When starting the car, malfunction indicator light (mil) came on. no odd noises or smells, and the engine was running smooth. the trouble code displayed was 00196a. drove the car to an audi dealer and they diagnosed the problem as "faulty transmission cooling valve n509, coolant is getting into connector causing an open circuit fault". the dealer stated that this a known problem (technical service bulletin #2033806/9) that sometimes renders the vehicle inoperable, and will possibly be covered for an extended period beyond the warranty. repairs costed $900+. i'm concerned that if this reoccurs, it could cause the vehicle to shut off in an unsafe manner.
While stationary and driving, the check engine light appears along with the transmission and epc light which states, "transmission malfunction. can continue to drive". drives sluggish and "sputters" above 4000 rpm. my wife (pregnant at the time) was driving when it sputtered and had difficulty exiting our subdivision onto the highway. i took it to the audi dealer in hardeeville, sc and concern was verified as coolant in engine/transmission harness. (see uploads) i've done extensive research to see if this was common and i found a recall on the a8 for a similar problem. additionally, i was able to find sb-10053889-6593 which outlines the exact issue; so audi is aware of the problem.
Audi a7 in drive, completely stopped with only the brake pressed will jerk violently forward 2-3 feet. first time this happened, i thought i was rear ended. this is a serious safety issue that happens often. also, while driving, an audible alarm will go off in the car with the hazards rapidly flashing for no reason. there are no warning lights going off on the dash other that the hazard signals. this will last for 5 minutes with the audible alarm and another 5 with just the hazards rapidly going off. i had my girlfriend record a video of it this morning which i can provide.