2018 Audi Q7 Complaints

SUSPENSION — Filed 09/01/2026

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 springs broke right away. The spring that broke was in the exact same location as the one that originally broke and it broke in the EXACT same way.

ENGINE — Filed 01/14/2026

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 the concern was provided. Oil loss worsened progressively through 2024. Engine failed in January 2026 at approximately 101,000 miles. Estimated repair cost 18,000–22,000.

ENGINE — Filed 01/02/2026

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.

SEATS — Filed 07/12/2026

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 or fire. Request: Please investigate this issue in the 2018 Audi Q7 rear heated seats and determine whether a recall or repair campaign is necessary. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 06/30/2026

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 7.2qt fill. Low oil light triggered during highway travel. June 27, 2026 (90,200 miles): Authorized Audi dealer formally documented "oil consumption is very high" in their service system and scheduled an official oil consumption test. June 28, 2026 (90,351 miles): Audi MMI system showed oil near minimum after only 151 miles. June 30, 2026 (90,397 miles): Audi MMI showed oil at Stage 2 warning after 197 miles. June 30, 2026 (90,430 miles): Audi MMI showed oil at minimum line after 230 miles total. All readings documented with timestamped photographs from Audi's own MMI system. The authorized Audi dealer has documented repeated oil top-offs in their service system. Audi USA Customer Care was contacted on June 30, 2026 and denied goodwill repair citing no active recall and vehicle out of warranty. An open case has been filed with Audi USA. The engine lubrication system appears defective. Oil dropping to minimum in under 230 miles without adequate warning poses serious safety risk of catastrophic engine failure while driving at highway speeds. The authorized Audi dealer has scheduled an official oil consumption test and inspection for July 2, 2026. Results will be available upon request. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 05/23/2026

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.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 05/13/2026

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 06/13/2025

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 drove only approximately 2,103 miles during this period — a discrepancy of approximately 3,178 miles. The vehicle was serviced at two Penske-owned dealerships: Audi of Arlington (3200 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204) and Audi of Chantilly (14839 Stonecroft Center Ct, Chantilly, VA 20151). Only authorized dealer diagnostic equipment can alter odometer values. This manipulation resulted in the wrongful denial of my extended warranty coverage and a 37,567.16 out-of-pocket engine replacement. I have a fully documented demand letter with ten supporting exhibits including service records, Audi Connect trip data, and a detailed timeline. The dealerships did not respond to my demand letter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SUSPENSION — Filed 03/29/2026

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 signs, noises, or issues leading up to the failure. This kind of failure should not happen under normal driving conditions, especially on a vehicle like this. Having both springs fail at the same time creates a major safety risk not only for me but for others on the road. I had to replace both rear springs at my own expense. Based on what I’ve seen, this may be a known issue and not just a one-time occurrence. I’m asking NHTSA to look into this problem and determine if there’s a defect with the suspension system on the 2018 Audi Q7 that could require a recall or further action.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 12/02/2025

ALERT " Left Front side marker light defective" see owner manual. That is the message

ENGINE — Filed 02/13/2020

The car has always (including during warranty period) required addition of engine oil in between scheduled maintenance interval, and problem got worse as function of age/miles. Audi has diagnosed this issue and it has been determined that the engine consumes excessive oil and requires new piston skirt. The cost of the labor is not something Audi is willing to pay for and there is a class action lawsuit. Audi has sent an email/letter to certain owners of the vehicle. My VIN for some reason wasn't included but now Audi has verified, but not willing to pay for the cost to replace the engine or fix it.

ENGINE — Filed 01/16/2020

Excessive oil consumption and potential for engine to blow up

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 10/03/2025

Left Front side marker light faulty. is the warning on the dashboard - I have noticed there is a recall I believe 2017 2018 for the same part and this is on a 2019 so it's obviously the part it actually says if there's a software fix

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 12/17/2025

The crankcase ventilation valve is malfunctioning resulting in excessive oil consumption and unsafe idling. The Extended Warranty dated 5/24/19 with Number AWA-19-03 should be extended to other model years.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 11/27/2025

Right Front Parking Light Defective

ENGINE — Filed 11/01/2025

2018 Audi Q7 piston melting diagnosed by a certified mechanic due to excessive oil consumption due to defective pistons. A class action suit was filed. And a warranty extension extension issued. There is no record of a warranty extension and should be. Please advise

ENGINE — Filed 10/06/2025

This vehicle developed low oil alerts within 6 weeks of me receiving it with normal city driving. Multiple testing visits and comprehensive consumption testing later, it continued to have the low oil alerts very frequently and various random malfunction alerts like parking brake alert etc. For each complaint I took it to the dealership and did whatever they recommended but no eventual resolution was found. Early October this year, in the middle of traffic multiple alerts came on including drive system malfunction, parking brake malfunction and start stop malfunction. So many that the whole console just lit up and the car started rocking in the middle of traffic and I had to slow down to keep the vehicle in control. The car was rocking visibly and I had difficulty in maneuvering it to a safe location . I contacted the dealership and they gave me an appointment 4 weeks out saying that since the lights were solid and not flashing I could choose to drive the car. However it didn’t look safe to drive so I didn’t use it thereafter. They later told me after a diagnostic evaluation that the engine needed to be replaced as the slapping piston rings had scraped the cylinder walls.

ENGINE — Filed 11/12/2025

Catastrophic engine failure, this occurred 2 weeks after a service appointment where nothing was detected. The car only had 86,000 miles and it is unrepairable. We have now found that this could be due to a design flaw in this model which we were unaware of.

ENGINE — Filed 10/31/2025

I am reporting a progressive oil consumption defect that led to a catastrophic engine failure in my 2018 Audi Q7. The vehicle was purchased Certified Pre-Owned (CPO). I reported the excessive oil use to an Audi dealer. The dealer attempted to address the issue by performing an engine cleaning/flush, but the engine failed shortly afterwards. Over time, the vehicle required frequent top-offs between service intervals. Eventually, the engine suffered a mechanical failure, resulting in a broken exhaust valve and internal engine damage while driving on the highway. The Audi dealer provided a repair estimate of approximately $12,000. Audi of America offered 40% assistance to make the repair, but does not recognize the underlying excessive oil consumption issue. Furthermore, the proposed repair only replaces the damaged valve and related components, but does not address the underlying excessive oil consumption that caused the failure. This means the vehicle may still: •unexpectedly run low on oil, •lose power while driving, •suffer additional internal damage, or •again experience sudden engine failure while driving. These conditions can cause dangerous drivability issues, including loss of acceleration and potential stalling at highway speeds. This appears to be a serious safety-related defect involving lubrication failure, component breakage, and potential loss of power. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue to determine whether similar failures are occurring in other Audi Q7 vehicles with the 3.0T engine.

STRUCTURE — Filed 08/22/2024

My 8-year-old's finger was in the door frame and the door came close enough to engage the soft close feature and she tried to pull her finger out as we watched the door slowly continue closing on it. After 4 x-rays the doctor determined it was not fractured, but it is badly bruised, swollen, and was cut. This should not be possible that it doesn't sense her finger. On a car not equipped with soft closing, this incident wouldn't have occurred.

ENGINE,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 10/31/2018

coolant leaking @ 50K miles and also their warning system is not as effective. I got into a fender bender 2 months in owning the car as brand new.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 05/20/2020

IN MAY OF 2020 I SEVERELY HIT MY HEAD (LEFT SIDE OF FOREHEAD) ON THE C-PILLAR WHILE EXITING THE LEFT-REAR SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE TIME AT THE TIME OF MY HEAD INJURY. THE INJURY WAS CAUSED BECAUSE THE C-PILLAR IS VERY CLOSE TO THE REAR HEADREST, AND TO EXIT THE VEHICLE ONE GENERALLY HAS TO LOOK DOWN AT THE GROUND WHERE ONE IS ABOUT TO STEP. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY A SAFETY RECALL (70H8 NHTSA: 20V658) FOR THIS VEHICLE, A 2018 AUDI Q7. (THE C-PILLAR IS THE THIRD VERTICAL BEAM FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE.) THE RECALL STATES "AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY IF AN UNBELTED PASSENGER'S HEAD CONTACTS THE C-PILLAR IN A CRASH." MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT THERE IS ALSO AN INCREASED RISK OF HEAD INJURY ON THE C-PILLAR AS PASSENGERS EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM THE REAR DOORS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED. I REPORTED MY PROBLEM TO THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY RESPONDED ON DEC. 22, 2020: "AUDI OF AMERICA HAS REVIEWED YOUR CONCERNS AND WE SEE THE EXPERIENCE AS BEING NO FAULT OF THE VEHICLE OR THE 70H8 CAMPAIGN."

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 10/07/2020

I WENT TO PICK MY 3 YO TWINS AT SCHOOL. OPENED MY DOOR, GOT OFF THE CAR AND CLOSED IT, WITH KEYS INSIDE MY PURSE AT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT (MY USUAL ROUTINE). WAS ABLE TO OPEN PASSENGER'S BACK DOOR, BUCKLED MY SON TO CAR SEAT AND CLOSED HIS DOOR. WHEN TURNED TO OTHER SIDE TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR MY GIRL, NOTED CAR WAS LOCKED AND IGNITION TURNED OFF WITH MY 3YO SON INSIDE. ALL DOORS WERE LOCKED DESPITE KEYS BEING INSIDE CAR AND IGNITION OFF. REMOTE CONTROL WAS OPERABLE WITH BATTERIES FUNCTIONING WELL. SCHOOL DIRECTOR CALLED 911 AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WENT TO ASSIST. THEY WERE UNABLE TO OPEN DOOR AND AFTER ~20MINUTES OF MY SON BEING INSIDE, BUCKLED AND IN FLORIDA HEAT, EMT AND FIRE FIGHTERS HAD TO BREAK A WINDOW TO GET HIM OUT. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET HIM, HE WAS EXTREMELY HOT WITH ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND SOAKED IN SWEAT. THANKFULLY I WAS NOT WITH MY 3MONTH OLD BABY THAT DAY. SINCE MY BOY'S TEMPERATURE WAS COMING DOWN NICELY WITH SUPPORTIVE MEASURES I DID NOT TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL AND DECIDED TO OBSERVE AT HOME. CAR HAD SERVICE 6 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT IN AUDI FORT MYERS NEXT DAY ON 10/08/10, TOOK CAR TO AUDI FORT MYERS AND REPORTED EVENT TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT, COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS CHECKED AND NO EVENT WAS REGISTERED. THEN I WAS TOLD BY EMPLOYEES AT AUDI, THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE EVENT BUT NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND NO NEED TO REPORT TO AUDI USA.

WHEELS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 12/13/2018

I WAS TAKING A U-TURN UNDER A FREEWAY IN MY 10 MONTH OLD AUDI Q7. AS I WAS FINISHING THE U-TURN A STABILIZATION ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED AND MY BRAKES WENT OUT. I WAS FINISHING MY UTURN AND COULDN'T SLOW DOWN SOI ENDED UP RUNNING INTO THE CEMENT BARRIER WITH MY RIGHT BACK WHEEL AND WENT ONTO THE FEEDER. LUCKILY IT WAS AT 5AM SO NO OTHER CARS WERE ON THE ROAD. HITTING THE BARRIER SLOWED BY CAR DOWN TO 5 MPH. AS I STRAIGHTENED OUT MY CAR, THE BRAKES STARTED WORKING AGAIN. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID AUDI OF AMERICA HAD TO LOOK AT IT. THE ENGINEER FINALLY CAME TO LOOK AT IT ON JAN 3RD (3 WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT). HE SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T TEST DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE CONTROL ARM WAS BROKEN BUT THE TESTS THEY RAN SHOWED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND TOLD ME TO CALL MY INSURANCE. I ASKED HOW THEY KNEW NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THEY SAID TESTS WERE RUN. I ASKED HOW THEY EXPLAINED THE ERROR MESSAGES (STABILIZATION ERROR AND SAFETY ERROR). THEY SAID THOSE CAME UP AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THEY DON'T THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT SO HOW DO THEY KNOW THIS?. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE ERROR MESSAGES AND KNOW THE TIMING OF THAT. I ASKED FOR A PRINT OUT OF THEIR FINDINGS 3 TIMES. IT HAS BEEN 10 DAYS AND I STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANYTHING FROM THEM. THE CAR IS STILL SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP.

STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 11/04/2017

2018 AUDIO Q. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTION. *LD THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE MUST BE PUT IN TO NEUTRAL AND SELECT THE "P" FOR PARKING. THE CONSUMER STATED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS NOT ACTIVATED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS ON LEVEL LAND. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE ROLLED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. NO ALARMS WENT OFF INDICATING THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN PARK. THE REAR LIFTGATE WOULD NOT OPEN WHEN USING A FOOT. IT NEEDED TO BE CHARGED. *JS