Over 500,000 Audis Are Being Recalled Over Airbag Safety Issues

As if the VW Group didn't already have enough to worry about right now.

Volkswagen may be celebrating the news that it overtook Toyota to become the best-selling manufacturer of 2016, but we don't think spirits are too high. The company is still recovering from the aftermath of Dieselgate after all. A major recall for over 500,000 Audi vehicles in the United States certainly won’t help make the Germans feel any better either. The recall concerns issues with the airbag and coolant pumps overheating in several Audi models. The first part of the recall affects 234,054 Audi Q5s produced between 2011 and 2017.

According to the NHTSA, it was discovered that the sunroof drainage system may allow water to soak into the foam surrounding the side-curtain airbag inflator canister. Should this happen, the canister could corrode and potentially rupture, showering occupants with metal fragments. The situation may sound similar to the fatal issues with Takata’s airbags that affected millions of cars, but this is an entirely separate issue. Plus, the Q5’s airbag inflators are developed by iSi Automotive, not Takata. The recall will start this month and will involve the water drainage system for the sunroof and side curtain airbag canisters being inspected. If required, the inflator will be replaced or repaired by sealing it with wax.

A separate airbag-related recall has been issued to 5,901 Audi and Volkswagen 2017 and 2018 models as the airbag may not deploy properly and the seat belt pre-tensioners may not activate correctly. If that wasn’t already enough, another 342,867 models are being recalled due to issues with the coolant pump of FSI engines becoming blocked and overheating. Affected vehicles include the Audi Q5, A5 and A5 Cabriolet models from 2013-2017, Audi Allroads and A4s from 2013-2016 and A6s from 2012-2015. In this case, a simple software update will resolve the issue by cutting power supply to the coolant pump if overheating is detected.

Audi Surprises Paris Crowd With New $500,000 R8 LMS Customer Race Car

Well, we weren't wrong about rear-wheel-drive.

Last week, Audi teased a mysterious new R8 model that would be shown off at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. Our best guess was a hardcore R8 GT model, which would match the 630 horsepower figure of the Lamborghini Huracan Peformante.

While we were correct about this new R8 being hardcore, we underestimated just how hardcore it would be. In fact, Audi has just revealed the new R8 LMS GT3, a full-on race car that you can actually buy. This is the fourth model from Audi Sport Customer Racing in just four years and acts as the evolution of last year's R8 LMS GT4.

Audi has focused on providing customers with an even better experience than before. Changes include optimizing the aerodynamics and cooling, increasing the durability of the transmission, and allowing for longer service intervals for the clutch and transmission. All of these modifications should make the R8 LMS GT3 easier to own and race. Not only will these changes be made on the new car, but current R8 LMS GT4 owners can retrofit these improvements onto their existing car.

No changes seem to be made to the drivetrain, so the naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V8 should still send 495 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

This being a race car, it doesn't come cheap. Audi will begin selling the cars in November for 398,000 euros (around $460,000). If you already own the older car, Audi will retrofit it with the GT3 upgrades for 28,000 euros (around $32,000). Like the previous customer race cars, the R8 LMS GT3 will be meet FIA homologation rules and will be used to compete in various worldwide racing series.

Over 500,000 Audis Are Being Recalled Over Airbag Safety Issues

As if the VW Group didn't already have enough to worry about right now.

Volkswagen may be celebrating the news that it overtook Toyota to become the best-selling manufacturer of 2016, but we don't think spirits are too high. The company is still recovering from the aftermath of Dieselgate after all. A major recall for over 500,000 Audi vehicles in the United States certainly won’t help make the Germans feel any better either. The recall concerns issues with the airbag and coolant pumps overheating in several Audi models. The first part of the recall affects 234,054 Audi Q5s produced between 2011 and 2017.

According to the NHTSA, it was discovered that the sunroof drainage system may allow water to soak into the foam surrounding the side-curtain airbag inflator canister. Should this happen, the canister could corrode and potentially rupture, showering occupants with metal fragments. The situation may sound similar to the fatal issues with Takata’s airbags that affected millions of cars, but this is an entirely separate issue. Plus, the Q5’s airbag inflators are developed by iSi Automotive, not Takata. The recall will start this month and will involve the water drainage system for the sunroof and side curtain airbag canisters being inspected. If required, the inflator will be replaced or repaired by sealing it with wax.

A separate airbag-related recall has been issued to 5,901 Audi and Volkswagen 2017 and 2018 models as the airbag may not deploy properly and the seat belt pre-tensioners may not activate correctly. If that wasn’t already enough, another 342,867 models are being recalled due to issues with the coolant pump of FSI engines becoming blocked and overheating. Affected vehicles include the Audi Q5, A5 and A5 Cabriolet models from 2013-2017, Audi Allroads and A4s from 2013-2016 and A6s from 2012-2015. In this case, a simple software update will resolve the issue by cutting power supply to the coolant pump if overheating is detected.