The Audi SQ7 is the top-of-the-line Audi family 7-seater SUV made for those who aren’t willing to compromise on comfort, luxury, practicality, and even performance. It is not a common occurrence for an almost 5,000lbs seven-seater family SUV to do 0-60mph in as little as four seconds, but the SQ7 can do it over and over again.
Such levels of performance, luxury, and style require extremely durable components, large engines, and a suspension system that is able to take a beating. Thankfully, the SQ7 has all of these and is a decently reliable car overall. However, there are some issues worth talking about because the SQ7 is not perfect.
The most common Audi SQ7 issues are associated with the knocking sensor, cracked CV boots and joints, worn-out bushings, ignition coil issues, and N80 valve-related issues. Most of these are often found on both the SQ7 and the Q7 which means that the engines are relatively dependable.
Either way, if you are after an SQ7, you need to be aware that a car such as this one is going to break the bank at some point. The best course of action would be to set aside some money for any eventual repairs that might arise because some of them can hurt your wallet a lot.
Audi SQ7 – Knocking sensor issue
The knocking sensor is a clever piece of technology designed to monitor detonations within the engine. Its purpose is to allow the PCM (Power control module) to run aggressive spark plug timing for the engine to produce lots of power. These sensors are typically located around the intake manifold or are screwed onto the engine block.
The most common knocking sensor issues are associated with the check engine light, bad fuel efficiency, severe lack of power, and increased emissions. Be sure to inspect the knocking sensor whenever you notice any of these taking place as these need to be fixed as early as possible not to create any more serious issues down the line.
Audi SQ7 – Cracked CV boots and joints issue
A CV (Constant velocity) boot houses the grease needed for the axle joint. The purpose of this grease is to properly lubricate the joint in order for the powertrain to always perform optimally. If for some reason this grease isn’t delivered to the joint, it can cause a catastrophe to the powertrain and break a lot of things in the process.
These can crack prematurely and cause lots of debris to enter the axel joint. These can typically be noticed by cracking sounds coming from the axels while turning. However, you can also check to see if there are any visible signs of grease leaking which is an obvious sign that something has gone wrong.
Audi SQ7 – Worn-out bushings issue
We have already mentioned that the SQ7 is a really heavy car which means that the SQ7 suspension system needs to withstand lots of stresses during hard braking and accelerating. The reality is that the bushings are the components that suffer the highest levels of stress during these raping weight transfers which cause them to wear out prematurely.
If you sense any vibration and shakiness, you must visually inspect the bushings to see if they are worn out. If they are, you will have to replace them completely.
Audi SQ7 – Ignition coil issues
Audi and Volkswagen engines are known to experience issues with both ignition coils and spark plugs, especially higher-end engines with lots of torque. The ignition coils are tasked with bringing voltage from the battery in order to for the spark plugs to do their job. This initiates the engine combustion process and enables the engine to drive the car.
If these fail, you will come across engine misfires, rough idling, decreased performance, engine surges, and issues starting the engine. All in all, these are a common occurrence on many Audi SUVs and the best thing to do is to replace all four of them.
Audi SQ7 – N80 purge valve issues
The N80 (purge solenoid) valve is tasked with monitoring the fuel fumes and vapors and redirecting them into the intake manifold to be used as additional fuel. If the N80 valve fails, the check engine light will pop on and prompt a bunch of codes and the engine’s performance will therefore suffer. These typically don’t break on most cars, but VAG cars are built differently.
The most common purge valve failure symptoms are rough idling, decreased fuel efficiency, check engine light illuminating, and a bunch of codes. The best thing would be to replace the valve altogether. Thankfully, these aren’t all that expensive to replace, especially on a car like the SQ7.
FAQ Section
Which Audi SQ7 is the best?
The best Audi SQ7 model is undoubtedly the latest one because it gets a 4.0L V8 with upwards of 500hp and a 0-60mph time of around 4 seconds which is crazy for such a huge SUV. The latest SQ7 also seems to be one of the more reliable ones out there which further makes it a better choice than most other SQ7s.
However, you should avoid the first 2nd generation SQ7 models because they are known to be notoriously unreliable and are ticking time bombs waiting to happen. If you do decide to go down that route, be sure to find an example with all the service history readily on hand.
Is Audi still making diesel SQ7 models?
For a short while, Audi decided it was best to stick a large diesel engine into the SQ7 which didn’t go all that well with most car enthusiasts as diesel engines aren’t nearly as exciting as gasoline engines are. However, Audi ditched the diesel engine in favor of the glorious 4.0 twin-turbocharged V8 with more than 500hp.
The SQ7 is now one of the most powerful S models from Audi, only falling short of the flagship Audi S8. All in all, diesel SQ7s make a lot of sense from an efficiency standpoint, but not all that much from a performance standpoint.
What is the best Audi Q7 model?
The best Audi Q7 model of all time is the 2009 Audi Q7 6.0 V12 TDI. Yes, you read that right, a 6.0L turbo-diesel V12 engine was once part of an Audi Q7 and Audi made it available for the public to purchase. This Q7 got its engine from an Audi Le Man’s racecar.
