I WAS DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE WHEN BLOWOUT OCCURRED ON MICHELIN PILOT SPORT PS2 TIRE WITH ONLY 11,000 MILES ON TIRES. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW. THE TIRES HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED BY ROTATING AND BALANCING EVERY 3,500 MILES AND TIRE INFLATION PROPERLY MAINTAINED. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND DRY. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT 2.5 HOURS WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE CAR TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND CALL FOR ASSISTANCE TO CHANGE TIRE TO SPARE. UPON EXAMINATION, THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE TIRE THE STEEL BELT CAME THROUGH THE TIRE AND CAUSED BLOWOUT. THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF TIRE DID NOT SHOW THE WEAR THAT THE INSIDE EDGE SHOWED AND HAD NOT BEEN READILY NOTICEABLE UPON VISUAL INSPECTION EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE TIRES HAD JUST BEEN ROTATED, BALANCED AND ALIGNED 1 MONTH PRIOR AND THERE WAS A NOTATION TO MONITOR THE TREAD BAR AS THE FRONT TIRES WERE WEARING FASTER THAN THE BACK TIRES (THE CAR IS ALL WHEEL DRIVE). I HAD BEEN DOING A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TIRES EACH TIME I GOT IN THE CAR AND HAD NOT NOTICED THAT THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS WEARING UNEVENLY FROM THE OUTSIDE EDGE. THE AAA EMPLOYEE WHO REMOVED THE TIRE STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT AIR LEAKED OUT THROUGH THE STEEL AND CAUSED THE BLOWOUT. THE CAR HAS TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM HOWEVER NEVER SHOWED TIRE PRESSURE LOSS UNTIL THE BLOWOUT OCCURRED. *TR
2014
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I WAS TURNING LEFT ONTO A MAIN ROAD WHEN THE HATCHBACK SPONTANEOUSLY OPENED, I.E. THE CAR WAS MOVING AND THE DOOR TO THE BACK OF THE CAR OPENED ALL BY ITSELF. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY TESTED (IN AN EMPTY PARKING LOT) IF THE KEY FOB OR THE DOOR-RELEASE WILL OPERATE WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION (I.E. I TESTED TO SEE IF PERHAPS I HAS INADVERTENTLY TRIGGERED THE DOOR OPENING BUTTON)-- AND NEITHER WILL OPEN THE DOOR WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING. I HAVE CONTACTED AUDI AND THEIR FIRST RESPONSE WAS THAT I HAD PROBABLY ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE BUTTON, AND THEN THEIR NEXT REPLY WAS THAT WHAT DID I WANT THEM TO DO SINCE THERE WAS LITTLE CHANCE THEY COULD REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I INDICATED THAT THIS CAR WAS ESSENTIALLY UN-USABLE TO ME AT THIS TIME AS I OFTEN HAVE DOGS IN THE BACK OF THE CAR- AND CAN NO LONGER SAFELY USE THIS VEHICLE FOR FEAR THAT AT ANY MOMENT THE BACK DOOR WILL OPEN WHILE I'M DRIVING. *TR
