Business Notes AUTOS

The sleek Audi 5000, a $20,000-plus import, has run into such a mire of controversy that last week the West German automaker recalled all such models with automatic transmissions sold in the U.S. from 1978 to 1986 -- a total of 250,000 cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which asked for the recall, has logged some 700 complaints that the Audi model suddenly accelerated when the driver shifted from park into reverse or drive. Some 230 injuries and five deaths are blamed on the problem.

The rising toll of accidents has seriously hurt the company's U.S. image: sales in 1986 fell almost 20% from the previous year, to 59,797 autos. To prevent more accidents, Audi will equip the recalled cars with a shift-lock device, which forces the driver to press the brake pedal while shifting out of park. But many Audi owners maintain that the shift lock will not solve the problem. They want the company to buy back the accident-plagued autos or make major changes in the car's design.