Audi
A6

While driving slowly through a shopping mall parking lot with my wife and [XXX] son onboard, the vehicle suddenly malfunctioned. The central locking system cycled repeatedly, and a warning briefly appeared mentioning a steering/light malfunction. Immediately afterward, the emergency release cables for all four doors deployed externally as if the car had been in a crash, even though no collision occurred. At the Audi dealership (Audi Sugar Land, TX), technicians confirmed by diagnostic scan that: The ABS control module stored a fault for “invalid data.” That invalid data was relayed to the airbag module, which falsely triggered a “crash response active” condition. All four door modules stored crash response faults and deployed the emergency release cables. The issue was confirmed, faults were cleared, but no parts were replaced. This false crash response put my family at risk because it activated emergency safety mechanisms without cause. My concern is that if invalid data can trigger a false crash event, it could also trigger other systems, such as airbags, leading to potential injury. The incident occurred with approximately 1,100 miles on the vehicle, one week after purchase, and immediately following the first 100% charge. The dealer documented the event and consulted Audi Technical Assistance, who authorized release of the vehicle after clearing the codes. This is a serious safety defect because critical systems activated without a real crash, creating unnecessary risk for occupants. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)