Audi has announced it will recall approximately 1.2 million worldwide (342,000 in the U.S. and over 47,000 in Canada) of its newer-model cars and SUVs over a fault that could cause the vehicles’ electric coolant pumps to malfunction and cause a fire. Audi said the pump could fail in one of two ways: become blocked with debris from the cooling system and overheat, or experience a moisture build-up within the pump that leads to a short circuit, adding that there had been no reports of fires, injuries or crashes related to the issue.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has stated that dealers will replace the pumps for free and that Audi plans to notify owners about the recall of their vehicles by mail beginning June 11. A second notice will be mailed once the replacement parts become available in November.
Specifically, the recall affects cars and SUVs equipped with two-liter turbocharged engines, and includes the 2013 to 2016 A4, the 2013 to 2017 A5, the 2012 to 2015 A6, and the 2013 to 2017 Q5. (Audi has provided this tool that allows you to look up whether your car is affected using the VIN number. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a similar tool.)
“In certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0L TFSI engine, the electric coolant pump may experience a short-circuit and/or overheat,” Audi reported to the NHTSA. “A short circuit or overheating within the electric coolant pump may lead to a vehicle fire.”
This is not the first time Audi, Volkswagen AG’s luxury brand, has issued a recall over coolant pumps. Early last year, Audi issued a recall for the same group of vehicles in the U.S. to update the software so that the power supply to the coolant pump would be deactivated if the pump became blocked with debris, according to Reuters. The software updated did not solve the problem, according to documents filed with the NHTSA.
