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TRACKING faults down can be tricky sometimes, so what if you can pinpoint exactly where an issue is located, but nobody can do anything about it?
That was the problem faced by Paul Tanner, from Orpington, Kent, when the brake pedal of his new Audi Q5 developed an annoying ‘clang’ a week after he took delivery in July last year.
Paul told us: “There was a strange twanging sound when the brake pedal was released. It sounded exactly like someone flicking an empty tin can.”
Paul reported the fault to Audi UK and was informed the company was aware of the issue, and engineers were working on a fix. While the firm said he could have components of his car’s braking system replaced to try and resolve things, Paul was told this wouldn’t guarantee the problem would go away.
He was happy to wait for a firm fix to be devised rather than have his car dismantled in the hope the problem might be resolved. “I didn’t want the most expensive car I have ever bought being a guinea pig,” he explained.
Audi’s customer service team kept in regular contact with Paul but, in January this year, he was told the clanging noise couldn’t be resolved, and was a characteristic of the car. “I love my Q5, but I feel this is not a characteristic; it is an unresolved fault,” Paul said.
We contacted Audi and, after checking, a spokesman told us the brand was working on a fix. “In certain instances, a briefly audible noise when releasing the brake pedal on new Q5 models can be apparent under certain conditions,” he said. “It should be stressed that while this characteristic is atypical, it has no bearing on the performance of the braking system at any speed.
“Instead, it is a comfort issue that is currently being intensively investigated by the quality department of Audi AG, and a solution is expected to be in place in the coming weeks.”
He advised customers to contact Audi dealers for advice on measures relating to their model. Paul said: “I’m delighted to hear Audi is in the process of finding a resolution. This is what I wanted.”
“In January, Paul was told the noise couldn’t be resolved and was a characteristic of the car”