Exterior Lighting. Review the 133 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports3 fire reports7 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

133 reports

Clear category filter

Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2024

Exterior Lighting

Read full complaint

I got a malfunction alert on my dash that states " Right Side Marker Light Defective - See Owners Manual". Apparently, there is an existing recall 97CB for this item but my VIN is not listed as part of this recall. I have read several complaints that more and more Audi Q7 vehicles are being affected by this malfunction. I would like to see if my VIN can be included on the 97CB recall? Since this problem seems to be shared among tens of thousands of vehicle owners and those affected are growing in numbers. Please advise on this issue since it is a safety related matter and the repair cost from Audi are very expensive. Thanks, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11585977

Mileage unknown · Apr 25, 2024

Exterior Lighting

there is side marker lights issue. it happened 1 one year ago. it was right side. few months later , left side had same problem. I checked up audi q9 with same problem. I found that old model has same issue with recall. I searched audi owner web site, and saw there were so many owner had same problem. however, audi did not decla…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #11585122

Mileage unknown · Apr 22, 2024

Exterior Lighting

Read full complaint

AUDI 2017 Q7 PREMIUM PLUS: July 25, 2023 - Got a notification "Front right side marker light defective." The car had just passed the 50k manufacturer's warranty. The current mileage at the time was 51,426. Contacted dealership for assistance and they informed there was a recall on this issue but unfortunately my VIN did not qualify for it, also that the vehicle was no longer under the manufacturer's warranty. I then emailed Audi customer support explaining my concern and how I felt this was a safety issue that should be the manufacture's responsibility to repair. I received a call back from them and pretty much what they said was, "we apologize for the inconvenience but unfortunately your VIN does not apply to the recall and the vehicle is no longer under warranty." I got the same response as the dealership. I've taken my car to two different shops and the cost varies from 5k-6k. This is insane for a car that was barely over 50k miles. I've never experienced any other problems with my car in the 4 years I've owned it. This was the very first time. I maintain my car very well and it is always up to date with the maintenance services. This is a safety issue that can affect my safety and others as the purpose of these lights are to inform other drivers about my vehicle when observed from the side. Especially at night. After several attempts with the dealership and no luck I gave up. I found a European Auto Shop to look into this and they are now working with my extended warranty in hopes they can get this fixed for the safety of others and myself. I strongly feel Audi should have made this recall apply to all their 2017 vehicles experiencing this problem. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI #11584587

Mileage unknown · Apr 22, 2024

Exterior Lighting

Read full complaint

Front Left Side Marker Light Defective. See owners Manual. After checking with the owners manual - it says contact your Audi service. Checking online reveals that several other Audi owners with an AUDI Q7 2017 model have experienced this exact same issue. When the issue happens under warranty the headlight in question is replaced for around $4,000. If not under warranty it is an out of pocket expense - a very high cost. According to AudiWorld online this exact issue is covered by Audi Recall campaign 97CB (NHTSA ID : 16V642000) but only for some VIN numbers and not for my vehicle

NHTSA ODI #11584519

Mileage unknown · Apr 4, 2024

Exterior Lighting

A repeating fault saying "Front right side marker light defective. See owner's manual" keeps popping up in the primary display with an accompanying bell sounding. The Long Beach Audi dealership said all lights were working correctly and failed to fully diagnose the problem in the five days the car was in their shop. This repeati…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #11581239

Mileage unknown · Apr 2, 2024

Exterior Lighting

The right side mark light failed. There was a recall for this problem (Audi Recall Campaign 97CB, NHTSA campaign ID 16V642000) but it did not include my car. It seems many Audi owners have this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11580768

Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2024

Exterior Lighting

"front right" "side marker light defective. Headlights work fine, just the error message that come up at night.

NHTSA ODI #11579833

Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 2024

Exterior Lighting

Front Left Side Marker Light Defective. This is a known issue with Audi's vehicles. There was a recall for some vehicles but apparently not the Audi Q7. The lack of these lights put the driver and those around them at risk due to limited visibility. People are choosing to completely DISABLE the light rather than pay the exorbita…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #11578624

Mileage unknown · Mar 15, 2024

Exterior Lighting

The front right side marker light defective. Error Message There is a known issue with this under previous recall (16V642000). Recall needed to add more vehicle to this propblem.

NHTSA ODI #11577617

Mileage unknown · Mar 11, 2024

Exterior Lighting

Read full complaint

The vehicle intermittently but repeatedly reports a "Front Side Marker Light Defective" error despite there being no visible issue with any of the front lights. Sometimes the error will not appear for days, while other times it repeatedly comes on and turns off, each time making a loud chime and displaying the warning message, again despite no change in the lighting. The quoted rate to repair this issue is around $5,000, which is an enormous amount to fix an issue that is not actually affecting the lighting in any way. The error itself is very distracting, but the only reasonable workarounds seem to be ways to disable those lights entirely, which would create its own safety issues.

NHTSA ODI #11576565

Official recalls

20V149000 · Steering

Mar 16, 2020

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q8 and 2017-2019 Audi Q7 vehicles. The bolt connecting the steering shaft to the steering gear may loosen, possibly resulting in a loss of steering control.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A sudden loss of loss of steering control may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the steering shaft bolt, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 36A1.

19V035000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:fuel Rail

Jan 16, 2019

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Q7, A6 and A7 vehicles, and 2015-2018 Audi A8 vehicles. The left and right fuel rails may leak fuel.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase risk of a fire.

Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the left and right fuel rail, free of charge. The recall began February 28, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 24DP.

16V955000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:side/window; Seat Belts:pretensioner

Dec 29, 2016

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being recalled because the seat belt pretensioners may not activate properly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.

Additional source detail variants (4)

Seat Belts:pretensioner

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.

Air Bags:side/window

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.

16V648000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Sep 8, 2016

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi Q7 vehicles manufactured November 11, 2015, to November 23, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the electric power steering assist control unit may short circuit resulting in a loss of power steering assist.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: With a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required, especially at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering rack, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 48M5.

16V641000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

Sep 6, 2016

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi Q7 vehicles manufactured August 30, 2015, to July 10, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the third row seat back may move forward under load, such as in a frontal collision. As such, the vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the third row seat does not remain in its adjusted position, there may be an increased risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional support bracket to the seat, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72F8.

16V642000 · Electrical System:software; Exterior Lighting

Sep 6, 2016

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 TT roadster, A3 cabriolet, A3 sedan and A3 e-tron, 2016-2017 TT coupe, 2017 A4 sedan and Q7 and 2015-2017 Q3 vehicles. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadvertently makes the side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the side marker lights do not illuminate, the vehicle may be less visible at night, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97CB.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Exterior Lighting

Consequence: If the side marker lights do not illuminate, the vehicle may be less visible at night, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97CB.

Electrical System:software

Consequence: If the side marker lights do not illuminate, the vehicle may be less visible at night, increasing the risk of a crash.

16V519000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Jul 8, 2016

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Audi Q7 vehicles manufactured August 30, 2015, to May 8, 2016. Due to a software issue within the air bag control module, the frontal air bags may deploy with more force than required in certain crashes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Air bags that deploy with excessive force may increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the air bag control module software, free of charge. The recall began September 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69O3.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.