In the US, car owners sued Audi over arbitrary locking

A group of Americans in a class action lawsuit accuses the German car company of causing electronic door locks on dozens of Audi models to malfunction, trapping people inside or outside the vehicle. The plaintiffs claim that the German brand knew about the problem for years but advised dealers to ignore it.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of California resident Jay Parikh, who purchased a used 2021 Audi e-tron in 2024 and almost immediately encountered the fact that the car’s central locking would open and close spontaneously. At the most frightening moment, according to the plaintiff, his infant son was trapped inside the car, while the man and his wife were left outside.

The lawsuit includes a huge list of models, including the A6, A7, A8, Q8, e-tron GT, Q6 e-tron, as well as the latest Q5 and A5 2025-2026 model years. “Charged” versions like RS6 Avant, RS7 and RS Q8 are also under threat.

Owners complain that a defect can appear at any time: the door does not open either from the outside or from the inside. Or, conversely, the car cannot be locked. Audi has issued at least eight technical bulletins related to this issue since 2021, according to the lawsuit. But one bulletin, dated February 2026, allegedly specifically instructed dealers to “do not replace any parts as this will not solve the customer’s problem.”

Instead, dealers are instructed to inform car owners that the fix will not appear until the end of the third quarter of 2026. The plaintiffs demand that the company be forced to pay compensation, reimburse repair costs, launch a buyback program for defective cars, and conduct a recall campaign ordered by the court.

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