Generation-specific owner insights from 41+ substantive owner discussions, with US complaint and recall records.
Should I buy a 2017–2025 A7?64
US owner complaints (NHTSA), 2017–2025
31
recall campaigns
electrical system
most-complained area
Our take, from owner reports
Owners of the C8 A7 largely describe it as a beautiful, comfortable, and enjoyable car to own and drive, with many calling it the best car they have owned and praising its interior, ride quality, and road presence.
18 problems reported (5 recurrent, 13 isolated) · high confidence
Reported as a common fault on earlier model years, expensive to replace, and sometimes covered under warranty.
Reported to clear on its own, often linked to dirt, and worsened by manual operation.
Described as an extremely common problem, with one owner reporting a dealer repair cost of around 1,300.
Reported with crusty residue evidence, dealer disputes over whether a leak exists, and advice to use dealer parts.
Owners repeatedly note expensive tires, discs, and dealer brake jobs.
Reported as a campaign to replace units, with warranty extended beyond standard coverage.
Reported as preventing CPO certification of 2019 models at the time.
Reported as normal behavior by other owners.
One owner reported cracked suspension and engine mount vibrations costing around 5,000.
One owner reported roughly 5,000 in repair costs.
One owner reported Audi quoting around 1,500 to replace.
Attributed by the owner to system complexity.
Reported as a persistent flagged fault.
Noted as expensive to replace.
One owner reported around 30 errors shortly after purchase, with suspicion of water ingress or a bad ground.
Reported to resolve after a restart or MMI reset.
Reported as a minor persistent annoyance.
Mentioned as a general concern for older German luxury cars in this context.
Insufficient owner data available to declare a consensus. The strongest partial signal favors the 3.0T/55 TFSI engine as well sorted for the model year discussed, and the Competition trim draws enthusiastic praise from a small number of owners for its seats and driving character. One owner with a 2020 Competition reported zero issues over roughly 15,000 km, and another reported reaching 215,000 km with only minor known issues.
Owners compare it most often with the BMW 535i, BMW i4 M50, Infiniti Q50, Audi S4/S5 and Audi A6.
Is a 2017–2025 A7 right for you?
Get an answer for your year, mileage and budget.
Owners of the C8 A7 largely describe it as a beautiful, comfortable, and enjoyable car to own and drive, with many calling it the best car they have owned and praising its interior, ride quality, and road presence. At the same time, the generation draws recurring criticism for expensive maintenance and out-of-warranty repairs, with several owners reporting significant bills for cooling system, suspension, and electrical faults. Early model years (2018-2019) appear to carry more reported problems, particularly around the alternator and an open fuel gauge sensor recall, while later years (2020-2022) are generally described as more sorted. A minority of owners report serious mechanical failures, but the dominant tone remains positive among those who accept the running costs.
Owners position the C8 A7 as more refined, quieter, and better appointed than the Infiniti Q50, with a more reliable powertrain in their view. Against the BMW 535i, owners consider the A7 to have the nicer interior, better ride quality, and better styling, while conceding the BMW is the better driver's car. When compared with the BMW i4 M50, owners see the A7 plug-in hybrid as depreciating harder and being less future-proof than a full EV. Within Audi's own lineup, owners describe the A7 as a more sporty and planted drive than the A6, and several who moved from an A6 cite fewer problems with the A7.
Owners advise checking whether the alternator and the drive start generator campaign have been completed, and one owner recommends contacting Audi with the VIN to confirm. Several owners recommend buying a CPO example or adding an extended warranty for peace of mind, particularly given out-of-warranty repair costs. Owners suggest verifying full service history, since some cars show little or no data on vehicle history reports, and recommend a pre-purchase scan and inspection. For the 2019 model year specifically, owners note an open fuel gauge sensor recall that prevented CPO certification at the time, so buyers should confirm the recall status.
This generation suits buyers who want a striking, comfortable, tech-rich luxury sedan and are prepared for above-average maintenance and repair costs. Owners repeatedly warn that this is a luxury car with luxury running costs, and several advise having a repair reserve or warranty in place. Buyers are advised to prefer later model years where possible, to confirm the alternator, drive start generator, and fuel gauge recall work has been done, and to walk away from examples with accident or frame damage. Owners also caution against buying a high-mileage example without documented maintenance.
Owners frequently praise the C8 A7's exterior and interior design, with several saying it still looks like a much more expensive car. A notable minority of discussion participants prefer the previous C7.5 generation's styling and interior, citing the loss of physical buttons and the turbocharged V6's character compared with the older supercharged engine, but these views are about the older generation rather than reported faults of the C8. Maintenance costs cited by owners include roughly 10,000 euros over five years, around 10,000 dollars in out-of-warranty repairs over nine months for one 2019 owner, and a UK service quote covering tires, DSG oil, brake fluid, spark plugs, filters, and rear brakes. Analysis based on approximately 41 substantive owner discussions about this generation.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14 | 11 | engine |
| 2020 | 6 | 8 | electrical system |
| 2019 | 43 | 6 | electrical system |
| 2018 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2017 | 1 | 4 | service brakes |
Source: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Higher-selling years naturally accumulate more complaints.
2021 · seat belts:rear/other:retractorcampaign 21V606000
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."
2021 · tirescampaign 22V034000
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.
2021 · air bagscampaign 21V159000
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.
2021 · suspension:rear:axle:non-powered axle assemblycampaign 21V295000
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.
2021 · electrical system:instrument panel:fuel gauge:fuel level float/sensor/sending unitcampaign 22V155000
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.
2021 · back over prevention:display functioncampaign 22V742000
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."
2021 · electrical systemcampaign 22V861000
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.
2021 · service brakes, hydraulic:fluidcampaign 23V601000
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.
2021 · electrical system:propulsion system:charging:cable/cord:onboardcampaign 23V842000
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.
2021 · electrical system: instrument cluster/panelcampaign 25V201000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 SQ8, A6 SEDAN, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 SEDAN, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail.
2021 · back over prevention: sensing system: cameracampaign 25V900000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
2020 · tirescampaign 22V034000
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.
6 more recalls not shown. Check nhtsa.gov with your VIN for the full history.
Owner insights summarize real ownership discussions for this generation only. Complaint and recall data is public NHTSA (US) information. Always verify recalls against your VIN at nhtsa.gov.