My Brand-New Audi A6's Steering Locked Up Completely at 10,900 Km
On 07/19/2025, I purchased a brand-new Audi A6 vehicle from the Doğuş Otomotiv dealership in Esenyurt, Istanbul. I paid a high price for the vehicle — $74,786 in cash and $48,077 through financing. During the winter, after it snowed, when I turned the steering wheel left and right, I started hearing abnormal noises from the vehicle. I called the roadside assistance line about this; they directed me to the nearest dealer, and the response I got was, "The sounds are normal, snow or ice must have gotten underneath, it'll go away once it melts." Since no additional warning was given, I continued using the vehicle.
On 01/05/2026, while driving near Yerköy, Yozgat, the vehicle suddenly displayed a "steering malfunction, stop the vehicle" warning, and the steering wheel locked completely. Even three people together couldn't turn the steering wheel. We experienced this steering lockup even on a straight road, and had this happened on a curvy road at high speed, our lives could have been seriously endangered. This incident occurred when my vehicle had approximately 10,900 km on it.
The vehicle was towed to the Ankara Doğuş service center, and without any information given to me, the steering column was replaced. Later, when I was called to pick up the vehicle and went to the service center, this time I was told there was another issue and that they would investigate. A few days later, they informed me that the axle head had broken and would need to be replaced. Another 5-6 days passed, during which I completely lost my trust in the vehicle, and an acquaintance who was interested in buying it personally witnessed this entire process. While considering selling the vehicle and buying a different one, when I called the service center again, they told me the axle head had been fixed, but this time the transmission would need to be checked. Having a brand-new vehicle experience such serious problems with the steering, axle head, and then the transmission is absolutely unacceptable to me.
Despite all these faults, Doğuş Otomotiv and service officials informed me that they would not replace the vehicle and would only repair it. After a life-threatening fault that led to the steering locking up, followed by a series of severe mechanical problems, my vehicle is currently sitting broken down in my home's parking lot. I don't consider it normal to experience such life-threatening problems that completely destroy trust, lose sleep at night, and have my mental wellbeing affected, in a brand-new vehicle purchased at such a high price. I have serious concerns about my safety, and I would never have expected this kind of process management and this level of grievance from a major company in Turkey's automotive sector like Doğuş Otomotiv.
For all these reasons, due to the serious and dangerous faults that have emerged in my brand-new Audi A6, I am requesting that my vehicle be replaced with an identical, defect-free unit, and that the hardship I've experienced up to now be resolved.
