2018 Audi Q7 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (30) · Exterior Lighting (19) · Suspension (17)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Audi Q7 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
33 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Structure:body:roof And Pillars 2020-10-27 · campaign 20V658000 · 94,144 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Audi Q7 vehicles. The padding on the vehicle's C-pillar may not absorb enough impact in the event of a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, an unbelted occupant's head may impact the vehicle's C-pillar padding, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the deformation element on the C-pillars, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 70H8.
Steering 2020-03-16 · campaign 20V149000 · 229 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A sudden loss of loss of steering control may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
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.
Service bulletins (1,096)
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.
Structure:body 2026-09-18 · TSB_2078648_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information about billing for a broken sunroof glass panel.
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,096 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-18 · Engine“audi q7 2018 3.0 engine. both valves in cylinder broke at 134,000 miles…”
2026-09-25 · Suspension“i have a 2018 audi q7 3.0l with 86k miles on it. i discovered 1 of the rear coil springs was broke and both rear perches were very rusted. i had a local mechanic, who specializes in audis, replace both rear springs and perches with oem parts. after replacing everything, the mechanic went to take the car on a test drive. he said one of the new sprin…”
2026-09-12 · Engine“vehicle began displaying low engine oil level warnings between scheduled oil changes beginning in 2021, at approximately 50,000 miles. condition was reported to the authorized audi dealer on multiple occasions. dealer added oil each time and stated there was no visible oil leak. no oil consumption test was performed and no repair order documenting …”
2026-07-22 · Engine“start/stop malfunction failed; yes it is available for inspection. driving down highway vehicle stopped with 2 adult passengers and 2 children. yes 3 mechanics completed a diagnostic. vehicle has not been inspected by insurance, manufacturer or police but by vw dealer, and two registered mechanics. no other warnings or symptoms. …”
2026-07-13 · Seats“the right rear passenger heated seat in my 2018 audi q7 overheated and burned through the leather and foam. fortunately, my disabled [xxx] daughter, who normally sits in that seat, was not in the vehicle at the time. the failure occurred without warning and during normal use. this defect presents a serious safety risk and could have caused injury o…”
2026-07-01 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my 2018 audi q7 3.0t quattro is experiencing extreme oil consumption — dropping from full to minimum level in approximately 230 miles. this is approximately 14x beyond audi's own threshold for excessive oil consumption of 0.5 quarts per 1,000 miles. documented timeline: may 2026 (88,692 miles): oil change required 2.2 extra quarts beyond standard …”
2026-05-23 · Exterior Lighting“i am getting front left side marker light faulty problem. i was told this is very common for 2018 audi q7. please investigate this issue and see if i am qualified to get this replaced by audi. apparently, the replacing the lamp isn't easy but woudl require to replace the whole lighting fixture which could cost over $2k. thank you.…”
2026-05-19 · Exterior Lighting“parking light defective message on dash board. looked at the light and all lights present. talked to a dealer and the headlight assembly to replace is 6k plus. for a small yellow side light inside of headlight that is still on, but the message on dashboard says otherwise. was told that it isn't outputting enough light power. …”
2026-04-13 · Unknown Or Other“i am reporting suspected odometer fraud on my 2018 audi q7 3.0t prestige (vin: [xxx] ). between may 8 and june 13, 2025, while i was the sole driver of the vehicle, audi dealership service records show an odometer increase of 5,282 miles (from 78,260 to 83,542). however, independently verified gps trip data from the audi connect system confirms i d…”
2026-04-07 · Suspension“i’m reporting a serious safety issue with my 2018 audi q7. both rear suspension springs failed suddenly while i was driving at highway speeds 70 mph, with no warning at all. this was extremely dangerous—i almost lost control of the vehicle when it happened. the rear of the car dropped and handling became unstable immediately. there were no prior s…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.