Complete failure

[wildbore]

Do you have the fancy variable-ratio steering option? What you might have experienced is the system dropping back to the highly geared mode in which a large steering input at the wheel only moves the wheels a small amount (compared to the more direct gearing ratio) as soon as electrical power was lost.

[wildbore]

Failures were
Both headlights
Dynamic headlights and range control
Stop start
Acc and radar warnings
Sport differential

Presumably these were displayed as a consecutive stream of warning messages, rather than personal observations of the car's behaviour? If so, then they would definitely be logged in the system and should be visible to the workshop engineer. After the failure, did you connect any device to the OBD port yourself to see what has been logged? You should take the car straight to the dealer (or, rather, have it transported there) and let them interrogate the fault log. There has to be a reason why the dealer did not see the logged error messages on the first occurrence of this.

[Bit_evl]

Glad to hear you are okay, but no doubt with full underwear if it happened in that situation.

If that was the second time then my personal approach would be.
1. Formal letter to Audi describing the situation factually and asking for a formal response.
2. Should it happen again do not have the car recovered by Audi but to an independent to see if they can find something. If you are going to go legal or return the car you do not want them having all the evidence. Once you have done your check then let them at it. If it goes legal then they are going to pay for the check if they don't want more trouble. The AA offer this as a service and are well up to spec on these issues, they also train their engineers on the cars using Audis own tools.
3. Get the car recovered to AUDI afterwards not a dealer so they own the issue.
4. Do get legal advice NOW. Not CAB as they are voluntary generalists. How you raise a problem is fundamental to how it progresses.
5. If your car is on a PCP then you also inform them right now that you consider it to be untrustworthy and potentially LETHAL. It would not have taken a lot to go further wrong yesterday. Worse if the usual Motorway chain event happens (fog etc) then people in other cars also die. Put them on notice that in the event of injury or death related to the car they will be implicated. It may sound over-enthusiastic but a polite and informative call (not a screaming rant) with the facts and implications that they are on risk has a significant motivational impact. Don't go nuts just explain to them the issue and ask them how they intend to assist you? Make notes on everything and if possible get the lawyer to give you a goal for each call.
6. Ask for formal reports on the findings following the two incidents so they have to make it clear what they found. If they say they found nothing then you have reason to reject the vehicle as untrustworthy.

I have had power steering fail on another car and only just recovered it. With the 4WD gubbins and weight over the front axle on the RS6 I can imagine it feeling like it was locked. In the old days we had strong forearms and sat close to the wheel to use shoulder muscles, now we get comfortable and sit well back mostly using our wrist muscles to steer. We also have much higher geared racks making the whole thing more difficult.

Then share the VIN/plate with us so none of us buy it !!

[S4WON]

Call Audi UK
Reject the car
Leave it at dealers

[innercry666]

Report it to Citizens Advice and tell them you want the issue reporting to Trading Standards. Then tell Audi you have reported it to Trading Standards and that they are looking into it...

[Ian_C]

Hello, today my car had a catastrophic failure....

You are not having much lucky with this car.

Courtesy car bingo for tomorrow night then!

[wildbore]

OP has been back on the forum as recently as last night but no news, no updates. Would be interested to hear more about this incident and how the multiple system failures manifested themselves.

[zebede]

Crikey never have I felt so wanted......

Spoke to AUK yesterday, relayed my story of what happened, guy actually sounded concerned.

With regards to someone's comments about the physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, this maybe so but I can assure you that intermittently there was physically no way of me controlling the wheels or the direction of travel, whilst parked, it would spin left to right without moving the wheels, it is now pointing at 10 o'clock or so and bear in mind it had a wheel alignment on Friday just gone.

[zebede]

Crikey never have I felt so wanted......

Spoke to AUK yesterday, relayed my story of what happened, guy actually sounded concerned.

With regards to someone's comments about the physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, this maybe so but I can assure you that intermittently there was physically no way of me controlling the wheels or the direction of travel, whilst parked, it would spin left to right without moving the wheels, it is now pointing at 10 o'clock or so and bear in mind it had a wheel alignment on Friday just gone.

[zebede]

Crikey never have I felt so wanted......

Spoke to AUK yesterday, relayed my story of what happened, guy actually sounded concerned.

With regards to someone's comments about the physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, this maybe so but I can assure you that intermittently there was physically no way of me controlling the wheels or the direction of travel, whilst parked, it would spin left to right without moving the wheels, it is now pointing at 10 o'clock or so and bear in mind it had a wheel alignment on Friday just gone.

[zebede]

Crikey never have I felt so wanted......

Spoke to AUK yesterday, relayed my story of what happened, guy actually sounded concerned.

With regards to someone's comments about the physical link between the steering wheel and the wheels, this maybe so but I can assure you that intermittently there was physically no way of me controlling the wheels or the direction of travel, whilst parked, it would spin left to right without moving the wheels, it is now pointing at 10 o'clock or so and bear in mind it had a wheel alignment on Friday just gone.

[zebede]

I have a video of it doing certain things but I shall keep to myself for a while and see how this develops with Audi

Ian - it has manifested itself in the form of a big fast Audi

[Markp]

Just a thought - and won't explain electrical gremlins - but did they fiddle with steering linkage / rack during alignment?

[RSQ]

If that is the case then your car is f00ked. Some linkage must be broken or whatever.

DO NOT DRIVE IT!!

Good luck with the fix.

[zebede]

Apparently the loom is fooked....