2016 Audi A7 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (5) · Steering (2) · Fuel/Propulsion System (2)
Safety recalls (3)
Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:fuel Rail 2019-01-16 · campaign 19V035000 · 74,881 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 2018-06-04 · campaign 18V370000 · 139,249 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S6 and S7, 2012-2018 A7 and A6 Sedan, and 2014-2018 RS7 vehicles equipped with basic seats (with or without heating). Stress or wear of the body-sensing mat within the front passenger seat may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) control module to malfunction.
Risk: If the PODS module malfunctions, the front passenger air bag may not deploy properly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a PODS system repair kit, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74D5.
Air Bags:side/Window 2017-05-01 · campaign 17V293000 · 17,694 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Audi A7 vehicles. The affected vehicles have head curtain air bags that may not deploy properly in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
Risk: If the head curtain airbag does not deploy properly in the event of a crash, an unbelted passenger has an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected head curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin June 29, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for the recall is 69R2.
Service bulletins (966)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-25 · TSB_2083409_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has flooded, and specify the height to which the vehicle has been flooded.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-25 · TSB_2052680_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
Steering 2026-09-22 · TSB_2074846_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-09-22 · TSB_2020552_15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides service information regarding exterior glass cleaning.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · TSB_2030471_9 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information when the license plate mounting bracket threded inserts are stripped.
Structure:body 2026-09-08 · TSB_2068999_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this tsb describes a corrosion issue due to outside influence and the prohibition of warranty in these cases.
Showing the 6 most recent of 966 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2024-12-27 · Air Bags“when i have a passenger riding with me the passenger airbag cuts on and off the whole time while i’m driving. this is a major safety concern especially when i have passengers all the time. i’m concerned the airbag will not deploy during an accident. …”
2024-07-22 · Engine“component/system malfunction: the engine control unit fails, causing the engine to shut off unexpectedly while driving. this component is available for inspection. safety risk: the sudden shutdown poses severe risks. it happened on local roads and highways at speeds over 65 mph, creating immediate danger. reproduction and confirmation: the proble…”
2024-04-10 · Steering · 130,036 mi“the contact owns a 2016 audi a7. the contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel stopped operating and the "do not drive vehicle, steering defective" message was displayed. the vehicle was pulled into a parking lot where the vehicle restarted; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic …”
2024-02-29 · Visibility/Wiper“in five years i have had my windshield chip or crack four times. replacement is a pain and expensive. it seems the design is far too susceptible to breakage and is unsafe.…”
2023-12-11 · Fuel/Propulsion System“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. …”
2023-04-02 · Tires“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. …”
2022-08-08 · Engine And Engine Cooling“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. n…”
2022-04-15 · Fuel/Propulsion System“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…”
2021-02-17 · Steering · 50,100 mi“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…”
2019-10-01 · Power Train · 20,000 mi“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 dr…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.