I previously had an Audi A6 sedan and traded it in at 249,000 miles and still going strong. After retiring, I traded it for this used 2018 Audi Q7 with roughly 55,000 miles, hoping it would last me for years since I no longer commute to a job. It started using an abnormal amount of oil between oil changes in the last year or so--first every 1,000 miles or so, then every 500 or so, and most recently every 250 miles or so. It is was out of Audi warranty when I purchase the car, so I took it to my mechanic who said there were no leaks he could see (non evident in my garage, either). He advised making sure I keep an eye on the oil level between changes and add a quart when needed.

That was all well and good until a couple of weeks ago when I felt the vehicle begin to rumble and seemed like it was misfiring. I managed to limp home and decided to have an Audi dealer check it out and informed them of the following notification on the car's screen: 1. Start/stop system malfunction and 2. drive system malfunction. Towed it to the dealer on July 25. I received an estimate for $481.94 for new spark plugs (bc they were oil soaked) and for $19,354.86 for new pistons. This is about the same as the car is worth and I still owe $21K on the loan!! The dealer rep suggested replacing the plugs and see how it does bc I couldn't afford to replace the pistons. We did this and it ran fine...FOR TWO WEEKS! Now I have the same problem all over again. Same rumbling/misfiring and same screen notifications. HELP!!

My beautiful 2018 Audi Q7 Prestige has a bad engine. And it only has 74,000 miles on it. This should be the car's best time: fully paid off and in great condition. Instead it has a bad engine and I may need to trade it in "as-is" and buy a new car that I can't afford.

The issues are identical to everyone else's issues: #1: The car requires frequent oil top-offs between 10K mile services, #2: The staff at the Audi dealership assure me that this is normal and the cars burn oil, #3: Eventually at around 68K miles I get a cylinder misfire. It is on a remote stretch of highway and very scary. It feels like a flat tire except the flat tire is coming from the engine. I restart the car and it's thankfully working again. #4: At 74K miles I get another cylinder misfire on another remote stretch of highway. Not the "check engine" light remains on and I am nervous about driving my beautiful car anywhere beyond 10 miles from my home. No more weekend trips. #5: I am taking to a mechanic who is probably going to say a new engine is required. Ugh.... So am I supposed to just buy a new car now??? This is so insane. I am so disappointed because I love this car so much. But only 6 years of useful life??? No! Need help.

AUDI -- OIL CONSUMPTION – ENGINE FAILURE

My family’s experience with our 2018 Audi Q7 has been so horrendous, we’re now likely going to be filing a legal action against Audi and its parent, Volkswagen Group of America. Our situation is consistent with what’s been alleged in one or more putative class action lawsuits claiming that the piston rings and associated piston assemblies in various models of Audi/Volkswagen vehicles are defective, causing excessive oil consumption, engine damage, major repair costs, and often engine failure.

In one such lawsuit (that Audi/Volkswagen apparently settled), the Complaint alleges that the engine failure caused by the piston defect could result in, among other things, sudden loss of power to the engine. “It goes without saying that a sudden loss of power poses a clear-cut safety risk—it can prevent the driver from accelerating, maintaining speed, and even adequately controlling the steering wheel, engaging the brakes, all of which drastically increase the risk of collisions …” (Gonzalez v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. 1:21-CV-15026)

The problem with our Audi is consistent with the reports by plaintiffs in these lawsuits, as well as other Audi owners—including Q7s—who have shared their experience online. Starting at around 60,000 miles, our vehicle increasingly consumed oil that continued to the point that, we soon needed to add a quart of oil less than every 600 miles. And that’s despite our: 1) having followed all of the required oil change and other related maintenance standards published by Audi; and 2) having replaced the car’s CCV valve and PCV breather, which we were told sometimes corrects the problem. We’ve been advised that, at this point, in order to make the car drivable, we’d have to replace the engine which likely would cost as much as $27,000. Given what we paid for this car, and the fact that, even if we had the engine replaced, the rebuilt Audi engine might end up having the same issues, we firmly believe this recourse is wholly unacceptable.

If you are reading this note and are caught in a similar situation with your Audi vehicle, and would like to consider joining us in a lawsuit against Audi and Volkswagen of America, please send me an email at: audi.lawsuit@gmail.com. Thanks-