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Two days ago I bought I an used 2002 Audi Allroad which was in good condition (one owner, 90k miles) from a car repair shop. Cash was handed over in return for the title, no sale document exists apart from the Statement of Transaction form, used to register at the DMV in NY. The car was well maintained and there were no issues experienced during the test drive.

Only after the purchase I found that the steering was sometimes odd (difficult) during hard turns. Since I remember that the last repair was done in the car repair shop where they replaced the air supension on both front wheels, I intend to drive back on Monday when they reopen to check it out.

This morning when I backed out of my drive way (paved, flat), there was an audible crack followed by metallic scraping sound so I immediately stopped and found out that the steering link, a part of the suspension is mechanically broken off, something totally unexpected out of a quality car that both past inspection and have been serviced in an Audi dealership just last month!

The thought that it would have broken on the highway with a totally blocked front wheel at high speed (the car would have spun around and around) causes shivers to run down my back, which already had it's beating lately ( I had a severe back injury this summer which resulted in a broken spine) .

Any thought or advice how to confront the repair shop who sold me this used car? As mentioned, an important factor is that they worked on the suspension just a week ago before selling the car to me. And I assume this is done after the state inspection.

So I need to sort out two questions:

1. the origin of the rupture of the steering link:
My plan is is show the picture that I took to someone who knows about the problems of the drive train and suspension, for example a local Mavis Tires and ask them how and under which circumstance such a rupture can happen.
On top of that, I could ask the opinion of the head mechanic of an official Audio dealer.

2. Fault responsibility (my main question):
Barring the aspect of the potential and severe injury (I would have been paralyzed in a car accident with the current condition of my spine), who bears the cost of the car repair in this case?

Thanks in advance!  

i would closely examine the broken pieces...   you can post them to photobucket... and post the link to them here... for all to see..

examine the crack... see if it was part way through first...    you can tell as part of the break will be fresh.. part older, dirtier, oxidized...   close examination will tell... take high res photos..    

i would also contact this web site...    the national highway traffic safety admin they have a complaint form to fill out..  and they will want both pictures and the parts in some cases..

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

here is the link to the office of defects management

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/

if you take it in to be repaired...  you have to have the service advisor write on the work order and check off the box.. you want all the old parts back...

i would bet that since the air suspension had been replaced... that the car had been driven with it down ...  that would have put additional stress on the suspension components..  i have not been under the front of one of those.. most cars with air suspension are built with larger rubber snubbers to allow the cars suspension to ride on the rubber snubbers without damaging the suspension..  unless they hit a really big pot hole or a curb... that fractured the suspension..


as for who is going to pay for this damage... i would see if i could find the prior shop and get a copy of their repairs orders to the car...  i know that car fax keeps track of many repairs...  i don't know how detailed their service is..


it really matters what broke ... and what broke it...   was it left unfastened.. loose...   was it damaged from a prior accident???  was it damaged by the suspension failure earlier???     was it overlooked by the techs when the suspension was repaired.???

was it damaged by the techs when the suspension was repaired...   was it damaged by the tow truck when the car was towed to the repair shop????

i would also check to see if all the wheels have matching Vin numbers stamped into them...   if you have a set of 3... the car might have been in an accident.. and repaired...      accidents have forces strong enough to fracture almost any pieces..

why do you think that insurance companies are so quick to total a car..  it becomes a salvage title.. and removes them from any future liabilitys if something fails later on...    the lawyers will say.. look right here.. salvage title..   you cannot even get full coverage on a car with a salvage title..

was there any warrantee on this deal....   since there is minimal damage..  you might end up eating it... as getting lawyers and law suits involved.. might be expensive..

would you have been injured in a car crash when this failed????/???????????????????????????????????????  would you have crashed the car or just ground to a stop????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

i checked what i could of the recalls and service bulletins     seems none in the free area i could find other than for the left knee pushing the dash under pad and causing the head light switch to short out and cause a fire... and then a few dozen fuel leaks from a rollover valve at the fuel tank..

i would sure fill out the form and send photos...    

post photo also... and then the links...