Recalls: Audi 4M Q7
Overview
Manufacturers, or importers, issue recalls for defects or faults which have the potential to cause injury. Generally, manufacturers will inform the original buyers if their vehicle is subject to a recall and of the steps required to remedy the defect or fault. Please note that the recalls below (if any) are for Australian-delivered vehicles only. Furthermore, the number of recalls should not be taken as an indication of a model’s reliability or its safety more generally.
Recalls: Audi 4M Q7
2016-17 model year Audi 4M Q7 (seven seats): third row seats may deform in collision
In October 2016, a recall was issued for 2016 and 2017 model year Audi 4M Q7 vehicles that had seven seats. In these vehicles, indentations on the cross-piece of the third row of seats were not designed and manufactured to the correct specifications. As a result, the third row seat structure may deform in the event of a collision and this could increase the risk of injury. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2016/15682.
2019 model year Audi 4M Q7: curtain airbag may not fully inflate
In March 2020, recall campaign 69AJ was issued for 2019 model year Audi 4M Q7 vehicles. If a curtain airbag was trigged in a collision, the fastener which secured an air duct component inside the curtain airbag could detach. As a result, the curtain airbag may not inflate sufficiently and this increased the risk of injury to the occupant. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2020/18260.
2015-19 Audi 4M Q7: connection between steering shaft and rack
In April 2020, recall campaign 36A1 was issued for Audi 4M Q7 vehicles that were manufactured between January 2015 and February 2019. In these vehicles, the bolted connection between the steering shaft and the steering rack may not have been tightened to the required torque. If the bolted connection loosened, the driver may lose control of the steering and this increased the risk of a collision. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2020/18278.
2019 Audi 4M Q7: transmission oil leak
In June 2020, recall campaign 38C7 was issued for Audi 4M Q7 vehicles that had AL552-8Q transmissions and were manufactured between September 2019 and December 2019. In these vehicles, a gearbox oil pipe may have been incorrectly and this could cause a transmission oil leakage. If this occurred, there was an increased risk of a collision and injury to both vehicle occupants and other road users. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-003918.
2020 Audi 4M Q7: connector detached from crash sensor
In February 2021, recall campaign 69BM was issued for Audi 4M Q7 vehicles manufactured between July 2020 and September 2020. In these vehicles, a connector may become detached from the crash sensor and this may delay the operation of the side airbag, curtain airbag and/or belt tensioner. In the event of a collision, these delays increased the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-000047.
2018-21 Audi 4M Q7: seatbelt warning may operate occasionally
In July 2021, recall campaign 90P5 was issued for 2018-21 Audi 4M Q7 vehicles. The seatbelt warning (acoustic warning tone and visual display) may operate occasionally, rather than continuously, in circumstances such as a seatbelt not fastened or unfastened while the vehicle was moving. If the warning did not sound continuously, a seatbelt may be unbuckled without the driver being informed. In the event of a collision, this condition increased the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-001650.
2019-21 Audi 4M Q7: rear axle nuts could break and cause loss of control
In September 2021, recall campaign 42L1 was issued for 2019-21 Audi 4M Q7 vehicles. Some nuts fitted to the rear axle assembly did not meet manufacturing specifications and could therefore break. A broken nut may lead to increased movement between the wishbone and hub carrier, and a change in the wheel alignment on the rear axle. These conditions could cause sudden and uncontrollable movement of the rear axle, thereby increasing the risk of injury and death to vehicle occupants and other road users. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-001665.
2019-21 Audi 4M Q7: misalignment of rear axle from previous recall
In March 2022, recall campaign 42L5 was issued for 2019-21 Audi 4M Q7 vehicles. The previous replacement of the rear axle clamping nuts as part of recall 42L1 may have caused misalignment of the rear axle assembly; this could result in excessive wear to the rear tyres, and may result in a sudden flat tyre and subsequent loss of vehicle control. These circumstances increased the risk of a collision and injury to vehicle occupants and other road users. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-005076.
2018-21 Audi 4M Q7: fuel delivery unit could break
In January 2023, recall campaign 20DR was issued for 2018-21 Audi 4M Q7 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing defect, the fuel delivery unit inside the fuel tank may break. If this occurs, it could result in broken pieces damaging the fuel delivery system. This could cause a sudden loss of motive power, which increased the risk of a collision and injury to vehicle occupants and other road users. Furthermore, the emission control system warning lamp may illuminate. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-005604.
2023 Audi 4M Q7: incorrectly welded seat frame
In November 2023, recall campaign 72N5 was issued for 2023 Audi 4M Q7 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing defect, the outer backrest frame of the front seats may have been incorrectly welded. As a result, the seat frame could fracture. In the event of a collision, a fractured seat frame could increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-005841.
2023 Audi 4M Q7: front passenger airbag incorrectly installed
In 2023, recall campaign 69GA was issued for 2023 Audi Q8 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing defect, the front passenger airbag may not have been installed correctly. For a collision which triggered airbag deployment, the airbag may not provide sufficient protection for the front seat passenger – this increased the risk of injury or death. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-005898.
Problems and faults: Audi 4M Q7
Overview
This section identifies potential problems, causes and fixes based on the experiences of owners and repairers, online sources and technical service bulletins. This information is provided solely for reference purposes and AustralianCar.Reviews recommends that only properly qualified persons carry out repairs or modifications. Furthermore, the number of items below should not be taken as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur.
To report a problem or fault to the AustralianCar.Reviews team, please use the Contact Us form. Note that AustralianCar.Reviews does not offer advice on automotive problems or disputes; such enquiries will not receive a reply. For vehicles purchased from dealers after 1 January 2011, please see our Australian Consumer Law fact sheet.
Audi Q7 V6 diesel engine: NOx emissions “defeat device”
Audi Q7 vehicles powered by 3.0-litre diesel V6 engines that were available for sale from 2015 have software in the electronic control module (ECM) that can sense – via sensors measuring the position of the steering wheel, vehicle speed, the duration of the engine’s operation and barometric pressure – when the vehicle is undergoing emissions testing. The ECM then operates in a low NOx “temperature conditioning” mode to satisfy emissions standards.
At exactly one second after the completion of the initial phases of the standard test procedure, the software immediately switches to a “normal mode” and changes a number of operating parameters that increased NOx emissions. In other tests where the vehicle did not experience driving conditions similar to the start of the emissions testing procedure, the emissions were higher from the start, consistent with the operation and existence of a “normal mode”.
The software on these vehicles constitutes a “defeat device” since it is an Auxiliary Emissions Control Device (AECD) designed to circumvent emissions testing. Volkswagen has admitted that all its 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engines from ‘model years’ 2009 through to 2016 have defeat devices.
