2021 Audi Q7 Complaints

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — Filed 06/25/2026

My independent repair shop has just diagnosed a coolant leak weeping from the vacuum line connection at the water pump; they referred to this problem as “coolant migration”. As documented extensively by Audi in Technical Service Bulletin 19-23-45 (2070349/2), this indicates an internal seal failure of the water pump, causing pressurized engine coolant to migrate directly into the vehicle’s vacuum system. While I understand that my vehicle is technically past its 4-year factory warranty timeline, a mechanical failure of this nature at just 43,000 miles is highly premature and points to a known manufacturer design defect rather than standard wear and tear. More importantly, this defect poses an immediate, severe safety risk. Because the vacuum system directly services the power brake booster, the migration of coolant into these lines risks catastrophic contamination of the braking system. This results in a stiff brake pedal and compromised vehicle stopping ability. I am deeply concerned about operating this vehicle with an active, manufacturer-acknowledged safety hazard affecting my brakes. At this time, I have not had this problem confirmed by the dealer, but plan to in the next week. The vehicle it available for inspection upon request.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 06/04/2026

My rear backup sensors have fallen out of my vehicle and the dealership wants to charge me $200.00 to diagnose the problem. All they need to do is reattach the sensors which were originally put on the vehicle with double sided adhesive tape which is a poor design. I cannot afford this $200.00. This is a big safety concern because I rely on those sensors when backing up. Can you help me?

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 05/22/2026

We were in my vehicle. An audi q7 2021 driving in the highway ([XXX]) Headed to Ohio from Florida and during a traffic jam all the sudden my car stopped and will not react and was “stucked in park” and transmission malfunction, parking brake malfunction, start/stop system malfunction codes popped up all at once. So scary and cars started to move and we couldn’t. Luckily we were able to get to safety and check battery but this shouldn’t happen to anyone as could cause irreversible damage to human life. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — Filed 05/03/2026

The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q7. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 - 55 MPH, the Check Engine light had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed code PO299, which referred to coolant migration into the vacuum system. The contact was unable to provide the exact parts that were needed for repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer opened a case regarding the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

ENGINE — Filed 05/13/2026

Early fuel pump failure at 55k miles. Coolant is now leaking and the fuel pump and vac system need replacement.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 02/28/2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding a safety-related recall on my Audi Q7 involving the alternator. The wording of the recall is significantly underplayed, written off as an emissions issues. When in reality this is a life threatening flaw in the alternator. It is highly concerning that Audi isn’t being transparent with people who are driving these cars and risking their lives while doing so. This is not simply emissions, in reality, the car can totally malfunction while in operation. The entire electrical system fails and the car completely stops responding to the driver, fully stops and dies no matter where you are driving or at what speed. While driving on the highway, my vehicle experienced a catastrophic electrical failure caused by the recalled alternator, which caused the car to completely stop and it would not restart in any way. This created a life-threatening situation for my family and me. As a result of this electrical failure, the vehicle’s battery was damaged, and Audi has acknowledged coverage of 90% for the battery repair. However, the voltage converter, which is part of the same charging system, was also damaged during the same event. Audi is refusing coverage for the $1,600 repair of the voltage converter, despite the damage being caused directly by the alternator failure. I believe this represents a significant safety risk, as the vehicle’s sudden loss of power could lead to serious injury or death. Additionally, the recall itself caused secondary damage that is being denied coverage, which is unfair and unsafe. I am requesting that NHTSA review this matter as a safety defect/recall-related failure, and ensure the manufacturer addresses all consequences of this recall-related defect, including coverage of secondary damage like the voltage converter.

VISIBILITY,BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 12/12/2025

The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q7. The contact stated that the rear-view mirrors on the driver's side failed to indicate when another vehicle, person, or object was nearby the vehicle. The passenger's side rear-view mirror's audible alarm occasionally erroneously alerted the driver that there was a vehicle, a person, or an object nearby the vehicle. The infotainment screen occasionally blacked out, and the following day, the screen activated but failed to finish uploading all the systems and functions. The back-over prevention camera alarm made abnormal sounds compared to the normal sound. The infotainment center intermittently failed to display the icon indicating that the key was in the ignition after the vehicle had been started. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact was unaware that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V900000 (Back Over Prevention). The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 12/29/2025

I was driving on the freeway and got off on an exit ramp at high speeds and began to slow down and break. As I was breaking the car became clunky and slowed down and suddenly shut off. The warning lights “transmission failure and “ESC failure” came on and I was unable to drive or put the car into gear. The car flashed “stop. Pull over” and “not safe to drive” and see “Audi dealer”. The car would not turn back on. We were stuck in the middle Of the freeway off-ramp with cars flying by us with no sidewalks or safe ways to exit the vehicle. I had my wife, dog and 2 and 4 year old kids with me. I then had to be towed to my local Audi dealer. At the Audi dealer, I told them what happened and asked for a full diagnostic. They then called me the next day and said they ran codes and nothing popped up. I said can they run a full diagnostic further and see what happened. They called me the next day and said they did a “deeper dive” and I needed to replace my transmission intake body valve and gave me a repaid quote of $8,000. My car had been serviced 2 months prior on 10/16/25 with the transmission being checked and said great.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 12/26/2025

The vehicle was parked on a sloped driveway. After the driver exited the car, the automatic parking brake/Auto-P fail-safe failed to engage. The vehicle rolled backward unexpectedly, causing the driver-side door to strike a fire hydrant and rebound into the driver's body. There is significant property damage ($6000) and personal injury. Complete home security video footage of the incident is available [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE — Filed 11/05/2025

- Engine water pump failure and coolant intrusion into the vacuum system. Parts were replaced on 5 Nov 2025 and possible still at the dealer's location. - The defect poses the following safety risks: It resulted in contamination of vacuum lines; potential for sudden engine stalling or loss of power while driving; potential for catastrophic damage to engine-management systems dependent on vacuum integrity; potential for damage to emissions and combustion-control systems; potential for reduced braking system performance if vacuum supply is compromised, expensive and unexpected component failures, and possible recurrence since the cause appears related to design rather than normal wear. Any failure can create cascading hazards affecting safety-critical functions. - The problem was confirmed by an authorized Audi dealer. Dealer name and contact info can be provided upon request. - I do not know if the dealer delivered the involved parts to the manufacturer or insurance representative for inspection. Police or others did not inspect it. - There were no warning lights, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. It was identified by the Audi technician on 5 November 2025 while the vehicle was in the dealer for other services. The failure occurred at 47,855 miles which is far below the average lifespan of a water pump or vacuum system.