There are 7 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2018 Audi Q7 in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 7 of 7 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally report a serious and recurring safety issue involving my 2018 Audi Q7. The vehicle has experienced repeated drive system malfunctions that result in sudden loss of power, reduced acceleration, and warning messages on the dashboard such as “Drive System: Malfunction” and “Electrical System Failure.” These incidents have occurred while the vehicle was in motion, creating a hazardous situation for both the occupants and surrounding drivers. In my case, the vehicle unexpectedly lost power while driving at highway speeds, forcing me to maneuver to the shoulder with diminished control. This sudden malfunction is unpredictable and could easily result in a collision or serious injury, especially in high-speed or high-traffic conditions. Upon researching this issue, I found that numerous other 2018 Audi Q7 owners have reported similar problems. These complaints consistently cite the same symptoms, including sudden deceleration, electrical system errors, and power steering failure. It appears to be a widespread defect that may warrant a recall or further investigation by the NHTSA. I urge your office to investigate this matter promptly to prevent potential injuries or fatalities. I am willing to provide service records, diagnostic codes, photos, or any other documentation that may support this complaint. Thank you for your attention to this serious safety concern. I hope the NHTSA will take appropriate action to ensure the safety of all drivers affected by this defect.
Bad water pump and thermostat for 2018 Audi q7 59,000 miles I see it has been a class action lawsuit on the water pumps
Car is consuming 1 quart of oil every 600 miles.
Audi Quattro (differential) noise is being heard while turning the car. The problem was identified to be due to different speeds between the front and rear differential, the locking effect of the center differential can differ significantly in tight bends. – unless there is a design flaw, there should be no noise coming from the differential . this is totally unheard of from any car I have owned. Problem was reported to Audi dealership and no definite solution was offered other than changing the oil for the center differential oil and checking to see if the problem goes away. if it does not, they would do further investigation. This is an Audi Quattro differential design fault that can be very dangerous if it fails on highways or under adverse weather or at high trafficked areas. I started an incident case (Reference #06217801) with Audi USA and Regional Case Manager (MR) told me that "our responsibility is to service the vehicles within the parameters of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. This covers manufacturer’s shortcomings on parts and labor for 4 years or 50,000 miles (whichever occurs first) from the vehicle’s in-service date. Once these parameters have been exceeded, repairs do become the responsibility of the owner of the vehicle. Any diagnostic cost would be customer pay." This is why Audi has more class action law suits against them than any other auto brand. Keep in mind Audi has had more class action lawsuit (and lost) against them than any other Auto company. I have received 5 notices of Class Action lawsuit that Audi decided to settle in the last 6 years - just on one model. Needless to say, Audi (VW) puts faulty dangerous products on the road, hoping NHTSA has no appetite to go after them.
When I was driving and trying to make a right turn to merge into the traffic, the transmission suddenly stalled and stuck in neutral, put my car in the right lane with large traffic on the lane and forced other cars to make sudden stop. After restarting the engine multiple times, it was suspected that somehow the transmission is always in neutral while the onboard system showing it is in driving mode. I had to get out of the car to push it to a safe side road. This is all sudden while car engine is running. Initially the onboard dashboard shows Transmission Malfunction, but after restarting even that error message disappeared, while the transmission is still not engaging.
AT TIMES, THE "STOP-START" SYSTEM SEEMS TO FALTER WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS SLOWED TO ALMOST A FULL STOP, BUT NOT QUITE. IF I TRY TO ACCELERATE I GET A FEW SECONDS WHEN NOTHING HAPPENS. I FEEL THAT IT IS EITHER A TRANSMISSION CAUGHT BETWEEN SHIFTS OR AN ENGINE FALTER. I HAVE MENTIONED THIS TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS TOLD THAT "THAT'S HOW IT IS".
WHEN CAR IS PLACED IN REVERSE A "P" OR PARK IS STILL DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS HAS HAPPED SEVERAL TIMES. AUDI SERVICE WAS PROVIDED PICTURES AND VIDEO OF OCCURRENCES AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME. THEY NEVER DID. ALSO NOW HAVE SOS MALFUNCTION WARNING DISPLAYED. CAR ONLY HAS 7K MILES ON IT.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Aug 31, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.