car works
    2. Audi corporate is aware of the issue, but it is not considered a problem
    3. You should keep on driving to see if things break in and Audi makes updates all the time

    So basically not help at all, they would not accept the car for service. I will be going back to Keyes where I bought it, this time with all of the forum posts printed. Any further advice on successful tactics?
  • alex102alex102 Member Posts: 34
    facebook, myspace, and all social networks, its incredible how afraid they are of this cause you reach a lot of people easy! ANY transmission problem it's consider dangerours, make a claim at highway safety asoc. it takes 5 minutes. know that there is a safety recall on the 2009s for the exact same problem, I got the brochure, but I had made Audi repurchase by then. van nuys are also a-holes. ask to talk to senior management, AND call Audi customer service line, they'll take a claim and more likely ask you to write a letter to coorporate, don't waiste much time with dealers if they are a-holes, coorporate has the decissions.
    good luck!!!
  • stma1stma1 Member Posts: 40
    I am too a member of the "infamous transmission buyback club", state that it is a safety issue as it was in my case, if the vehicle hesitates and lurches, it is not safe too drive, be pushy and do not be afraid of " stepping on toes or egos" , push the dealership to take the car and not just use the excuse ' they all do that"
  • oz10oz10 Member Posts: 2
    I wanted to follow up on this and share the resolution. I had basically surmised from reading all of the posts that I had 2 options 1) live with it 2) fight very hard to get a repurchase.

    I had spoken to the service department and they gave me some hogwash about the car breaking in. My wife was enamored with the car and I didn't have the time to pick up a fight so I decided to live with it.

    The good news, the hard downshift completely went away at around 1400 miles and has been clean for the last month or so. Not sure what caused it, whether I got lucky, or whether there is truly a break-in period in this regards but wanted to share my experience. I think maybe there were other people in this situation that never came back with an update.
  • tigamtigam Member Posts: 2
    ..or..you work for Audi posting messages in forums like this to obfuscate the truth. ;)
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