2021 Audi Q7: problems, recalls and reliability
9 recalls and 75 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (43% of complaints); the 2020 and 2022 and 2023 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 5 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Dec 2025
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 75 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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 NHTSA 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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2026
“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.”Owner report · Lane Departure · Aug 2026
“waterpump is leaking- known issue that is currently being investigated for class action lawsuit. My car is now out of warranty.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“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?”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2026
“We were in my vehicle. An audi q7 2021 driving in the highway ([XXX]) Headed to Ohio from Florida and during a traffic jam all the sudden my car stopped and will not react and was "stucked in park" and transmission malfunction, parking brake malfunction, start/stop system malfunction codes popped up all at once. So scary and cars started to move and we couldn't. Luckily we were able to get to safety and check battery but this shouldn't happen to anyone as could cause irreversible damage to human life. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q7. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 - 55 MPH, the Check Engine light had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed code PO299, which referred to coolant migration into the vacuum system. The contact was unable to provide the exact parts that were needed for repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer opened a case regarding the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2026
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2026
“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)”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2025
“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”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2025
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 5 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 9 campaigns
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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."
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 NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.
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.
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.
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."
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).
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.
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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2021 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Q7 years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Q7 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Audi Q7 reliable?
NHTSA has 75 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on record for the 2021 Audi Q7. The most complained-about area is electrical system (43% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2021 Audi Q7 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 52,000 miles or less.
Does the 2021 Audi Q7 have open recalls?
9 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning back over prevention. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.