AUDI A7 · model year

2012 AUDI A7

48 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012AUDIA7 carries 48 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 A7 is air bags with 7 filings, followed by electrical system (6) and steering (6). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2012 A7. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

48
Complaints
2
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

48 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6
STEERING6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL5
ENGINE4
POWER TRAIN4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
TIRES2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)2
WHEELS2
SEATS1
SERVICE BRAKES1
SUSPENSION1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1

Recalls (5)

15V01900020/01/2015

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles. In the affected vehicles the fuel injection system may experience a fuel leak.

15V82300008/12/2015

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Audi A6 vehicles manufactured March 28, 2011, to March 25, 2013, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles manufactured January 25, 2011, to March 19, 2013. In vehicles with heated and cooled seats, the Passenger Occupant

16V64600007/09/2016

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Audi A6 and Audi A7 vehicles. The affected vehicles have a fuel hose in the engine compartment that may degrade and leak fuel.

17V78100006/12/2017

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Audi A6 and A7 vehicles. The fuel line has a compression point that can weaken, potentially resulting in a fuel leak.

18V37000004/06/2018

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

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 Occ

Recent Complaints

20221012ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

Oil system. A quart of oil has to be added every day. Dealership says its crank case breather. Which the supercharge cause the oil to burn more. Also the antifreeze is burning more because the engine is so hot from the oil burning rapidly. Audi is aware and fails to do anything about this known issue.

20220317STEERING

As I was driving with my 4 year old daughter in the vehicle, while making a left turn my vehicle steering wheel locked or seemed to lock on me with no warning, and then the "DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE" indicator appeared. Thank God I was able to safety steer into a driveway. Inspection is available upon request. The defect of the vehicle could have cause major bodily injuries to me and my daughter and anyone within a few feet of my vehicle. No warning signs appeared at all prior to this incident happening, this malfunction came without notice. Im very concerned with the manufacturing defect and issue on this and many Audi's vehicle that have this same issue and could possible be life threating not only for the driver but anyone. I still get anxiety when thinking of this incident and the panic that happen.

20220214AIR BAGS

Passenger seat airbag light is on .

20220112POWER TRAIN

I have seen at least three other complaints with NHTSA on this same item all with different headings. Check engine light comes on at high speeds while highway driving. Pull Engine code and comes back as P2753 - Valve for transmission fluid cooler circuit open. Had to replace coolant control valve for transmission as coolant was leaking into solenoid. Many other reports of this same problem on NHTSA already and mechanic says it is known issue with Audi.

20210626CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

As I reported on June 3, I drove my car onto my office parking lot, up- hill, in the afternoon, when suddenly my car raced, without my stepping on the accelerator to make it race, crushed into the first car parked there. That car was pushed into the wheel of the neighboring car, which fortunately was a big and sturdy car. I managed to drive my car into an empty parking space. The owners of the 2 cars that had been hit came out of the office building and we exchanged information. The car that my Audi had hit was not drivable. My Audi was drivable, despite severe damage. It was towed away by CALIBER COLLISION. Never in my life of driving had I experienced a car racing, without my causing to make it race.

20210604FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owns a 2012 Audi A7. The contact stated that after driving from a stop sign into a four-way intersection at approximately 10 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. Upon inspection, it was discovered that fuel had leaked from the engine compartment and was caused by a detached fuel line due to a failed fuel line coupling. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number 17V781000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.

Mileage: 63,000

20210603CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The gas pedal must have been stuck, as the car raced across parking lot, into the first parked car there. that car was pushed into the next car, fortunately a big, sturdy car. and fortunately into the wheel of that next car. Also, fortunately, no people there at that time. I contacted my Audi dealer . they sent truck for pick-up by GUY TOWING LLC, tel.( 737) 333-7334. There were no warning signs before. Also, I had my car at Audi service earlier this year and paid ca. $6000.- for yearly overhaul and several repairs. To my knowledge, so far no inspection by anyone , but by the repair replace that the truck took my car to. Also, the 2 car owners of the cars hit by my car would have reported the incident to my car insurance company.

20200721POWER TRAIN

I BOUGHT A 2012 AUDI A7 PRESTIGE FROM CARVANA ONLINE IN DECEMBER 2019, FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS. AT THE END OF JANUARY, I'D AN ISSUE WITH MY CAR, WHICH NEEDED IT TO GO TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. AT THE SHOP, I FOUND OUT THAT MY WHEELS WERE STAGGERED AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LOWERED THAN ITS ORIGINAL SPECIFICATION AND RECOMMENDATION. I CONTACTED CARVANA AND SILVERROCK, AND A CLAIM WAS INITIATED ON 02/09/2020 AT 1:58PM. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO A SHOP AND HAVE THEM CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE. FEW MONTHS LATER, I NEEDED TO DO OIL CHANGE AND PERIODIC SERVICING AT AUDI CONCORD, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE WHEELS OF MY VEHICLE IS A HAZARD AND NEEDS TO BE SWITCHED BACK TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATION. MIND YOU, WHEN I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM CARVANA, THERE WAS NEVER A DISCLOSURE OF THE WHEELS BEEN CHANGED. CARVANA CLAIMS THEY HAVE MECHANICS WHO INSPECT EVERY CAR THEY SELL AND I'M SURE IF THAT IS TRUE, THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS AND JUST DECIDED NOT TO DISCLOSE IT TO ME, SO I COULD GO ON WITH THE VEHI

20200721SUSPENSION

I BOUGHT A 2012 AUDI A7 PRESTIGE FROM CARVANA ONLINE IN DECEMBER 2019, FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS. AT THE END OF JANUARY, I'D AN ISSUE WITH MY CAR, WHICH NEEDED IT TO GO TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. AT THE SHOP, I FOUND OUT THAT MY WHEELS WERE STAGGERED AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LOWERED THAN ITS ORIGINAL SPECIFICATION AND RECOMMENDATION. I CONTACTED CARVANA AND SILVERROCK, AND A CLAIM WAS INITIATED ON 02/09/2020 AT 1:58PM. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO A SHOP AND HAVE THEM CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE. FEW MONTHS LATER, I NEEDED TO DO OIL CHANGE AND PERIODIC SERVICING AT AUDI CONCORD, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE WHEELS OF MY VEHICLE IS A HAZARD AND NEEDS TO BE SWITCHED BACK TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATION. MIND YOU, WHEN I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM CARVANA, THERE WAS NEVER A DISCLOSURE OF THE WHEELS BEEN CHANGED. CARVANA CLAIMS THEY HAVE MECHANICS WHO INSPECT EVERY CAR THEY SELL AND I'M SURE IF THAT IS TRUE, THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS AND JUST DECIDED NOT TO DISCLOSE IT TO ME, SO I COULD GO ON WITH THE VEHI

20200721WHEELS

I BOUGHT A 2012 AUDI A7 PRESTIGE FROM CARVANA ONLINE IN DECEMBER 2019, FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS. AT THE END OF JANUARY, I'D AN ISSUE WITH MY CAR, WHICH NEEDED IT TO GO TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. AT THE SHOP, I FOUND OUT THAT MY WHEELS WERE STAGGERED AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LOWERED THAN ITS ORIGINAL SPECIFICATION AND RECOMMENDATION. I CONTACTED CARVANA AND SILVERROCK, AND A CLAIM WAS INITIATED ON 02/09/2020 AT 1:58PM. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO A SHOP AND HAVE THEM CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE. FEW MONTHS LATER, I NEEDED TO DO OIL CHANGE AND PERIODIC SERVICING AT AUDI CONCORD, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE WHEELS OF MY VEHICLE IS A HAZARD AND NEEDS TO BE SWITCHED BACK TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATION. MIND YOU, WHEN I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM CARVANA, THERE WAS NEVER A DISCLOSURE OF THE WHEELS BEEN CHANGED. CARVANA CLAIMS THEY HAVE MECHANICS WHO INSPECT EVERY CAR THEY SELL AND I'M SURE IF THAT IS TRUE, THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS AND JUST DECIDED NOT TO DISCLOSE IT TO ME, SO I COULD GO ON WITH THE VEHI

20200326SERVICE BRAKES

CAR COMES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC CRUISE CONTROL AND AUTO-BRAKING. SYSTEMS RECENTLY WERE DISABLED, AND ARE THROWING ERROR. "0161 - VIDEO CABLE FOR IMAGE PROCESSING " UNABLE TO USE CRUISE CONTROL, AND ASSUME THAT AUTO-BRAKING IS DISABLED UNTIL THIS IS RECTIFIED.

Mileage: 110,000

20200326ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

CAR COMES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC CRUISE CONTROL AND AUTO-BRAKING. SYSTEMS RECENTLY WERE DISABLED, AND ARE THROWING ERROR. "0161 - VIDEO CABLE FOR IMAGE PROCESSING " UNABLE TO USE CRUISE CONTROL, AND ASSUME THAT AUTO-BRAKING IS DISABLED UNTIL THIS IS RECTIFIED.

Mileage: 110,000

20200326VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CAR COMES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC CRUISE CONTROL AND AUTO-BRAKING. SYSTEMS RECENTLY WERE DISABLED, AND ARE THROWING ERROR. "0161 - VIDEO CABLE FOR IMAGE PROCESSING " UNABLE TO USE CRUISE CONTROL, AND ASSUME THAT AUTO-BRAKING IS DISABLED UNTIL THIS IS RECTIFIED.

Mileage: 110,000

20200326ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHILE DRIVING MY 2012 AUDI A7 ON THE HIGHWAY, RECEIVED NUMEROUS ERROR MESSAGES WITHOUT WARNING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CAR BEGAN TO LURCH, STALL, AND DRIVE ERRATICALLY WITH LIMITED DRIVING AND BRAKING CONTROL. SITUATION WAS VERY UNSAFE AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING. AUDI DEALERSHIP STATED THAT A COOLANT MIGRATION DEFECT OCCURRED. THE COOLANT PUMP VALVE FAILED INTERNALLY AND LEAKED COOLANT ONTO THE WIRING HARNESS. THE COOLANT TRAVELED ALONG THE HARNESS AND DAMAGED OR DESTROYED MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS INCLUDING THE ECM, TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT, AND THE HARNESS / ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. AUDI HAS A HISTORY OF COOLANT PUMP DEFECTS AND HAS ACTIVE RECALLS FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE FOR OTHER MODELS. THIS MODEL, THE 2012 A7 SHOULD BE ADDED TO THAT LIST AS IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS WERE SENT TO THE DEALERS.

Mileage: 105,000

20200326ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING MY 2012 AUDI A7 ON THE HIGHWAY, RECEIVED NUMEROUS ERROR MESSAGES WITHOUT WARNING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CAR BEGAN TO LURCH, STALL, AND DRIVE ERRATICALLY WITH LIMITED DRIVING AND BRAKING CONTROL. SITUATION WAS VERY UNSAFE AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING. AUDI DEALERSHIP STATED THAT A COOLANT MIGRATION DEFECT OCCURRED. THE COOLANT PUMP VALVE FAILED INTERNALLY AND LEAKED COOLANT ONTO THE WIRING HARNESS. THE COOLANT TRAVELED ALONG THE HARNESS AND DAMAGED OR DESTROYED MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS INCLUDING THE ECM, TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT, AND THE HARNESS / ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. AUDI HAS A HISTORY OF COOLANT PUMP DEFECTS AND HAS ACTIVE RECALLS FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE FOR OTHER MODELS. THIS MODEL, THE 2012 A7 SHOULD BE ADDED TO THAT LIST AS IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS WERE SENT TO THE DEALERS.

Mileage: 105,000

20200304ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAR COMES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC CRUISE CONTROL AND AUTO-BRAKING. SYSTEMS RECENTLY WERE DISABLED, AND ARE THROWING ERROR. "0161 - VIDEO CABLE FOR IMAGE PROCESSING " UNABLE TO USE CRUISE CONTROL, AND ASSUME THAT AUTO-BRAKING IS DISABLED UNTIL THIS IS RECTIFIED.

Mileage: 99,000

20191021POWER TRAIN

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. UPON INSPECTION BY THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS INFORMED THAT A COOLANT VALVE CONNECTED TO THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE HAD FAILED. THIS RESULTED IN COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE MODULE AND THEREBY DAMAGING IT. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT IN A SIMILAR VEHICLE OF THE SAME YEAR.

Mileage: 70,142

20190415STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 AUDI A7. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE STEERING ASSIST WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL AND DRIVE HOME. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 94,291.

Mileage: 94,291

20190226AIR BAGS

NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 18V370 NO PODS REPAIR KITS AVAILABLE FOR EXISTING CUSTOMERS DRIVING AROUND IN VEHICLES WHILE AUDI ISSUED STOP SALE ON CARS IN STOCK AT THEIR FACILITY WITH THE DANGEROUS PART. THE PASSENGER OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (PODS) CAN MALFUNCTION DUE TO STRESS/WEAR FACTORS AFFECTING AN INTERNAL CONNECTOR OR CONTACT RESISTANCE INCREASE AT BODY-SENSING MAT IN THE SEAT. SHOULD A MALFUNCTION OCCUR, VEHICLE OCCUPANTS WILL BE ALERTED OF A PODS PROBLEM BY ILLUMINATION OF THE AIRBAG MONITORING LIGHT AND BY THE STATUS OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR LIGHT. IN THIS SITUATION, A FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT RISKS INJURY IN A CRASH BECAUSE A MALFUNCTIONING PODS MAY NOT MAKE THE CORRECT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT DECISION FOR THE TYPE OF OCCUPANT SEATED THERE.

20190109WHEELS

EXCESS ROAD NOISE WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION 40-80MPH. SOUNDS LIKE DRONING HUMMING NOISE INDICATIVE OF EXCESSIVE WHEEL BEARING WEAR

Mileage: 101,000

Compare 2012AUDIA7 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 AUDI A7 have?
The 2012 AUDI A7 has 48 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2012 AUDI A7?
The 2012 AUDI A7 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 AUDI A7?
Yes, the 2012 AUDI A7 has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 AUDI A7?
The most-complained component for the 2012 AUDI A7 is AIR BAGS with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and STEERING.
Is the 2012 AUDI A7 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2012 AUDI A7 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.