Audi
Audi Q7 years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017, 2018 and 2021.
The 2017, 2018 and 2021 Audi Q7 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 319 complaints (32 for each year on the road), 2018 has 143 complaints (16 for each year on the road) and 2021 has 75 complaints (12 for each year on the road), against a median of 4 a year across the 9 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is headlights (39 reports).
- 462complaints
- 8recall campaigns
- 2model years with a page
Newest report Sep 25, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: headlights (39 reports, median 70,000 miles) and suspension (32 reports, median 62,000 miles).
2018
Most reported: suspension (17 reports, median 67,000 miles) and oil consumption (15 reports).
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Best years
- No year since 2016 is clearly better than the rest.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2017 has the most complaints of any Audi Q7 year here: 319 of 462 (69%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Suspension leads in 1 of the 2 model years and has the most reports overall, 49. Pooled across the years, half of the 24 owners who gave a mileage for suspension were under about 66,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 4% of Audi Q7 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2018, 6 of its 143 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 2 model years where owners report suspension has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 119 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 88. So far in 2026, 33 more have come in.
Photo: OWS Photography, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
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Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (41), 2015 (44), 2019 (62), 2020 (28), 2021 (75), 2022 (20), 2023 (16), 2025 (16).
Year by year
2018 Audi Q7 avoid
143 owner complaints, 16 for each year on the road (4.0 times the model median). Most reported: suspension (17 reports, median 67,000 miles), oil consumption (15 reports) and engine failure (12 reports). 3 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 20V-658 on the structure and 20V-149 on the steering system.
2017 Audi Q7 avoid
319 owner complaints, 32 for each year on the road (8.0 times the model median). Most reported: headlights (39 reports, median 70,000 miles), suspension (32 reports, median 62,000 miles) and oil consumption (22 reports, median 75,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 10 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 20V-149 on the steering system and 19V-035 on the fuel system.
Recalls that cover several model years
The bolt connecting the steering shaft to the steering gear may loosen, possibly resulting in a loss of steering control.
The left and right fuel rails may leak fuel.
Questions
What Audi Q7 years should you avoid?
The 2017, 2018 and 2021 Audi Q7 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 319 complaints (32 for each year on the road), 2018 has 143 complaints (16 for each year on the road) and 2021 has 75 complaints (12 for each year on the road), against a median of 4 a year across the 9 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is headlights (39 reports).
What are the best years for the Audi Q7?
No Audi Q7 model year since 2016 draws clearly fewer complaints for its age than the rest. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Audi Q7?
Suspension, with 49 reports across the 2 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2018.
How many recalls does the Audi Q7 have?
8 recall campaigns cover the Audi Q7 model years 2017 to 2018 on this site. The widest, 19V-035 on the fuel system, covers 2 model years.
How many Audi Q7 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
4% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2018 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for suspension on the Audi Q7?
No. None of the 2 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.