jt01

I could not find a similar report in these forums or via Google...

2018 Q5 PP 25K miles; suddenly died/ screen flashed off.

Diagnosis: GATEWAY CONTROL MODULE J533, WATER IN CONTROL MODULE, CORROSION IN CONNECTOR, CAUSING FUSE FOR GATEWAY CONTROL UNIT TO BLOW.

Initial estimate is $3,200, and they are not considering it a warranty item. Now they are willing to just charge for parts $1,400. Car has been maintained per Audi specs, and we purchased AudiCare as well (through same dealer).

I contacted Audi USA as well. They will go back/forth with dealer to possibly work out 'Goodwill assistance', but evidently it is a 2 week process. Once we agree to order part, it takes 5 business days.

Dealer says a liquid must have spilled into area (behind rear seats). We have no recollection, but how is it possible that a small liquid spill could cause so much damage? Does this seem correct? We keep car in garage, and we have no young children. We use Audi OEM rubber mats.

I am not sure how to escalate this or if somehow we are at fault?

(As an aside, via Audi Roadside Assistance it took 3 towing companies to figure out how to disengage braking to get onto truck. 3rd company was successful after I called dealer to get involved; they sent a tech to meet truck!)

rdA4WtQ5

Sounds like a sunroof drain tube that clogged or popped off may have leaked and caused the damage. If so, you are only fixing the symptom not the problem.
Confirm the sunroof drains are working correctly since don't know of any spills.

jt01

We're still in initial warranty period; wouldn't that be considered a covered item?

rdA4WtQ5

With Audicare checking the sunroof drains is a service item or it at least used to be. Has the dealer confirmed the drains are good?

BarneyM

Everything I can find on the GATEWAY CONTROL MODULE J533 unit shows it being located high up in the dash on the drivers side. I could be wrong though.....

jt01

Evidently it’s behind/below rear seats. Last maintenance interval was 7 months ago. At this point there simply saying it’s my problem not warranty. Sounds like a design defect if that’s the case. Spill liquid in back seat, over $3k repair and car immobilized?

jt01

I was notified a couple days ago that, between Dealer and Audi USA, repair is being done at no cost to me. Exactly who is paying is a mystery. I am a bit worried this could happen again.

jaims

Great to hear you are covered 100%. I’m not surprised.

Audi (VOA) faces considerable legal exposure for any injury caused by a liquid finding its way into a component that poses such a high risk of harm if the module fails. . which evidently it does via corrosion following moisture intrusion of some sort. This is particularly the case given the absence of any mention or warning in the manual about avoiding spillage, and more pertinent to liability, Audi’s failure to anticipate the considerable risk of harm stemming from a readily foreseeable occurrence, ie, spillage. To frame it in more stark terms, no one reasonably expects to face a death ride when they spill their soda.

Audi’s ‘we’re not responsible for this’ doesn’t even pass the Laugh Test.

No doubt, someone in Audi’s Risk Management Department got wind of this situation and immediately went into panic mode (possible T/C transcript: “for Gods sake, are you stupid? Fix the damn thing, don’t charge the client, and pray this isn’t going to turn into a giant headache for us down the line.”)

LYU

Q5-2018 has an extra 88 cm for wheelbase and started selling in the end of 2018 in mainland China, and we call it Q5L.

Q5L has a very serious defect, that is, there is a gateway under the rear seat cushion, just under the cup holder. But there is no any waterproof measures for the gateway, and there is no any safety warning in the instruction book too. There are already many cases of Q5L's gateway spilled water in China because children drank water carelessly on the rear seat since 2019.

When water leaks through the safety belt lock gaps, the gateway is very easy to be watered and burn down and then the Q5L will completely collapse and can not be restarted. It will cost 12,000 RMB (about 1450 euros) to replace with a new gateway in 4S shops, but the new gateway still has no any waterproof measures.

There is no any improvement after the Q5L owners complained to Audi China. What we want to know is,

1. Is there a gateway under the rear seat cushion in your Q5 (2018) if you are out of china?

2. Is it reasonable to place the gateway under the rear seat, just below the cup holder?Should it be recalled by Audi ?

3. If there is no recall, how should the car owners take waterproof measures?

4. could you please give us some suggestion for us to solve this problem?
THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU CAN READ DETAILS BY FOLLOWING,
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...-down-3002613/

4ringsnewbie

Any chance you could report this to NHTSA?