2017 Audi A7: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2017 Audi A7
Only 3 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Audi A7, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported other engine problem.
When each failure gets reported
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 0.2 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 0.2 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 0.2 | $300–$1,800 | High |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other engine problem
The automatic start/stop fuel-saving engine feature engages prematurely, before the vehicle has come to a complete stop. As a result, the vehicle feels like the brakes have been artificially and aggressively applied to bring the car to a complete stop before the start/stop engine feature otherwise should have engaged. As a result, for vehicles following close behind, the effect will be that the audi vehicle in front of them will appear to lurch to a stop, thus creating a risk of a rear-end collision. This issue happens each and every time the start/stop feature is active, and typically involves artificial and premature braking/stopping at low speeds as the vehicle is approaching what would otherwise be its natural stopping point based on the driver-applied pressure to the brake pedal.
Other fuel system problem
The automatic start/stop fuel-saving engine feature engages prematurely, before the vehicle has come to a complete stop. As a result, the vehicle feels like the brakes have been artificially and aggressively applied to bring the car to a complete stop before the start/stop engine feature otherwise should have engaged. As a result, for vehicles following close behind, the effect will be that the audi vehicle in front of them will appear to lurch to a stop, thus creating a risk of a rear-end collision. This issue happens each and every time the start/stop feature is active, and typically involves artificial and premature braking/stopping at low speeds as the vehicle is approaching what would otherwise be its natural stopping point based on the driver-applied pressure to the brake pedal.
Other brake problem
The automatic start/stop fuel-saving engine feature engages prematurely, before the vehicle has come to a complete stop. As a result, the vehicle feels like the brakes have been artificially and aggressively applied to bring the car to a complete stop before the start/stop engine feature otherwise should have engaged. As a result, for vehicles following close behind, the effect will be that the audi vehicle in front of them will appear to lurch to a stop, thus creating a risk of a rear-end collision. This issue happens each and every time the start/stop feature is active, and typically involves artificial and premature braking/stopping at low speeds as the vehicle is approaching what would otherwise be its natural stopping point based on the driver-applied pressure to the brake pedal.
Recalls on the 2017 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2017 Audi A7, affecting an estimated 16,689 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:fuel rail, air bags:sensor:occupant classification, air bags:side/window and air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
74,881 vehicles 2019-01-16- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the left and right fuel rail, free of charge. The recall began February 28, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 24DP.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
139,249 vehicles 2018-06-04- Defect
- 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 Occupant Detection System (PODS) control module to malfunction.
- Consequence
- If the PODS module malfunctions, the front passenger air bag may not deploy properly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a PODS system repair kit, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74D5.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
17,694 vehicles 2017-05-01- Defect
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Audi A7 vehicles. The affected vehicles have head curtain air bags that may not deploy properly in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
- Consequence
- If the head curtain airbag does not deploy properly in the event of a crash, an unbelted passenger has an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected head curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin June 29, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for the recall is 69R2.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
5,947 vehicles 2016-12-29- Defect
- 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. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being recalled because the seat belt pretensioners may not activate properly.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
Every year of the Audi A7
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2012-2018 generation, 2014 Audi A7 scores best at 65 and 2016 Audi A7 worst at 73.
What the reports on file say
The complaints recorded against the 2017 Audi A7 are other engine problem (1 report, around 2k miles), other fuel system problem (1 report, around 2k miles) and other brake problem (1 report, around 2k miles). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Other years of the same model do have enough: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019. The mechanical parts are often shared across those years, so their pages are the better guide to what this one is likely to do, with the caveat that a shared part is not a shared production line.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed