93U9 – High-Voltage Battery Modules May Overheat – 2020-2022 Audi E-Tron Sportback Quattro & 2019-2022 E-Tron Quattro

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AUDI DEALER COMMUNICATION
Ensure all dealer personnel are aware of this notice so they are able to address customer questions. Contact Warranty if you require additional assistance. Direct press inquiries to Audi Public Relations. Audi Customer Protection 93U9_DLR_ADV
Advance Notice – Safety Recall 93U9 / High-Voltage Battery Module(s)
This notice is for: All Dealer Personnel
Date: December 22, 2023 Issue: A potentially critical self-discharge condition exists in certain high-voltage battery modules that, in some instances, may lead to thermal overload, possibly resulting in smoke or a fire. A high-voltage battery overheating increases the risk of a fire. Affected high-voltage batteries may experience a loss of range and/or performance as an early indication.
Audi is working on an interim measure to help provide support for vehicles in this recall until the remedy becomes available. More information will be provided at a later date once the details of the interim measure are defined. Repair: • REPAIR NOT YET AVAILABLE
• Dealers and owners will be notified in writing once the remedy is available.
• Check daily campaign open inventory report or OMD for affected vehicles in inventory.
Affected Vehicles Country USA USA CAN CAN
Beginning Model Year
2019
2020
2019
2020
Ending Model Year
2022
2022
2022
2022 Vehicle E-TRON QUATTRO
E-TRON SPORTBACK QUATTRO E-TRON QUATTRO
E-TRON SPORTBACK QUATTRO Vehicle Count 21,981
4,885
1,457
559 Notes: *Counts reflect overall population; some vehicles may have already been repaired. Check Campaigns/Actions screen in Elsa on the day of repair to verify that a VIN qualifies for repair under this action. Elsa is the only valid campaign inquiry & verification source. IMPORTANT REMINDER: VEHICLES AFFECTED BY SAFETY & COMPLIANCE RECALLS New Vehicles in Dealer Inventory: It is a violation of federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle or any new or used item of motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) covered by this notification under a sale or lease until the defect or noncompliance is remedied. By law, dealers must correct, prior to delivery for sale or lease, any vehicle that fails to comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard or that contains a defect relating to motor vehicle safety.
Pre-Owned Vehicles in Dealer Inventory: Dealers should not deliver any pre-owned vehicles in their inventory which are involved in a safety or compliance recall until the defect has been remedied.
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OMB Control No.: 2127-0004
Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-867
The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
Manufacturer Name : Submission Date :
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. DEC 20, 2023 NHTSA Recall No. : 23V-867 Manufacturer Recall No. : 93U9 Manufacturer Information :
Manufacturer Name : Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Address : 3800 Hamlin Road
Auburn Hills MI 48326 Company phone : 1-800-893-5298 Population :
Number of potentially involved : 26,866 Estimated percentage with defect : 3 % Vehicle Information : Vehicle 1 : 2020-2022 AUDI E-TRON SPORTBACK QUATTRO
Vehicle Type : Body Style :
Power Train : NR
Descriptive Information : AUDI AG is conducting a voluntary safety recall involving all Audi e-tron vehicles built with potentially suspect HV battery modules type E61V from LG Energy Solution. The recall population was determined by production data and includes vehicles that are equipped with a potentially suspect high-voltage battery.
The recalled products differ from products that were not included in the recall because they are not equipped with the potentially suspect high-voltage battery. E-TRON SPORTBACK QUATTRO: 4885
Production Dates : MAY 20, 2020 – MAR 11, 2022
VIN Range 1 : Begin : WA12ABGE9LB031088 End : WA11AAGE3NB027689 ✔ Not sequential Vehicle 2 : 2019-2022 AUDI E-TRON QUATTRO
Vehicle Type : Body Style :
Power Train : NR
Descriptive Information : AUDI AG is conducting a voluntary safety recall involving all Audi e-tron vehicles built with potentially suspect HV battery modules type E61V from LG Energy Solution. The recall population was determined by production data and includes vehicles that are equipped with a potentially suspect high-voltage battery.
The recalled products differ from products that were not included in the recall because they are not equipped with the potentially suspect high-voltage battery. E-TRON QUATTRO: 21981
Production Dates : JAN 03, 2019 – MAR 11, 2022
VIN Range 1 : Begin : WA1LAAGE9KB002638 End : WA1AAAGE9NB030161 ✔ Not sequential Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-867 Page 2 Description of Defect :
Description of the Defect : A potentially critical self-discharge condition exists in certain high-voltage battery modules that, in some instances, may lead to thermal overload, possibly resulting in smoke or a fire.
FMVSS 1 : NR FMVSS 2 : NR
Description of the Safety Risk : A high-voltage battery overheating increases the risk of a fire.
Description of the Cause : A small number of vehicles have experienced thermal overload with smoke or fire occurring underneath the vehicle from the high-voltage battery. The root cause is still under investigation, but the risk is associated with the battery modules exhibiting the potentially critical self-discharge behavior. Identification of Any Warning
that can Occur : Affected high-voltage batteries may experience a loss of range and/or performance as an early indication. Involved Components : Component Name 1 : HV battery module Component Description : HV battery module Component Part Number : 4KE 915 591* Supplier Identification : Component Manufacturer
Name : LG Energy Solution Ochang Plant Address : 29, Gwahaksaneop 3-ro
Oksan-myeon Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si Foreign States
Country : Korea, Republic of Chronology :
Please see separate document for chronology. The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-867
Page 3
The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573
Description of Remedy :
Description of Remedy Program : The final remedy will be the installation of advanced onboard diagnostic
software that will detect potential issues related to changes in battery module performance and will warn the driver before problems can develop. This software is expected to become available in the 3rd quarter of CY 2024.
For vehicles where online-data is available, the vehicles can be closely monitored through online data evaluation (customers with enrolled vehicles). Where the online data shows a potentially critical battery module, the customer will be contacted and advised to only charge the vehicle at 80% charging capacity until the affected module can be replaced at an authorized Audi dealer. For vehicles where online-data is not available, as an interim measure dealers will perform diagnostic procedures and, if necessary, replace battery module assemblies. These vehicles are advised to only be charged at 80% charging capacity and the check may have to be repeated before the software becomes available. As an interim measure, dealers will replace battery modules for these vehicles that fail the diagnostics. How Remedy Component Differs from Recalled Component : Identify How/When Recall Condition was Corrected in Production : Audi will offer a reimbursement plan under this recall, as some vehicles are already out of the manufacturer´s warranty.
The software that will be installed in affected vehicles will have the ability to detect potential issues related to changes in battery module performance and/or self-discharge conditions before a thermal event may develop and warn the driver accordingly. The software is expected to become available in the 3rd quarter of CY 2024.
Starting with production in March 2022, the affected battery cells were no longer used. Recall Schedule :
Description of Recall Schedule : Dealers: on or before December 22, 2023 / Owners on or before February
16, 2024
Planned Dealer Notification Date : DEC 22, 2023 – DEC 22, 2023
Planned Owner Notification Date : FEB 16, 2024 – FEB 16, 2024
* NR – Not Reported

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NAME
Title
Department Phone
Fax Date
Dear Ms. Carlson: Volkswagen hereby submits the following chronology associated with the subject recall. Chronology of Defect In April 2020, Audi received a claim from outside of the U.S. alleging that the high-voltage battery pack in an Audi e-tron quattro vehicle caused a fire. Audi opened a product investigation on June 10, 2020 to investigate that claim and the potential root cause together with the HV battery supplier. At that point the battery module was ruled out as the root cause of the thermal event. Between mid-2020 and mid-2023, Audi became aware of additional thermal event cases and conducted in detail investigations, onsite vehicle inspections, and part analyses to investigate the origin of the fires. Audi also worked with LG Energy Solutions, the supplier of the high-voltage battery cells, to identify a potential root cause. The analyses pointed towards a potential issue with the cell module controller. As part of the continued analysis, vehicle battery performance data was monitored closely and a lifetime endurance campaign carried out in certain markets in 2021 and 2022. These actions did not reveal any new results with respect to the analysis of the potential root cause. In April 2022, Audi launched service campaign 93N6 with a software update of the battery to improve the balancing of the cell modules. In preparation for this campaign, 93P1 had to be carried out on some vehicles in the market. With the software updates from these two campaigns, the function of the control units has been optimized in terms of balancing and the cell voltage measurement has been stabilized. Audi continued the field monitoring and investigation of additional field cases. July – November 2023: After noticing an increase in field cases, all available data from those cases were analyzed and the data indicated that a previous self-discharge condition could be indicative of an issue with the HV battery modules.
Ann Carlson, Acting Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20590 Subject: Chronology for Volkswagen Recall 93U9 High-Voltage Battery
Christopher T. Sandvig
Director Group Customer Protection
248-754-5000
248-754-5093
December 20, 2023 December 13, 2023: Even though the root cause analysis is ongoing, out of an abundance of caution, the Audi Product Safety Committee decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall on all potentially affected vehicles worldwide. Audi is aware of five (5) thermal event cases in the U.S. which could be potentially related to a self-discharge condition of a high-voltage battery module. These occurred on the following dates:
• 19.07.2022
• 21.11.2022
• 27.10.2023 – analysis ongoing
• 05.11.2023 – analysis ongoing
• 09.11.2023 – analysis ongoing
Audi is not aware of any deaths or injuries due to this condition. Please contact me if you require any additional information or have any questions related to this information.
Sincerely, Christopher T. Sandvig
Director, Grou Customer Protection
Group Quality

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