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2017 Audi Q7

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Q7 years

Owner complaints for the 2017 Audi Q7 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 29.

About this comparison →
319Owner complaints

Model-year median: 29

7Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
45
201444
20152
2016319
2017142
201861
201927
2020
Compare all Q7 years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Exterior Lighting
133Engine
60Electrical System
53Suspension
32Unknown Or Other
30
All reported categories
Steering
19Fuel/propulsion System
17Power Train
10Service Brakes
9Wheels
7Air Bags
6Structure
6Visibility/wiper
5Seat Belts
4Electronic Stability Control (esc)
3Forward Collision Avoidance
2Fuel System, Gasoline
2Latches/locks/linkages
2Vehicle Speed Control
2Back Over Prevention
1Engine And Engine Cooling
1Firerelated
1Lane Departure
1Seats
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 75 of 319 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • 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

What owners actually said

319 reports
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…

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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 repeating nuisance fault is annoying and distracting to the point of being a safety hazard and should be fixed by Audi.

NHTSA ODI #11581239

100,000 miles · Apr 4, 2024
Air BagsFuel System, GasolineSeats

The contact owns a 2017 Audi Q7. The contact stated that upon a quick acceleration, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal as an unknown warning light would appear on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the warning light would disappear upon restart of the vehicle. The contact also stated t…

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The contact owns a 2017 Audi Q7. The contact stated that upon a quick acceleration, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal as an unknown warning light would appear on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the warning light would disappear upon restart of the vehicle. The contact also stated that the air bag warning light had also appeared on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the third-row seats would fail to adjust as needed. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V035000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), 16V955000 (Air Bags), and 16V641000 (Seats) which the contact linked to failures. The dealer was initially notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and informed that contact that each of the recalls that were referred to was already serviced prior to the recent failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11581111

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 · Apr 1, 2024
Structure

Passenger side, top right of windshield dripping water when it rains heavily. The car is only 7 year old, always garaged and only has less than 25000 miles on it. This is a manufacturing defect and unsafe as it can distract drivers.

NHTSA ODI #11580470

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…

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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 exorbitant fees to ensure a simple bulb is working. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11578624

Mileage unknown · Mar 19, 2024
Suspension

Rear coil spring on passenger side broke and became detached, wedging against lower control arm. Coil spring had no signs of other damage; seems to be defective metallurgy. While there was no immediate safety issue, a broken spring during driving could cause the operator to lose control. Additionally, unless you heard it break, …

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Rear coil spring on passenger side broke and became detached, wedging against lower control arm. Coil spring had no signs of other damage; seems to be defective metallurgy. While there was no immediate safety issue, a broken spring during driving could cause the operator to lose control. Additionally, unless you heard it break, there is no way to know that it is broken and under additional stress which is an ongoing safety concern. There was no warning that the spring would break or had broken. Others have reported hearing loud "pops" when the spring breaks. From online search, there seems to be a high number of Audi Q7's from 2017-2019 model years with this problem, but Audi dealers claim it is a 'normal wear' item and is not covered."

NHTSA ODI #11578220

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

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, a…

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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

Mileage unknown · Mar 6, 2024
Exterior Lighting

I’m getting the "front right" "side marker light defective" message and my vehicle’s lamps are appearing normal. Car has never been in an accident and multiple owners are having this issue

NHTSA ODI #11575815

Official recalls

7

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

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: 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

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: 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:side/window

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: 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:driver Side:inflator Module

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: 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.

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

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: 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

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: 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.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.