A second recall of Audi vehicles and SUVs was announced this year amid reports of fires due to overheating in the vehicles. The affected vehicles include 342,867 cars in the United States and 50,000 cars in Canada. The recall is aimed at vehicles with 2.0-liter Turbo FSI engines including the 2013-2017 A5 and Q5, the 2013-2016 A4 sedan and Allroad, and 2012-2015 A6 vehicles with four-cylinder Turbo FSI engines.
Second Recall in Two Years for Fire Hazards
Volkswagen became aware of the risk of fires from overheating back in 2015. Audi had been notified about several cases where engine parts spontaneously began to fume. In 2017, Audi issued a recall of more than one million vehicles due to defective electric coolant pumps. In certain vehicles, the pump was blocked by debris from the cooling system which led to spontaneous fires. Moisture issues in the coolant pump that could cause a short circuit were also blamed for the recall. Audi announced a software update to repair the problem. But even after new software was installed, some cars continued to experience spontaneous explosions. Audi then announced a second recall of approximately 1.2 million vehicles to repair the issue again.
Audi Plans to Replace Defective Parts
This time Audi announced that it will take a more aggressive approach to addressing this defect by replacing the pump with a new, updated version. In addition, the car manufacturer plans to introduce a reconfigured pump, but that part will not be available until November of this year. Audi informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it intends to replace the defective pumps immediately and then install the redesigned pumps in the fall once they are available. The pumps will be replaced free of charge to car owners. With this final repair, Audi owners will have brought their cars to the dealer three times to rectify this fire hazards.
While Audi informed the NHTSA of fires in several of the affected vehicles, it did not report any injuries or deaths resulting from this defect. As always, car owners should check whether their vehicles are affected by the recall by looking up their car’s VIN number and proceeding with repair instructions if their car is involved in the recall.
If you or a member of your family suffered injury or death as a result of negligence or a defective automobile, contact the attorneys Alexander Law Group, LLP. Our exceptional personal injury lawyers will answer your questions and get you the maximum compensation that is possible. Call 888.777.1776 or contact us online.
