Dive Brief:
- Volkswagen Group has recalled over 44,000 luxury brand Audi vehicles to address a condition where the instrument panel may turn off while driving due to a software error, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The fault may lead to the loss of the speedometer, RPM gauge, gearshift indicator and other vehicle information on the instrument cluster display, such as mileage, time and date, which can increase the risk of a crash.
- The recalled vehicles include the 2021 Audi A6 and A6 Allroad, S6, A7, RS7 and A8 sedans, RS6 Avant, and Q7, Q8, S7, SQ7, S8, RSQ8 SUV models. Dealers will update the instrument panel module software at no cost. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 30.
Dive Insight:
According to the NHTSA report, the problem is related to the flex-foil cable that supplies current to the digital instrument display. Over time, the cable may get damaged, causing minute fluctuations in electrical contact resistance, which may trigger the software to cut power to the instrument cluster.
Parent company Volkswagen discovered the problem in April 2024 after receiving an agency inquiry from a non-U.S. market about a customer experiencing a black instrument cluster screen in an Audi vehicle. The automaker also received complaints of instrument panel displays powering off on vehicles in the U.S. market affecting A6, A7, A8, Q7 and Q8 models and subsequently launched an investigation to determine the root cause.
Following the initial probe, Volkswagen conducted a joint investigation with cable supplier Bosch in September and October 2024, which identified age-related damage to the flex-foil cable leading to increased resistance values over time as a possible cause. Bosch presented its findings to the automaker in November 2024.
Other long-term testing performed from December 2024 though February also confirmed an increase in resistance values of the cable due to age-related wear. The testing led to Audi’s Product Safety Committee to issue a recall the vehicles on March 24 to update the software to minimize risk of the instrument panel powering off if changes are detected. The software will also notify the driver with a “visit a workshop” message on the instrument cluster if the condition occurs.
As of March 24, Volkswagen was aware of 2,285 customer complaints of instrument panel displays powering off on recalled vehicles, but the company is not aware of any injuries or crashes. An estimated 2% of the recalled vehicles are suspected of having the defect, according to the NHTSA.
The investigation also determined that 2022 Audi vehicles are not affected by instrument panel display issues due to an improved flex-foil cable design that was introduced into series production in July 2021 and used in Audi vehicles produced afterward.
In March, Volkswagen recalled nearly 61,000 ID.4 SUVs and Audi e-tron models for a condition where the gearshift indicator may not display the neutral position. The problem was also related to software.
