Is anyone else getting annoyed by the useless “Driver Assistance” messages that get thrown up from time to time?

For example, last Friday (14 July) I was driving from M20/M25/M11 in heavy rain and heavy traffic. Whilst I was concentrating hard on driving safely, a warning note sounds so I take my eyes off the road to see if it was something important, only to be informed that the was “Limited visibility”!

I can’t conceive of the circumstances that would make that a valuable piece of information that I couldn’t have found out all by myself.

I’ve had an even more ridiculous message during a thunderstorm when the system helpfully told me that because the weather was so bad it couldn’t determine if there was poor visibility or not. Audi say these messages can’t be suppressed except by deactivating the weather function on the MMI.

I’d love to know if other owners are finding this as frustrating as I am.

7 hours ago, biggsy-boy said:

Is anyone else getting annoyed by the useless “Driver Assistance” messages that get thrown up from time to time?

For example, last Friday (14 July) I was driving from M20/M25/M11 in heavy rain and heavy traffic. Whilst I was concentrating hard on driving safely, a warning note sounds so I take my eyes off the road to see if it was something important, only to be informed that the was “Limited visibility”!

I can’t conceive of the circumstances that would make that a valuable piece of information that I couldn’t have found out all by myself.

I’ve had an even more ridiculous message during a thunderstorm when the system helpfully told me that because the weather was so bad it couldn’t determine if there was poor visibility or not. Audi say these messages can’t be suppressed except by deactivating the weather function on the MMI.

I’d love to know if other owners are finding this as frustrating as I am.

Hi like most manufacturers Audi think that most of their customers are brain dead, fortunately most are not and the ones that ignore it anyway are the ones you see stuffed in the concrete centre reservations or up someone else's rear, after twenty years as a cabbie and a lot of motorway driving I have worked out there is no depths to which human stupidity will not plummet, hopefully VCDS will have a way of deactivating this pest soon.

Steve.

These Safety systems are crazy. Lane assistance a prime example. The only decent one is emergency braking when it's stopping you in a genuine situation and not a plastic carrier bag! 

Oh don’t get me started on Lane assistance! It’s wrong way more time than it’s right. Try coming off the M11 southbound onto the M25 toward Dartford. The off slip road is single lane that widens into two with the consequent sudden appearance of a white line dividing the two lanes. The Lane assistance has a total spasm which is exactly what you need in heavy traffic. Totally useless and IMO bordering on dangerous 

By the time I've realised there was a message and taken my eyes off the road to look for it it's gone:-)

There are quite a few occasions when I get the "Take control of the vehicle!" message - usually at times when I am *especially* focussed on doing exactly that!

I have just bought a 2025 Audi A3 (used but low mlieage) and on the 200 mile journey home I was very, very disappointed, upset even, the Driver Assist stuff drove me mad. Even with everything turned off it still seemed to brake gently AFTER I had come off the footbrake.

I can't live with this but not sure what to do now.  What is VCDS ?

47 minutes ago, Mike0779 said:

I have just bought a 2025 Audi A3 (used but low mlieage) and on the 200 mile journey home I was very, very disappointed, upset even, the Driver Assist stuff drove me mad. Even with everything turned off it still seemed to brake gently AFTER I had come off the footbrake.

I can't live with this but not sure what to do now.  What is VCDS ?

Hi VCDS is a dealer level as was diagnostic system it works on cars up to 2025 but it wont do what you want to do which is delete all the assistance systems thats all protected by SFD a new system that stops you doing such things the only people that should be able to do it are the dealers but they can't /wont do it, only real solution is to get rid of the car or live with it until the back street guys find a way round it.

Steve.

I have just had another drive this morning and I just find the brakes unpredictable.  When I press the pedal I cannot be sure how much retardation they are going to give, sometimes they do a gentle slow down and other times they seem to bite properly. 

My other car is a 2018 Golf GT, also an auto and I have none of these problems with it.

Audi's "Driver Assist" seems to me to be "Excessive Intervention" - I'm guessing that all of my concerns are resulting from Driver Assist.

My family all think I am a bit mad cos I don't like this almost new, premium car.

Edited August 14, 2025Aug 14 by Mike0779
Typos

Sounds like the braking system has an issue to be honest.

I hope so. I am just emailing the Sales Manager at the dealership with my tale of woe. Hopefully he will suggest something helpful although unfortunately they haven't got a branch within 200 miles of me.

 

Edited August 14, 2025Aug 14 by Mike0779

People are telling me I'll get used to it 🙏.

Edited August 14, 2025Aug 14 by Mike0779

I have re-read your post. I have had an 2024 plate Audi S3 that had all the bells and whistles on it. You could let it drive without any intervention very gently steering and all that it would do was sometimes complain that you weren't holding the steering wheel.

Can you display the Driver Assist menu that shows you what it's up to? Mine would show cars in front and to the side. The braking was always uniform and would show you why it was braking. You could set the gap to the car in front. Mine would warn you if you were too close to something.

On a clear road without obstructions is the braking predictable? I hate to suggest this but what was the reason for the car being on sale. I sold mine for logistical reasons rather than any fault with the car.