— Audi stalling problems caused by turbocharger failures have convinced the government to upgrade an investigation that was opened in March 2021.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened the investigation after receiving 58 complaints about Audi engine stalling problems in 2013-2016 Audi A8, S6, S7, S8 and RS7 vehicles.
The Audi models are equipped with 4-liter twin-turbo engines, and owners complained the vehicles stalled because the turbochargers failed.
The Audi stalling issues occurred while driving in cities and on highways due to clogged turbocharger oil strainers, with many drivers claiming the Audi vehicles couldn't be restarted.
The Audi turbocharger oil strainer removes dirty particles and carbon deposits from the oil as it lubricates the turbochargers. But a clogged oil strainer prevents the flow of oil to the turbocharger and causes the turbine bushings to run dry and overheat, causing the turbine shaft to fail.
Complainants also note how the location of the oil strainer makes servicing the Audi vehicle difficult because the "turbocharger oil supply line is in the inner valley of the engine."
As the Audi turbocharger investigation continued, NHTSA learned there were 709 complaints and 611 warranty claims allegedly about Audi stalling problems caused by the turbochargers.
Additionally, Audi issued a recall of the vehicles in March and said at least 1,889 warranty claims had been received for clogged oil strainers. However, Audi said engine stall wasn't really a big problem.
NHTSA says its upgraded investigation was "opened to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the alleged defect, engine stalling due to turbocharger failure."
CarComplaints.com will update our website with results of the Audi turbocharger failure investigation.
