While we all buy cars hoping that what we’ve chosen will keep us safe on the road, there’s always the chance that a certain make or model can be a part of a recall.
The chance of that happening to you is pretty high, actually. Just over 27.7 million vehicles were recalled in 2024, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While that’s an improvement on 2023’s count (33.6 million), it still sounds like an awful lot.
If you’ve never been a part of a recall, there’s no need to panic if you get a notice in the mail — it’s typically a fairly simple process to remedy the problem. The automotive company doing the recall will contact customers directly by mail, phone, or email to let them know the recall is happening and the reason why. From there, you take your car to the dealership and it will typically replace the faulty part at no charge.
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Yes, it’s a bit of a hassle to get your car over to the dealership in the middle of a busy work week, but it sure beats having a key component malfunction when you’re on the road.
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Now a new high-profile automaker has announced a recall, and with 44,000 vehicles included, it’s time to see if your car is on the list.
Software failure causes large-scale recall
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted a recall for Volkswagen-owned (VWAGY) Audi vehicles on its website, stating that a software issue could cause the instrument panel display to fail.
The same software issue could also cause the speedometer to stop working.
The recall includes a range of vehicles, including SQ8, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles manufactured during certain periods.
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“A vehicle’s virtual cockpit instrument cluster may shut down because of detection of an internal fault,” associated documents read. “When this occurs, the engine speed (RPM), vehicle speed, and gear/mode indicators will not be displayed. In addition to this, other information, such as time, date, and mileage, are also not displayed. Warnings, tell-tales, and gauges that don’t display could increase risk of crash.”
Those with vehicles affected by the recall can contact Audi and have the software updated at no charge.
Audi’s history of recalls
This newest recall from Audi comes only a few months after Volkswagen recalled close to 14,000 electric ID.4 SUVs and Audi e-tron and Sportback models. In that case, an issue with the battery could have lead to a loss of drive power.
Per the usual, Volkswagen offered to fix the issue free of charge.
Audi has a history of some fairly significant recalls, with some even being recalled for violating the EPA Clean Air Act due to excessive diesel emissions. Audi later admitted to bypassing the emissions control systems in 15,000 Audi A3s, earning a slap on the wrist from the Environmental Protection Agency in about 44,000 of its vehicles.
Other recall causes include faulty Takata airbag inflators, an engine cooling fault with the 2.0-liter Turbo FSI engine that could result in engine fire, and fuel pump flanges that were cracking.
Volkswagen stock has been down by 15% in the month of April. The company’s next earnings call will be on April 30, 2025.
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