Monday, June 13, 2011

How Do You Get American Audis Certified to European Regulations?

A reader has written in with this question. I personally don't know how this can be done, but perhaps someone else out there does?

While working in the USA, I bought an Audi A4 2.0L TFSI Quattro which I brought with me to France where I currently work. In order to get a certificate of conformity for the car I contacted the DRIRE which is the French certification agency. The car passed a number of tests at the UTAC laboratory and is currently in an Audi garage in Toulouse to be modified. Two weeks ago I received word from the garage that in order to make the new tail lights work, some codes are needed. Audi Germany refuses to deliver those codes.

When I contacted international customer services in France and Germany this was confirmed. Audi refuses to have American Audis certified to European regulations. So now I’m in the possession of a 35.000 EUR car which I’m not allowed to drive. Basically Audi tells me to f… off and to send the car back to the USA and sell it there. I have never been that surprised in my life.

Do you have any idea how this can be solved?


If you know, please leave a comment below! Thanks!

1 comments:

j a f said...

same situation with a Q5 today. German tail lights were installed but did not work properly due to not having codes. I am looking into http://www.globalcartransport.com/en/homologation.htm

hopefully they can help or i am screwed.

did you find a solution. please post if you did.