Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Audi A4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
August of 2021. It was raining out and I drove through a puddle and my electric steering shut down. This has been a known defect for at least 10 years with Audi and NHTSA has done NOTHING about it.
2013 Audi A4 with a 2.0 turbo engine approximately 62.5K miles and up to date with all services. I was driving on the highway at highway speeds when the engine suddenly started to misfire with a partial loss of power making the car difficult to steer. At that time the check engine light was not illuminated. I was able to get off the highway and drive home about 2 miles away from when the misfires first occurred. The police did not get involved as I was able to return home. The following week the car was towed to my mechanic where it was diagnosed that cylinder 3 had a problem. At that time the check engine light illuminated. He recommended that I tow my car to the Audi dealership as they have better availability of parts. The dealer took apart the engine and diagnosed a broken piston ring which destroyed many other parts of the engine. The engine had to be replaced with a new one from the factory. Audi should be held accountable for catastrophic engine failures that may result in injury to others due to poor engine design.
STEERING WHEEL RANDOMLY LOCKED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. THE CAR WAS ALMOST INOPERABLE. IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IS ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS, BUT NO RECALL FROM AUDI. IT NEEDS TO ADDRESSED AND FIXED. LIVES ARE AT RISK.
WHILE DRIVING, ON OR OFF THE HIGHWAY STEERING STIFFENS MAKING IT HARD OR IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE TURNS. IT IS A SCARY SITUATION, WHICH FORCED ME TO PULL OVER ON THE HIGHWAY ONCE- I WAS NOT ABLE TO SWITCH LANES DUE TO THE HARDNESS OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS OCCURS RANDOMLY, AT ANYTIME OR SPEED, EVEN AT SLOW SPEEDS WHILE DRIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT OCCURS TO EITHER SIDE, SOMETIMES ONE SIDE OF THE WHEEL OR BOTH SIDES.
MY CAR RECENTLY STARTED FEELING STIFF WHILE TAKING TURNS AND IT LOOKS AS IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING REPORTED ISSUE. NOTHING THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED IN THE PAST HOWEVER MOST REPORTS ARE OF PEOPLE "FIXING" THE PROBLEM ONLY FOR IT TO CONTINOUSLY COME BACK.
THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MAKE TURNS.
PURCHASED MY 2013 AUDI A4 IN 2017 AND SIMILAR TO ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS THE STEERING SEIZED SPORADICLY INDICATING IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ETC.. THE CAR WAS TOWED AND I AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE POWER STEERING MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE. I HAD A NEW ONE INSTALLED AT THE COST OF 2500$ (THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE 4000$!) . THE CAR WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY UNTIL RECENTLY (IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE IN THE WINTER WHEN IT BECOMES MILD) THE STEERING HAS BEGUN TO STICK ONCE AGAIN AND ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MY DASH LIGHTS UP NOTIFYING ME THE CAR CANT BE DRIVEN. THIS IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM AS THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE. PLEASE FIX IT!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AUDI INDIANAPOLIS (4610-B E 96TH ST, INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46240, (317) 853-4582) WHERE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE STRUCK A CURB AND THE "STEERING WHEEL DEFECTIVE DON'T DRIVE" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AUDI SAN FRANCISCO (1525 HOWARD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, (888) 779-0546) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING MECHANISM WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A4. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN LEFT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR TEN MINUTES. ONCE SHE CONTINUED DRIVING, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT CALLED VAN HORN VOLKSWAGEN OF SHEBOYGAN (LOCATED AT 5515 RACETRACK RD, SHEBOYGAN, WI 53081, (920) 457-8844) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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