2017 Audi Q7: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 316 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 7 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
316
Complaints
7
Recalls
7
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
10
Injuries
39.9
Severity index
Severity index 39.9 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 136 2017 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2017 Audi Q7 ranks 92 of 136 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 32% of its model-year peers. See the full 2017 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 133 | 42.1% |
| ENGINE | 58 | 18.4% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 51 | 16.1% |
| SUSPENSION | 32 | 10.1% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 30 | 9.5% |
| STEERING | 19 | 6.0% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 17 | 5.4% |
| POWER TRAIN | 9 | 2.8% |
The single most-reported system is EXTERIOR LIGHTING, cited in 133 of 316 complaints (42.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 30 |
| 2022 | 32 |
| 2023 | 43 |
| 2024 | 85 |
| 2025 | 59 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 17 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.7x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19V035000 | 16/01/2019 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Q7, A6 and A7 vehicles, and 2015-2018 Audi A8 vehicles. The left and right fuel rails may leak fuel. |
| 16V641000 | 06/09/2016 | SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi Q7 vehicles manufactured August 30, 2015, to July 10, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the third row seat back may move forward under load, such as in a frontal collision. As such, the vehic |
| 16V955000 | 29/12/2016 | SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Add |
| 16V648000 | 08/09/2016 | STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi Q7 vehicles manufactured November 11, 2015, to November 23, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the electric power steering assist control unit may short circuit resulting in a loss of power ste |
| 16V642000 | 06/09/2016 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 TT roadster, A3 cabriolet, A3 sedan and A3 e-tron, 2016-2017 TT coupe, 2017 A4 sedan and Q7 and 2015-2017 Q3 vehicles. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadver |
| 16V519000 | 08/07/2016 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Audi Q7 vehicles manufactured August 30, 2015, to May 8, 2016. Due to a software issue within the air bag control module, the frontal air bags may deploy with more force than required in certain crashes. A |
| 20V149000 | 16/03/2020 | STEERING | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q8 and 2017-2019 Audi Q7 vehicles. The bolt connecting the steering shaft to the steering gear may loosen, possibly resulting in a loss of steering control. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.