Audi Safety Recall

[LIRS6]

Just received my notification from AoA of a safety recall; fuel tank rollover valve nipple prone to cracking, which could lead to fuel leak.

Others have cited leaking fuel tanks in the past - was the valve nipple the culprit, or something else? Weren't gas tanks replaced in some cases? The AoA letter doesn't suggest that the tanks need replacement.

[SteveKen]

Got my letter today, too.

Someone posted pics of the fix. They cut two holes out of the back seat area and epoxy the areas prone to crack, etc.

[marklar182]

Someone posted pics of the fix. They cut two holes out of the back seat area and epoxy the areas prone to crack, etc.

F-that! .........

[SteveKen]

F-that! .........

I tend to agree with you. Especially in the cases where they are already leaking. Hell, mine might be not just cracked, but severed and a replacement is in order?

I doubt they will pay to have the stain on the road in front of my house removed/fixed, too.

[716YETI]

Yeah I read about this about a month ago, I am hoping my car burns to the ground. :)
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/09/audi-recalls-a6-s6-rs6-over-possible-fuel-tank-issue/

[DHall1]

Where do I sign up to have some hack monkey at the local Audi dealer take a jigsaw to the floor in my RS6.

Cut holes in the floor my a$$. Why? Just to save Audi a few dollars not to R&R the tank properly. Then just rub some epoxy over the valve? I will drill holes in my tank first and make them replace the tank.

Oh boy. Where the hell is the MB recall for the E55 fuel tanks that have leaked over and over and over and over again? At least MB was smart enough to put two 10 inch inspection covers over the fuel tanks for faster service points. ha

[dmross]

I just got the letter yesterday as well. The "fix" doesn't sound very nice...

[4everRS]

Someone posted a few weeks ago they were able to get their dealership to R & R the tank. Sorry, I forget who.

[JSRS6]

Lswing? It was one of the newer members.

[yodavemac]

Has anyone has PSS9's fail or bend on their RS6? So far I have bent the "U" shaped lower mounting bracket on both fronts and blown both rears + one of the new fronts. To date Bilstein has been accommodating by replacing all (expect the newly blown front which I discovered yesterday), but I'm getting frustrated having to continually swap these things out.

Is there anything better out there? Another Bilstein model or another brand with a lower failure rate?

[ttboost]

Got my letter yesterday too..not feelin the warm and fuzzys about my RS6 sitting at the dealer waiting for some jagoff to chop a hole it it to fix another hole...gotta think about this one...

[DHall1]

Funny really.

When the Allroads had the fuel tank recall....didnt Audi replace the fuel tanks?

Now that the limited amount of RS6 owners are starting to have the same problem....we get the rub job on the tank. Oh yeah, they have to cut a big hole in our floor to get to the said rub job.

Someone please tell me how gooping up some epoxy over a plastic cap in the gas tank is somehow going to prevent or fix any supposed crack from either forming or seal and supposed crack from fuel leaking out.

Please. Someone tell me how that works.

Complete waste of time.

[ttboost]

Funny really.

When the Allroads had the fuel tank recall....didnt Audi replace the fuel tanks?

Now that the limited amount of RS6 owners are starting to have the same problem....we get the rub job on the tank. Oh yeah, they have to cut a big hole in our floor to get to the said rub job.

Someone please tell me how gooping up some epoxy over a plastic cap in the gas tank is somehow going to prevent or fix any supposed crack from either forming or seal and supposed crack from fuel leaking out.

Please. Someone tell me how that works.

Complete waste of time.

Probably the same method MB uses...

[micdee]

We recently had a Audi (R)S meeting and there was a mechanic from a dealer present. So I asked about this recall and like all other US recalls there is none here in the Netherlands.

[formula1man]

I will bE calling Sonnen on Monday and ask for specifics on the repair. I cannot believe that anyone could be so stupid as to think that would work.

[snoopra]

Got my letter today, came with a reimbursement request form for "if previously paid for a repair or tank replacement". Tank replacement sounds better:)

[Benman]

Please. Someone tell me how that works.

Complete waste of time. Not feeling the warm and fuzzy feeling either!

[amanda]

We recently had a Audi (R)S meeting and there was a mechanic from a dealer present. So I asked about this recall and like all other US recalls there is none here in the Netherlands.
same response from audi Uk ........seems like our euro models are better built than the American boys.............not!!!!!!

[s42ski]

Got my letter last week - going in to Pacific Audi on Monday to see what the deal is. May raise a stink about cutting holes in the car to fix something rather than replacing it. I have a bad low range horn as well and leaking intercoolers so while they have the bumper off to do the horns.... maybe fix the intercoolers? We shall see. This will be the first repair for me on the extended warranty so we will also get to see how fidelity is going to be with repairs.

[ttboost]

Keep us posted on how they "fix" your car.

[JCviggen]

same response from audi Uk ........seems like our euro models are better built than the American boys.............not!!!!!!

IIRC it's not unusual that car models for the US market have a different fuel tank from EURO models, the US has some specific regulations about fuel tanks that often lead to manufacturing differences. No idea if that's the case for the 6 though.

[wpod]

Got my letter on Friday as well , glad that I checked in here to learn about "the fix". Can someone with the ETKA drawings post a few showing what these "nipples" look like and perhaps where they are located in respect to the chassis of the car ? Maybe there is an "off the shelf" brass nipple that could be substituted for the defected part? Thanks, Paul

[4everRS]

I am betting that this has less to do with Audi issuing the recall, and more the EPA or DOT telling Audi they have to fix them. They sure could be made different also, but I think the regs are so high here in the US that Audi's hand is being forced.
IIRC it's not unusual that car models for the US market have a different fuel tank from EURO models, the US has some specific regulations about fuel tanks that often lead to manufacturing differences. No idea if that's the case for the 6 though.

[hahnmgh63]

It's just that a lot of auto manufacturers are using plastic's in a lot of areas that are critical, and plastics, some more than others get brittle when they age. Without going to a higher quality aerospace appication. Most auto manufacturers using varying quality of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) which the cheaper quality ones brittle at very early ages. The benefits are they are more flexible, don't rust, and much cheaper for the manufacturers to produce as they are blow molded into a pre-formed fuel tank mold. Ours is probably made from the average cheap stuff from VAG and the fitting is most likely unsupported and subject to a bit of vibration which causes it to go brittle faster. They need to make the tanks out of higher quality materials or re-inforce the area (I don't like the idea of cutting into my car though but it is much cheaper for them than removing the tank, and that's what it's all about, getting off easy without a lot of labor or law suits) or replacing the tank with the same replacement every so often, which must be around 6~8 years from the problems we are seeing.

[DHall1]

Nipple in question is part of the fuel tank. I think its more like a plug in the tank with said nipple. Mad Max posted a picture of his tank the last time it was replaced.

Hey, I'm all for a proper fix for the problem. But, in all my limited experience....you cant go rubbing some epoxy over a gas tank plug and expect anything but failure. Why the F... cut holes in our floor for a jackass repair. Sorry for the jackass fans in mourning.


Got my letter on Friday as well , glad that I checked in here to learn about "the fix". Can someone with the ETKA drawings post a few showing what these "nipples" look like and perhaps where they are located in respect to the chassis of the car ? Maybe there is an "off the shelf" brass nipple that could be substituted for the defected part? Thanks, Paul

[arS6]

Maybe Yokust can chime in? Doesn't he work for Audi as a tech?

[Chung]

If your tank is leaking I am pretty sure they will replace it. They replaced my tank. I guess the question is are the new tanks any better or do they need to epoxy them as well.

[SiLRS6]

they replaced my tank 2 weeks ago. My was leaking pretty bad when the car was full.

[ben916]

got the letter last week... lame

[ttboost]

they replaced my tank 2 weeks ago. My was leaking pretty bad when the car was full.

Really? Did you see your old tank? They pay 9hrs to replace the tank. It takes 4hrs to epoxy it....look under your car, does it look like the rear end was out and the straps were removed? Just curious. My buddy is an indy Audi tech and sent his wifes old car in for the recall to see. Guess what, I bet you have a hole in your car somewhere? Dealer will NEVER see my car.

[SiLRS6]

They did take the rear end off and the straps. I had my audi tech take pictures. I saw the new tank before they put it in. He showed me on his phone. I will get him to email them to me. They had my car for 3 days work days and the weekend because they had to wait for the tank to come in.

Also got a audi Q5 to drive around for my time.

[ttboost]

They did take the rear end off and the straps. I had my audi tech take pictures. I saw the new tank before they put it in. He showed me on his phone. I will get him to email them to me. They had my car for 3 days work days and the weekend because they had to wait for the tank to come in.

Also got a audi Q5 to drive around for my time.

Nice. I hear there are 3 different sending units in our tanks and some OTHER nipples OTHER than the one that supposedly leaks. This other one can be broken getting the tank out and then 2 will have to be repaired...

[SiLRS6]

Funny you say about a sending unit being broken while taking it out because my car ran great for a few days then misfired and would not run. I changed the 2 spark plugs in Cylinder 1 and 2, next to look at the coils but it seems like a fuel issue.

I will be calling the dealer on Tues. to see what they will do. I only drove the car for the few days and then went out of town, I come back and the car will barely start and now won't run.

[ttboost]

As I hear more and more about this, it seems to me that Audi was forced to do the "right thing" with this recall, but the idiotic fix will all but guarantee that no one will take them up on the offer...Friggin genius...like a doctor advertising free implants. but oh, sorry, no anesthetic...

[DHall1]

Do recalls have a shelf life? If not, then just keep driving till the damn thing leaks....then you get a new tank and no jackass cuts holes in the floor.

[ttboost]

Do recalls have a shelf life? If not, then just keep driving till the damn thing leaks....then you get a new tank and no jackass cuts holes in the floor.

....or the car burns to the ground and you get a new car...

[hahnmgh63]

I'm thinking the same thing, wait until it leaks or burns up, whichever comes first. It can't be safe in a rear end collision with the tank getting crushed and a big hole under your back seat with just a rubber or plastic plug keeping 20 gallons of fuel from taking the path of least resistance and into the car. We'll all burn up like Roman candles.

[DHall1]

Correct. A rubber or plastic plug in the floor will seal nothing in the event of a crash. At least my E55 has two 12 inch steel covers that bolt in the floor with 9 or 10 screws.

Trust me, if your gas tank has the leak you will smell it.

[T-elospathic]

They reinforce the nipple so that it doesn't break in a roll-over crash. Ken Garff took the 5 hours to do it right on mine today with an oil change. They basically epoxy a brace around the nipple.. I'll pull my back seat just to see if they cut a hole in my car, but I'm almost 100% positive that they didn't. They also let me drive a Boxster Spyder so I don't miss her too much anyways.

Update: They did it right. There are no holes of any sort cut into my car. Either they did it through one of the 3 access panels, or they had to drop the tank. I pulled the whole back seat and trunk liner out to make sure. The shops aren't owned by Audi, so the more labor, the more they get paid. As long as they're legitimate and don't take the lazy way out and lie about the hours.. just emphasize that if there are holes cut in your car, your lawyer will cut holes in their business. My thoughts, anyways.

[hahnmgh63]

I may eventually look into someone else doing it other than a dealer if I can be assured they won't cut into anything. Otherwise I'll take my chances and hope for a leak so I can get a new tank all Epoxied up and installed from underneath without any cuts. I would like to confirm for those that have gotten new tanks because of leaks that the idiots didn't install the tanks first then go back and cut the holes and epoxy them once they were in place? Chung, do you have any holes under your backseat?

[Chung]

I'll have to look but I doubt it. The recall wasn't official for my service so I think they just replaced the tank and didn't reinforce. At that point I was just happy that Audi picked up the bill so I didn't rock the boat by asking for it to also be reinforced. I received the recall notice and probably will need to get a hole installed in my back seat as well.

[Hy Octane]

Guys. I dont know where this rumor of cutting holes in the floor started, but its not true. They have been doing this fix on A6's and Allroads for years now and have just expanded the recall to the RS6.. The fuek tank is fully accessable by removing the back seat. My SA laughed when I asked about this. They remove the back seat, expoxy the nipple and thats it. He has not had one repaired fuel tank come back for another leak.. Since the nipple is located on top of the tank, cutting holes in the floor would be a bit strange, no?
The only thing I can think of to explain this would be for Avants. Not sure how this would affect them, but since they were not sold here, there is no recall for them.

[AUDI5000CSTQ]

Yes they do cut holes in the floor. this shot is from my mechanics attempt.
The Inv is from the tank replacement and TC. all at $50.00
They dropped my whole drive train.

[ttboost]

Guys. I dont know where this rumor of cutting holes in the floor started, but its not true. They have been doing this fix on A6's and Allroads for years now and have just expanded the recall to the RS6.. The fuek tank is fully accessable by removing the back seat. My SA laughed when I asked about this. They remove the back seat, expoxy the nipple and thats it. He has not had one repaired fuel tank come back for another leak.. Since the nipple is located on top of the tank, cutting holes in the floor would be a bit strange, no?
The only thing I can think of to explain this would be for Avants. Not sure how this would affect them, but since they were not sold here, there is no recall for them.

So when you lift up the back seat, you can see the ground under your car?


Yes they do cut holes in the floor. this shot is from my mechanics attempt.
The Inv is from the tank replacement and TC. all at $50.00
They dropped my whole drive train.

Looks exactly like my indy said it would...not the end of the world if you can get a rubber plug in there after...

[DHall1]

Anyone had this done? What is the procedure?

[AUDI5000CSTQ]

David, we talked about this,
Drop drive train, suspension,exhaust

[kismetcapitan]

bit of a legal question - why would AOA be obligated to pay for and replace a fuel tank for a car out of warranty, if it were leaking due to clearly a manufacturing defect?

[JSRS6]

Ummmm...because of that very reason...

If there were a manufacturing defect in the seatbelts, and it potentially affected a large number of their product, would you expect to hear of a recall?

Also, it protects brand retention. You are more likely to stay with a brand if they fix their shit, or at least try then reimburse you for out of pocket expenses to replace a failed system.

[MaxRS6]

NHTSB can make any car manufacturer cover anything/anytime they deem to be a safety defect is my understanding. Any lawyers want to chime in??