The Volkswagen Group of America has issued a recall for a small number of Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron vehicles produced for the 2024 model year. Manufactured in Belgium, the MLB Evo-based electric sport utility vehicles may feature overtightened brake lines that could fail, resulting in reduced braking performance.
In case of a brake fluid leak, not all is lost because of the diagonal distribution of the two brake circuits. In this context, diagonal means that a front-wheel brake and a rear-wheel brake still work. Anyhow, a brake fluid leak will automatically lead to a warning message on the cluster display.
The question is, how did the four-ringed automaker mess up? According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the overtightening condition is the result of a production rework. Wrong handling of the screwing tool and too much torque are to blame for the brake line flange being prone to breaking.
4KL.614.724.C is the part number of the brake pressure line, with said component supplied by TI Group Automotive Systems of Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic. Indeed, that's the stomping ground of the Volkswagen Group-owned Skoda Auto. The safety boffins at the Volkswagen Group started looking into this problem at the beginning of 2024, following a warning message in which a Q8 e-tron indicated a low brake level fluid.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the junction point between the brake lines had been fastened with excessive torque with a screwing tool that is "occasionally required during the rework of the junction point." Looking at the bigger picture, the peeps in charge of rework at the factory should've known better than using a screwing tool whose torque setting can be changed so easily.
Photo: Audi
Volkswagen Group of America isn't aware of any reports potentially related to the described condition, which affects 48 units of the Q8 e-tron quattro and 17 units of the Q8 Sportback e-tron quattro in the US market. Said zero-emission sport utility vehicles were assembled in the period between May 3, 2023 and March 15, 2024.
Evidently, affected customers will be informed via first-class mail about the recall, with the notifications to be mailed no later than August 9, 2024. Dealers have already been instructed to inspect the brake pressure line coupling point. If necessary, service techs will replace the line.
The remedy component does not differ from the original brake pressure line because it's an assembly process problem rather than a design problem. Owners can easily determine if their Q8 e-trons are recalled or not by entering the VIN on Audi's website. All 17-character vehicle identification numbers should begin with WA1.
Previously known as Audi e-tron and Audi e-tron Sportback, the all-electric Q8s are priced from $74,400 and $77,800 in the US market at the moment of reporting. The most you can expect from them in terms of driving range is 285 miles (459 kilometers) for the practical model or 300 miles (483 kilometers) for the coupe-ish model.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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