2020 AUDI S7

Recalls, Specs & Safety Report

5RecallsNHTSA Verified3ComplaintsNHTSA Data1InvestigationsNHTSA Data
Expert Verdict
⚠️Elevated Concerns

The 2020 Audi S7 exhibits significant reliability concerns due to multiple recalls, particularly in electrical systems and airbag functionality. With peak failure occurring within the first 20,000 miles, it’s essential that prospective buyers investigate the vehicle's service history thoroughly.

Key Factor:Multiple critical recalls

πŸ“‹Why This Matters

The presence of five recalls for the 2020 Audi S7 is a notable red flag, especially when they affect crucial safety components like airbags and suspension systems. These defects can lead to serious risks, such as impaired braking and potential failure in airbag deployment during an accident. Given Audi's reputation for premium engineering, a lack of manufacturing flaws is typically expected; thus, these recalls are particularly concerning within this segment. Moreover, electrical system issues mentioned in the Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) indicate that owners could face ongoing maintenance challenges. The combination of these factors necessitates a thorough examination of any used model to ensure safety and reliability over time.

Focus Area:Safety Profile
πŸ“Š

Expert Analysis

The safety trend for the 2020 Audi S7 shows an alarming increase in risk relative to its peers in the luxury sedan market. This vehicle's recall count is significantly higher than anticipated for a model from a brand known for its meticulous engineering standards.

Critical Component: Warning

Safety & Reliability Score

55/100
Below Average

Score Breakdown

Recall Impact-40
Complaint Impact-0.15
Investigation Impact-5

Technical Specifications

Key specifications for the 2020 AUDI S7

Model Year2020
MakeAUDI
ModelS7
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle

Safety History Timeline

Scroll for more β†’
Jan20
NEWProduction
Jan20
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan20
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan20
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan20
RECALLRecall Issued
Oct21
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan23
ISSUEFirst Report
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened

Consumer Complaint Analysis

⚠️

Most Reported Issue

2 complaints (67% of total)
➑️

Complaint Trend

Stable
No trend data
βœ…

Safety Incidents

No critical incidents

Complaint Severity Distribution

Breakdown of 3 consumer complaints by severity level.

🟑Medium
1(33%)
🟒Low
2(67%)
βœ…Good News: No critical or high-severity complaints reported for this vehicle.

πŸ› οΈ DIY Diagnosis Center

Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).

Primary Risk Areas

TIRESAIR BAGSSUSPENSIONELECTRICAL SYSTEM

🎯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions

Based on recall data, these components require verification:

1

Air Bags

Issue: Airbag manufacturing defects may prevent proper deployment.

βœ…

Ensure that necessary recall repairs have been completed by an authorized dealer.

πŸ”

Request documentation proving compliance with all recall campaigns related to airbag safety.

Campaigns:21V-00021V-295
2

Electrical System

Issue: Potential malfunctions affecting various electrical components as indicated by TSBs.

βœ…

Regularly monitor electrical system functionality and report any anomalies immediately.

πŸ”

'Check service history for any electrical system-related repairs or updates.'

3

Issue:

βœ…

πŸ”

πŸ’‘Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your AUDI dealer to verify recall completion status.

Official Safety Recalls (5)

Campaign: 22V034000

TIRES

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

Consequence

Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 21V159000

AIR BAGS

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS6 Avant, RS7, 2020-2021 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, S7, 2019-2021 A6 Sedan, and A7 vehicles. The score line on the passenger air bag may not have been manufactured correctly.

Consequence

An incorrectly manufactured air bag may not deploy properly, and could also eject plastic debris into the passenger compartment, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the passenger air bag score line, and repair it as necessary, free of charge. The recall begin March 26, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 70i2.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 21V295000

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

Consequence

A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 22V155000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:FUEL GAUGE:FUEL LEVEL FLOAT/SENSOR/SENDING UNIT

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RS6 Avant and RS7, 2020-2022 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, and S7, and 2019-2022 A6 Sedan and A7 vehicles. The fuel level sender may stick, causing an inaccurate fuel level reading to be displayed on the instrument cluster.

Consequence

An inaccurate fuel reading may cause an engine stall due to lack of fuel, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will install a new sensor in the tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2023. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DN.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 22V861000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, A6 Allroad, 2021-2022 RS7, RS6 Avant, 2019-2022 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. Liquid spilled in the rear seat may penetrate and cause the gateway control module to shut down.

Consequence

A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will install a protective cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90V2.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA Investigations

1 investigation

Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2020 S7.

INV-2020-1000🟒 Closed

NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding S7 performance issues.

Opened: Affected Units: 15,147

Consumer Complaints

3 total complaints

Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2020 S7.

Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis

Warning67%
Shutdown33%
Stall33%
Acceleration Issues33%
ElectricalπŸ”΅ Low
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TODAY, I was driving my vehicle when I got multiple warnings including a β€œelectrical failure, ABS failure, start stop failure.” I was on a stretch of road where I could not safely remove myself from traffic and was forced to proceed. Within 5 minutes of receiving the error messages my car shutdown and I was unable to control the car. Horrifying experience. By the grace of god I was able to get the vehicle to the side of road where I had to wait for extended period of time to get a tow vehicle that could accommodate my vehicle and have the vehicle towed to my local dealership. I have just learned that what I experienced is a β€œknown problem,” and that there are a massive amount of Audi’s that are impacted by this β€œalternator issue.” What I also learned due to this widespread problem, parts availability are extremely limited and the waiting period for my car just to get the parts could be in excess of 6-8 weeks. I also learned that the part replacing the failed alternator is the EXACT same alternator in my vehicle presently and there has been no FIX provided so the chances are what I experienced today can most likely occur again once the replaced alternator fails. I never ever what to go through what I went through today ever again.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V155000Recall #22V861000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Oct 17, 2023Resolved
Engine/PowertrainπŸ”Ά Medium
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

On 10/9/2023, the starter generator failed causing the vehicle to stop and shut down while driving and completely break down. I was not able to move the vehicle or shift it into park. Stall occurred on a freeway entrance (acceleration lane) in the traffic lane without warning. Approximately 20 minutes before this complete failure of the vehicle, the dashboard warning system provided the following warnings in yellow (meaning the car was drivable): (1) electrical system malfunction! Please contact Service; (2) rear spoiler malfunction; (3) traction control malfunction; and (3) Parking aid malfunction. The vehicle also indicated that the collision avoidance system was not operating and the air conditioning system shut down approximately five minutes before the vehicle completely broke down in the traffic lane. I have received the "rear spoiler malfunction" alert 5+ times in the last year; I asked the dealer to check it; and they said there was no record in the onboard computer of the problem.

Oct 10, 2023Resolved
Engine/PowertrainπŸ”΅ Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I have been trying to get this recall remedied since 4/1/22 to no avail. I have been stranded on the side of a busy highway due to the fuel indicator reading 1/3 full but the fuel tank was actually empty. This put me in a significant safety situation where the car slows to unsafe speeds and stops due to lack of fuel. I have contacted Audi Corp for months without success.

Jan 13, 2023Resolved

Frequently Asked Questions

'What should I know about buying a used 2020 Audi S7?'

'When considering a used 2020 Audi S7, it's crucial to verify whether all recall repairs have been addressed. Pay close attention to service records documenting any fixes related to airbags and electrical systems. Moreover, don't hesitate to consult with an authorized dealer regarding any outstanding issues that could impact your driving experience.'

'How reliable is the 2020 Audi S7 compared to other luxury sedans?'

'While luxury sedans often boast high reliability ratings, the 2020 Audi S7 presents unique concerns given its higher-than-average recall rate. Potential buyers should prioritize vehicles that demonstrate a clean maintenance record and have had recalls properly managed before making a purchase decision.'

🧭What This Means for You

Both current owners and prospective buyers benefit from reviewing this safety analysis before making decisions.

If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.

πŸ”‘

If You Own This Vehicle

  • Safety Check: Cross-reference your VIN with official AUDI records to ensure no 5 recalls remain open.
  • Unaddressed recalls pose real-world risks. Prioritize scheduling any pending repairs to maintain vehicle integrity.
  • Proactive tip: Enroll in AUDI's owner notification program for real-time safety updates.
πŸ›’

If You're Buying Used

  • Critical: Demand official documentation showing every AUDI recall has been satisfied.
  • Investigate whether later S7 iterations (2021+) rectified these persistent issues.
  • A pre-purchase inspection by a AUDI specialist is mandatory given the recorded failure patterns.
βš–οΈ

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Data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Last updated: February 23, 2026.