hughes123

I had an automatic gearbox malfunction when I was driving at 120 kph on a motorway at night. It was a very frightening experience. The car is now having a new gearbox
installed. I'm concerned that this may happen to someone else. The car was serviced in September 2017 and I have a new automatic Q5 on order, to be delivered in January, 2018. Audi say they have not heard of this happening before. I'm not sure about that and I have lost confidence in the carmaker. Anyone else with this problem?

jimdolian

Can you be more specific about what happened?

apoelistas

I also lost confidence in my dealer but I am overseas.

hughes123

Yes. I was driving at 120 k per h on a motorway and I saw a message on my dashboard to say that the gearbox system was impaired. Then another message to say that the tyre pressure system was inactive. After that another message to say that I had no reverse gear. Then a message to say that i could continue driving. I did continue driving but the gears kept slipping, especially when i slowed. When I got to my home I left the car in a drive out position and called audi assist. I have been told that there was a gear box failure.

Redd

I think you are losing something in translation. A "gear box failure" presumably means a transmission failure. There are also two differentials on the gear, those are also "gear boxes" in US terms. And to say any one of them "failed" means very little. The transmission is electromechanical, there is an extensive electronics control module that operates it, unlike the classic hydraulic automatic transmissions. One electronics failure could cause the transmission to fail in many ways, and the fact that the tire pressure system, which is also an electronics system, showed a failure message, indicates that you had only *unspecified* electronics failures.

The failures need to be specified. Otherwise you may as well simply say "My car broke."

That happens quite frequently with new cars that have too many electronic control systems in them.

hughes123

I am losing nothing in translation sir. the fact is that I am a consumer. I paid a great deal of money for a car that i believed to be safe. I continued to pay to have this car serviced by Audi professionals and did not, and do not expect a car of this specification to let me down after 3 years ownership, careful driving and consistent servicing. I believe that the the result could have been potentially catastrophic. So yes the car was broke in your terms.

Clayton Yendrey

You are over reacting. Gearbox or transmission, the failure mode you described is what is to be ecpected in that case - increasing slippage, loss power and gear selection. Annoying, irritating, yes. Catastrophic, or unsafe, no. You are entitled to your opinion, but the facts are that any manufacturer/vehicle is subject to the same possibility of component failure. Since there doesn’t appear to be a litany of similar failures on this forum, it is reasonable to assume that your failure is not part of some wide spread design or manufacturing flaw. These things happen; no one is happy if it happens to them, but it doesnt make Audi a bad car maker.

Redd

I had a "gearbox failure". One day my previous car wouldn't shift into reverse gear. Now, that's more specific: The primary gearbox, the transmission, had a shifting failure.

A good, honest, transmission shift didn't just tell me "Your car is broke". They took a look at it, found a plastic bushing had failed and was jamming the reverse shift throw, and THEN they told me: A bushing broke and jammed your shift. We took it out."

That's a proper explanation, of a specific problem. You tell us that someone told you "the gearbox failed" and that's so unspecific, that it is useless. The service writer should have been more specific, and you should be more specific. if that means calling them back and saying you need more information, you need to do that. But just telling us "the gearbox failed" means nothing. That could mean you hit road debris and all the fluid leaked out, in which case there would be nothing "wrong" or "failed" except a routine road damage.

Or, it could be an electronics failure, like the faulty electrolytic capacitors that affected huge numbers of computers and vehicle electronics, and continue to do so.