OhNoMrBill

I believe the A8 has the same type of shifter as found in the Chrysler products. In my short ownership, I have twice not shifted from Drive to Park. It is a bit un-nerving to have the car start rolling back after parking because the transmission did not go into Park.

Any rumors that Audi will recall as well?

Fiat Chrysler Recalls 800,000 Vehicles for Confusing Shifter Design

SYMAWD

The A8 should go into park once you turn off the engine. At least the new Q7 and A4 do, and IIRC the A8 does too.

ahyaman718

If you have keyless entry and push to start, when you hit the start/stop button it automatically puts the car in parkon my A8 and most cars with push to start.

MP4.2+6.0

The replies are true once you shut off motor. Problem even from my experience though is when you think you put it in Park by a forceful single motion, or multiple faster taps. In fact, you only get to N or R. Thus, I find you really have to look at the instrument display to be sure what position it is in, if motor not yet shut down.

BFN949

It is a bloody stupid system to say the least. Getting into a vehicle with a traditional type shifter, makes one realize how much better the older system is. I never have to look down to the shifter or look at the instrument panel to confirm my gear selection in any of my other vehicles with traditional shifters.
With the Audi-system on the other hand, I have to check each and every time to make sure I'm actually in the gear I want to be. I have on at least 2 occasions in 15,000 miles come close to damaging the Audi because of incorrect gear selection.
It is a downright dangerous system. (Obviously, it is not only Audi making use of the system. The Mercedes stalk-on-steering-wheel system is even worse in my view.)

SYMAWD

If you go to get out of the car with the engine running the parking brake automatically applies.

Jack88

The only time I ever put it in the wrong gear selection and didn't notice immediately was when putting it in reverse from drive while parking. Sure, it requires some finese, but I love the position the shifter is in, and that it's in that position whether you're in drive or park is nice. If you get into an accident because you couldn't figure out what is an admittedly unconventional but simple shifter, you are a blithering idiot.

BFN949

The mere fact that the shifter requires someone "to figure it out" is in itself confirmation that it is dangerous and of a bad design.

SYMAWD

Maybe this isn't a fair comparison, but I guess manual transmissions are a bad design too using that logic?

Jack88

If you're going to quote me, use the whole sentence. 'The Fox News Method,' I call it, results in lost context. This is unacceptable in terms of using a quote as a reference. My point is that if a person is so confused about the shifter as to result in an accident or mishap of any kind, they are a complete buffoon. All this recall says to me is that these rubes are searching for someone else to blame for their own ineptitude. If you don't like the shifter, that's fine. I don't see anything inherently dangerous about it, though, particularly with the safeguards Audi has in place. As I said, the shifter's operation is still one of the simplest parts on the car. Like any other car, operation is as follows:
-Hold brake
-Depress button
-Select gear
-When desired gear is selected, release brake and button