2016 Audi A7 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2016 Audi A7 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 231,824 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 19V035000 2019-01-16 74,881 affected
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 18V370000 2018-06-04 139,249 affected
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…

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 17V293000 2017-05-01 17,694 affected
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…

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.

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS
7
1crashes3injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2
STEERING
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
1crashes3injuries
ENGINE
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
POWER TRAIN
1
STRUCTURE:BODY
1
1crashes3injuries
TIRES
1
VISIBILITY/WIPER
1
Total complaints18

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“When I have a passenger riding with me the passenger airbag cuts on and off the whole time while i’m driving. This is a major safety concern especially when I have passengers all the time. I’m concerned the airbag will not deploy during an accident.”

AIR BAGS · reported 2024-12-27

“Component/system malfunction: the engine control unit fails, causing the engine to shut off unexpectedly while driving. This component is available for inspection. Safety risk: the sudden shutdown poses severe risks. It happened on local roads and highways at speeds over 65 mph, creating immediate…”

ENGINE · reported 2024-07-11

“The contact owns a 2016 audi a7. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel stopped operating and the "do not drive vehicle, steering defective" message was displayed. The vehicle was pulled into a parking lot where the vehicle restarted; however, the failure…”

STEERING · reported 2024-03-29

“In five years I have had my windshield chip or crack four times. Replacement is a pain and expensive. It seems the design is far too susceptible to breakage and is unsafe.”

VISIBILITY/WIPER · reported 2024-02-27

“Gas smell while ac/heater is on and car is sitting idle. My car is not included in the 2019 safety recall 24dp although it should be.”

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM · reported 2023-12-11

“Flat tire on highway 255/40 r19 100h. I thought it’s a nail or a sharp object. After further inspection, the tire was ripping from inside out. Please see attached picture. My speed was very low at higher speeds or could have been a complete tire blow out.”

TIRES · reported 2023-03-26

“Around 36k miles the vehicle had some dried coolant residue and required coolant topups every 2-3k miles. Two different dealerships performed comprehensive inspections between then and now and did not notify me of any problems. The residue was explained away in a service bulletin stating that it…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2022-08-08

“1st problem my passenger air bag will go on and off sometime while driving even though no one is sitting there. 2nd problem the weather here was -30 for about 10 days and my car stopped working one morning when I turned it on. More precisely steering did not work. When I took it to vw dealer and…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2021-02-16
Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Audi A7 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.