Reporting Safety Defects - Audi A8 2018 Owner's Manual

Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
¢
page 213, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
small er items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause serious in-
jury . Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the
item . Vehicle speed is the most signif icant factor .
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces act ing on a 10-lb
(4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
weight of the item . This means that the weight
of the item would suddenly be about
200 lbs . (90 kg). You can ima gi ne the injuries
t hat a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying freely th roug h
the passenger compartment could cause in a col-
lision like this .
A
WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail during hard
brak ing or in a col lision and cause serious per-
sonal injury .
- Always use suitab le mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan-
gerous missiles .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down .
-
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
~
death, you should immediately in-
....
~ form the National Highway Traffic
....
~
Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
'<t
Driving safety
addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com-
plaints, it may open an investiga-
tion , and if it finds that a safety
defects exists in a group of
vehicles, it may order a recall and
remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you,
your dealer, or Audi of America,
Inc.
To contact the NHTSA, you may
either call:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY:
1-800-424-9153) or
1-800-424-9393
or you may write to:
NHTSA
U.S. Department of Transporta -
tion
1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.
West Building
Washington , DC 20590
You can also obtain other infor-
mation about motor vehicle safe-
ty from:
http:/ /www.safercar.gov
215