Active Lane Assist defect that causes uncommanded, abrupt steering to the left without driver input, most often in intersections where lane markings disappear. The system cannot be deactivated, creating a risk of loss of vehicle control and a crash. The dealer says it is a software issue with no manufacturer fix available.
The worst 2021 Audi Q7 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical44
- Engine20
- Driver assistance15
- Brakes6
- Steering5
- Acceleration4
- Fuel system4
- Seat belts2
- Tires2
- Visibility2
- Suspension1
- Transmission1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2021 Audi Q7
Loss of power 6Screen failure 5Stalling 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2021 Audi Q7 mention
P0299 2
Recalls 9
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- 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 Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on December 23, 2025.
Recall number 25V900000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the instrument panel module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90VC.
Recall number 25V201000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: display function
- What is wrong
- 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, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.
Recall number 22V742000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DR.
Recall number 22V516000 · Recall details
Tires
- What is wrong
- 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, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V‑295 (42L1) were performed.
- Risk
- Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
Recall number 22V034000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- 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, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298 and Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).
Recall number 21V606000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly
- What is wrong
- 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, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
- Risk
- A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
Recall number 21V295000 · Recall details
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module: software
- What is wrong
- 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 with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- During a crash necessitating the deployment of the passenger air bag, the second stage may deploy too quickly when a child is in the front passenger seat, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began March 5, 2021. Owners can contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BV.
Recall number 21V078000 · Recall details
Air bags: sensor: side impact
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- A detached connector can delay the activation of the restraint systems, including the side air bag, curtain air bag and/or seat-belt pretensioners during a side impact crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and as necessary, replace the crash sensors in both front doors, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BM.
Recall number 20V749000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2021 Audi Q7 1,311
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- For applicable vehicles, the New Vehicle Limited Warranty will be extended to repair the Virtual Cockpit...
- Diagnosed and confirmed malfunction of the vehicle’s AEB system that resulted from failure or malfunction...
- This bulletin provides informaiton on the use of the PICO-NVH tool (VAS 611 015).
- This bulletin provides information when the DTC P0C2A00 or U028700 is stored regarding the auxiliary...
- This bulletin provides information when the air spring symbol is illuminated; DTC U112100 or C1260F0.
- This bulletin provides information regarding the current top concerns being addressed by the Audi Digital...
- This bulletin proides service information when there is a prompt to take over the steering wheel (hands...
- This bulletin provides information when the starter battery is discharged or malfunctioning.
- This service information bulletin provides information when the convernience opening does not work.
- This bulletin provides information when there is an Audi pressense warning, warning jolt, and/or brake...
2021 Audi Q7 crash test ratings
Government 5-star crash tests. Higher is safer. Each row is a body style and drivetrain that was tested.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi Q7 SUV AWD | Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms. | Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms. | 5 | 4 |
2021 Audi Q7 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | AWD | 19 | 23 | 21 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl Hybrid | AWD | 18 | 23 | 20 |
What 2021 Audi Q7 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
It is listed as Instrument cluster malfunction with a couple lights on like Brake, ABS, steering wheel with exclamation point next to it. Often when I’m driving the screen in front of me that tells me my speed will go extremely dark to the point you can barely read what it says on it. I have not taken it to a dealership or service place yet but this is part of a recall that my car does not qualify for. One day it just started in January and despite efforts to reset it, has not gone away. The lights stay on at all times.
I have heard a knocking and experienced sudden loss of power while driving- not electrical loss, but vehicle suddenly slows down and unable to pick back up speed effectively creating a safety concern when driving- especially at on ramps. A warning light comes on and then it will go off randomly with the loss of power. I have taken it in multiple times and was told it is an emissions issue and a vacuum hose issue that allows fluid to get into my turbos or something along those lines. I have both been told by my Audi service advisor and done my own research and seen there have been issues with previous years and ultimately a recall was done to fix those- My vehicle is the 1st year following previous recalls. I have been told by the service professionals that they are at a loss whey a recall has not been issued on this issue again. That it is not only an environmental concern, but a huge safety concern. I have contacted Audi America twice now regarding this and ZERO has happened.
Water pump failure causing coolant to leak into engine.
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q7. The contact stated that the instrument cluster display had become blank and failed to operate as intended. The failure prevented the contact from viewing critical vehicle information, including the speedometer, fuel gauge, and turn signal indicators. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the instrument cluster failed and needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V201000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Rear sensors failed for Blind Spot Warning, Parking Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Warning and possibly other safety functions have failed on this car twice now since it was purchased. This is known issue and if the car is out of warranty Audi will not cover this very expensive repair for important safety features. Quote from Go Parts website: "TSB: Rear Parking Sensor Brackets Detaching A widespread known issue for the 2020-2024 Audi Q7 is the failure of the adhesive that holds the rear parking sensor brackets to the inside of the bumper cover. Audi has issued Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 91 24 92 (superseding 91 22 52) to address this problem." Despite Audi being aware of this issue they only issued a TSB when a I feel a recall should have been made. Please issue a recall for this known Audi safety issue..
waterpump is leaking- known issue that is currently being investigated for class action lawsuit. My car is now out of warranty.
On startup, the instrument cluster (Audi Virtual Cockpit) takes an abnormally long time to illuminate. When it does come on, the check engine light and multiple other warning indicators are illuminated. First noticed about a month ago when the panel with the speed indicator wouldn't light up or took a long time to illuminate. I took the car to three dealerships before Audi mentioned that this is a manufacturing issue. The vehicle was taken to [XXX] Audi, Marietta, GA (Repair Order XXX) in XXX. The technician's diagnostic notes recorded a fault described as "control module for instrument cluster — optical data bus — no communication." The dealer referenced an internal Technical Service Bulletin describing an intermittent hardware defect in the Audi Virtual Cockpit logic module, attributed to a manufacturing/semiconductor issue at the supplier level. Per the TSB, if the instrument cluster's production date is before XXX, the cluster must be replaced. The dealer quoted $3,093.81 to replace the instrument cluster assembly. I am aware that the federal safety agency recall 25V201 (Audi internal number 90VC) covers 2021 Q7 vehicles for a related virtual cockpit shutdown defect, remedied with a free software update. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My independent repair shop has just diagnosed a coolant leak weeping from the vacuum line connection at the water pump; they referred to this problem as “coolant migration”. As documented extensively by Audi in Technical Service Bulletin 19-23-45 (2070349/2), this indicates an internal seal failure of the water pump, causing pressurized engine coolant to migrate directly into the vehicle’s vacuum system. While I understand that my vehicle is technically past its 4-year factory warranty timeline, a mechanical failure of this nature at just 43,000 miles is highly premature and points to a known manufacturer design defect rather than standard wear and tear. More importantly, this defect poses an immediate, severe safety risk. Because the vacuum system directly services the power brake booster, the migration of coolant into these lines risks catastrophic contamination of the braking system. This results in a stiff brake pedal and compromised vehicle stopping ability. I am deeply concerned about operating this vehicle with an active, manufacturer-acknowledged safety hazard affecting my brakes. At this time, I have not had this problem confirmed by the dealer, but plan to in the next week. The vehicle it available for inspection upon request.
My rear backup sensors have fallen out of my vehicle and the dealership wants to charge me $200.00 to diagnose the problem. All they need to do is reattach the sensors which were originally put on the vehicle with double sided adhesive tape which is a poor design. I cannot afford this $200.00. This is a big safety concern because I rely on those sensors when backing up. Can you help me?
Compare the 2021 Audi Q7
Q7 vs Acura MDXQ7 vs BMW X5Q7 vs Volvo XC90Q7 vs Lexus RXQ7 vs Mercedes-Benz GLE 350Q7 vs Cadillac XT5
Other model years
20072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 2021 Audi Q7
Is the 2021 Audi Q7 reliable?
Owners have filed 75 complaints about the 2021 Audi Q7, 2.3 times a typical Q7 model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2021 Audi Q7 year score?
The 2021 Audi Q7 scores 39 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Audi Q7: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Audi Q7?
Electrical system, with 44 complaints, typically around 98,000 miles. Next is engine (20).
How many recalls does the 2021 Audi Q7 have?
9 recalls, covering back over prevention, electrical system and fuel system, gasoline.
Is the 2021 Audi Q7 safe in a crash?
The 2021 Audi Q7 was crash tested, but no overall score was published. Partial scores: side 5, rollover 4 out of 5.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Audi Q7 electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 25V201000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Audi Q7 have the most electrical problems?
The Audi Q7 model years with the most electrical complaints are 2017 (53 complaints), 2021 (44 complaints) and 2007 (34 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2021 Audi Q7 get?
Official estimates for the 2021 Audi Q7 range from 20 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, AWD) gets 19 city and 23 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2021 Audi Q7?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history