NHTSA complaint: 2018 AUDI A4 ALLROAD — SERVICE BRAKES
INVOLVED IN A THREE CAR REAR-END ACCIDENT. I WAS THE VERY FRONT CAR (CAR 1, WHITE 2018 AUDI A4) WHICH WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED THAT TOOK THE LEAST FORCE OF THE IMPACT. CAR 2 (TESLA MEDEL S) WAS ALSO STOPPED BUT TOOK BRUNT OF FORCE FROM AT FAULT CAR 3 (DODGE SUV) WHO CAME BARRELING IN. MY CAR TOOK MINOR DAMAGE TO THE REAR YET MY 2018 AUDI A4'S COLLISION PROTOCOLS DISABLED MY CAR AND LEFT IT COMPLETELY UNDRIVEABLE. THE SEAT BELTS ALSO PULLED BACK AND LOCKED UP LEAVING ME UNABLE TO REBUCKLE MY SEAT BELT AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THIS MEANT I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY UNABLE TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER WITH NO PROTECTION BESIDES THE SHELL OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED 15 MINUTES LATER, THEY HAD TO SPEND CONSIDERABLE TIME READING THROUGH THE MANUAL TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANUALLY DISABLE MY BRAKES AND TOOK 4 FIREFIGHTERS (1 STEERING AND 3 PUSHING) TO PUSH MY CAR TO THE SHOULDER. MEANWHILE, THE AT FAULT DRIVER (CAR 3) WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY FROM THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT AFTER COMPLETING POLICE ACTIVITIES. THE COLLISION PROTOCOL OF AUTOMATICALLY TIGHTENING SEAT BELTS, PUTTING ON HAZARD LIGHTS, DIALING ROAD-SIDE SERVICE, ROLLING DOWN WINDOWS PARTIALLY, AND BRAKING ITSELF WAS GREAT. HOWEVER, DISABLING THE CAR AND LEAVING THE SEAT BELTS UNUSABLE AFTERWARDS LEFT ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN A WORSE SECOND ACCIDENT. A FLATBED TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED IN BY AUDI ROADSIDE SERVICE AND OF COURSE THEY RECOMMENDED AN AUDI CERTIFIED COLLISION CENT
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation