2021 Audi A7 problems
The Audi A7 is an executive five-door liftback coupé produced by Audi since 2010. A luxury car, it features a sloping roofline with a steeply raked rear window and integrated boot lid (forming the Sportback), and four frameless doors. It is also available as a three-box, four-door saloon in China since 2021.
Audi Sportback concept (2009)
The Audi Sportback concept is a concept vehicle powered by a 3.0-litre V6 TDI clean diesel engine rated at 225 PS (165 kW; 222 hp) and 550 N⋅m (406 lbf⋅ft) of torque. It features a 7-speed S tronic transmission, quattro permanent all-wheel-drive system, five-link front suspension, continuous damping control shock absorbers, electromechanical steering, ceramic brake discs (380 mm front and 356 mm rear), front 6-piston monobloc aluminium brake calipers, rear floating-caliper brakes and 21-inch wheels. A preview of the facelifted 2015 A7 Sportback, the vehicle was unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
First generation (Type 4G8; 2010)
Initial release
The A7 is in essence a four-door fastback version of the C7-series Audi A6, based on the Volkswagen Group MLB platform. The A7 was released before the more conventional A6 saloon/estate. Both cars share the same core structure, drivetrain, chassis, dashboard and interior, whilst the A7 has its own unique exterior panelwork. It also differs from the A6 in that it uses aluminium for much of its front body structure. The A7 was also the first fastback to appear within the Audi C-platform series since the Avant version of the C2 Audi 100, which was discontinued in 1982. The vehicle was unveiled in Pinakothek der Moderne art museum in Munich on 26 July 2010, and later at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, 2011 New York Auto Show, and Wörthersee Tour 2011 (in Misano Red).
The vehicles went on sale in autumn 2010. Early models include 2.8 FSI (204 PS (150 kW; 201 hp)) with multitronic, 3.0 TFSI quattro (300 PS (221 kW; 296 hp)) with seven-speed S tronic, 3.0 TDI quattro (245 PS (180 kW; 242 hp)) with seven-speed S tronic; followed by 3.0 TDI (204 PS (150 kW; 201 hp)) with multitronic.
The 2011 model year A7 introduces FlexRay high speed databus that controls all the driver assistance systems from the A8, but it adds head-up display and active lane assist. Full LED headlamps with Automatic high beam switching or Audi adaptive light (Xenon) with variable headlight range control. US models went on sale 2012 model year vehicles. Early models include 3.0 TFSI quattro (310 PS (228 kW; 306 hp)) with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
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Common 2021 Audi A7 problems
The 2021 Audi A7 has been reported to have several common problems based on complaints from owners. One major issue reported is with the hybrid component, which caused significant inconvenience for one owner.
Another issue reported is with the sensors in the 2021 Audi A7. One owner reported numerous faulty sensor readings, which required a significant repair cost of $3,500 to fix. This issue was also reported in the 2019 Audi A7, indicating that it may be a persistent problem in the A7 lineup.
There have also been reports of issues with the remote control key in the 2021 Audi A7. One owner reported that the key would not open the doors, even with a new battery, and required a software update to fix
. This issue was reported to have been unresolved for an extended period, indicating that it may be a persistent problem in the A7 lineup.
Additionally, there have been reports of issues with the navigation system interface in the 2021 Audi A7. One owner reported that the interface is awkward and difficult to use, despite the car being equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This issue may be a software problem, as the owner reported that Google Maps and Waze seem superior to the built-in navigation system.
Despite these issues, the 2021 Audi A7 has received positive reviews for its performance, handling, and interior design. The car is praised for its smooth driving experience, state-of-the-art technology, and sleek styling. However, it appears that there are some persistent issues with the hybrid system, sensors, remote control key, and navigation system interface that may require attention from Audi.
Is the Audi A7 a reliable car?
As of March 2024, the original Audi A7 holds a poor Used Car Expert Rating of D, with a score of 55%. It earned decent media reviews and running costs are reasonable for a large and expensive car, but very poor reliability lets it down.
Is Audi A7 expensive to maintain?
Maintenance and repair costs for an Audi A7 will amount to $2,808 after 5 years. Expenses include scheduled maintenance, normal wear and tear items and expected repairs.
Are there any recalls on Audi A7?
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, A6 Allroad, 2021-2022 RS7, RS6 Avant, 2019-2022 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. Liquid spilled in the rear seat may penetrate and cause the gateway control module to shut down.
Which is the best Audi A7 engine?
In a similar vein there's also a petrol V6: the 335bhp 3.0-litre 55 TFSI. It's quicker than the 50 TDI (claimed 0-62mph takes 5.3sec), but you have to rev it harder to extract all its performance. We reckon the engine that strikes the best balance between costs and performance is the 242bhp 2.0-litre petrol (45 TFSI).
Is the Audi A7 a reliable car?
As of March 2024, the original Audi A7 holds a poor Used Car Expert Rating of D, with a score of 55%. It earned decent media reviews and running costs are reasonable for a large and expensive car, but very poor reliability lets it down.
Is Audi A7 expensive to maintain?
Maintenance and repair costs for an Audi A7 will amount to $2,808 after 5 years. Expenses include scheduled maintenance, normal wear and tear items and expected repairs.
Does 2021 Audi A7 have air suspension?
Finally, the topline Audi RS7 includes RS-specific air suspension, quattro sport rear differential, all-wheel steering, ventilated front seats, Valcona leather, and 21-in wheels.
Is the A7 a comfortable car?
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The A7 also provides a satisfying driving position that is complemented by excellent outward visibility. Rear-seat passengers receive climate controls, power points for charging devices, and even heated seats, which are all optional.
2021 Audi A7 car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Audi A7 problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Electrical system problems
- Back over prevention problems
- Vehicle speed control problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 2021 Audi A7 vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
2021 Audi A7 complaints
The NHTSA has received 3 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2021 Audi A7.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-10-11
- VIN: WAUS2BF21MN
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: At first, the yellow electrical system malfunction warning light came on. After a short time of driving, the light turned red, and very shortly after than (within five minutes as I was trying to drive the vehicle to the dealership for repair), all of the electrical systems in the vehicle failed. It created a very dangerous driving situation. I brought the vehicle to the Audi dealership, where they made repairs (replacing the generator) and returned the vehicle to me. Two days later, the yellow electrical system malfunction warning light returned while I was driving on the highway. I was able to drive the vehicle home, but along the way, the air conditioning failed. I will be bringing the vehicle back to Audi for further repairs. This defect is very dangerous because, in a very short amount of time, the car not only becomes inoperable, but essentially all of the car’s systems fail.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-04-16
- VIN: WAUR2AF28MN
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION
- Summary: The virtual cockpit (dashboard) went completely black except for an exclamation point. Speed, warning symbols, engine temp etc were not visible. Dealers has confirmed the issue and is currently trying to remedy the situation. The danger was not knowing how fast I was traveling.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-12-15
- VIN: waus2af26mn
- Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
- Summary: The contact owns a 2021 Audi A7. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the speed control software needed to be reprogrammed. The software was updated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
2021 Audi A7 recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 9 recalls for different components of the 2021 Audi A7.
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:CHARGING:CABLE/CORD:ONBOARD
- Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2024 RS e-tron GT, e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q4 e-tron, 2020-2021 Audi A8, 2019-2024 e-tron Quattro, 2020-2024 e-tron Sportback Quattro, Q5, and 2021-2022 A7 vehicles. When using the industrial 220V/240V plug at the 100% charge setting, some home power outlets may be incapable of handling the electrical current required to utilize the compact charging system, causing the outlet or charging cable to overheat.
- Consequence: An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy: Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations. Dealers will supply a new 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable with an incorporated temperature sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2024. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's numbers for this recall are 93U6 and 93U8.
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID
- Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, RS7, RS6 Avant, A6 Allroad, 2019-2021 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. An incorrectly labeled brake fluid cap may have been installed, which can result in the use of the wrong type of brake fluid.
- Consequence: Incorrect brake fluid can reduce braking ability and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake fluid reservoir cap and, if necessary, replace it, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47T9.
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, A6 Allroad, 2021-2022 RS7, RS6 Avant, 2019-2022 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. Liquid spilled in the rear seat may penetrate and cause the gateway control module to shut down.
- Consequence: A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy: Dealers will install a protective cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90V2.
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components: BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
- Summary: 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."
- Consequence: 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.
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:FUEL GAUGE:FUEL LEVEL FLOAT/SENSOR/SENDING UNIT
- Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RS6 Avant and RS7, 2020-2022 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, and S7, and 2019-2022 A6 Sedan and A7 vehicles. The fuel level sender may stick, causing an inaccurate fuel level reading to be displayed on the instrument cluster.
- Consequence: An inaccurate fuel reading may cause an engine stall due to lack of fuel, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy: Dealers will install a new sensor in the tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2023. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DN.
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components: TIRES
- Summary: 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.
- Consequence: 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.
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components: SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR
- Summary: 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."
- Consequence: 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).
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components: SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY
- Summary: 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.
- Consequence: 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.
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components: AIR BAGS
- Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS6 Avant, RS7, 2020-2021 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, S7, 2019-2021 A6 Sedan, and A7 vehicles. The score line on the passenger air bag may not have been manufactured correctly.
- Consequence: An incorrectly manufactured air bag may not deploy properly, and could also eject plastic debris into the passenger compartment, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the passenger air bag score line, and repair it as necessary, free of charge. The recall begin March 26, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 70i2.
Negative 2021 Audi A7 car reviews
Positive 2021 Audi A7 car reviews
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I have been driving SUVs for 15 years and decided to give a sedan a try. After driving the A7, I knew I had to have it. It is the smoothest driving car I have ever experienced and the technology is state of the art. The only challenge I faced was finding one due to its high demand.
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Wow, what a stunning car! You must get compliments constantly. It sounds like a joy to drive - quiet and comfortable.
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I really like everything about the A7 55TFSIe Prestige. The interior is refined and the exterior is classy. It has lots of power and great gas mileage for the plug-in hybrid. I have averaged 90.5 miles per gallon over 14,500 miles and I don't
Additional sources
More sources of information about 2021 Audi A7 problems:
2021 Audi A7 Problems | Kelley Blue Book
How reliable is the 2021 Audi A7? See the most common repairs performed and learn if your vehicle is at risk for major repairs in the next 12 months.
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Other years of Audi A7
Are you having problems with your 2021 Audi A7?
Reginald Batz 2025-01-04
Hi there! I hope you're doing well. I wanted to share my experience with the 2019 A7 premium plus. While I absolutely love the look of the car, I have had a few issues in the four months since I purchased it. For example, when entering the highway from a stop, the vehicle rolled backwards and the rear view camera turned on. On another occasion, the vehicle braked unexpectedly. Additionally, there were some warning lights and error messages that would come on, but when I restarted the vehicle, the messages would go away. Overall, I think the A7 is a beautiful vehicle, but it could benefit from some updates to correct these technical problems. Thanks for listening!
Manley Borer 2024-06-05
I had to replace the tires on my car, which only has 9,000 miles on it, and I found them to be quite expensive. It seems that Audi has selected a poor quality brand, Bridgestone tires.
Baylee Pouros 2024-02-07
Our 2019 Audi A7 broke down 200 miles from home and had to be towed to the dealer. Despite having low tire pressure warnings and a check engine light on for weeks, the dealer assured us everything was fine. However, we later discovered a turbo problem causing slow acceleration and a recurring issue with the sunroof. We are confident in our assessment of the situation and expect the dealer to address these issues promptly.