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2016 Audi S7 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2016 Audi S7 has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 2safety recalls
- 15owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 1fire report
- 0injuries reported
15 complaints, against an average of 7 for the other 6 Audi S7 model years.
Every Audi S7 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2016 Audi S7?
The components named most often in the 15 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2016 Audi S7 owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 15 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2016 Audi S7 been recalled?
2 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Gasoline: Turbo/Supercharger Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2013-2017 A8, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, and 2014-2017 RS7 vehicles. The turbocharger oil supply strainer can become blocked, causing wear to the bearings due to lack of lubrication.
Risk: Worn bearings can cause the turbine wheel to contact the turbocharger housing or cause the shaft to break, causing an engine stall and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the oil strainer and perform an oil change, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 21H7.
Air Bags: Sensor: Occupant Classification 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
What do 2016 Audi S7 owners report?
12 of the 15 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Carvana sold me a 2016 Audi S7 (VIN [XXX] ) with what was later discovered to be an odometer discrepancy. I submitted a formal complaint to the Ohio Attorney General, and Carvana subsequently issued a refund. However, after refunding me, I learned that Carvana resold the vehicle at auction without disclosing the odometer issue or branding the title as required under federal law. Play also did disclose the damage that was done to the engine, turbo chargers, or from the car catching on fire. This raises serious concerns about odometer fraud and title washing, and I believe it warrants federal…
The car was driving perfectly fine until last week heading to drop my kids to school and the vehicle stopped on the middle of the street. I had no previous issues or notice. I had multiple warnings on the dashboard and now the car won't crank. I have seen several post with people with this same issue and can't find a clear answer. I had to push the vehicle out of the road with traffic behind
I have a 2016 Audi S7 that uses the notorious 7-speed DSG transmission. I started to notice some random jerking when I pull the car from the red light a month before the car completely dead on me in April 2021. One time when I was driving on the highway at 70mph it throws a "transmission malfunction" code on my dash and put my car in Limp Mode (only 1,3,5,7 gear available). I also experience gear slipping when putting the car in reverse, when putting the car in reverse, 9/10 times the R gear won't engage at all, and the onetime the R gear will only engage when the gas pedal is pressed way…
The engine died on the New Jersey turnpike going 70 mph. Had to coast to shoulder. Sat on the side of the highway with children in back seat for 45 mins waiting for tow which is extremely dangerous. No warning lights before or after the issue. Had to be towed to dealer. Dealer confirmed turbo system failed.
The car drove normally at highway speed for approximately 4 hours. Upon leaving the highway and attempting to accelerate onto a secondary road into oncoming traffic, the engine shuttered. The car drove erratically for about a mile with hesitation and shuttering. After stopping at a stop sign at a very busy intersection, the engine failed completely. The Electronic Power Control warning light appeared. The engine would not restart on repeated attempts. After dealing with following traffic for several minutes, a passer by assisted with pushing the car to the side of the road. During this time…
Car only has 29,489 miles and has been serviced at Audi for every 1yr and now has turbo failure at a cost of 12k.
AT 40K MILES, I'VE BEEN NOTICING THE SYMPTOMS OF A DYING MECH UNIT (BANG/JERK TO STOP, SHIFTING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE), ETC. THOSE SYMPTOMS HAPPENED WHEN I PULL UP FROM STATIONARY, PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. CAR WILL ALSO THROW TRANSMISSION ERROR CODE ON DASHBOARD AND PUT IN "LIMP MODE" FROM TIME TO TIME. SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AUDI QUOTED ME $5800 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MECHATRONIC UNIT. MANY THREADS ON THE AUDI FORUM CONFIRM THE ISSUE WAS DUE TO QUALITY CONTROL ON AUDI'S PART, AND AUDI REFUSED TO ISSUE A CALLBACK OR PAY FOR THE EXPENSE FOR OUT-OF-WARRANTY CARS WITH FALUTY 7-SPEED DSG…
EXPERIENCED TURBOCHARGER FAILURE WHEN COMING TO A STOP AFTER GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE AFTER APPROXIMATE 2.5 HOURS OF DRIVING. ENGINE DIED AS CAR SLOWED DOWN SO SUSPECT THE TURBOS FAILED WHILE DRIVING BUT RAM AIR FROM INTERSTATE SPEEDS WAS ADEQUATE TO MAINTAIN THE ENGINE UNTIL IT SLOWED DOWN. THE EXTENDED RUN TIME WITH FAILED TURBOS RESULTED IN METAL FRAGMENTS IN THE OIL SO AFTER INSPECTION, THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH A USED ENGINE. THIS ENGINE HAS APPROXIMATELY 58K MILES ON IT AND I THINK THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE HAD 11K OR SO ON IT. THIS OCCURRED ON DEC 26TH…
TURBO FAILURE. FIRST START UP OF THE DAY, VEHICLE WOULD CUT OFF AND DIE. TOOK IT TO THE AUDI DEALER AND IT WAS DIAGNOSE WITH TURBO FAILURE.
AT 74000 MILES, THE TURBOCHARGERS FAILED. I WAS IN TRAFFIC ON A BUSY THOROUGHFARE AND ENGINE QUIT WORKING. COULD NOT DRIVE, OR TURN CAR. I WAS STOPPED.. THANKFULLY POLICE CAME QUICKLY. THIS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL CAR THAT AUDI IS AWARE OF.
AS I WAS PULLING OFF THE INTERSTATE TO USE THE RESTROOM, MY ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. I LOST CONTROL OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WHILE IN MOTION. I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT THE STOP SIGN. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR TEMPORARILY AND ENOUGH TO PULL INTO THE GAS STATION RIGHT OFF THE INTERSTATE. I DID NOT THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG AND WENT TO USE THE BATHROOM. WHEN I CAME BACK OUTSIDE TO THE CAR IT WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO USE MY INSURANCE COMPANY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO AN AUDI DEALERSHIP. THE AUDI SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT I HAD A TURBO…
ACCELERATED FROM A STOP TO ABOUT 20 MPH, WHEN IT WENT INTO 2ND GEAR THE ENGINE REVVED AND SKIPPED INTO 3RD GEAR. WARNING STATED "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION. NO REVERSE GEAR. YOU CAN CONTINUE DRIVING." REVERSE NO LONGER WORKS. ENGINE REVS TO 5000 RPM WHEN DRIVING 20-25 MPH.
2016 Audi S7: questions owners ask
Is the 2016 Audi S7 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Audi S7; the most common categories were engine (11, 73.3%), electrical system (3, 20%), power train (3, 20%). There are 2 safety recalls. 1 mentions a fire.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Audi S7?
Across 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are engine (73.3% of complaints), electrical system (20% of complaints), power train (20% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (6.7% of complaints), service brakes (6.7% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2016 Audi S7 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2016 Audi S7; the most recent (campaign 22V178000, 2022-03-23) concerns Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Gasoline: Turbo/Supercharger. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Does the 2016 Audi S7 have turbo problems?
4 of the 15 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 Audi S7 (26.7%) describe turbocharger failure or turbo noise. One owner wrote: "Turbo failure. first start up of the day, vehicle would cut off and die. took it to the audi dealer and it was diagnose with turbo failure." (NHTSA complaint 11406204, April 2021). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2016 Audi S7 stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
3 of the 15 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 Audi S7 (20%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "I have a 2016 Audi S7 that uses the notorious 7-speed DSG transmission. I started to notice some random jerking when I pull the car from the red light a month before the car completely dead on me in April 2021." (NHTSA complaint 11460580, April 2022). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own S7
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2016 only.