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Light NHTSA footprint — 30 owner complaints and 5 active recall campaigns. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2012 Audi A7 has 30 NHTSA owner complaints and 5 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is steering at 6 complaints (~$700 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 A7 (this page) | 30 | 5 |
| 2013 A7 | 19 | 5 |
| 2014 A7 | 11 | 2 |
| 2015 A7 | 5 | 3 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: cruise control is flagged severe on this model . Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 5 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.4/10 model. The priciest documented failure is powertrain (~$2,500) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
My 2012 Audi a7 shut off as I was driving down the street. Took it to Audi memphis and they stated there was a leak in my trans coolant control value. After doing a little research I found this to be a common problem in Audi's. The repair is about 6,500 dollars.
Received notice some time ago about recall affecting passenger airbag. Months have passed and Audi here claims still do not have parts for recall. I also earlier filed a complaint about a short in the wiring harness disabling the driver's airbag (which I now believe is a…
Vehicle stalled while driving. Upon inspection by the dealership, I was informed that a coolant valve connected to the transmission control module had failed. This resulted in coolant leaking into the module and thereby damaging it. This is a known defect in a similar vehicle of…
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 oil burning rapidly. Audi is aware and fails to do anything…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If the PODS module malfunctions, the front passenger air bag may not deploy properly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Audi A7 is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2012 Audi A7 is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.4/10 — around the segment average; 5 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the steering first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 6 owner complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.4 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 30 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is steering. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is steering, with 6 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop.
The steering is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 30 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $700, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.