Hi..

I have been a long time Audi driver..family too. Now, we have a situation which was terrible and we are searching for answers.. I have a client who owns/operates a 2004 A8 .

She entered an enclosed parking lot. She drove straight into a space, slowed down and stopped. With her foot still on the brake, Just as she was going to shift into park, she heard a click and the car just TOOK OFF!
She said she tried the brake and did not good. Lifting foot off gas did nothing..She steered around trees and parked cars and struck a wall.
She recalled every detail perfectly and still does. (the path is still evident on the lawn) She drives often. She has no accidents which were her fault. The insurer, at our insistence is having an inspection. I mentioned the computer adn the interlock too to them.

Does anyone have any knowledge of A8 or 2004 model defects or similar instances? Any recalls? Any reports? (our family once had a similarly defective 5000 back in the 80's) This person, who seems always and even now, so steady and objective is convinced there was no human error.. THANK YOu everybody..

 

Very unlikely, the only way that could have happened is mechanical error.

Example: hit wrong pedal, carpet pad shifted and stuck the accellerator down etc.

The car suddenly "accellerating" has NEVER happened to audi before, even in the 80's when they were painted by the "unintended" accelleration BS that almost ended the company was a farce. It was basically having the gas pedal and brake pedal the same height from the driver, a stupid lady leaned over and mashed the gas pedal trying to open the door for her son and ended up crushing him with the car. Fu&%ing Dan Rather of 60 minutes knew this but he decided to crucify the company instead, Mercedes had the EXACT same problem but quickly changed it seeing what happened to audi, i bet they even theatened/bribed 60 minutes as well.

Anywho, the gas pedal design has 3 failsafes built in. Its completely electronic (drive by wire) so the cable couldn't have stuck, because there isn't one.

1. If the gas pedal is pushed while the brake pedal is pushed, the car will default to limp mode and you will lose all function of the gas pedal.
So if she hit the brakes and the car saw the gas pedal was being depressed it would cut the throttle.

2. If there was an error in the pedal potentiometer, sending an erratic signal to the throttle body the throttle will again be cut. There is an additional sensor to verify the signals are correct, or if the other one fails.

3. If both of these sensors fail it will turn off the engine.

Now, if the throttle body itself malfunctioned and stuck the throttle body wide open, the car should cut the engine off. If thats what happened and the car didn't turn off, she could have herself a lawsuit. Im betting she's just an idiot.

 

Interesting reading for you to check out. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/the...ation-debacle/

 

Agree completely with Auditech79. Virtually impossible, unless an electronics expert was trying to kill her.

NO Audi 5000 was EVER found to have such a defect back in the 80's. I've previously researched every published legal document and all test reports (including the arranged doctored versions used by 60 Minutes and legal teams) on that "FARCE", which was an unethical attack on Audi by 60 Minutes, just lookin for ratings with all the class of the National Inquirer and "attorneys" lookin for a big payday.

The woman in question, who's "story" brought the A-5000 suit to media attention, started by admitting to her own spastic deadly mistake, until she was swarmed by opportunistic ambulance chasers who told her she was "mistaken" and "distraught after her child's death"..."This is how it happened" they said. Suddenly, "victims" with A-5000 "problems", mysterious came crawling out of the woodwork like trailer trash suing supermarkets after "slipping" on mystery puddles of water...yeah, right.

I have many friends in the legal profession. There are attorneys and then there are ambulance chasers. I hope, and I'll give you the benefit of the doubt at this point, that you are the former and not the latter. The former may be an attorney legitimately just listening to a client's "mistaken" version of events...the latter would be one of the lowest forms of life and an insult to their profession.

 

I wouldn't go so far as to say a driver is an idiot. Then again, I'm not saying they aren't. It just seems like every manufacturer has to go through this unintended acceleration crap, along with other ridiculous claims...

Audi, of course, back in the 80's. I worked for an Audi dealer then and I remember trying to put the customers at ease because of the "panic" created by a BS TV show. Hmm...

That wasn't the last time 60 minutes pulled that crap either! remember exploding Chevy trucks?! Hmm...

Then, of course, there was Chrysler in about 2002-2003 when they had to issue a recall to install a shift interlock device on Jeep Cherokees to protect us from the same problem. Seems some old lady drove through a wall in her house. Hmm...

And, we would be remiss if we didn't remember the recent, shameless, accusations against Toyota for (guess what?) the same problem! Hmm...

I had a similar (little known) recall on my 1996 Chrysler LHS. The solution was to (guess what?) install a shift interlock device to protect me from my own stupidity. I never had it done. Oddly enough, I never drove through my garage wall either. Hmm...

Oh yah, there was that recall on Chrysler minivan hatch latches too. That was a complete farce (what was the CBS TV show, with the initials 60 Minutes, that informed us of that problem?). Some dumb-*** lady doesn't belt her children in, and when she gets into an accident they "fly" out the back hatch because it "popped" open. My ***! Oh, don't look into why the children weren't buckled into child seats, instead let's recall 7.5 million vehicles and replace the latch on the back door. Hmm...

My point really has nothing to do with the intelligence (or lack) of the driver. Others can cast stones (maybe even justifiably). My point is that recalls are, in large part, "service actions" legislated by politicians to make the public feel better after the media and money-grubbing lawyers whip the public into a frenzy and rake a manufacturer over the coals. Hmm...

Nope! Not buyin' it! I'd be looking at the floor mat as the source of the problem... Oh wait! that was another Audi measure implemented to prevent "unintended acceleration." They installed BIG-*** BOLTS IN THE FLOOR to secure your floor mats and keep them from sliding forward to jam the gas pedal. That was Audi's second time around with this same BS claim! Hmm...

Sorry buddy. I'm not buying it. User error is a far more likely and plausible explanation. That, I'll buy. Hell, I'd put money on it.

I'm not sayin'... I'm just sayin'...