Total Complaints
103 filings
AUDI Q7 · model year
103 NHTSA complaints, 9 crash reports, and 9 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2021AUDIQ7 carries 103 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 9 crashes, 0 fires, 7 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, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 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 2021 Q7 is electrical system with 36 filings, followed by engine (14) and unknown or other (11). 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 9 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 2021 Q7. 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.
Total Complaints
103 filings
Crashes Reported
9 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 36 |
| ENGINE | 14 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 |
| STEERING | 4 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING | 3 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS | 3 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST | 2 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING | 2 |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING | 2 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 |
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 SQ8, A6 SEDAN, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 SEDAN, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail.
SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe,
TIRES
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7,
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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 M
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
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 w
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A6 Allroad, Q7, RS6 and RS7 vehicles. The electrical connector can detach from the door crash sensor in either of the front doors.
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 ap
Mileage: 44,000
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 ap
Mileage: 44,000
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 âtransmission failure and âESC failureâ came on and I was unable to drive or put the car into gear. The car flashed âstop. Pull overâ and ânot safe to driveâ and see âAudi dealerâ. 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 âdeeper diveâ and I needed to replace my transmission
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 âtransmission failure and âESC failureâ came on and I was unable to drive or put the car into gear. The car flashed âstop. Pull overâ and ânot safe to driveâ and see âAudi dealerâ. 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 âdeeper diveâ and I needed to replace my transmission
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)
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)
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 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
An alert popped up on the dashboard. Stating driver system malfunction. This happened on the freeway and then the car shut down immediately. I've gotten this notification over 8 times and it has yet to be fixed. I'm extremely anxious and terrified when driving this vehicle, because my 3 children are in this vehicle while im driving. All services has been all done at audi oakland, they have all the records/documents. This car has been serviced over 120 days in total
An alert popped up on the dashboard. Stating driver system malfunction. This happened on the freeway and then the car shut down immediately. I've gotten this notification over 8 times and it has yet to be fixed. I'm extremely anxious and terrified when driving this vehicle, because my 3 children are in this vehicle while im driving. All services has been all done at audi oakland, they have all the records/documents. This car has been serviced over 120 days in total
An alert popped up on the dashboard. Stating driver system malfunction. This happened on the freeway and then the car shut down immediately. I've gotten this notification over 8 times and it has yet to be fixed. I'm extremely anxious and terrified when driving this vehicle, because my 3 children are in this vehicle while im driving. All services has been all done at audi oakland, they have all the records/documents. This car has been serviced over 120 days in total
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q7. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V201000 (Electrical System). The interface turned off, and the touchscreen was inoperable. The CP message was displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed that the USB port was not working and was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact reached out to another local dealer, Audi Riverside (3210 Adams St, Riverside, CA 92504), but no additional assistance was provided. The manufacturer was contacted and offered a discount on the repair, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Mileage: 98,000
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q7. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V201000 (Electrical System). The interface turned off, and the touchscreen was inoperable. The CP message was displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed that the USB port was not working and was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact reached out to another local dealer, Audi Riverside (3210 Adams St, Riverside, CA 92504), but no additional assistance was provided. The manufacturer was contacted and offered a discount on the repair, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Mileage: 98,000
I am filing this complaint regarding a serious safety and mechanical issue involving my 2021 Audi Q7. The alternator on my vehicle was replaced by Audi in November 2024 as part of an official Audi recall. On October 22, 2025, less than one year later, the alternator failed while I was driving, causing the following safety hazards and damages: Sudden loss of battery power Complete battery drain Damage to the electrical stabilizer Vehicle shut down while driving Required towing Left me stranded on the road Another independent auto shop confirmed that the alternator failure directly caused the battery to fail. My vehicle is only four years old, and the battery should not fail under normal operation unless another component (such as the alternator) is defective. Audi of America refuses to cover the resulting damages, even though the alternator was replaced under their recall and failed prematurely. They have denied reimbursement for repairs, towing, and related expenses, despite cle
My water pump went out on my 2021Q7. The car had 57271 miles on it. I looked up the Vin and it is not covered in the class action lawsuit however, my model and my year comes up but not my Vin. I feel a water pump should last until 100,000 miles.
During a routine service on my 2021 Audi Q7, the shop found the coolant level low and traced it to a leak. The Audi dealer later diagnosed failure of the water pump, thermostat, valves, and related parts, with a repair estimate of nearly $5,000. I discovered that prior model years (up to 2020) were included in a class action lawsuit for the same type of cooling system failures, though my VIN is not covered. This appears to be the same issue, happening just a few months outside of warranty, and raises concerns about premature failure and safety risk from overheating.
I continue to smell a foul, moldy odor almost every time I turn on the air conditioner or heater. It has been a problem since I purchased the vehicle in August of 2024. I took the car back to the dealer from which I purchased it FOUR times. They finally âfixedâ the issue by clearing out some tube. However, the issue has presented itself again. I had the cabin filter replaced last week to no avail. It still smells awful. I definitely cannot use the heater. This potentially presents a health issue and needs to be fixed.
El carro fue comprado en febrero 2024 en greenway ford inclui un paquete de cambio de aceite,rotacion de llantas y cambio de los limpiabrisas.esto ha sido un dolor de cabeza. cada vez que se le realiza el servicio sale con la luz del ingenier prendido, en la computadora de auto zone aparece TURBOCHARGER INTERCOOLER(P0299). Ademas El asiento del pasajero esta siempre muy caliente el carro gasta demasiada gasolina y esta perdiendo velocidad,en verdad no se si el carro esta gastando aceite, ya que recién cambiado el sistema me mostro falta de aceite .o el consecionario no cambio el aceite correctamente..
El carro fue comprado en febrero 2024 en greenway ford inclui un paquete de cambio de aceite,rotacion de llantas y cambio de los limpiabrisas.esto ha sido un dolor de cabeza. cada vez que se le realiza el servicio sale con la luz del ingenier prendido, en la computadora de auto zone aparece TURBOCHARGER INTERCOOLER(P0299). Ademas El asiento del pasajero esta siempre muy caliente el carro gasta demasiada gasolina y esta perdiendo velocidad,en verdad no se si el carro esta gastando aceite, ya que recién cambiado el sistema me mostro falta de aceite .o el consecionario no cambio el aceite correctamente..
On [XXX], I experienced multiple failures of core safety systems in my 2021 Audi Q7 that put my 17-month-old child at serious risk and exposed critical flaws in how the vehicleâs systems operate and record events. On [XXX], the pre sense automatic braking system suddenly engaged while I was driving approximately 35 mph on a clear, empty suburban road. There were no visible obstructions, no warning lights, and nothing recorded in the vehicleâs logs. This occurred less than 48 hours after the vehicle had received recall-related software updates and routine service at an Audi dealership. Prior to that service, the vehicle had no history of mechanical or safety issues. The following day, the keyless entry and anti-lockout system failed. I placed my toddler in his rear-facing car seat behind the front passenger seat and set our baby bagâwith the key fob insideâon the rear seat. After closing the door and walking to the driverâs side, the car unexpectedly locked. The fob and my c
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.