Safety Recall 42L5 / Rear Axle Suspension Alignment – 2019-2021 Audi

January 26, 2022 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 22V034000

Rear Axle May Be Misaligned

Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V034

Manufacturer Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Components TIRES, SUSPENSION

Potential Number of Units Affected 31,058

 

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

 

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi’s number for this recall is 42L5.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

 

Check if your Audi has a Recall

 


Affected Vehicles

Country Beginning Model Year Ending Model Year Vehicle Vehicle Count
USA 2020 2021 A4 4,138
USA 2019 2021 A5 1,921
USA 2020 2021 A5 CABRIOLET 314
USA 2020 2021 A6 2,450
USA 2020 2021 A7 203
USA 2020 2021 A8 222
USA 2020 2021 Q5 14,611
USA 2021 2021 Q7 1,929
USA 2021 2021 Q8 706
USA 2019 2021 RS5 172
USA 2021 2021 RS6 129
USA 2021 2021 RS7 208
USA 2021 2021 RSQ8 85
USA 2020 2021 S4 380
USA 2019 2021 S5 695
USA 2020 2021 S5 CABRIOLET 100
USA 2020 2021 S6 227
USA 2020 2021 S7 131
USA 2020 2021 S8 70
USA 2020 2021 SQ5 2,021
USA 2021 2021 SQ7 191
USA 2021 2021 SQ8 155
CAN 2020 2021 A4 759
CAN 2019 2021 A5 366
CAN 2020 2020 A5 CABRIOLET 21
CAN 2020 2021 A6 62
CAN 2020 2021 A7 16
CAN 2020 2020 A8 3
CAN 2020 2021 Q5 2,206
CAN 2021 2021 Q7 93
CAN 2021 2021 Q8 62
CAN 2019 2021 RS5 18
CAN 2021 2021 RS6 23
CAN 2021 2021 RS7 19
CAN 2021 2021 RSQ8 25
CAN 2020 2021 S4 71
CAN 2020 2021 S5 278
CAN 2020 2021 S5 CABRIOLET 16
CAN 2020 2021 S6 21
CAN 2020 2020 S7 9
CAN 2020 2021 S8 8
CAN 2020 2021 SQ5 244
CAN 2021 2021 SQ7 15
CAN 2021 2021 SQ8 26

 

Problem Description

A check of the suspension alignment of the rear axle was not included originally in the work instructions for Safety Recall 42L1. This may result in displacement in the wheel alignment, and could result in premature and uneven wear of the tires leading to a decrease of traction.

In cases where the tires are worn to the carcass, this may also cause a puncture. This could lead to a loss of tire pressure without warning, potentially causing a loss of vehicle control and even a crash.

 

Corrective Action

Check and, if necessary, adjust the rear axle suspension alignment on the affected vehicles.
Tires will be checked for premature and uneven wear due to a possible misalignment of the suspension and will be replaced if necessary.

 

Important Information Regarding Tire Inspections Under This Recall

Customers are being advised:

For your safety and that of your passengers, please have this recall work performed as soon as possible. If you have more than one set of tires for your vehicle (for example, summer tires or winter tires), you must bring both sets to your recall appointment so they can be inspected (if necessary) under this recall.

  • If the rear axle suspension is properly aligned, it will not be necessary for your dealer to inspect your vehicle’s tires for premature wear under this recall.
  • If the rear axle suspension is misaligned, your dealer will correct it free of charge and will, at the same time, also inspect your vehicle’s tires for evidence of premature wear as a result of the misalignment. A tire(s) found to be prematurely worn due to misalignment of the rear axle suspension will be replaced free of Your dealer will advise you regarding the estimated additional time needed to order and perform the replacement.

Tire replacement(s) will only be authorized in cases where your dealer has determined that the condition of the tires is directly related to wear resulting from the post-Safety Recall 42L1 rear axle suspension misalignment. Tire damage or malfunctions caused by normal wear & tear, or by outside influence, such as damage due to an accident, or vehicle misuse or neglect is not covered under this action.

 

Precautions

If this condition is present, the driver may notice a steering wheel misalignment when driving on a straight road or the vehicle pulling to one side when braking or accelerating. Customers experiencing this condition with their vehicle should contact an authorized Audi dealer without delay to have the vehicle diagnosed/repaired.

 

Repair Overview

  • Check rear axle alignment.
  • Adjust rear axle alignment and check tires, if necessary.

 


Chronology :

May 28, 2021: Start of recall 42L1 in the US market

September / October, 2021: Field cases regarding premature and uneven tire wear after carrying out recall 42L1 were reported in the European markets leading to the start of investigation.

October 2021 – January 2022: Detailed analysis of root cause, possible influences and consequences and determination of affected population. On November 20, 2021 the repair instructions of 42L1 in the US market were adopted and a check of the suspension alignment for the rear axle was added.

January 19, 2022: The Audi Product Safety Committee determines that it cannot be completely ruled out that the rear axle in vehicles with recall 42L1 already executed is not within specification regarding the suspension alignment of the rear axle. The decision for a voluntary worldwide safety recall is made including all vehicles where 42L1 was executed without a suspension alignment of the rear axle.

Audi is not aware of any field cases in the United States.

 


42 Affected Products

Vehicles

MAKE MODEL YEAR
AUDI A4 2020-2021
AUDI A4 ALLROAD 2020-2021
AUDI A5 2019-2021
AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2020-2021
AUDI A6 2020-2021
AUDI A6 ALLROAD 2020-2021
AUDI A7 2020-2021
AUDI A8 2020-2021
AUDI Q5 2020-2021
AUDI Q7 2021
AUDI Q8 2021
AUDI RS Q8 2021
AUDI RS5 2019-2021
AUDI RS6 2021
AUDI RS7 2021
AUDI S4 2020-2021
AUDI S5 2019-2021
AUDI S6 2020-2021
AUDI S7 2020-2021
AUDI S8 2020-2021
AUDI SQ5 2020-2021
AUDI SQ7 2021
AUDI SQ8 2021

 


14 Associated Documents

Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-22V034-2777.pdf 645.944KB

RCAK-22V034-2777

 


Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-22V034-4804.PDF 232.475KB

RCLRPT-22V034-4804

 


Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc) – AUDI Date: February 04, 2022 Advance Notice Safety Recall 42L5 / Rear Axle Suspension Alignment

RCMN-22V034-6245.pdf 858.434KB

RCMN-22V034-6245

 


Remedy Instructions and TSB

RCRIT-22V034-6696.pdf 1199.082KB

RCRIT-22V034-6696

 


Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc) – AUDI Date: February 17, 2022 Repair Available – Safety Recall 42L5 / Rear Axle Suspension Alignment

RCMN-22V034-7958.pdf 806.313KB

RCMN-22V034-7958

 


Recall 573 Report – 02/02/2022

RCLRPT-22V034-3573.PDF 232.437KB

RCLRPT-22V034-3573

 


Tire Wear Chart

RMISC-22V034-4582.pdf 81.085KB

RMISC-22V034-4582

 


ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577) – 42L5 Customer Launch PRI

RCONL-22V034-2218.pdf 1181.69KB

RCONL-22V034-2218

 


ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577) – 42L5 Customer Launch

RCONL-22V034-5155.pdf 600.042KB

RCONL-22V034-5155

 


Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc) – AUDI Date: March 11, 2022 Campaign Circular Revision – Safety Recall 42L5 / Rear Axle Suspension Alignment

RCMN-22V034-5696.pdf 289.987KB

RCMN-22V034-5696

 


Remedy Instructions and TSB

RCRIT-22V034-4415.pdf 1220.759KB

RCRIT-22V034-4415

 


Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2022-2

RCLQRT-22V034-1847.PDF 211.252KB

RCLQRT-22V034-1847

 


Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2022-3

RCLQRT-22V034-2330.PDF 211.333KB

RCLQRT-22V034-2330

 


Recall Quarterly Report #4, 2022-4

RCLQRT-22V034-3834.PDF 211.448KB

RCLQRT-22V034-3834

 


Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=22V034&docType=RCL

 


 

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