Audi fires light up Twitter
Audi SA is taking heat from agitated customers after a number of Audi owners took to social media to document their cars going up in flames‚ and accuse the manufacturer of not responding appropriately.
That Audi SA notified affected owners of a worldwide preventive campaign to replace the heater element in some models on Wednesday last week‚ to prevent fire‚ has added fuel to the fire.
A day later‚ yet another Audi was ablaze on a roadside – the M41 in Umhlanga – lighting up Twitter.
Mo (@MsLishia) tweeted: “Audi South Africa‚ is there any statement on the growing number of Audi cars bursting into fire every other day?”
The manufacturer responded: “It is incorrect to assume that the fire cases on social media are related to each other.
“All legitimate fire cases which we are aware of and can relate back to our official records‚ are unique‚ separate and isolated in their nature.”
The “Audis burning” story is to a large extent being driven on social media by Capetonian Themba Mabasa‚ who has gone head-on with Audi South Africa since his three-year-old Audi TT burnt out completely.
But he is not alone.
Prominent KwaZulu-Natal Midlands chef Alex Poltera also took to social media armed with photos and a video after his Audi Q3 caught fire in June.
“Here is my Audi Q3‚” he tweeted. “
The Audi report was inconclusive‚ and it has subsequently washed its hands of me.
Just a friendly warning to be aware and careful. This is becoming a frequent trait of what used to be a good brand.”
Audi SA’s PR manager Tashta Bhana said the various Audi fire-related cases creating conversation on social media originated from the Mabasa case.
“We offered many different proposals to Mr Mabasa and after he directly threatened to create a PR crisis around the issue on social media‚ we have let it run its course‚” she said.
It was also incorrect to assume that the Audi fire cases featuring on social media were related to the worldwide preventive campaign for the heater element replacement.
“This campaign is a safety measure to replace the part, which may become blocked with deposits from the cooling system on certain vehicles.”
The models affected are the Audi A4‚ A5‚ A6 and Q5 with the 2.0l TFSI engine‚ produced between 2012 and 2017 – about 600 cars in all. –