my Audi is pulling to the right and i thought i needed an alignment but the garage is saying it could be my rack and pinion? this seems odd to me

Hello, Whereas it could be a steering gear issue, it could also be related to a faulty tire causing a pull. Vibration is definitely not caused by the steering gear. This could also be tire related. A faulty tire or an out of balance tire could cause both the pull and vibration. I would recommend a second opinion, preferably with a shop that specializes in tires. Extra credit for a shop that has a "Road Force" wheel balance machine that simulates the force of the vehicle on the the road for the tire to expose issues.