Audi 'lied' about safety testing of vehicles

[duarose]

To those saying "it was the dealers, not Audi" I would say that becoming a dealer (in the UK at least) for a brand like Audi is not a simple matter of just applying to stick the Audi/VW badge up over the door. Audi have a responsibility to vet their official dealers. It's the expectation here. So it was the dealers directly, but since they are acting as Audi's representatives, I'd consider Audi to be culpable also.

[mzs]

I don't know about UK, but in US I have a blast every time I go to a dealership cause of all the fibbing and BS I hear. Of course it's not every salesman, but it happens a lot. One time I was buying a Dodge minivan and I was using the safety rating which I had compared earlier as a reason it should pay even less. The salesman told me I was wrong, that it had the best safety rating cause the steel was thicker! He even said I should check on his computer! I mean this is like poker level stuff. I have heard the best stories when buying cars - like about hidden underground ICBM launch sites where I work, alien abduction, crazy stuff about Denver airport, how one guy had been a sniper or spy or something - I love it, it cracks me up inside. I expect UK dealerships to be similar.

[nsxwolf]

You can't possibly vet someone that well. Audi may indeed have the responsibility to take action against this dealer and make things right, but the dealer's behavior shouldn't tarnish the image of the company.

[casca]

The BBC title is misleading. The article is clear that it was British Audi _dealers_ that lied about the cars having done the Euro NCAP safety tests.

[migstopheles]

"Audi's UK head office falsely claimed that the entire Audi range was Euro NCAP safety tested". So not just the dealers?

[SixSigma]

The BBC has click baity headlines throughout. Notice the quote marks around "lied", which means that the BBC is reporting that someone told them that Audi lied. Which is, no doubt, a true statement regardless of whether Audi did or not.

[digitalengineer]

>witnessed nine out of 10 dealers from around the country falsely claim

Wait? Car dealers lying? The biggest official BMW dealear in my state got a lot of bad press when he sold BMW's that had been in an accident and were repaired as 'PREMIUM Houde Selection' cars...

[rurounijones]

Not that much further

> "Forty-eight of the 50 dealers I spoke to told me directly that it had been put through the Euro NCAP programme and it had a five-star rating."

[buyx]

I know of two cases where Audi dealers acted unethically with people I know in South Africa. Is there a worldwide pattern?

[chrisBob]

Why does the A7 in the picture have an A5 badge on it? Car names in other countries are so confusing.

[wildebaard]

Because it actually is an A5 and not an A7. At least, that holds for the Benelux. I do understand the confusion, as they are very similar at first glance.

[arethuza]

I think it's an A5 Sportback

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_A5#Sportback_.288TA.29

[DocG]

Because it is A5 everywhere. A5 and A7 are different models, not different names for same model. And A5 also has an 5 door model available, although it is not sold in states.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_A7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_A5

[S_A_P]

Audi(and heck even BMW, Merc and non lux makers) sell many more variants of their vehicles in Europe. Estates/Avants/Station wagons are the SUV of Europe. Its much easier to make 30+ mpg in one of those than a body on frame V-8 suburban...

[miamidesign]

Title is misleading, it was the dealers.

[tonylemesmer]

The Audi trademark is used on Audi dealers and therefore Audi as sensible organisation should check and influence how their cars are represented. To the average consumer there is little or no difference between "Audi" and, for example, "Blade Audi"

[EliRivers]

Audis in the UK have a persistent safety flaw; it's suspected to be something to do with the glass used in the windscreen (windshield for our US readers). When you sit in the driving seat of an Audi, all other road users become invisible.