2014 Audi S4 Steering Problems

The contact owns a 2014 Audi S4. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, he observed multiple unknown warning lights illuminated. The EPC warning light was also illuminated. The contact stated that the “Do Not Drive" message was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel was stiff and failed to steer as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic steering module and rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS "NOTCHY" STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, PARTICULARLY IN COLD WEATHER. AT OR ABOVE APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL TRIES TO "BOUNCE" LEFT AND RIGHT RATHER THAN MAINTAINING CENTER--EVEN WHEN TRAVELING ON A STRAIGHT, FRESHLY-PAVED SECTION OF INTERSTATE. THE DRIVER HAS TO CONSTANTLY ADJUST THE WHEEL TO KEEP THE CAR TRAVELING STRAIGHT. THE STEERING FUNCTIONS NORMALLY OTHERWISE, AND THE PROBLEM DOES NOT MANIFEST ITSELF AT LOW SPEEDS. I BEGAN TO NOTICE THE PROBLEM AROUND AUGUST OF 2020. OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS: HTTPS://WWW.AUDIZINE.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/690756-NOTCHY-STEERING.

WHILE DRIVING, STEERING CAN BECOME NOTCHY. STEERING INPUTS ARE NOT ALWAYS 100% TRANSFERRED TO THE FRONT WHEELS. THERE CAN BE A "DEAD SPOT" IN THE STEERING. THE CAR DOES NOT ALWAYS FOLLOW THE INTENDED PATH. THE PROBLEM COMES AND GOES, AND SEEMS TO BE EXACERBATED IN COLDER WEATHER.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2014 AUDI S4 ON THE HIGHWAY AND IN TURNS, THE STEERING GOES FROM FEELING TIGHT TO VERY LIGHT AND BACK TO TIGHT AGAIN WITHIN A MATTER OF SPLIT SECONDS. THIS CAUSES DRIFTING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN CORNERING BECAUSE YOU'RE COMPENSATING FOR THE LACK OF FEELING FOR AN INSTANT AND USING MORE INPUT THAN YOU SHOULD, THEN THE STEERING GETS TIGHT AGAIN AND YOUR CAR STEERS MORE THAN IT SHOULD HAVE. NOTE THAT THE CAR GOES STRAIGHT WHEN HANDS ARE NOT ON THE WHEEL. THIS IS MOST PREVALENT AT TIMES WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS IN THE STRAIGHT POSITION. THIS SEEMS TO BE DUE TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL THAT HAPPENS UNDER THE FORCE OF THE DRIVERS HANDS AS THE STEERING ASSIST LEVEL FLUCTUATES. THE CAR DOES NOT WANT TO STAY CENTERED WHEN GOING STRAIGHT AND HANDS ARE RESTING ON THE WHEEL. THERE SEEMS TO BE EXCESSIVE ASSIST AT OR NEAR THE TOP DEAD CENTER. NOTE THAT THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE. IT MIGHT BE DRIVING FINE, THEN I TURN OFF THE ENGINE TO FILL UP WITH GAS FOR EXAMPLE, RE-START THE ENGINE AND THE PROBLEM PRESENTS ITSELF. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL AUDI DEALER ON 14DEC2016 AT 42,430 MILES (THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH APPROX. 9,000 MILES) TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. THE TECHNICIAN WHO TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE ISSUE ON THAT DAY NOR THE NEXT DAY FROM WHAT THEY TOLD ME. THEY MENTION ON THEIR INVOICE THAT THEY SUSPECT IT COULD BE GROOVED ROADS CAUSING IT EVEN THOUGH I STRESSED TO THEM THAT THIS HAPPENS AT HIGH SPEEDS AND IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I WAS FORCED NEARLY INTO A TRACTOR TRAILER ON THE HIGHWAY ONE DAY AND THAT SCARED ME ENOUGH TO FINALLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. ALSO, I HAD DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH ANOTHER TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALER AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH HIS 2013 AUDI S4 AND SOLD THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE STEERING PROBLEMS. AUDI SAYS THE CAR IS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. *TR

2014 AUDI S4 HAS DANGEROUS STEERING BEHAVIOR. THE STEERING SLIPS AT THE CENTER POSITION, WILL NOT GO STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY, AND REQUIRES CONSTANT STEERING INPUT. THIS IS FURTHER EXACERBATED BY A CONSTANT NOTCHY FEELING AT ANY SPEED BETWEEN THE 10 AND 2 OCLOCK POSITION. IT IS PARTICULARLY BAD IN LONG SWEEPING TURNS WHERE YOU CAN DISTINCTLY FEEL A NOTCH. WHEN IN ONE OF THESE TURNS YOU WILL HAVE CONSTANT LINEAR STEERING FOLLOWED BY A NOTCH THAT WHEN SURPASSED RESULTS IN A LARGE STEERING INPUT WHICH IS UNEXPECTED AND DESTABILIZING TO THE VEHICLE IF AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE DURING COLD TEMPERATURES. THIS IS INTERMITTENT BUT REPEATABLE AND IS A KNOWN ISSUE ON ALL 2013+ S4 & S5 MODELS WITH THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. AUDI SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO COME UP WITH A PERMANENT AND SAFE SOLUTION AS THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. ALSO, AUDIS DRIVER STEERING RECOMMENDATION (DSR) MAKES THE PROBLEM WORSE. DSR IS AN ELECTRONIC PROGRAM THAT DETECTS WHEN THE CAR IS STARTING TO SKID AND THE STEERING'S ECU PROVIDES A PROMPT TO THE DRIVER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BY MAKING THE STEERING WHEEL MOVE SLIGHTLY (BUMP). THIS I PARTICULARLY BAD IN WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS IN WHICH THE CAR HAS LIMITED TRACTION DUE TO SNOW AND ICE AND RESULTS IN CONTINUOUS BUMPING OF THE STEERING WHEEL. COMBINING DSR WITH THE STEERING SLIP + NOTCHY ISSUES RESULTS IN A VERY DANGEROUS STEERING SYSTEM WHICH NEEDS IMMEDIATE RESOLUTION.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 AUDI S4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE STOP CAR STEERING SYSTEM DEFAULT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,900.