2020 Audi Q7 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Electrical System (7) · Engine (6) · Power Train (3)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Audi Q7 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (5)
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 2025-12-19 · campaign 25V900000 · 356,894 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.
Forward Collision Avoidance: Sensing System: Camera 2023-03-29 · campaign 23V212000 · 19 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2020 Q7 vehicles. Incompatibility between the front camera control software and the heating element used for the front camera on the windshield may cause the heating element to overheat.
Risk: An overheated heating element can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will update the control software and replace the heater element for the front camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90N7.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2022-07-20 · campaign 22V516000 · 49,443 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi Q8, and 2020-2021 Audi Q7 vehicles. A component inside the fuel pump may break, causing the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DR.
Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module:software 2021-02-17 · campaign 21V078000 · 26,967 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Audi Q7 vehicles. The air bag control module may deploy the second stage of the front passenger air bag too quickly after the first stage when the seat is occupied by an unbelted child. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: During a crash necessitating the deployment of the passenger air bag, the second stage may deploy too quickly when a child is in the front passenger seat, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began March 5, 2021. Owners can contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BV.
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.
Service bulletins (1,268)
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.
Electrical System 2026-09-23 · TSB_2063336_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information when dtc c12bff0 is stored in the lane change modeul or the radar sensor; intersection assist/lane change assist are inoperable.
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,268 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-25 · Electrical System“component: 48v mild-hybrid electrical system — engine ground connections, belt starter generator circuit, and 48v lithium battery. the vehicle is available for inspection upon request; the 48v battery dealer now call failed has not yet been replaced. safety risk: on 8/1/2026, the vehicle suffered sudden, complete electrical failure while in motion…”
2026-09-22 · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:pump“see attached document for complaint.…”
2026-09-14 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 73,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2020 audi q7. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly lost motive power and the brakes engaged without warning, causing the vehicle to rear-end another vehicle in front. the vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. the contact sustained injuries to the lower back, neck, and head. medical attention was…”
2026-07-23 · Unknown Or Other“dashboard leather is bubbling, separating, and delaminating near the center windshield vents. this is a known manufacturing defect, audi has issued a warranty extension (bulletin awa-23-11) for this identical issue on the q8, e-tron quattro, and r8 models, but not the q7, despite the dashboard part number (4m8857001s33a) being identical across the …”
2026-05-14 · Engine“the first indication of an issue was oil consumption. it was using more oil than usual around the 70k mile mark. then it started misfiring, and soon after a knocking noise coming from the engine. there are no check engine light on, after bringing it in for diagnostics, it read that it was a spark plug, once they got into the engine they discovered…”
2026-05-13 · Engine“while my vehicle was in for the audi piston issue, they stated my water pump needed to be replaced and isn’t covered by a recall (yet). my vehicle had less than 42,000 mile on it. i was lead to believe that this problem is coming up more often and they believe a class action lawsuit will come about. i needed to pay over $1,700 out of pocket and was…”
2026-03-13 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 70,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 audi q7. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted while the accelerator pedal was depressed. the check engine warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the water pump, coolant pump, vacuum line, and vacuum reservoir were repla…”
2026-02-24 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my 2020 audi q7 with 49,500 miles had a complete engine shut down while driving. towed to audi. fuel pump was recalled and replaced on 1/2023. audi stated it was the jet suction pump inside the saddle fuel tank. research discovered that this saddle tank has been problem for this model and year. audi only covered a portion of the cost. the ent…”
2026-02-24 · Engine“i discovered this item while researching another issue. there was a class action law suit against vw/audi for the water pump and coolant leaking into the system. the class action covered the year and model for my audi (2020 q7) but my vin was not included. the class action ended in 2024. on 8/4/25, my water pump went out because of coolant goin…”
2025-08-05 · Electrical System · 🔥 fire“i am filing a complaint concerning serious safety risks associated with my 2020 audi q7 (vin: [xxx] ) purchased as a certified pre-owned vehicle from audi dominion san antonio. it is currently under service at audi central houston, where multiple concerning events occurred. timeline and issues: - initial diagnosis identified a fire-damaged electric…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.