Problems · NHTSA complaints

2008 Audi Q7 problems

Owners filed 33 complaints about the 2008 Audi Q7 with NHTSA between Aug 2008 and Aug 2026. The most-cited component is fuel/propulsion system (16).

Complaints
33
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Fuel/propulsion system16
  2. Electrical system5
  3. Fuel system, gasoline3
  4. Visibility/wiper2
  5. Engine2
  6. Structure2
  7. Forward collision avoidance1
  8. Exterior lighting1
  9. Electronic stability control (esc)1
  10. Service brakes1
  11. Air bags1
  12. Tires1
  13. Service brakes, hydraulic1
  14. Parking brake1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20081
20091
20103
20110
20121
20131
20140
20153
20167
20173
20183
20191
20200
20214
20223
20230
20240
20251
20261

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Fuel/propulsion system

16 reports
“Last year I bought my Audi q7 2008 3.6 v6 and This car really smells like gas so bad on the inside. It’s becoming so strong my garage smells like it too and my children are complaining about headaches. I now also have an Audi q7 2013 3.0 v6 supercharge gas. And this one really has that same leaking strong gas smell. There’s even mentions of it on the invoice from the shops I’ve been to. Sometimes I can smell it then others it’s irresistible and I don’t know if me and my children or others on the road or safe.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 6, 2026Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11755160

Electrical system

5 reports1 crash
“This issue closely resembles Audi recall campaign 97CB (NHTSA campaign ID 16V642000), with details available at [XXX] . In my case, the marker light itself is functioning properly, but the vehicle is displaying a false error message: "Front Right Side Marker Light Defective." This poses safety risks because the erroneous warning distracts drivers from the road and could lead to the system failing to alert the driver of an actual side marker light issue in the future. Many owners of the same model and year are disabling their side marker lights entirely to avoid the error, as evidenced in discussions such as those on [XXX] . Repairing this issue typically requires replacing the entire headlight assembly, with costs ranging from $2,400 to $5,300, making it prohibitively expensive for many. Although Audi initiated a recall (97CB) for a similar issue, it was limited to a specific subset of vehicles, and the widespread nature of this problem in other vehicles outside the recall’s VIN range suggests a broader defect. Given these safety risks, high repair costs, and the frequency of the issue, I urge the NHTSA to investigate whether this problem warrants a broader…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 15, 2025Electrical systemODI 11654641

Fuel system, gasoline

3 reports2 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2008 Audi Q7. The contact stated that fuel was leaking from the fuel tank onto the ground. There was an abnormal odor of fuel detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V660000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 18, 2022Fuel system, gasolineODI 11480023

Visibility/wiper

2 reports
“MY PASSENGER WINDSHIELD WIPER FLEW OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT WAS RAINING PRETTY HARD AND THE AUTOMATIC WIPERS WERE GOING PRETTY FAST WHEN SUDDENLY IT SNAPPED OFF AND FLEW BEHIND ME. THIS HAPPENED ON MAY 17, 2018. THE DEALER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER Q7'S WIPER THAT WAS ON THEIR LOT. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ON 11/06/2018... I WAS AROUND THE SAME AREA OF THE HIGHWAY, IT WAS RAINING AND THE WIPERS WERE GOING PRETTY FAST. I WAS GOING ABOUT 50 MILES PER HOUR WHEN IT FLEW OFF AGAIN. I THINK THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AS THE WHOLE ARMS FLIES OFF WHICH IS MADE OF HEAVY METAL THAT CAN CRACK SOMEONE'S WINDSHIELD ON THE HIGHWAY OR EVEN WORSE. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 7, 2018Visibility/wiperODI 11149923

Engine

2 reports
“THE UPPER PLASTIC INTAKE RUNNER FLAPS IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BROKE CAUSING THE FLAPS AND PLASTIC DEBRIS TO BE PULLED INTO THE INTAKE PORTS OF THE CYLINDER HEAD RESULTING IN INTAKE VALVE AND INJECTOR DAMAGE. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2016EngineODI 10917543

Structure

2 reports1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 AUDI Q7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE CLOSING THE REAR HATCH, A KNOCKING SOUND WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HATCH PULL DOWN MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,364. *TR UPDATED 5/22/13 *CN”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 26, 2013StructureODI 10504604
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.