look what I found...

[julius <elprofe@caribe.net>]

THURSDAY,JANUARY 15,1987

    AUDI AGREE TO RECALL 5000 MODEL;AUTOMATIC SHIFT LOCK SEEN AS
BEST       PREVENTIVE FOR UNINTENDED ACCELERATION.

AUDI of America announce today that it will recall 250.000 1978-86
Audi 5000s,as requested by the Federal Government, to install a device
to help prevent "unintended accelaration."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) IN LATE 
December requested Audi to install the Automatic Shift Lock under the
provisions of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Today, Audi agreed to the request.  The Automatic Shift Lock is a unique
device designed by Audi to substantially reduce the incidence of
unintended acceleration in its automatic transmission Audi 5000 models.

Is has already been installed in more than 70,000 Audi 5000s.

John B. Damoose, new corporate vice president responsibel for Audi of
America, said: "We recognize that the number of incidents of unintended
acceleration is too high and we want to reduce it.  Audi not only will
fully comply with ther government's request, we will seek to achieve an
unprecedented level of owner participation in a recall.  We're launching
a program to get t;her Automatic Shift Locks installed as quickly as
possible in the remainig cars, and with a minimumof inconvenience to our
customers."

The program will include:

* A nationwide letter and telephone campaign urging owners to schedule
their  Automatic Shift Lock installations as soon as possible;
* A follow-up campaign with all owners to monitor the use and
effectiveness of ther Automatic Shift Lock; and
* Audi will also re-notify owners and complete two previous recall
campaigns involving throttle pedal to carpet interference and perform
brake pedal modifications on those 1978 through 1983 vehicles which have
not yet had this work done.

" In addition, we're today announcing ther unprecedented action of
offering our dealers across the country the opportunity to participate
in a program under which up to 1,000 new Audis would be available to
dealers for use by their customers the day of their Automatic Shift Lock
installation, "Damoose said.  "our company is genuinely committed to
making the  recall a success."

The Automatic Shift Lock is standard equipment on 1987 Audi 5000
automatic transmission models.
Unintended acceleration is said to occur when a driver shifts an
automatic transmission car from "park" to "drive" or "reverse."
Drivers say the car unexpectedly accelerates and simultaneously cannot
be stopped by applying the brakes.
Audi has demonstrated that the brake system in the Audi 5000 will
override engine output and is capable of bringing the vehicle even at
full throttle to a complete stop.  The Automatic  Shift Lock keeps the
transmission locke in "park" until the brake is depressed.  Therefore,
to assure that the driver can have the brakes immediately available, 
The Automatic Shift Lock keeps the transmission locked in "park" until
the brake is drepressed.
AUDI AGREES TO IDLE STABILIZATION VALVE RECALL IN SEPARATE ACTION
In a separate action today, Audi officials also agreed to NHTSA's
request that the company recall 1985 and some 1986 automatic
transmission Audi 5000s models to replace the cars idle stabilization
valve and to inspect the vehicles for proper idle.
Audi will conduct its recall under the provisions of ther National
Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and will re-notify all owners of
cars with the defective part of the company's replacement program. 
To date, nearly 36,000 Audi 5000 owners have had their cars idle
stabilization valve replaced under the company's own service recall.
About 82,000 cars are included in the campaign.
Audi of Amercia has acknowledged problems with the idle stabilization
valve, and maintains that the defective part does not cause unintended
acceleration.  Ther car's original idle stabilization valve was found to
wear excessively and over a period of time could result in increasing
fluctuations in ther car's idle r.p.m.  An Audi investigation of some
300 incidents of unintended acceleration found no idle stabilization
valve defect in any of these cars.
END...