Audi has issued a recall order for almost 600,000 vehicles, with two reasons cited for the action.
The recall order continues the stroke of bad luck for parent company Volkswagen, which is still suffering from the effects of the Dieselgate scandal.
Audi Recalls 576,000 Vehicles
The first recall by Audi covers a total of 342,867 vehicles sold in the United States. The order includes the Audi A4 with model years 2013 to 2016, the Audi A5 Cabriolet with model years 2013 to 2017, the Audi A5 Coupe with model years 2013 to 2017, the Audi A6 sedans with model years 2012 to 2015, the Audi Q5 SUVs with model years 2013 to 2017, and the Audi A4 Allroad Wagons with model years 2013 to 2016.
The reason for the recall order on these vehicles is due to a potential fire hazard in their engines. Equipped with Audi's 2.0-liter TFSI engine, debris has been found to possibly block the coolant pump, which could lead to overheating and fire in the engine.
The second recall, meanwhile, covers a total of 234,054 vehicles, but only including the Audi Q5 SUV with model years 2011 to 2017.
The reason for the order on the Q5 SUVs is the possibility of water collected by the drainage system of the sunroof to soak into the foam that surrounds the inflators of the side airbag, which could lead to the explosion of the inflators. The moisture from the foam could corrode the airbag inflator, leading to a fractured canister that may suddenly deploy the airbag and send fragments into the vehicle that could cause injuries.
This is not related to the widespread Takata airbag recalls, which has caused 16 fatalities worldwide and has seen the Japanese component manufacturer receive a fine of $1 billion.
How Will Audi Fix The Issues?
For the first recall order, Audi will be fixing the problem through the application of a software update that will cut off the power supply for the coolant pump upon the detection of overheating. Vehicle owners will also be receiving notifications on their instrument panel through an indicator light.
According to Audi, it received reports regarding engine overheating in 2015, with an investigation into the matter launched in early 2016 to find out the cause of the problem. The issue of debris blocking the coolant pump and leading to the fire risk was discovered in December 2016, resulting to the recall order.
Dealers will be notified of the vehicles that are part of the recall order on Feb. 13, with owners of the affected vehicles to receive notification on Feb. 20.
As for the second recall order, Audi will disassemble and inspect that water drainage system of the sunroof and inspect the involved airbag canisters. If corrosion is already present on the inflator, it will be replaced or sealed with wax.
Volkswagen's Misfortunes Continue
The recalled Audi vehicles are a continuation of the misfortunes that have befallen parent company Volkswagen, which is still dealing with the so-called Dieselgate scandal.
Volkswagen vehicles were found to have defeat devices that lowered the carbon dioxide emissions of the vehicles during testing conditions, and similar devices were found in November 2016 in Audi vehicles as well.
A top executive of the automobile manufacturer, Oliver Schmidt, was arrested last month in relation to the scandal.
