Quantity Over Quality
As automotive manufacturers fight to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving automotive landscape, more and more models are launched each year. These brands seek to have a car in every segment of the market, though sometimes the rapid growth leaves some niggling issues with quality control.
In some cases, the simple things are affected. A lawsuit has been filed against German automaker Audi over a basic car feature we've been using for decades: door locks.
Audi
Locked In or Out
ClassAction.org reports that Audi of America is being sued for allegedly knowing about and selling faulty door locks across multiple models in its lineup. This, of course, poses a very high safety hazard to users of vehicles with defective door locking mechanisms.
According to the 28-page class action lawsuit, the main point of contention, apart from the faulty locks themselves, is that Audi knew that multiple models were affected by these issues.
The suit goes on to say that Audi continued to advertise the cars as safe and reliable. Even more alarming is that the suit says the affected year models date back all the way to 2019. The report published the list of affected vehicles, which is quite extensive and varies by year and model.
The complaint lists the specific issue with the door locking mechanism and software, both of which are said to operate intermitently. This defect prevents the door locks from engaging or releasing during normal operation. This can lead to customers either being locked in or locked out of the cars, exposing them to unnecessary danger. It goes on to say that should an accident occur and the mechanism fail, it could trap individuals in the car who need to get out quickly. Failure to lock the vehicle also opens the car and other contents inside to theft.
The Price of Admission
Another issue raised by the suit is that Audi knew about these issues through the issuance of at least eight service bulletins. One bulletin even quoted as saying that no repairs were necessary, which the suit says was clearly false. In a surprising development, the lawsuit also says that newer models are still being fitted with the faulty door mechanisms.
One complaint comes from a customer who bought an Audi in 2024. This customer says the issue manifested almost instantly after the car was bought, and manifested in the worst way possible. The door locking mechanism failed, locking her infant in the car.
Audi
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