[gagananand]

Well, my Audi Q8, bought in 2021, has done about 46000 km and has had multiple electrical failures. I have had instances of cars not starting at times. At other times, giving warning alarms on the highway that the car needs to be taken for repairs immediately. We have had faulty central locking once. The latest is a faulty/failed alternator. I have had instances where the window glass, once rolled down, would not go up and was stuck in the cold.

While turning, the differential makes a grinding sound and vibrates. A new car does not have this noise/vibrations. They changed the differential, and it was good for about 15000 km, but noise/vibrations reappeared.

Audi now claims noise/vibrations add to the car's driving dynamics. This means the new car has poor driving dynamics once you drive it a few thousand kilometres and it starts making noise.

The car has spent about 16 weeks in the workshop in a little over 2 Years of our ownership.

AUDI India feels all this is Normal for AUDI Q8 :Frustrati

Mod Note - Please proofread before posting.

[ajmat]

Am betting its faulty electronics

Either the battery has been faulty or the alternator has been pumping more voltage causing the electronics to fail or be erratic. This also might be affecting the drivetrain giving the wrong inputs to the wheels hence creating premature differential wear. Normally this happens when the tyre tread have more than 4 mm differential all round confusing the control units.

Audi should buy the car back accounting for reasonable use, or its the Consumer court. I assume that the car is still under warranty.

[gagananand]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Am betting its faulty electronics

Either the battery has been faulty or the alternator has been pumping more voltage causing the electronics to fail or be erratic. This also might be affecting the drivetrain giving the wrong inputs to the wheels hence creating premature differential wear. Normally this happens when the tyre tread have more than 4 mm differential all round confusing the control units.

Audi should buy the car back accounting for reasonable use, or its the Consumer court. I assume that the car is still under warranty.

Thanks
Audi feels all this is very normal for Q8. All they say is every time there is a problem we have repaired same and give a vague reason for the failure. The car is still under warranty but the dependability is an issue.
More so the differential grinding noise while turning accompanied with vibrations, they are not willing to repair and now they term it as feature of the car.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by gagananand

Thanks
Audi feels all this is very normal for Q8.

This is unacceptable. I have an idea - will PM you!

[gagananand]

Audi India has now found a new term for the grinding sound / vibrations while turning on my car. Now they term it as an operational sound. Just wondering why their new car does not have same. Why the Q8 develops same after running a few thousand kilometers. While turning the car vibrates like a tractor.

My car never had it during initial about 15000 kms and then it started. The sound vanished after Audi changed the differential for about 15000 kms and again reappeared. They are just trying to cover up a major defect by terming it as operational sound and also claim that this sound/vibration adds to driving dynamics of the car.

[TheARUN]

Very bad AUDI, the Q8 is nothing but a rebadged Lamborghini Urus.

They sold close 100 Urus last year and went to town about the feat. Imagine if you could peep into one of the Lamborghini showrooms and speak to some friendly workers, maybe they have found a solution or know what the problem is.

All the best, nobody deserves this. Its punishment, owning a Q8 and not being able to drive it peacefully

[gagananand]

Sharing my plight in detail

Bought this beautiful Q8 in September 2021. Initially it started with small software update reminders on the MMI.


On May 2022 the 1st electrical problem happened when in the middle of the night the central locking fault alarm popped. After a few days the car did not start in the morning and Audi came to assist and car was taken to workshop.

Next again the car did not start one morning and Audi came to rescue. After many trips to workshop in April 2022 they declared all this was an earthing issue and now sorted.


Now the car had run over 15K Kms and started making grinding noise and vibrations while turning. Made many visits to workshop for this. Again in May 2022 again, the central locking fault appeared and trips to workshop started again. Audi reported to have changed a door latch and claimed to have solved the issue.

In July 2022 while driving in hill, the mirrors would not fold and had to fold manually I rolled down the window and even that got stuck. And so on my holiday in hills I was stuck with a car with front windows stuck rolled down in cold weather. So again another trip to the workshop and now all door latches were changed .
After many trips to workshop and mails with Audi finally the differential was changed in December 2022 and the grinding sound and vibration issues were sorted but the my car had spent about 8 weeks in workshop for repairs till now.


Next few months were trouble free and again in September 2023, the vibration/grinding sound reappeared. The car has now run about 15 to 20K kms after differential change.


13 December 2023 my car went for routine service and came back the same evening. During the very next morning while driving on Noida expressway, got an electrical system fault warning appeared and and stranded me on the expressway. Audi came and took the car and finally after a few days was informed that the alternator of the car was faulty and being sourced.

Audi claim that the grinding sound and vibrations while turning now I am being told that it's an operational sound. Audi went to the extent of telling me that this noise adds to the driving dynamics of the car. We had a joint test on their new Q8 and the new car does not have any sound/vibrations while turning. To this Audi says even the new car will develop same after a few thousand Kilometers. What kind of operational sound is this that appears after few thousand kilometres and also adds to,the driving dynamics of the car as claimed by Audi? Audi is refusing to repair the differential �� and asking me to take delivery of the defective car.

I am stuck with a LEMON I guess and am scared to Drive it on road. Scared as to what next in store. This car is totally unpredictable and undependable.


I spent over a CRORE buying nuisance.

[ajmat]

This is a sad state of affairs. A close friend of mine has a Q8 and drives it to Coonoor regularly and has had no issues.


Suggest you try another Audi dealer not related to the one that you have used. Remember, the dealer is fobbing you off, not Audi India if I am correct

[gagananand]

Originally Posted by ajmat

This is a sad state of affairs. A close friend of mine has a Q8 and drives it to Coonoor regularly and has had no issues.


Suggest you try another Audi dealer not related to the one that you have used. Remember, the dealer is fobbing you off, not Audi India if I am correct

Well I would say both Audi and dealer are hand in glove and just try to palm off the defective car. In their mails Audi India has claimed that their dealer is equipped to highest standards.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by gagananand

Well I would say both Audi and dealer are hand in glove and just try to palm off the defective car. In their mails Audi India has claimed that their dealer is equipped to highest standards.

Equipped, maybe, competent, no way!

My suggestion, try another Q8 - video the drive as also measure the sound. Then drive yours in a similar way and compare the data. Also consider the consumer courts!

[NomadSK]

If I would be in your place, I will get to plug the OBD scanner and extract the full list of fault/error codes before proceeding any further with manual troubleshooitng of hit and trial method.

Atleast tell Audi guys to generate the fault codes.

[wheelspinner]

Originally Posted by gagananand

Sharing my plight in detail

I spent over a CRORE buying nuisance.

You should file a case against Audi in the consumer court. Nobody deserves to go through such an ordeal. I recently suffered intermittent issues with an electronic device which was in the warranty period, and their policy was only limited to replacement of parts with labour. Once things were taken to court, they settled quickly.

Also, try to approach the brand where it hits them hard, get in touch with an auto vlogger who deals with such cases, take Arun Panwar for instance, and create some pressure on Audi through that way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKxweqHTFeg

[gagananand]

Originally Posted by wheelspinner

You should file a case against Audi in the consumer court. Nobody deserves to go through such an ordeal. I recently suffered intermittent issues with an electronic device which was in the warranty period, and their policy was only limited to replacement of parts with labour. Once things were taken to court, they settled quickly.

Also, try to approach the brand where it hits them hard, get in touch with an auto vlogger who deals with such cases, take Arun Panwar for instance, and create some pressure on Audi through that way: https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=PKxweqHTFeg

Really appreciate your suggestion. Will get in touch with Arun Panwar. Any other suggestions or names you might have ? Thanks 😊

[gagananand]

Have also had an instance of water dripping inside the car from front door in September 2023. The car was sent to service station for same and the standard reply that no fault found.

[navpreet318]

Well you are a man of patience I must admit. The way I look at it, anything done from this point onwards is useless.
Even if Audi tighten their belt and get all the issues sorted properly, I'd never be fully convinced that this car is reliable or sorted.
If I ask them for a replacement vehicle, it'll be a long haul in the courts with the money invested in that car blocked for years. Whatever you might get as settlement after years of fighting would also have depreciated in all those years. Plus the peace of mind lost in all those years of fighting that court case.

This is why I mentioned patience. You'll need a lot of it for a lot of years if you want your way out of this.

Heck I'd not buy another Q8 if I were in your place even if it is offered as a replacement.

I'd just choose peace of mind for myself and my family and just sell this lemon and buy myself a car which has sold in good numbers without much issues reported. Mercedes GLS, GLE or a Land Cruiser or a Lexus, whatever budget permits you.

On the other hand if you have a sprawling business and have a whole team of lawyers working for you, I'd just sign them off to keep on fighting Audi and screw the living daylights out of them for supplying a Lemon.

Life is such. Based on your available options you got to choose what to do.