AUDI A7 · model year

2013 AUDI A7

35 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2013AUDIA7 carries 35 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 1 fire, 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 2013 A7 is electrical system with 7 filings, followed by engine (5) and unknown or other (4). 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 2013 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.

35
Complaints
7
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

35 filings

Crashes Reported

7 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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7
ENGINE5
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
STEERING4
POWER TRAIN3
SERVICE BRAKES2
AIR BAGS2
TIRES1
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY1
SEAT BELTS1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
WHEELS1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1

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

20250506UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Recall completed TWICE but manufacturer cannot keep their information updated correctly and claims the recall is open and WILL NOT COMPLETE THE RECALL WORK AT ANY DEALERSHIP!

20240406ENGINE

Internal engine oil leak

20220316STEERING

The contact owns a 2013 Audi A7. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not serviced. The contact took the vehicle to independent mechanic and was informed that the electronic steering unit needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired but the warning light was cleared from the system. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the diagnostic inquiry. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated on another occasion while driving 5 MPH, the steering assist warning light was illuminated and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to local dealer and was waiting to be serviced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

Mileage: 56,000

20210629STEERING

An alert when I started my car stated that the steering system had a fault but it was ok to continue driving. Later that evening during my drive home, and about 20 miles from the start of the trip, the car then provided an alert for a steering system failure and to stop driving. The power steering appears to have stopped working - the car could only turn the wheels with great effort.

20210507VISIBILITY/WIPER

I HAVE HAD FOUR TIME WINDSHIELD CRACKS.. THERE WERE NO LARGE IMPACTS AND IT SEEMS THAT THE WINDSHIELD MATERIAL IS EXTREMELY BRITTLE AND UNSAFE. OTHER VEHICLES UNDER THE SAME DRIVING ROUTE AND SPEED HAVE NEVER HAD WINDSHIELD CRACKS, BUT MY AUDI HAS ENCOUNTERED FOUR. THIS SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN/MATERIAL DEFECT.

Mileage: 100,000

20210412STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS UNRESPONSIVE WHILE IN THE CENTER POSITION AND FELT DISCONNECTED AND UNSTABLE WHILE TURNING. THE DRIVER STATED THAT HE DID NOT ALWAYS FEEL IN CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHILE TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION FROM THE CENTER STEERING WHEEL POSITION. THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMED TO MOMENTARILY CEASED BEFORE RESPONDING WHILE TURNING. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

Mileage: 78,000

20201130ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS REFERRED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE REPAIR FOR A LACK PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE MANUFACTURER DECLINED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NEAREST DEALER WAS NEARLY TWO HOURS AWAY AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE SERVICED AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,338.*BF*JB

Mileage: 75,338

20201130POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS REFERRED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE REPAIR FOR A LACK PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED AUDI DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE MANUFACTURER DECLINED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NEAREST DEALER WAS NEARLY TWO HOURS AWAY AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE SERVICED AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,338.*BF*JB

Mileage: 75,338

20191217ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHILE STATIONARY AND DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS ALONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND EPC LIGHT WHICH STATES, "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION. CAN CONTINUE TO DRIVE". DRIVES SLUGGISH AND "SPUTTERS" ABOVE 4000 RPM. MY WIFE (PREGNANT AT THE TIME) WAS DRIVING WHEN IT SPUTTERED AND HAD DIFFICULTY EXITING OUR SUBDIVISION ONTO THE HIGHWAY. I TOOK IT TO THE AUDI DEALER IN HARDEEVILLE, SC AND CONCERN WAS VERIFIED AS COOLANT IN ENGINE/TRANSMISSION HARNESS. (SEE UPLOADS) I'VE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH TO SEE IF THIS WAS COMMON AND I FOUND A RECALL ON THE A8 FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS ABLE TO FIND SB-10053889-6593 WHICH OUTLINES THE EXACT ISSUE; SO AUDI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

Mileage: 67,648

20191217ENGINE

WHILE STATIONARY AND DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS ALONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND EPC LIGHT WHICH STATES, "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION. CAN CONTINUE TO DRIVE". DRIVES SLUGGISH AND "SPUTTERS" ABOVE 4000 RPM. MY WIFE (PREGNANT AT THE TIME) WAS DRIVING WHEN IT SPUTTERED AND HAD DIFFICULTY EXITING OUR SUBDIVISION ONTO THE HIGHWAY. I TOOK IT TO THE AUDI DEALER IN HARDEEVILLE, SC AND CONCERN WAS VERIFIED AS COOLANT IN ENGINE/TRANSMISSION HARNESS. (SEE UPLOADS) I'VE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH TO SEE IF THIS WAS COMMON AND I FOUND A RECALL ON THE A8 FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS ABLE TO FIND SB-10053889-6593 WHICH OUTLINES THE EXACT ISSUE; SO AUDI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

Mileage: 67,648

20191217POWER TRAIN

WHILE STATIONARY AND DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS ALONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND EPC LIGHT WHICH STATES, "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION. CAN CONTINUE TO DRIVE". DRIVES SLUGGISH AND "SPUTTERS" ABOVE 4000 RPM. MY WIFE (PREGNANT AT THE TIME) WAS DRIVING WHEN IT SPUTTERED AND HAD DIFFICULTY EXITING OUR SUBDIVISION ONTO THE HIGHWAY. I TOOK IT TO THE AUDI DEALER IN HARDEEVILLE, SC AND CONCERN WAS VERIFIED AS COOLANT IN ENGINE/TRANSMISSION HARNESS. (SEE UPLOADS) I'VE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH TO SEE IF THIS WAS COMMON AND I FOUND A RECALL ON THE A8 FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS ABLE TO FIND SB-10053889-6593 WHICH OUTLINES THE EXACT ISSUE; SO AUDI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

Mileage: 67,648

20190816ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHEN STARTING THE CAR, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT (MIL) CAME ON. NO ODD NOISES OR SMELLS, AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING SMOOTH. THE TROUBLE CODE DISPLAYED WAS 00196A. DROVE THE CAR TO AN AUDI DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS "FAULTY TRANSMISSION COOLING VALVE N509, COOLANT IS GETTING INTO CONNECTOR CAUSING AN OPEN CIRCUIT FAULT". THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS A KNOWN PROBLEM (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #2033806/9) THAT SOMETIMES RENDERS THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE, AND WILL POSSIBLY BE COVERED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD BEYOND THE WARRANTY. REPAIRS COSTED $900+. I'M CONCERNED THAT IF THIS REOCCURS, IT COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF IN AN UNSAFE MANNER.

Mileage: 65,402

20190816ENGINE

WHEN STARTING THE CAR, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT (MIL) CAME ON. NO ODD NOISES OR SMELLS, AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING SMOOTH. THE TROUBLE CODE DISPLAYED WAS 00196A. DROVE THE CAR TO AN AUDI DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS "FAULTY TRANSMISSION COOLING VALVE N509, COOLANT IS GETTING INTO CONNECTOR CAUSING AN OPEN CIRCUIT FAULT". THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS A KNOWN PROBLEM (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #2033806/9) THAT SOMETIMES RENDERS THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE, AND WILL POSSIBLY BE COVERED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD BEYOND THE WARRANTY. REPAIRS COSTED $900+. I'M CONCERNED THAT IF THIS REOCCURS, IT COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF IN AN UNSAFE MANNER.

Mileage: 65,402

20190203STEERING

NO POWER STEERING WHEN STARTING CAR. " STEERING DEFECTIVE DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE" WARNING ON DASH.

Mileage: 33,290

20181204UNKNOWN OR OTHER

PODS

20181113SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION MY CAR WILL SOMETIME STOP AND SAY BREAKING ENGAGED WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME THREE TIMES. THE CAR WILL STOP IN TRAFFIC, THE WINDOWS WILL ROLL COMPLETELY UP, THE SUNROOF WILL CLOSE AND THE RADIO WILL TURN COMPLETELY DOWN. NO ONE IS WALKING NEAR MY CAR AT THE TIME. THIS WILL HAPPEN IN THE PROCESS OF ME DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I'M CHECKING TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY RECALLS OR HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR AUDI A7

Mileage: 75

20181113ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION MY CAR WILL SOMETIME STOP AND SAY BREAKING ENGAGED WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME THREE TIMES. THE CAR WILL STOP IN TRAFFIC, THE WINDOWS WILL ROLL COMPLETELY UP, THE SUNROOF WILL CLOSE AND THE RADIO WILL TURN COMPLETELY DOWN. NO ONE IS WALKING NEAR MY CAR AT THE TIME. THIS WILL HAPPEN IN THE PROCESS OF ME DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I'M CHECKING TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY RECALLS OR HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR AUDI A7

Mileage: 75

20181113UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION MY CAR WILL SOMETIME STOP AND SAY BREAKING ENGAGED WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME THREE TIMES. THE CAR WILL STOP IN TRAFFIC, THE WINDOWS WILL ROLL COMPLETELY UP, THE SUNROOF WILL CLOSE AND THE RADIO WILL TURN COMPLETELY DOWN. NO ONE IS WALKING NEAR MY CAR AT THE TIME. THIS WILL HAPPEN IN THE PROCESS OF ME DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I'M CHECKING TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY RECALLS OR HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR AUDI A7

Mileage: 75

20171118AIR BAGS

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON, CANNOT RESET UNLESS TAKEN TO DEALER. WHEELS WERE ALL BENT ON THE INSIDE UNKNOWN TO BUYER SINCE IT WAS OUT OF SIGHT. CAR WAS OUR OF LINE AND THE TIRES AND WHEELS WERE DIFFICULT TO BALANCE. DEALER ASSURED THE WHEELS ARE OKAY, AFTER $300 FIX..

20171118WHEELS

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON, CANNOT RESET UNLESS TAKEN TO DEALER. WHEELS WERE ALL BENT ON THE INSIDE UNKNOWN TO BUYER SINCE IT WAS OUT OF SIGHT. CAR WAS OUR OF LINE AND THE TIRES AND WHEELS WERE DIFFICULT TO BALANCE. DEALER ASSURED THE WHEELS ARE OKAY, AFTER $300 FIX..

Compare 2013AUDIA7 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 AUDI A7 have?
The 2013 AUDI A7 has 35 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2013 AUDI A7?
The 2013 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 2013 AUDI A7?
Yes, the 2013 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 2013 AUDI A7?
The most-complained component for the 2013 AUDI A7 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2013 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 2013 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.