We write a lot of stories on car recalls. Few are this weird. Buckle in. But don’t bring a drink.
Audi has issued a recall for nearly 300,000 SUVs to fix an improbable-sounding defect. Spilling a drink in the back seat or driving through a deep puddle can lead to a sudden loss of engine power. It may be a robot’s fault. You read that right.
The recall affects certain 2018-2022 Q5 and SQ5 and 2021-2022 Q5 Sportback and SQ5 Sportback vehicles.
An engine control computer known as the Gateway Control Module (GCM) sits under the rear seat of each of these SUVs. If it gets wet, it switches into a failsafe mode that drastically reduces engine power.
Owners have come to Audi dealers with two ways the GCM can get wet. One is from above – in a few cases, rear-seat passengers have spilled liquids that made their way to the unit and triggered the limp mode.
The other is from below. In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Audi explains that an improperly-programmed “glue bead robot” in a Mexican factory that builds the vehicles sealed some underbody seams poorly. That “can allow water ingress from underneath in very rare cases when driving through heavy rain or deep puddles.”
Audi dealers will add a waterproof cover to protect the GCM from above and reseal the underbody seam to protect it from below. As in every recall, the repair is free.
Millions of us drive cars in need of free repairs because we may have missed a recall notice. Check whether your car has any outstanding recalls at our recall center.
