Hi everyone

I bought a used approved 2010 A3 from an Audi garage a little over a year. The other day the Crankshaft Central Bolt came lose and fell out whilst driving, resulting in the pulley and Crankshaft Seal being damaged.

My car is with Audi now for repair and I wanted to get a view on why this might have happened, if it’s a common fault and the likelihood I'm going to get a huge bill from Audi. Know its going to be pricy but shoud i be expected to pay given this type of failiure?

Please let me know what you think, I know littlle about cars so would appreciate feedback so I know where I stand in regards to this when dealing with the audi garage.

See picture of damage attatched

Bit of information leading up to the fault
I have been complaining of a rotating engine rattle from cold starts for the last 9 months, the car has been in and out of the Audi garage with various work done by Audi to rectify it carried out, all unsucessful.

The latest Audi garage episode was last month where they had it for over a month, is this crankshaft bolt fault something that could have been identified then?

Work done by garage to fix engine rattle, 2013-2014
Clip fitted to exhaust
The wheel bearings were replaced
Some type of engine alignment work, not sure exactly.

Audi have said they are evaluating it and the factory may pay as it seems a sudden failure, but that's a "May pay" I think they should given it was such a major failure for a car that's only done 30,000 miles, just been serviced and came out of the Audi garage where they could not identify any issue last month. In my view this bolt should not have come lose.

Advice greatly appreciated

Many thanks all.

Jon

 

That is a very unusual failure. In the dealer's defense, it's not something a tech would even think to check for a cold start rattle.

About the only way this could happen is the bolt was not torqued properly either at the assembly plant or in the field.