DRC Survey

[tombs]

I’ve been watching the RS6 forum with a lot of interest over the last 4 months as I would really love to buy an RS6 as my next purchase. But I am so reluctant to part with the best part of £25-30K on a car that has so many problems with its suspension. And having just seen this poll, I am gutted to see that so many have responded with an issue with the DRC setup. I’m even more alarmed to hear that there are so many dealers with little or no clue in how to deal with it! And to read that there are people looking at alternatives to the DRC is amazing, no one should need to touch the setup it should work properly and do what it is designed to do. I don’t expect to buy a car of such pedigree and then have to fork out god knows how much on getting the suspension sorted with an aftermarket product, although I appreciate this might be the case if you’re looking to sort the car for track use.

The more I think about my options and the more S4woody shows me around his M5 the more I’m looking to leap to the other side. Just seems a much better package with a very few issue’s to me, it’s looking very promising over there. Its a real shame because my previous Audi's (S3,S4 & RS4) were all pretty reliable and easy to maintain....

[CliveH]

I agree with you Tom (well at least until you start rambling on about BMwhat??? )

Surely Audi need to stand up and be counted on this one. It may not be a recall issue, but it's no good them simply "fixing" a problem which is going to recur, because either the job is bodged or the likelihood (looks like about 80% to me if the owners who have voted are representative of the RS6 population) is that the fault will only happen again because the kit is simply replaced by the same parts.

If the B7 RS4 uses the same system, as golfather suggests, then they're going to have to find a solution sharpish - there's a lot more RS4s on the road than RS6s, and the problems will soon start coming home to roost...

[Ronin]

Having read the comments so far, it beggars belief that Audi haven't acknowledged the DRC problem and introduced better dealer "education programme" or a permanent fix to the problem, which is a safety critical item and should not be overlooked.

I wonder what would happen if there were fatalities directly contributable to failed DRC - would they do a recall like they did with the handling issues with the first TT?

Thinking aloud, I wonder if the new TT magnetic suspension could be adapted to fit the RS6? Might make for a very interesting car.

Anyway, the purpose of my post, I too have been put off purchasing a 6 so far by the DRC issue, but if I found the right car at a dealer and I haven't yet. What do you think would be the reaction from the warranty company, if I binned the DRC set up for a Bilstein coil over - would it affect the whole warranty or just any future suspension claim?

Most other suspension parts and I am parcelling brakes, wheels and bearings together here are not covered by the warranty, which leaves the engine and gearbox - something no one wants to go wrong, but could still be covered by a forward thinking warranty company.


Any thoughts?

[Golfather]

and theres more...
If you did a poll for gearboxes, I bet you'd get similar results

Warranty companies need the smallest of excuse's to wiggle out of a claim.
So if you've modded the car, like coilovers or whatever, they will have all the more reason to refuse a payout.
Also, I know that Audi UK and warranty companies now request boost logs and gearbox torque value logs from the dealers to determine if the ECU's have been chipped or modified, before contemplating paying for things like replacement gearboxes etc.

Just so that you know

[grizz]

Come on boys , what a car , i use mine hard every day and get a big smile . Don't be put off getting one . Take a look at the car , it's a super car and the big down fall is the drc . I've changed the clutch twice in a customers ferrari 360 within 6month's (3,500) at £2500 ago . i know whitch i prefer ...

[BigMo]

mine's at the stealer now getting DRC tlc. Second time since november.

[Brooner]

A good write up in this months Audi Driver on a repacment shocks and spings form Blistein by all acount seems to have transformed the car

[RSVI]

Didn't the TT have aero problems and it wasn't till someone died when Audi did a recall and added a lip spoiler on the back of the TT's?

Is this what it's going to take with the RS6 DRC problem?

God i hope not...............................

[SteveH]

What about a letter to Audi HQ, incorporating brief details of all the owners/cars that have had issues, obviously would have to be done under PM's. Would be quite a firm combined letter when you consider 25 cars on one letter

[RSVI]

I think this is a great Idea.

Who is the right person for the job (letter composer)

I would offer but there are better RS6 letter writers about I'm sure.

[PhilT]

What exactly is the point of the letter/communication?

Don't forget, RS246 has links to both Audi UK, Germany, and quattro GmbH. We might not need a letter per se....

[RSVI]

I think the point of the letter is to tell them that a large group of RS6 owners have got together and decided that the DRC is not worth having if it breaks every 2.5-3.5 years.
A group of Pi$$ed off owners that want Audi to do something about it before someone gets hurt or worse.
Like a lot of companies, nothing will be done until a fatality and the finger pointed at DRC, or until strong group of RS6 owners tell it how it is.


When i get time I'll try and do some homework, does anyone know some good contacts in Audi to start with over the phone?


Thanks

[PhilT]

does anyone know some good contacts in Audi to start with over the phone?

Let me have a go at this first....

[MugelloR]

does anyone know some good contacts in Audi to start with over the phone?

Let me have a go at this first....

Thank you Phil...from the RS6 collective!!!

There is no denying that there is a common thread of DRC failures and resultant repairs which if indeed an analysis was carried out on the works carried out by Audi UK dealers should infact sound alarm bells and a permanent fix should have been initiated before now.....the frequency of DRC repair / replacement work to UK owners alone is astonishing!! Come on Audi, accept that you might just have to address this subject once and for all, and as a bare minimum ensure uniformity and standard of remedial work across your dealerships !!!

[peterb]

Well, my car had DRC problems just before the original 3 year warranty period expired. To the best of my knowledge the dealer replaced one shock absorber and one 'pipe'. Another year on and the problem has not returned. I'm happy with a 'first time' fix, but I do fear another failure out of warranty!