My 2022 Audi E-Tron GT Nearly Killed Me

DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 85 – January 2023 | Death Evader

Dear Suzanne, 

A 2022 Audi E-Tron GT with just 1900 miles on it is not expected to malfunction as much as mine does. I purchased this car brand new from an Audi dealership in California and I have returned it to this same dealership for repairs about three times now. 

Being an electric car, all its problems are related one way or the other to the electrical system. The major problem is with the charging system in which there is a malfunction that causes it not to charge or charge fast. Usually, when charging my car, it shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to be fully charged but now, it takes more time. 

Sometimes, the problem is that the charging port locks onto the charger. This particular issue has put me in several unfortunate circumstances but the most serious of them all was the one that almost got me killed. 

I was driving my car home from work after a very long day and then my car began acting up. It first began with the infotainment screen blanking out but that wasn’t a big issue so I kept on driving. Then it progressed to the dashboard lights flickering for no reason but I still wasn’t bothered, at least not until I reached the railway tracks on the way to my house. 

As I got to the electric railway tracks, my car suddenly refused to move and it failed to respond at all. I first thought maybe the car battery was low but I was pretty sure it wasn’t. 

It was when the electric charging malfunction message came up on the dashboard that I realized what had happened. Once again, the charging port had decided to lock on to the electric railway lines thinking it was a charging station. And whenever this happens, my car would not move until ‘charged’ properly. 

Seeing as this was obviously not a good time for all of that to happen since I was on the railway tracks, I began to look for ways to disrupt this charging process. I Google searched several ways like disconnecting the battery but I was unable to find any effective solution. During this period, I was seriously praying that no train would be on its way, and for a while, I thought my prayers were answered. 

Unfortunately, about 30 minutes after my car got locked onto the tracks, I heard the sounds of a train horn; I was terrified and hoped it was my ear playing tricks. However, after hearing it a second time, I realized it was real and I needed to get my car off the tracks. 

In one last desperate attempt, I disconnected and reconnected the battery and tried starting my car. Fortunately, it worked and I sped off from the tracks just in time before the train crashed into my car. It was after everything that I realized how profusely I was sweating. 

When I contacted the dealership to let them know what happened, it felt like they disregarded the incident. All they did was do a computer software update as if that would be a permanent solution. It felt very insulting actually being that I just had a near-death experience and they were attributing it to outdated computer software, really?! 

Every time I look back on this incident, I realize how close I was to knocking on death’s door and now I’m always frightened anytime I drive home. This is just wrong because why should I be too fearful to drive my car when it doesn’t even have up to 2000 miles?

Other problems I have had with the car are with the headlights and also the defective rear camera. As for the headlights, it was out of alignment or something like that. These issues have been fixed or let me say, they haven’t repeated themselves since I last took the car in. However, Audi also had a recall on my vehicle but they didn’t say what it was for. All they said was that it was a software update. 

Now, I’m facing the problem of my phone app not being in sync with my car so I can’t monitor my car anymore. So, the dealership is in contact with the engineers as to why my car is not communicating with the app and also about the problem with my car charger. Inside all of this, I was given a very annoying loaner car and I feel it would be better if I didn’t even have any. 

Death Evader. 

An Electric Car This Defective? Get Rid Of It With Lemon Law

Dear Death Evader, 

Having a car that almost led to your death is not proper at all. In fact, it should be disposed of as soon as possible because you never can tell if the same situation may come up once again. At this point, lemon law is your best option to take on the manufacturers. 

Moreover, the worst thing about getting a rental is that it is usually quite different from the car you drive and this is usually not convenient. And since several people use their cars for business or a particular purpose, these rentals cannot cater to these needs. However, kudos to the dealership for even providing you a rental in the first place as several people complain that their dealers fail to give them a rental. 

Now, your vehicle is already eligible for lemon law. The way this law works in the state of California is that if you have had two visits to the dealership for the same issues or three visits for different problems, then your car is deemed a lemon. But the good thing is that it qualifies for lemon law and you can bring the automakers to book for building a defective vehicle. 

Another good thing about your case is that you’re still on very low miles so you are still under the warranty which is what lemon law covers, nothing extended. As such, it gives your attorney a little wiggle room as to what can be done for you but it is always best to get things going as soon as possible to avoid any pushback from the manufacturers. 

Now, with lemon law, there are two options. The first is the buyback where the manufacturers buy back the vehicle from you and they pay you all that you have paid towards the vehicle. This is going to be your down payment, your monthly payments, and your taxes and interest are included as well. Even if you took out a loan on the vehicle, the manufacturer has to pay that off for you and as a result, your credit goes up. 

However, the manufacturing company has a right to a certain amount from the settlement amount given. This is called the mileage offset and it is where you are charged for the miles you drove this car without any problems. It is usually based on the mileage you were at during your first visit. 

Regardless of the number of miles you were at and regardless of the amount, they do not necessarily get to deduct this money. This is because your attorney can get them to waive this charge either in full or half. Moreover, your attorney can also push to get more money as compensation for the automakers selling you a defective vehicle. 

 
Secondly, the cash and keep is another option available for you and it is basically just receiving cash compensation for the issues you’ve had with the car while you still keep it. With this option, your warranty will not be voided or canceled, and if you later wish to sell your car down the line, you can do so without deeming it a lemon to the next owner. Alternatively, you can just take the compensation and then turn the car in at the end of the lease. 

Furthermore, since you mentioned that you leased this car in California, this qualifies you to enjoy free legal services. This is because all lemon law cases are taken on contingency so you will not be charged anything whether you win or lose. For the attorney fees, the manufacturer is responsible for paying the bills and the total settlement won will be going over to you. 

In addition, as your attorney is working on your case, you can keep taking your car in for repairs as many times as you can. This is because the more visits you have, the stronger your case is, and the more money you can win. However, always make sure to receive the proper documents after each repair.

Suzanne

Free Legal Advice About Your 2022 Audi E-tron GT Lemon Law Claim

Dear reader, are your vehicle problems ruining your life? Confused about what legal route to take? We’re here to help! Find information about California’s lemon law protections here, fill out the form on this page, or give us a call at (323) 553-7525 to discuss your situation with someone who understands how frustrating it can be to have a lemon car, and what to do about it.

DEAR SUZANNE is a weekly column written by Suzanne Henderson and published in LemonLawyers.ORG. If you have a defective lemon vehicle and have questions about CA Lemon Lawyer or how to file a claim in California, please write to [email protected]. While not guaranteed, we will try to feature your letter in this column to provide you the answers you need, as well as enlighten other consumers who may have lemon problems similar to yours.

Disclaimer: Suzanne Henderson is not a lawyer and the points discussed here are intended for general information and reference purposes only and not to be construed as legal advice. Please consult a CA Lemon Law Attorney to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.

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Featured Image:

• 2022 Audi E-tron GT ©Calreyn88 (CC BY-SA 4.0 License)