A Connection offline
Technical Service Bulletin Transaction No.: 2061464/11
40 Cracking noises from front or rear of the vehicle when changing direction Release date: Mar 24, 2026
Condition
2018 — 2020
A3, S3, and RS 3
2022 - 2025
A3 Cabriolet 2018 — 2019
A3 Sportback e-tron 2018
A3, and Q3 2019 — 2026
2019
e-tron
2021 — 2023
2020 — 2026 All Not applicable
e-tron Sportback 2020 - 2023
A8 e quattro 2020 - 2021
Q8 e-tron, Q8 Sportback e-
tron, SQ8 e-tron, and SQ8 2024
Sportback e-tron
AS, S5 (FU), Q5, Q5
Sportback, SQ5, and SQ5 | 2025 — 2026
Sportback (GU)
A6 (FN) 2026
REVISION HISTORY
revision [pate [purpose
11 Revised header (Added models)
Revised Condition (Added model table)
Revised Warranty (Updated Labor Operations)
10/01/2025 | Revised header (Updated model year)
es 01/09/2025 | Revised header (Updated model year)

Customer states:
+ — Asingle cracking noise is heard when changing direction. The noise comes either from the front of the vehicle
or — on quattro vehicles - the rear of the vehicle.
Workshop findings:
+ Asingle crack noise is heard when pulling off changing direction.
On quattro vehicles the noise is attributed to the prop shaft in isolated cases.
Documentation required
Technical Background
The cracking noise is caused by relative movement of the stub axle of the drive shaft inside the wheel bearing.
Production Solution
Optimized stub axle teeth in outer joint introduced in stages.
Service
The stub axle of the affected drive shaft must be bonded to the wheel bearing with locking fluid.
Try to reproduce the customer complaint (in accordance with customer statement/technical background) so
that it can be clearly assigned to this TSB. The repair described below must only be performed if all
specified criteria apply exactly. Otherwise, this measure will not resolve the issue and repeat repairs will be
necessary. In this case, the manufacturer reserves the right to reject the warranty claim.
+ Bond the stub axle of the drive shaft into the wheel bearing using locking fluid (part number D 185400A3).
+ Approx. 5 ml of fluid is required per drive shaft.
+ Apply a bead all the way around (see arrow in figure 1).
+ Observe the Workshop Manual and ETKA.
+ On multi-link suspension, it is sufficient to release the upper link in order to pull the outer joint out of the hub.

Figure 1. Continuous bead on stub axle.
The vehicle must not be driven for 8 hours after bonding.
Warranty
The labor times correspond to the specified times in the repair operations list at the time of the publication
of this TSB. There may be differences if the repair operations list has been updated in the meantime. If this
is the case, the current time specifications in the repair operations list apply. Times to be entered manually
(... 99) are exempt from this.
The time required to use the Offboard Diagnostic Information System tester is not included in the times
specified above. This time must be billed separately via the print-out of the Offboard Diagnostic Information
System tester.
Claim Type: + Ifthe vehicle is outside any warranty, this Technical Service Bulletin is informational
only.
Service Number: 4041 (front axle)
or
4221 (rear axle)
Damage Code: 0010
Labor Operations: Models A3, Q3
Bond in 1 front outer driveshaft 4041 4999 90 TU
Includes:
Remove and install 1 wheel

Remove and install noise insulation

Detach and re-attach suspension link

Bond in 2 front outer driveshafts

Includes:

Remove and install 2 wheels 4041 5099 120 TU

Remove and install noise insulation

Detach and re-attach 2 suspension links

Adjust 2 headlights 9415 16XX See SRT with
associated operations

Calibrate front camera 9638 15XX See SRT with
associated operations

Models AS5/A6/A8/ etron

Bond in 1 front outer drive shaft 4041 4999 70 TU

Includes:

Remove and install 1 wheel

Loosen and secure 2 upper suspension links

Clean and bond 1 drive shaft

Clean 1 wheel bearing ring gear

Bond in 2 front outer drive shafts 4041 5099 100 TU

Includes:

Remove and install 2 wheels

Loosen and secure 4 upper suspension links

Clean and bond 2 drive shafts

Clean 2 wheel bearing ring gears

Rear Axle — Models A3/Q3/A5/A6/A8/etron

Remove and install 1 rear wheel hub with 4267 19xx See SRT with

bearing associated operations

Bond in 1 rear outer drive shaft 4221 4999 10 TU

Remove and install 2 rear wheel hubs with 4267 20xx See SRT with

bearings associated operations

Bond in 2 rear outer drive shafts 4221 5099 10 TU

GFF / Guided Functions 0150 0060 Time stated on the
diagnostic protocol

Claim Comment: As per TSB 2061464/11

All warranty claims submitted for payment must be in accordance with the Audi Warranty Policies and Procedures
Manual. Claims are subject to review or audit by Audi Warranty.

Please note the information on predecessors and items that are included and excluded in the repair operations, as
well as any associated tasks.

Required Parts and Tools

Always check with your Parts Department and/or ETKA for the latest information and parts bulletins.

Part Number | Part Description Quantity

See ETKA Fasteners, Bolts, Nuts, and Screws as needed per the Repair Manual | See ETKA/ELSA

D 185400A3 Locking fluid
Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2061464) are subject to change and/or removal.
©2026 Audi of America, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained in this document is based on the latest
information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies, and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time
without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be
modified or reposted to other sites without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.