AUDI A7 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

Gas smell while AC/HEATER is on and car is sitting idle. My car is not included in the 2019 safety recall 24DP although it should be.

Flat tire on highway 255/40 R19 100H. I thought it’s a nail or a sharp object. After further inspection, the tire was ripping from inside out. Please see attached picture. My speed was very low at higher speeds or could have been a complete tire blow out.

Around 36k miles the vehicle had some dried coolant residue and required coolant topups every 2-3k miles. Two different dealerships performed comprehensive inspections between then and now and did not notify me of any problems. The residue was explained away in a service bulletin stating that it was normal for the water pump to weep some coolant. Now at 44k miles, I brought the car in when I saw dried coolant residue and it seemed to require coolant more frequently. Dealer notified me that the engine water pump has failed and requires replacement.

I have reached a gas station and I am unable to open the fuel filler flap. Apparently this is a known issue to Audi Service departments on Audi’s of this generation not just the A7 model. The problem is apparently intermittent, and apparently worse during winter months. In the next generation vehicle the ful filler flap housing has been redesigned to solve the fuel filler flap not opening problem. Since the car cannot go with our gas, this is clearly a design error, and could leave people stranded mid-winter. Not good here in the North-East.

1ST PROBLEM MY PASSENGER AIR BAG WILL GO ON AND OFF SOMETIME WHILE DRIVING EVEN THOUGH NO ONE IS SITTING THERE. 2ND PROBLEM THE WEATHER HERE WAS -30 FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS AND MY CAR STOPPED WORKING ONE MORNING WHEN I TURNED IT ON. MORE PRECISELY STEERING DID NOT WORK. WHEN I TOOK IT TO VW DEALER AND THEY HAD IT OVER NIGHT FOR ALL ICE TO MELT THEY SAID A BUNCH OF WATER CAME OUT FROM MODULE WHEN THEY UNPLUGGED WIRE HARNES.

MY 2016 AUDI A7 WITH 20,000 MILES DEVELOPED AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND AUDIBLE NOISE WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP POSITION AND TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT WHILE ACCELERATING. THIS CONDITION WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE KANSAS CITY DEALERSHIP AND AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE HAVE INDICATED THAT THIS BINDING OF THE FRONT QUATRO DRIVE SYSTEM IS NORMAL OPERATION. THIS BINDING AND NOISE ONLY DEVELOPED AFTER ABOUT 20000 MILES AND WAS NOT NORMAL OPERATION WHEN PURCHASED NEW AND UNTIL REACHING THE INDICATED MILEAGE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS DEFECT COULD CAUSE A FAILURE OF THE DRIVE SYSTEM AT A CRITICAL POINT CAUSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED UNDER WARRANTY.

TAKATA RECALL -RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM AUDI DEALERSHIP THAT MY CAR'S VIN CAME UP THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THE HEAD CURTAIN AIRBAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DROPPED OFF CAR ON JULY 13, 2017. I WAS CALLED BY AUDI DEALERSHIP THAT NO AIRBAGS COULD BE ORDERED SO I PICKED UP THE CAR. TODAY, TUESDAY, OCT 31, 2017, I CALL THE SAME AUDI DEALERSHIP, 1421 WILMINGTON PIKE, WEST CHESTER PA 19382 AND TALKED TO GEORGE IN SERVICE 610-455-2000, AND HE STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAS STILL NOT RECEIVED ANY REPLACEMENT AIRBAGS.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 AUDI A7. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V293000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED (FLOW AUDI IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA) AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 AUDI A7. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V293000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER (AUDI GRAPEVINE AT 1260 E STATE HWY 114, GRAPEVINE, TX 76051 888-780-7923) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 AUDI A7. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V293000 (AIR BAGS). THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE LOCAL DEALER (AUDI ALBANY, 737 NEW LOUDON ROAD, LATHAM, NY 12110) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

THE AUTOMATIC START/STOP FUEL-SAVING ENGINE FEATURE ENGAGES PREMATURELY, BEFORE THE VEHICLE HAS COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN ARTIFICIALLY AND AGGRESSIVELY APPLIED TO BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE THE START/STOP ENGINE FEATURE OTHERWISE SHOULD HAVE ENGAGED. AS A RESULT, FOR VEHICLES FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND, THE EFFECT WILL BE THAT THE AUDI VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THEM WILL APPEAR TO LURCH TO A STOP, THUS CREATING A RISK OF A REAR-END COLLISION. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS EACH AND EVERY TIME THE START/STOP FEATURE IS ACTIVE, AND TYPICALLY INVOLVES ARTIFICIAL AND PREMATURE BRAKING/STOPPING AT LOW SPEEDS AS THE VEHICLE IS APPROACHING WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE ITS NATURAL STOPPING POINT BASED ON THE DRIVER-APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL.

The first time, while driving at 50-55mph, the engine decelerated suddenly. After about 10-15 seconds struggles with the gas pedal and brake pedal, the car accelerated normally. I pulled safely to side of the road to shut off the engine and start again. Things seemed to work like normal. The control panels did not show any warning signs. The second and third times (couple weeks later), while driving around 40-45mph, the engine decelerated suddenly again. After some struggles like I did the first time, the engine accelerated like normal. Like the first time, the control panels did not display any warning signs. I took the car to the Audi dealer garage and they couldn't identify the problems. They performed two "engine software updates" and said hopefully it should address the engine decelerate issue. I was charged $299 for the diagnostic tests. I am worried what would happen if I was driving on a busy and highspeed Freeway!

Water pump design failure caused a leak of coolant into vacuum lines preventing coolant from cooling engine and causing immediate overheating. Known issue previous class action lawsuit.