Issues with Audi RS6 2023 (15.000 KM)

[beastvan]

So I have a few issues ongoing with the car. I unfortunately had a rock hit my windshield, so I had to get the windshield replaced. It was done with all OEM parts at the dealership. The issues is have:

Issue #1: Squeaking noise from the sunroof (only when closed)

My car started to produce a squeaking noise directly above the driver's head. It is a very annoying squeaking sound. The sound can be dampened by closing the sunshade, but it doesn't stop the sound. Tilting the sunroof into the tilted open position seems to completely stop the sound. The same happens when you open the sunroof. Considering it is the winter, this is not a viable solution. Also, having paid for that nice sunroof, I would prefer to be able to pull the blinds away every-now-and-then without having to listen to a loud squeaking noise. My car is going to the service center to get a TSB done on it. Apparently Audi has known about this defect for many years and the solution is to completely disassemble the headliner and the sunroof and apply felt tape between the clips that hold the sunroof to the headliner. Not so happy about the car getting torn to pieces, especially considering that Audi has known about this issue for a long time.

Issue #2: Knocking sound from the cabin heater from the center console area

Since the heating season has started and its cold outside. I too like many motorists like to use the cabin heater... go figure. I noticed that whenever the car (or rather the heating system is cold) there is a loud knocking sound that seems to come from the center console area. This sound happens approx. every 10 seconds and continues for a around 5-8 minutes. I have had instances where the sound would stop after driving about for 8 minutes, then I kept driving for another 20-ish minutes. Turned off the car. The car sat for 30 minutes and then I started driving again and the knocking started for a bit (not for the usual 5-8 minutes though). I can't seem to alter the climate control settings in anyway to make this noise go away. The only thing that will stop it a complete climate system shutoff. They ran diagnostics on the air conditioning system and no errors popped up. The same knocking sound could be heard during the test when the car tested each of its 14+ actuators in the climate system. Unfortunately, the motors cannot be individually actuated to figure out which one is making the noise. The next step is to do a partial dissemble of the center console. Apparently there are 2 flaps there that could be making this noise. This is still less intrusive than what we thought would've had to be done (taking out the brand new windshield that was just installed, removing the entire dash, entire center console, cross member support). I am still concerned about opening up stuff cause the interior already rattles likes Fiat Ducato that has done well over 500.000 km, I don't want it to get worse.

Here is a video: https://youtube.com/shorts/hmstjFyXws4?feature=share

Issue #3: Rear windshield Wiper

Just watch this short video. This has been going on since day one. I figured that the rubber just had to go through some wear and it will sort itself out. Now I am most likely going to be responsible for buying a new rear wiper that should resolve the situation. Lesson: complain early!

Here is a video: https://youtube.com/shorts/8OnWqV5Ng-w?feature=share

Issue #4: Plastic knocking sound from behind the rear view mirror and around the windshield are towards the front passenger side

Since the brand new windshield was installed, there is a ridiculous amount of knocking that is coming from the plastic box behind the rear view mirror. I am assuming that the tech didn't do a good enough of a job at reinstalling the cables that are mounted within that box and those cables are either hitting each other or they are hitting against the plastic housing.

Overall review of the 2023 Audi RS6 Ownership experience

This car is phenomenal to drive flat-out. It truly is. But the moment you just want to drive it like a normal car, you start noticing the laughable interior build quality. The Skoda Octavia has multiple-fold better interior build quality. I am not talking about the "bRO tHE mATERiALS aRE sO MuCH bETter". I am talking about the construction, the rattling, the creaking of materials. Audi really did a poor job on the interior build quality. For example, if they know of an sunroof issue for 10+ years now, why on earth can't they change their manufacturing process on this assembly.... This interior quality issue is taking away so much from the experience. Mechanically the car is sound and is a delight to drive. The only complaint I have about the car mechanically that it is so so good and so well engineered, that its too tame. It's crazy fast and agile for its size. But it does everything so effortlessly and without "trying to kill you" that the car almost suffers from a little more rawness and purity.

Either way if anyone has any suggestions on the above mentioned issues or have some experiences with a similar issue, please let me know in a comment. Thanks.

[Longy_UK]

I think you need to lower your expectations a little.

Having owned an A6 2.0Tfsi and a C8 RS6 I can assure you that 95% of the car is the same. The entire dash for example is identical... Well apart from the RS on the wheel and the quattro logo. The quality is therefore representative of a £45k A6.

I have written before about the RS tax we pay and if its worth it or not. As I say I went from a £50k A6 Black edition to a £115k RS6 Vorsp. Is it a great car - yes! Is it worth £65k more - certainly not!..

Yes there's a lot going on with the running gear with rear steer and DRC etc but for 99.9% of my driving its unnoticeable over my old standard A6.

[beastvan]

I think you need to lower your expectations a little.

Having owned an A6 2.0Tfsi and a C8 RS6 I can assure you that 95% of the car is the same. The entire dash for example is identical... Well apart from the RS on the wheel and the quattro logo. The quality is therefore representative of a £45k A6.

I have written before about the RS tax we pay and if its worth it or not. As I say I went from a £50k A6 Black edition to a £115k RS6 Vorsp. Is it a great car - yes! Is it worth £65k more - certainly not!..

Yes there's a lot going on with the running gear with rear steer and DRC etc but for 99.9% of my driving its unnoticeable over my old standard A6.

Hey! Take a look at the videos, I just added. This is not acceptable. Not for a RS6, not for a A6 or any other car imo. I drove 2 varieties of Skoda Octavia before getting the RS6. Both had a lot better interior quality. The RS6 mechanically is "so far so good". I had quite the start to the ownership experience (find my previous post), when I got a Sport Differential failure warning 40 meters after leaving the dealership. It took them 4 days to get the car operational day 1. The interior quality, the knocking and rattling are so annoying that unless you are "pedal to the metal" pushing the car, I would honestly consider getting back in that Skoda Octavia with the 1.5 TSFI engine. It has 1/4 the horsepower, but it has no (or barely noticeable rattles). Also, Skoda and Audi are from the same group, so its rather surprising to see that Audi's "almost" flagship performance car (if you discount the R8), has an interior quality like this.

[beastvan]

UPDATE:

ISSUE #1: Audi doesn't have an official fix manual for this apparently. The only one they have is one for the clips holding the roof-liner and the sunroof together. The mechanic had experience with a lot of VW Arteon's exhibiting the same issue. In those cases, VW has a specific manual for disassembly of the sunroof and re-lubing. They did this procedure on a SQ7 before and it resolve the problems there. So, they said they would try that first before doing the clip holding manual because that involves taking apart the entire roof-line. So far, I have not been able to hear the sunroof rattle, so it seems like this issue has been resolved. I will be driving around a bit and opening and closing the sunroof before being 100% happy though

ISSUE #2: Basically, we got nowhere with this. We are trying to get AUDI or PORSCHE, to give the diagnostics guy a tool via the diagnostics software to individually test every flap the air-condition system. The only test that is available, is a full systems check, which returns an "all good" result, even though we can identify the knock sound being present during one of the motor/flap engagements.

ISSUE #3: They offered to give me a new rear-wiper in hopes that its just the rubber part of the wiper which is shot.

ISSUE #4: Identified that the issue is present. They checked for any cables being loose, which I was told it was not. The mechanic said that when he replaced that part he applied some silicon spray to the contact points to make it easier to take of for the next guy. Maybe this was the issue, as it could have minimized the friction of the piece being held to the glass...we are not sure. The noise has gotten significantly less "worse". They ordered a replacement part for that cover for me.