Steering Column

[luckylady]

Hi everyone...haven't been here for a long time. I am an original owner of an RS6 and just last week took in in again for some problemns. They are replacing the steering column for the SECOND time. The car only has 30K miles...has anyone else experienced this problem. They can't seem to figure out why it is having these problems...they seem to think the car has been in an accident...but I have never wrecked it...I hardly have any scratches on it. We are considering buying the car out of the lease which will come up in the next few months. Don't want to if I'm going to have to keep replacing steering columns. Anyone out there with advice?????

[skiwi]

what are the symptoms?

[luckylady]

There was a lot of rubbing when turning and a lot of clanking noise when going over bumps. Also a lot of shaking at the wheel, even after the wheels had been recently balanced. I've also had to have a complete valve job and I burn through brakes and tires, what in my humble opinion, is too often. But, then I've been told, that is probably because of the way I drive. The dealership is telling me the clanking is because my rack & pinnion steering is loose and it is being repaired. Anyway, I'm most concerned about the steering column...as this is the 2nd time in 2 years it is being replaced.

[EATRICE]

Sorry I can't help other than say that if I was you, I would return it immediately to those condesending a-holes who are blaming your driving for the problem.

Next I would make sure to post the serial number on this site and every other site so us buyers can avoid it and those jerks will take a bath on the thing!

Otherwise, I would threaten them that that's exactly what you'll do, along with bad-mouthing their dealership, if they don't change their tone and fix all the problems to your complete satisfaction - with smiles on their f-ing faces.

[skiwi]

re: eatrice - just the sort of attitude which makes the world such a happy place...

wrt the problem: do you mean steering column or steering rack? i assume rack. if so, then there is precident for this, particulalry if the replaced rack wasn't properley bled - air will enter and produce inconsistent performance and noise. however you describe "clanking noise"' which could be a loose rack. compounded by your comment about rubbing - i assume you have a standard suspension, wheel & tyre setup, in which case, either your geometry has changed or you have a loose rack.

wrt the other things you mentioned: "valve job" i assume means engine - in which case, very rare and very unusual. that combined with the comment that you "burn through brakes and tyres" - what brake work have you had done? ditto i would expect no more than 2 tyre changes, with perhaps a 3rd now coming up. unless you track the car regularly...

hth - the diagnosis is worth precisely what you have paid for it....

[EATRICE]

skiwi - I am a very nice person and wrote that message with extra tone in order to try to light a fire or build a backbone for LuckyLady.

I think that there's a reasonable amount of service, courtesy and respect that luckylady should have received with the purchase of such an expensive automobile. She has (basically) been called a liar because they claim the car was wrecked despite her telling them that it hasn't. Then, they go on to blame the problem on her driving habits?! That's simply not acceptable. Luckylady needs to stand up for herself with some attitude and let these men know she's the one with the leverage and control. If not, I suspect they will realize that she can be bullied, and will next try to get out of covering the problem under the warranty.

[luckylady]

The dealership just called and the car is fixed. What appears to have happened is two years ago I took it to the dealership where I purchased the car (where I had taken it since it was new and had taken my previous Audi) and didn't realize the the Service Manager along with the RS6 technician had moved to another dealership. They replaced the steering column because I was experiencing a lot of rub, eventhough they didn't have a technician who was certified and knew what he was doing. We moved last year and I now am closer to the dealership where the Service Manager moved to so I started taking it there...it's as if they are cleaning up all the problems the first dealerships messed up. They told me that the steering column wasn't installed correctly and the bolts eventually worked loose. I had a similar situation with a routine service maintainence where the first guys didn't do everything they were suppose to do including checking for the leaky valves - the 2nd dealership ended up fixing that problem as well. Anyway, my concern was more for repeated problems. I didn't realize the first job done on my car was really the problem. Anyway thanks for all your advice and please know that I'm not a car expert, I just like speed so if my rant is a little sketchy, I apoligize!!! I actually like the dealership I am now taking it to now and they will go to bat for me if I ever have any more steering issues even after the warranty is up. I think they were baffled until they were able to get in and see what was wrong...they thought an airbag had been deployed - therefore they thought it had been wrecked. I'm still having major concerns about buying it out of the lease not sure I want to deal with all the headaches!!!