I was backing out of a retail shopping parking lot and heard a loud bang, then a horrible noise from the front driver side. The car went on a lock down - was useless. The front driver wheel was pushed out and we could see control arms. broken underneath. I had no warning, no indicators on the dash- this was catastrophic. I was stopping traffic from passing and required police assistance. The car had was towed via flatbed to a Firestone repair shop. As mentioned, no warning - I am certainly glad I was just backing out and not driving on the highway.
2017 Audi Q7: ball joint or control arm failure
6 of the 323 complaints about the 2017 Audi Q7 describe ball joint or control arm failure.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 60 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Ball joint or control arm failure by model year
- 20181
- 20176
What owners say
The coil isolated started deteriorating causing stress to the coil. This stress has caused my coil to crack and need replacement if the entire assembly. There is nothing to support the coil in the lower control arm from fully disconnecting
Both rear coil springs snapped, broke and became detached, wedging against lower control arm. Coil spring had no signs of other damage; seems to be defective metallurgy. From online search, there seems to be a high number of Audi Q5's and Q7's from 2017 model year with this problem, but Audi dealers claim it is a 'normal wear' item and is not covered.
While driving, the lower suspension control arm broke in half. No impact to the part, a break with no explanation. Cause the vehicle to veer to one side while the vehicle dropped in ride height causing the tire to rub on the inside of the wheel well. The damage could have caused a crash if going at a higher speed. This happened at 15 mph while increasing in speed.
Rear coil spring on passenger side broke and became detached, wedging against lower control arm. Coil spring had no signs of other damage; seems to be defective metallurgy. While there was no immediate safety issue, a broken spring during driving could cause the operator to lose control. Additionally, unless you heard it break, there is no way to know that it is broken and under additional stress which is an ongoing safety concern. There was no warning that the spring would break or had broken. Others have reported hearing loud "pops" when the spring breaks. From online search, there seems to be a high number of Audi Q7's from 2017-2019 model years with this problem, but Audi dealers claim it is a 'normal wear' item and is not covered."
Both rear coil springs were found rusted and broken by Audi dealer and need to be replaced. Car shouldn't be driven since both broken coil springs are just resting on the lower control arms. Quoted $2,171.05 before tax and shop fees.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This bulletin provides information when the air spring symbol is illuminated; DTC U112100 or C1260F0.
- This bulletin provides information when DTC C129700 is logged in diagnostic address 00D4 and/or 00D5.
- This bulletin provides informaiotn regarding squeaking noises when steering or maneuvering.
- This bulletin provides ifnormaiotn when rear suspension lowering does not work.
- This bulletin provides information parameter settings for suspension control unit J775.
- This bulletin provides information when there are rumbling/knocking noises from the front suspension;...
- This bulletin provides information on locating noises coming from the suspension.
- This TSB provides informaiton pertaining to noises from the guide link bush.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2017 Audi Q7 ball joint
Is ball joint or control arm failure a common problem on the 2017 Audi Q7?
6 of 323 owner complaints about the 2017 Audi Q7 (2%) mention ball joint or control arm failure. The model year with the most reports is 2017.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2017 Audi Q7?
There are 0 recalls and 60 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2017 Audi Q7
Headlights 42Oil consumption 25Coil spring 19Misfire 11Overheating 9Grinding brakes 8Engine failure 8Check engine light 7Loss of power 7Sunroof shattered 7Warning lights 6Fire or smoke 5Stalling 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2017 Audi Q7?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history