Audi Class Action Lawsuit Claims Coolant Pumps are Defective

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In a class action lawsuit, an Audi driver claims that certain vehicles’ coolant pumps are defective making the vehicles unsafe to drive.

Additionally, the Audi coolant pump class action lawsuit argues that the company’s recall of the vehicles did not sufficiently compensate drivers’ for their financial injury, because the company did not provide replacement vehicles for drivers to use during the recall.

Plaintiff Scott Sager says he purchased a 2013 Audi Allroad vehicle on or around Aug. 3, 2018. He claims that soon after purchasing the vehicle, he found that his vehicle was subject to a recall announced by VW-Audi that addressed defective coolant pumps. According to Sager, he contacted a local VW-Audi dealer and requested they perform the recall.

The Audi coolant pump class action lawsuit claims that Sager was told that the dealership would not be able to perform the recall until at least November because they did not have the necessary parts.

Allegedly, the dealer advised Sager to not drive his vehicle because it was unsafe to operate with the defective coolant pump.

The Audi class action lawsuit states that at this point Sager asked for a replacement vehicle to drive before the parts were available, but was denied his request, because VW-Audi would not authorize a loaner vehicle.

According to the VW-Audi class action lawsuit some Audi vehicles are equipped with a coolant pump that is defective because of a risk of short circuiting and/or overheating because debris can get lodged inside the coolant pump, or because moisture can accumulate in the pump.

The Audi class action lawsuit reports that a short-circuit or overheating in the coolant pump may start a fire, which can result in vehicle or other property damage, and can put the drivers’ and others’ lives at risk.

The VW-Audi coolant pump class action lawsuit argues that VW-Audi may have been aware of the defect in the coolant pump since December 2016, at which point they conducted a recall, instructing dealers to reprogram the engine control unit software in affected vehicles.

Allegedly, this did not solve the problem, because the defect was not a software problem. The Audi class action says the company reportedly conducted a second recall in April 2018, which aimed to replace coolant pumps, and fit the affected vehicles with a new and improved coolant pump.

The new pumps would reportedly have a pressure compensation element that would prevent moisture accumulation.

The Audi class action lawsuit goes on to say that the company would not have the replacement pumps available until November 2018.

During the interim period, VW-Audi reportedly told dealers to quarantine their affected vehicles until the recall, and sent a letter to owners recommending that they park the vehicles away from flammable materials.

Sager argues that the company knows that the vehicles are dangerous if they advised consumers to park the cars away from flammable items because they are at risk of igniting.

Allegedly, the company intentionally concealed the information from consumers that the vehicles could be dangerous to drive.

The plaintiff says that the company financially injured consumers by selling them defective vehicles, and claims that the company was negligent and possibly knowingly endangered the safety of consumers.

Sager is represented by Sofia Balile of Lemberg Law LLC.

The VW-Audi Coolant Pump Class Action Lawsuit is Scott D. Sager v. Volkswagen Group of America Inc., et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-13556, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.