Whistleblower System

If you have any questions or inquiries regarding products, feedback or complaints about services provided by AUDI AG or our business partners (e.g. car dealerships, workshops), please contact Audi Customer Support.

Everyone must be willing and able to report specific information on regulatory violations made by Audi Group employees. Confidential reports can be made using the Whistleblower System anytime, in any language. Examples include violations of the Code of Conduct or antitrust law, corruption, theft, discrimination, or workplace harassment. In addition to employees, business partners, customers, or other third parties can submit reports if they have specific information about regulatory violations.

Potential violations of the Code of Conduct for Business Partners by suppliers, including serious risks and violations of human rights and environment by direct and indirect suppliers, can also be reported to the Investigation Office - as well as reports requiring otherwise immediate action. The Investigation Office will inform the responsible departments, who will process the issue accordingly. This particularly includes taking the necessary measures to minimize or end violations and/or risks.

When the Audi Investigation Office receives a report, it conducts a review in accordance with all of the procedural principles required (such as confidentiality and the protection of whistleblowers). Often, the office must speak with the whistleblowers to review a case and initiate any investigation activities needed. For this reason, it is essential to word your report as clearly as possible. It is helpful if you base your report on the Five Ws and H, specifically:

• Who? – Who is it about? Who is affected?
• What? – What happened? Explanation of the circumstances.
• When? – When did the incident take place?
• How? – How many times did it happen?
• Where? – Where did the incident take place?

Whistleblowers should make sure that their descriptions can also be understood by persons who are not familiar with the subject area. It is helpful if you make yourself available for further questions for this purpose. If the whistleblower is prepared to do so but would like to remain anonymous with Audi, they can use the anonymous reporting channels.

Apart from the Audi Investigation Office, other points of contact are involved in handling reports. Following a legitimate report, the Investigation Office usually arranges for the necessary internal investigations to investigative functions (such as special audits or security). The Investigation Office also works with Legal Services and Human Resources to investigate and will initiate any measures deemed necessary.

The Whistleblower System guarantees the highest possible protection for whistleblowers and persons of interest. An investigation is not initiated until the hint has been reviewed thoroughly and if there are concrete indications of a regulatory violation. The information is handled as part of a fair and confidential process. Discrimination, intimidation or hostility resulting from a report to the Audi Whistleblower System will be investigated and penalized under the same process.
 

Find more information on the procedural principles of the Audi Group Complaints Procedure here.

AUDI AG's Investigation Office is part of the Compliance organization and central point of contact for reports about regulatory violations in the Audi Group or at suppliers in our Supply Chain. Please contact the Audi Investigation Office via one of the channels listed below.

Please read the data privacy statement and the statement of consent before getting in touch.

Questions or suggestions for improvement concerning the Whistleblower System can also be addressed to the Investigation Office. If you have been interviewed in terms of an investigation, you have the possibility to give feedback to the Ombudsperson as independent body.

The German government has defined a designated authority, that also accepts reports on misconduct as external reporting channel. The external reporting channel is the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz) (BfJ - Hinweisgeberstelle (bundesjustizamt.de)).