Vehicle report

2018 Audi Q7

Free recalls, owner complaints, and NHTSA safety ratings for the 2018 Audi Q7, plus how to check this specific vehicle before you buy.

The 2018 Audi Q7 has 3 NHTSA recalls on record and 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Its overall NHTSA crash-test rating is 5 out of 5. Below is the full breakdown, plus how to check this specific vehicle by VIN before you buy in Alberta.

3

Open recalls

15

Complaints

5

Overall safety

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2018 Audi Q7 recalls (3)

  • FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

    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.

    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.

  • STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Audi Q7 vehicles. The padding on the vehicle's C-pillar may not absorb enough impact in the event of a crash.

    Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the deformation element on the C-pillars, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 70H8.

  • STEERING

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q8 and 2017-2019 Audi Q7 vehicles. The bolt connecting the steering shaft to the steering gear may loosen, possibly resulting in a loss of steering control.

    Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the steering shaft bolt, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 36A1.

2018 Audi Q7 safety ratings

5

Overall

4

Front

5

Side

4

Rollover

Source: NHTSA NCAP ratings.

2018 Audi Q7 owner complaints (15)

  • ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

    My 2018 Audi Q7 3.0T Quattro is experiencing extreme oil consumption — dropping from full to minimum level in approximately 230 miles. This is approximately 14x beyond Audi's own threshold for excessive oil consumption of 0.5 quarts per 1,000 miles. Documented timeline: May 2026 (88,692 miles): Oil change required 2.2 extra quarts beyond standard 7.2qt fill. Low oil light triggered during highway travel. June 27, 2026 (90,200 miles): Authorized Audi dealer formally documented "oil consumption is very high" in their service system and scheduled an official oil consumption test. June 28, 2026 (90,351 miles): Audi MMI system showed oil near minimum after only 151 miles. June 30, 2026 (90,397 miles): Audi MMI showed oil at Stage 2 warning after 197 miles. June 30, 2026 (90,430 miles): Audi MMI showed oil at minimum line after 230 miles total. All readings documented with timestamped photographs from Audi's own MMI system. The authorized Audi dealer has documented repeated oil top-offs in their service system. Audi USA Customer Care was contacted on June 30, 2026 and denied goodwill repair citing no active recall and vehicle out of warranty. An open case has been filed with Audi USA. The engine lubrication system appears defective. Oil dropping to minimum in under 230 miles without adequate warning poses serious safety risk of catastrophic engine failure while driving at highway speeds. The authorized Audi dealer has scheduled an official oil consumption test and inspection for July 2, 2026. Results will be available upon request. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

  • EXTERIOR LIGHTING

    I AM GETTING FRONT LEFT SIDE MARKER LIGHT FAULTY PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THIS IS VERY COMMON FOR 2018 AUDI Q7. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND SEE IF I AM QUALIFIED TO GET THIS REPLACED BY AUDI. APPARENTLY, THE REPLACING THE LAMP ISN'T EASY BUT WOUDL REQUIRE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE LIGHTING FIXTURE WHICH COULD COST OVER $2K. THANK YOU.

  • EXTERIOR LIGHTING

    Parking light defective message on dash board. Looked at the light and all lights present. Talked to a dealer and the headlight assembly to replace is 6K plus. For a small yellow side light inside of headlight that is still on, but the message on dashboard says otherwise. Was told that it isn't outputting enough light power.

  • UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE

    I am reporting suspected odometer fraud on my 2018 Audi Q7 3.0T Prestige (VIN: [XXX] ). Between May 8 and June 13, 2025, while I was the sole driver of the vehicle, Audi dealership service records show an odometer increase of 5,282 miles (from 78,260 to 83,542). However, independently verified GPS trip data from the Audi Connect system confirms I drove only approximately 2,103 miles during this period — a discrepancy of approximately 3,178 miles. The vehicle was serviced at two Penske-owned dealerships: Audi of Arlington (3200 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204) and Audi of Chantilly (14839 Stonecroft Center Ct, Chantilly, VA 20151). Only authorized dealer diagnostic equipment can alter odometer values. This manipulation resulted in the wrongful denial of my extended warranty coverage and a 37,567.16 out-of-pocket engine replacement. I have a fully documented demand letter with ten supporting exhibits including service records, Audi Connect trip data, and a detailed timeline. The dealerships did not respond to my demand letter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

  • SUSPENSION

    I’m reporting a serious safety issue with my 2018 Audi Q7. Both rear suspension springs failed suddenly while I was driving at highway speeds 70 MPH, with no warning at all. This was extremely dangerous—I almost lost control of the vehicle when it happened. The rear of the car dropped and handling became unstable immediately. There were no prior signs, noises, or issues leading up to the failure. This kind of failure should not happen under normal driving conditions, especially on a vehicle like this. Having both springs fail at the same time creates a major safety risk not only for me but for others on the road. I had to replace both rear springs at my own expense. Based on what I’ve seen, this may be a known issue and not just a one-time occurrence. I’m asking NHTSA to look into this problem and determine if there’s a defect with the suspension system on the 2018 Audi Q7 that could require a recall or further action.

  • EXTERIOR LIGHTING

    ALERT " Left Front side marker light defective" see owner manual. That is the message

  • ENGINE

    The car has always (including during warranty period) required addition of engine oil in between scheduled maintenance interval, and problem got worse as function of age/miles. Audi has diagnosed this issue and it has been determined that the engine consumes excessive oil and requires new piston skirt. The cost of the labor is not something Audi is willing to pay for and there is a class action lawsuit. Audi has sent an email/letter to certain owners of the vehicle. My VIN for some reason wasn't included but now Audi has verified, but not willing to pay for the cost to replace the engine or fix it.

  • ENGINE

    Excessive oil consumption and potential for engine to blow up

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING

    Left Front side marker light faulty. is the warning on the dashboard - I have noticed there is a recall I believe 2017 2018 for the same part and this is on a 2019 so it's obviously the part it actually says if there's a software fix

  • FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

    The crankcase ventilation valve is malfunctioning resulting in excessive oil consumption and unsafe idling. The Extended Warranty dated 5/24/19 with Number AWA-19-03 should be extended to other model years.

  • EXTERIOR LIGHTING

    Right Front Parking Light Defective

  • ENGINE

    2018 Audi Q7 piston melting diagnosed by a certified mechanic due to excessive oil consumption due to defective pistons. A class action suit was filed. And a warranty extension extension issued. There is no record of a warranty extension and should be. Please advise

  • ENGINE

    This vehicle developed low oil alerts within 6 weeks of me receiving it with normal city driving. Multiple testing visits and comprehensive consumption testing later, it continued to have the low oil alerts very frequently and various random malfunction alerts like parking brake alert etc. For each complaint I took it to the dealership and did whatever they recommended but no eventual resolution was found. Early October this year, in the middle of traffic multiple alerts came on including drive system malfunction, parking brake malfunction and start stop malfunction. So many that the whole console just lit up and the car started rocking in the middle of traffic and I had to slow down to keep the vehicle in control. The car was rocking visibly and I had difficulty in maneuvering it to a safe location . I contacted the dealership and they gave me an appointment 4 weeks out saying that since the lights were solid and not flashing I could choose to drive the car. However it didn’t look safe to drive so I didn’t use it thereafter. They later told me after a diagnostic evaluation that the engine needed to be replaced as the slapping piston rings had scraped the cylinder walls.

  • ENGINE

    Catastrophic engine failure, this occurred 2 weeks after a service appointment where nothing was detected. The car only had 86,000 miles and it is unrepairable. We have now found that this could be due to a design flaw in this model which we were unaware of.

  • ENGINE

    I am reporting a progressive oil consumption defect that led to a catastrophic engine failure in my 2018 Audi Q7. The vehicle was purchased Certified Pre-Owned (CPO). I reported the excessive oil use to an Audi dealer. The dealer attempted to address the issue by performing an engine cleaning/flush, but the engine failed shortly afterwards. Over time, the vehicle required frequent top-offs between service intervals. Eventually, the engine suffered a mechanical failure, resulting in a broken exhaust valve and internal engine damage while driving on the highway. The Audi dealer provided a repair estimate of approximately $12,000. Audi of America offered 40% assistance to make the repair, but does not recognize the underlying excessive oil consumption issue. Furthermore, the proposed repair only replaces the damaged valve and related components, but does not address the underlying excessive oil consumption that caused the failure. This means the vehicle may still: •unexpectedly run low on oil, •lose power while driving, •suffer additional internal damage, or •again experience sudden engine failure while driving. These conditions can cause dangerous drivability issues, including loss of acceleration and potential stalling at highway speeds. This appears to be a serious safety-related defect involving lubrication failure, component breakage, and potential loss of power. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue to determine whether similar failures are occurring in other Audi Q7 vehicles with the 3.0T engine.

Checking a used Audi Q7 before you buy

The recall, complaint, and safety data above describes the 2018 Q7 in general. To know the condition and history of the specific vehicle you're looking at, check it by VIN. A VIN check shows whether this particular Q7's recalls are still outstanding, and a full history report adds accident, title, and ownership records the data above can't show.

Before you buy a 2018 Audi Q7 in Alberta:

See other model years of the Audi Q7, or browse more Audi models.

2018 Audi Q7 — questions and answers

Does the 2018 Audi Q7 have any recalls?+

Our check found 3 NHTSA recalls associated with the 2018 Audi Q7. Check the specific vehicle by VIN to see which remain outstanding, since some may already have been repaired. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer.

How many complaints does the 2018 Audi Q7 have?+

NHTSA lists 15 owner complaints for the 2018 Audi Q7 in our results. Complaints are problems reported by owners and don't always lead to a recall, but a pattern of similar complaints is worth weighing before you buy.

Is the 2018 Audi Q7 safe?+

The 2018 Audi Q7 has an overall NHTSA crash-test rating of 5. Review the front-crash, side-crash, and rollover ratings above, and pair safety ratings with a mechanical inspection of the specific vehicle.

How do I check a 2018 Audi Q7 VIN?+

Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN into our free VIN check to see recalls, complaints, and safety ratings for that exact vehicle, then run an Alberta Personal Property Registry (PPR) lien search before you pay.

Are recall repairs on a Audi free?+

Yes. Safety recall repairs are performed at no cost by a franchised Audi dealer, even for a used vehicle and even if you're not the original owner. Confirm the required parts are in stock before relying on the fix.

Get the full vehicle history report

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