Reliable Auto DB

2012 Audi A7 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 Audi A7 holds 30 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most A7 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Occupant classification, Hoses and fittings, and Fuel rail.

2012 Audi A7
Photo by Matti Blume, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

30

Per year

1

Recalls

5

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (7 of 30), then Electrical system (6) and Steering (6). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 2 that report a fire.

Next to 2013

The 2013 A7 has 19 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Audi A7. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2018-06-04 · NHTSA campaign 18V370000
Summary 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 System (PODS) control module to malfunction.
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.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2017-12-06 · NHTSA campaign 17V781000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Audi A6 and A7 vehicles. The fuel line has a compression point that can weaken, potentially resulting in a fuel leak.
Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-888-237-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AR.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2016-09-07 · NHTSA campaign 16V646000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Audi A6 and Audi A7 vehicles. The affected vehicles have a fuel hose in the engine compartment that may degrade and leak fuel.
Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the under hood fuel pump and fuel hose, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BZ.
Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2015-12-08 · NHTSA campaign 15V823000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Audi A6 vehicles manufactured March 28, 2011, to March 25, 2013, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles manufactured January 25, 2011, to March 19, 2013. In vehicles with heated and cooled seats, the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS), used to enable the front passenger air bags, may malfunction and prevent the passenger-side air bags from deploying in a crash.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will install a PODS system repair kit, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74D1.
Recall gasoline fuel system, fuel injection, fuel rail 2015-01-20 · NHTSA campaign 15V019000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles. In the affected vehicles the fuel injection system may experience a fuel leak.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails and corresponding seals, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834 or Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 24AP for Audi customers and 24BK for Volkswagen customers.

Complaints by component (30 total)

Air bags
7
Electrical system
6
Steering
6
Speed control
5
Engine
4
Powertrain
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Tires
2
Wheels
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Seats
1
Service brakes
1
Suspension
1
Show 7 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

32014520177201842019420203202142022
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Oil system. A quart of oil has to be added every day. Dealership says its crank case breather. Which the supercharge cause the oil to burn more. Also the antifreeze is burning more because the engine is so hot from the…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2022-10-12
  • "As I was driving with my 4 year old daughter in the vehicle, while making a left turn my vehicle steering wheel locked or seemed to lock on me with no warning, and then the "DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE" indicator appeared.…"
    Steering · filed 2022-03-17
  • "Passenger seat airbag light is on ."
    Air bags · filed 2022-02-14
  • "I have seen at least three other complaints with NHTSA on this same item all with different headings. Check engine light comes on at high speeds while highway driving. Pull Engine code and comes back as P2753 - Valve…"
    Powertrain · filed 2022-01-12
  • "As I reported on June 3, I drove my car onto my office parking lot, up- hill, in the afternoon, when suddenly my car raced, without my stepping on the accelerator to make it race, crushed into the first car parked…"
    Speed control · filed 2021-06-26

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Audi A7 4 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
A7 quattro 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 18 28 22 MPG $3650

Specs and fitment

C7 first generation, 2012–2018
Body styles Hatchback (Sportback)
Oil 5W-40 or 5W-30 (C7 gasoline; capacity about 6.8–7.2 qt with filter)
Tire size 255/40R19 or 265/35R20 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 16V-646 covers certain 2012-2013 Audi A6 and A7 vehicles: an under-hood fuel hose may degrade and leak fuel. The campaign lists 28,249 vehicles; dealers replace the under-hood fuel pump and hose. Recall 17V-781 covers certain 2012-2014 A6 and A7 vehicles: a fuel line compression point can weaken and leak (48,693 vehicles); dealers replace the fuel line. Recall 18V-370 covers certain 2012-2018 A7 and A6 Sedan vehicles (and S6/S7/RS7) with basic seats: stress or wear of the front-passenger body-sensing mat may cause the air bag to deploy incorrectly. That multi-model campaign lists 139,249 vehicles; dealers install a PODS repair kit.

Compare

Next year 2013 Audi A7 See every Audi A7 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Audi A7 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 Audi A7 holds 30 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most A7 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Occupant classification, Hoses and fittings, and Fuel rail.

What are common problems with a 2012 Audi A7?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (7 of 30), then Electrical system (6) and Steering (6). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 2 that report a fire.

Is the 2012 Audi A7 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 A7 has 19 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Audi A7 been recalled?

The 2012 Audi A7 has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Audi A7?

Owners have filed 30 complaints about the 2012 Audi A7 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Audi A7 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Audi A7 is 22 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does an Audi A7 use?

C7 gasoline models commonly list 5W-40 or 5W-30; later C8 models commonly list 0W-20 (~5.5 qt on typical fills)—confirm the manual for your engine.

What tire sizes does an Audi A7 use?

C7 packages commonly include 255/40R19 and 265/35R20; C8 packages commonly include 245/45R19, 255/40R20, and 255/35R21.