2007 Audi Q7

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 AUDI Q7. SHE STATED THAT HER TWO-YEAR-OLD CHILD LOCKED HIMSELF INSIDE THE VEHICLE USING A LOCK BUTTON LOCATED IN THE REAR SEAT. THE CHILD WAS LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES IN 95 DEGREE WEATHER. SHE STATED THAT HER HUSBAND UNLOCKED THE VEHICLE WITH HIS SPARE KEY. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REMOVE THE FEATURE HOWEVER; SHE WOULD LOOSE THE WARRANTY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 200.

IN AUGUST OF 2006 I SIGNED A THREE YEAR LEASE FOR THE NEW AUDI Q7, 4.2. RIGHT FROM THE START, I ENCOUNTERED A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND THEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE. ONLY BY REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND THEN APPLYING FULL PRESSURE WILL I START MOVING AGAIN. THIS WAS NOT A LAG NOR A HESITATION, SINCE WITHOUT REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL THE CAR SIMPLY WILL NOT MOVE. DEPENDING ON THE BRAKE TO ACCELERATOR OR ACCELERATOR TO BRAKE SEQUENCE, THE CAR WILL EITHER COME A FULLY UNRESPONSIVE STOP OR FAIL TO SHIFT FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP INITIALLY DENIED THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM. NOW, AFTER HAVING HAD THE CAR TEST DRIVEN SEVERAL TIMES AND AFTER HAVING BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF AUDI AND I AM BEING TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CAR FOR YOU. SHOULD HAVE NOT BOUGHT THIS CAR IF YOU DRIVE WITH BOTH FEET. I HAVE NOT FOUND THIS WARNING IN ANY PUBLICATION. AUDI OF AMERICA'S EXPLANATION WAS THAT THE DRIVE BY WIRE SYSTEM WILL SHUT DOWN THE FUEL SUPPLY WHEN THE BRAKE AND THE GAS PEDAL SENSE JUST THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE AT THE SAME TIME, CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. AUDI HAS NOT ISSUED A SOFTWARE CORRECTION TO THE PROBLEM. I TEST DROVE THE SAME MODEL Q7 RECENTLY AND IT BEHAVED THE SAME WAY. BY DRIVING THIS CAR, I AM EXPOSING MYSELF AND MY PASSENGERS TO VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ON AN HOURLY BASIS.COMING TO A STAND STILL IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS A DEATH SENTENCE. EVEN THOUGH AUDI ADMITTEDTO THE PROBLEM AND OFFERED THEIR SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION TO THE SUDDEN FUEL SUPPLY SHUT DOWN, THE REPRESENTATIVES TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE PERFORMED TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS. *AK

IN MY PREVIOUS JOB, I EVALUATED VEHICLES FOR AN OEM. WE HAD AN AUDI Q7 SUV IN OUR FLEET. I NOTED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOWS (WITH AN AUTO UP FEATURE) WOULD ALLOW A GAP BETWEEN THE WINDOW GLASS AND FRAME AT A POSITION WHERE A CHILD COULD PLACE THEIR FINGERS. THE AUTO CLOSE FEATURE WOULD NOT RETURN WITHOUT CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PRESSURE AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGE TO THE CHILD'S (OR ADULTS) FINGERS BEFORE REVERSING. THE ISSUE WAS NOTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE OWNS A 2007 AUDI Q7. THE HEAD RESTS IN HIS VEHICLE FOR THE 2ND AND 3RD ROW SEATS ARE UNSAFE FOR PLACING HIS BRITAX BOOSTER SEATS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOOSTER SEATS SHOULD BE FLUSHED, THE VEHICLE HEAD REST PROTRUDES AWAY FROM THE BOOSTER SEAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS BOOSTER SEAT CAN'T LAY FLUSH AGAINST THE SEAT. *JB

NOTE - THIS IS A 2007 AUDI Q7, WHICH IS NOT IN NHTSA'S SYSTEM - THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO LIST VOLKSWAGEN. AUDI Q7 REAR SEAT (2ND ROW) HEAD RESTS DO NOT ALLOW CORRECT INSTALLATION OF CHILD SEATS. THE AUDI Q7 HAS FOLDING REAR HEAD RESTS THAT ARE NOT REMOVABLE. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HEAD REST (SPECIFICALLY THE BARS WHICH EXTEND UPWARDS FROM THE SEAT TO HOLD THE ACTUAL HEAD REST) BLOCK CORRECT PLACEMENT OF FORWARD FACING TODDLER SEATS, INCLUDING MODELS TRIED FROM BRITAX AND GRACO. THE ISSUE IS THAT THE Q7 HEAD REST BARS, INSTEAD OF BEING STRAIGHT LIKE MOST CARS, CURVE FORWARD TO HELP THEM FOLD DOWN WHEN YOU LAY THE SEATS FLAT. SINCE THE TOP OF THE CHILD SEAT BACK EXTENDS ABOVE THE CAR SEAT BACK, THESE CURVED BARS BLOCK THE TOP OF THE CHILD SEAT SO YOU CANNOT LAY THE CHILD SEAT FLUSH AGAINST THE SEAT BACK, AND GET A SECURE FIT. BECAUSE THE BARS PUSH THE CHILD SEAT FORWARD, THE BASE OF THE CHILD SEAT EXTENDS PAST THE FRONT OF THE CAR SEAT BENCH. THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSPECTOR WOULD NOT APPROVE THE INSTALLATION, AND COULD NOT FIND ANY ACCEPTABLE INSTALLATION WITH THE CHILD SEATS WE TRIED. *NM *AK