SD Surf

I am an investigator in Southern California. I am working on a case involving Audi, and the A6 model in particular. Numerous A6 owners (including my father) have suffered damage to the front end of their cars when pulling OUT of parking spaces that have concrete curbs/ parking blocks.

The owners have reported that they did not hit or scrap the curbs/parking blocks on the way into the spot, but only on the way out. How is this possible? I would look forward to speaking with any A6 owners who have experienced this problem, or those who wish to avoid it. The repair costs have ranged from $800-1,200. Thanks.

Finman

they must've slightly scraped the curb stop on the way in...very similar to a barbed hook...goes in relatively easy, but gets caught-up on the way out. Whether they want to admit it or not...they rubbed over the curb stop on the way in...the car doesn't magically drop down after it sits in a parking spot.
Everyone who has done this...it is their own fault. It is an unfortunate error in judgement but it IS a driver's error. Just because one cannot see the bumper in front of the car doesn't mean you should continue moving forward until you hit something.
Perhaps Audi and it's dealers should alert buyers to this potential hazard...it would be nice...several people here have done it...but you don't go suing a car company because it's mirrors stick out too far and you sometimes bang it getting in or out of the garage or along a fence, etc.
I think virtually everyone here admits that it is their own fault for this...although some think it is a bit of a stupid design to have the lower air dam come down so low just in front of the tires. I agree it is not the ideal design and can lead toward an easy unfortunate, unintended dam-ectomy...but you can see the curb stop when pulling in, so you know it's there...now just stop before you hit it!

gdog009

easy to remedy, imo, if they just used some insight...

please let us know the results of this, let me know if you need further details.

dog
2001 A6 2.7T Sport
Brilliant Black/Ebony
17" BBS RCs
Xenon/Bose/yadda<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/113142.phtml">recent discussion on bumper issue</a></li></ul>

Muhammad

I've taken a VERY close look at the entire 'deal' after going over one ... you don't hear or feel, or otherwise know that you pull in OVER the blocks... and then backing up rips the bumper off.

My first introduction to this came probably 10 years ago when my father pulled the bumper off his 5000 after it got caught on some ice. So, we always take special note when pulling in to spaces now ... once I accidentally pulled in over one (what was I thinking? ) ... had to crawl around in the snow, under and around the car to lift the lowest points while the car was backed up.

The only prevention is caution when parking. Similar damage could be done to any car with low clearance... but Audis in particular have issues because of the far ends of the bumpers (that meet the wheel wells) ... but when you look at the bumper, you have to pull quite a ways in to catch those ends. The center edge of the bumper is less likely to get caught on a parking block, unless the rebar pegs are exposed, or it has a pointed top.

INTENDED Acceleration

I have not sustained damage, but the clearance of the front lower bumper is much lower than other cars. I'm extra-cautious when parking against blocks.

To answer your question about not sustaining damage while pulling in, consider a barbed fish hook or molly bolt. Going one direction, there is little resistance, but going the other way, the trap has been set. Additionally, if you consider the design of the lower bumper, it is probably engineered to withstand forward motion "scraping" (like speed bumps or bottoming out through dips) but not well suited for the reverse pulling motion created by parking blocks, or the usual suspect...the rebar that secures the parking block and may extend upwards an inch or so.

SD Surf

Finman,

Loved the picture! But you are wrong about driver error, and the vehicles did NOT make any contact pulling in. There is actually a mechanical defect that causes this to happen. I would be happy to share the results of our investigation if you are interested. Send me a private e-mail if you would like - cjensen@esi-int.com.

ari (audiless)

Happened to me on my A4. If I recall, there was an extensive thread on this very subject here about a week ago. Try a search.

SD Surf

Actually, that is not the cause of the problem. There is a mechanical defect that causes this to occur. If you are interested in learning more about it, you can contact me at cjensen@esi-int.com.

Delaware_Tom

it does so much damage when you back out. Many cars scrape up some plastic or even metal pulling over those curbs, or even backing out of a driveway onto a steeply crowned road. But that is all they do - a scuff that no one can see without crawling under the car and looking up. For example, I have had that problem with both a Ford Taurus and a Ford Contour and only gotten a hidden bit of road rash. Pulling off the bumper cover does not seem acceptable. The fix sould be a fairly simple reshaping of the plastic lip down there to allow it to flex as you back out. If Ford can get this right, it should be a cinch for Audi!

The first year the body style was out it was a quirk and a design oversight. By the second year, it is just bad engineering and a manufacturer not paying attention to design flaws. I say this as an engineer who has seen similar sins in many if not all companies.

So far I have not done this to my car yet, mostly thanks to the numerous reports on this board of other's misfortunes.

- Tom

Delaware_Tom

Can you share how this seeming miracle happens or is it secret? The design looks like it would flex (and make contact) pulling in. It hooks and pulls down on the way out. That seems obvious to me from simple observation. It would seem to need someone flooring it on the way out to get body shift on backing.

- Tom