Camss57

Hi, I took delivery of my 2015 A4 in December and have has some issues with the steering. Car has the sport package and sport plus package. The steering wheel was off center to the left, so I took the car in to get it checked. I had my winter wheels and tires on it and when they checked the alignment everything was in spec so they swapped the front wheels with the rears and had me try that. No change in the steering after that, so they wanted to check the car with the OEM wheels. The car still had the same issue with the OEM wheels on it. If you would hold the wheel straight, the car would go right. And it was not a gradual change, it was immediate. The tech driving my car said he had never seen a car that did that, and could not believe his machine didn't pick that up. So, they put it on the alignment rack and made some changes. They didn't give me a printout or any kind of paperwork for that matter. Now the wheel was to the right. So, I decided to take the car to the next closest Audi dealership and have the alignment done again. The tech at this dealer could see the wheel was to the right when he drove the car. He found the rear toe was out of spec. He aligned it and we went for a ride. It was much better, but the wheel was now slightly off to the left. He put it on the rack again and tweaked it a little bit more and it seemed straight during our short drive. I drove the car home and I had the wheel cranked to the right because it was vey windy. Once I got near my home it seemed ok again.

The next day the steering was slightly to the left and if you held the wheel straight it did the same thing it did before I took it in initially. The car all the while seemed to be dog tracking and required almost constant adjustments on the interstate. I spend about 90% of my time on the interstate, so this to me is a major annoyance. The steering truly seems to change daily. This is my first Audi and I can't believe that this is how the steering is suppose to be. My wife has a 08 Passat with 76k on it that we have had since new that drives better than my car. I contacted Audi today and they want me to take the car back into the dealership to have the alignment checked again. I have had the car in 6 times now and it has been on the alignment rack 4 times.

Could the alignment be ok and something else is causing the issue? It is the same with both winter and summer tires. I called the dealership today after Audi had contacted them and the service advisor told me that he thought my issue would never go away and that they get a lot of complaints about the electronic steering especially when it is cold outside. I have tried searching the entire web and have found several things that pop up, but most seem to be from around 2013. Oh, and I drove a similar 2015 A4 at the dealership on 3 separate occasions and it drives how in my mind, how mine should drive. The wheel is straight and the car seems solid on the interstate.

Does the steering angle sensor need to be reset after an alignment? Could the car have the proper alignment and it is fighting a sensor or something else? Thanks in advance.

E92MPower

Did your car recently develop the issue or was it like this since Decemebr? Did the tech's physically check tire pressure? Could have been a combination of probelems with the rear being out of spec, etc...

Camss57

I had not burned through my first tank of fuel before the car was back in for this issue. I actually reset my tire pressure to the "comfort" setting. The dealership had it set for a "full load". That actually made a difference. I have owned several cars through the years and I have never had one that behaved like this one. It had me more frustrated after driving the other A4 on the lot and it drove how I expected mine to drive.

E92MPower

I also read your post on Audizine so this has me a bit concered as I'm expecting to take delivery of my '15 A4 P+ in late March. I was hoping the issues had been resolved in 2013. I'll be sure to take the car for a comprehensive test drive before signing any paperwork.

Sounds like it may be time for you to get the GM and SM involved and begin a claim under the Lemon Law in ordr for them to assign a more competent tech. Based on your feedback it sounds like it's a combination of problems. And without the full attention of the service department this may never be fixed. I would certainly be highly upset as well. No way a brand new car should be tracking inncorectly and require so much correction to simply drive straight.

jagtoes

I'm trying to visualize this from your description. Are you saying that the steering wheel is off center and if you straighten it out the car goes to one side. If so and the dealer does an alignment and it is to spec do they also "center the steering wheel" during the alignment. This procedure is the same whether it is a hydraulic or an electric rack. So did the dealer center the wheel or not. If they didn't then if you center it when you are going straight down the road it will not go straight. If the alignment (must be 4 wheel alignment) was done correctly and within spec (I would want the readout) and the wheel was centered then it should run straight down the road.

Camss57

That is correct. The steering wheel is off center and when I hold it straight it heads for the curb. It's not gradual either, it's immediate. I never dreamed a car of this caliber would have an issue like this.

It worries me that the dealership says they feel the issue will never go away? No way this is true or Audi would not be selling cars in record numbers. I drove my father in laws Q3 last year in Germany and it drove wonderfully on the autobahn.

roger_1

If you don't center the wheel, but leave it where it is, and then drive on a level stretch of road, and lift your hands off the wheel, will the car continue to go straight?

If so, it's a simply matter of having the steering wheel centered.

OTOH, if, when you take your hands off the wheel, and the car wont continue to go in a straight line (make sure the road is level, side to side), and swapping the wheels doesn't remedy it, then you have a bigger (different) problem.

ccA4SEA

I've had mine since December with sport plus and noticed my steering wheel when visually centered definitely pulls to the right. However, I think its more along the lines of what Roger says in that the wheel is not centered relative alignment center point.

This is my first car with electro-mechanical steering and its certainly a different feel compared to traditional power steering and reacts a bit differently some times for the better, sometimes for the worse.

I'm going to have the alignment checked during the 5k oil change in ~1.5 months, if I find out anything I'll post back. Keep us posted on your situation, hopefully it gets corrected soon.

jagtoes

The rack and pinion steering whether hydraulic or electric both function the same way. The difference is the hydraulic has a pump and the assist it provides is usually constant. The electric performs differently as it is integrated into the cars computer. It allows the car to turn easier at low speeds while stiffening up at higher speeds thus giving the driver more road feel. They both function as "power assist" . Usually the critical measurement in an alignment is "toe-in" which basically points the wheels straight down the road within a mfg. spec. The other measurements are "caster and chamber" which unless there is damage usually don't change. During the alignment the tech should "set" the steering wheel straight. They adjust the tie rod ends to get the correct toe-in and lock it in. The steering wheel is straight , the wheels are straight and the car will go straight down the road. Other things that can affect "tracking" are bent rims , out of round tires , tire tread , worn ball joints , worn suspension bushings and wheel/hub bearings. So get the alignment checked , center the wheel and test drive it . Also make sure before you have the alignment done tell the tech you want the "read out" of the before and after results. TRUST BUT VERIFY

jagtoes

Just an FYI in case anyone is interested . More auto mfg's have/are going to electric assist steering is mainly driven to improve their gas mileage capability. By eliminating the power steering pump they reduce engine drag and use less HP to get the same results. How does it affect you as the driver depends on what steering feel you were used to. Electric is a little heavier at normal road speeds while lite at idle and parking speeds. They think you want the heavier feedback at highway speeds.