Interesting that that part number comes up as an Audi grommet here:
http://audi.bernardiparts.com/Audi-GROMMET__251-971-840.aspx. No picture,
unfortunately.

On Sun, Jun 11, 2017 at 12:57 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
wrote:

> Being round, they also have no mechanism to ensure they are mounted such
> that they're unstressed with the hatch closed.  Stressed rubber perishes
> remarkably quickly compared to unstressed.
>
> Yrs,
> d
>
> On Sun, Jun 11, 2017 at 12:45 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Pretty obvious from seeing a number of them that they were not made of
> the
> > same material or by the same process as the squarish-ended partners on
> the
> > same car. They simply do not last as long, being obviously of inferior
> > rubber. The round-hole ones will be in smithereens while the
> squarish-hole
> > ones will be in great shape, even on the same car. I don't have a single
> > round one but several squarish ones.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> > On Sun, Jun 11, 2017 at 11:37 AM David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Yes, they messed up somehow in the design of that part.  For what it's
> >> worth, p/n is 251 971 840.
> >>
> >> Yrs,
> >> d
> >>
> >> On Sun, Jun 11, 2017 at 11:38 AM, Eric Caron <ecaron1@comcast.net>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Hi Mark,
> >> >
> >> >         I saw your email asking for a rear hatch grommet update.
> >> >
> >> > Chris from T3 wrote me and only had the oval grommet for the driver’s
> >> > side.  round ones not available anywhere as far as I know.
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >
>