Carsieve All versions
| Variant | Running cost per month | Median price | Listings | Fuel | Engine codes | Gearbox | Production years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 TDI, 233 PS, 6-speed automatic, all-wheel drive Research | €732 | €6,500 | 107 | Diesel | BUG | Automatic (6) | 2005–2007 |
| 3.0 TDI, 240 PS, 6-speed automatic, all-wheel drive Research | €704 | €7,999 | 71 | Diesel | CJG | Automatic (6) | 2007–2009 |
At a glance
- Years: built 2005 to 2015. Facelift in spring 2009.
- Most common: timing chain wear on the 3.0 V6 TDI, air suspension faults, and shift faults in the 8-speed automatic.
- Reliability: 3/5, because the timing chain and air suspension can be costly, and several faults are known.
- DIY: 1/5, because chain, suspension and gearbox work needs a workshop with diagnostic software. The checks below need no tools unless marked "needs a scanner".
- Prefer: a car without air suspension, and a 3.0 TDI with proof of timing chain work.
- Avoid: a 3.0 TDI with a rattle on cold start, a car with air suspension that sags overnight, and any car with shift jerks.
Engines and gearboxes
- 3.6 FSI VR6 (BHK, 2006-2010): timing chain stretch is reported.
- 4.2 FSI V8 (BAR): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
- 3.0 TFSI V6 (CJT): fuel rail campaign 03/2015, see Recalls.
- 3.0 TDI V6 (BUG, CJG, CJM, CRC): timing chain and fuel injector wear, see Known issues. Brake servo campaign 08/2014, see Recalls.
- 4.2 TDI V8 (BTR, CCF): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
- 6.0 V12 TDI (CCG): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
- 6-speed automatic (to 2010): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
- 8-speed automatic (from 2010): shift faults, see Known issues.
- Quattro all-wheel drive with Torsen centre differential: no fault confirmed in the sources read.
Known issues
| Issue | Affects | Typical km | Repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| V6 TDI timing chain | 3.0 TDI V6 (BUG, CJG, CJM, CRC) | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| Air suspension | Cars with air suspension (an option) | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| Automatic gearbox shift faults | 8-speed automatic, from 2010 | 60,000-100,000 km | No confirmed price |
| V6 TDI fuel injectors | 3.0 TDI V6 (BUG, CJG, CJM, CRC) | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| Panoramic roof water leaks | Cars with a panoramic roof (an option) | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| Keyless entry antennas | Cars with keyless entry | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| Wiper linkage | All cars | Not stated | No confirmed price |
Before you buy
- Start the engine cold and listen for a rattle in the first seconds. A rattle means a stretched chain or a worn tensioner. Ask for proof of chain work.
- If the car has air suspension, check that the body keeps its height after the car has stood overnight. A sagging car means a fault in the bellows or the compressor.
- On a test drive, check for smooth shifts from 4th to 5th and back down. Jerks or kicks are a warning. Ask whether a software update was done.
- On a cold start, listen for knocking, and look for smoke from the exhaust. Diesel in the engine oil is a serious warning. Ask for injector records.
- Look for water traces in the footwell and the boot, and for cracked paint at the glue seams of the roof and windscreen. Ask whether the roof drains were cleaned.
- Test the keyless entry from both front doors, with the key and with the handle. Dead antennas are a known fault.
- Run the wipers on a test drive. Both arms should sweep fully and not stop or jerk. A seized wiper linkage is a known fault.
- Check every recall campaign by VIN, including the 3.0 TDI brake servo (2014) and the 3.0 TFSI fuel rail (2015). Ask for the dealer's record of each repair.
Running costs
| Operational | €346 |
|---|---|
| Workshop | €172 |
| Fixed costs (tax, insurance) | €239 |
| Total per month | €757 |
| New-car depreciation (not included) | €83 |
ADAC figures for 15,000 km a year over 60 months
Market
Listings on mobile.de priced up to 50,000 EUR, 29 October 2026.
- Listings
- 259
- 25th percentile
- €5,890
- Median price
- €7,500
- 75th percentile
- €9,400
- Median mileage
- 268,000 km
- Median first registration
- 2007
- Dealer share
- 37.5%
- Price at 100,000 km
- €13,102
To check a listing's price, open its variant in the table above. Each variant page has a price check.
In detail
V6 TDI timing chain
The timing chain drives the camshafts. On the 3.0 V6 TDI the chain stretches and the tensioner wears. Symptoms are a rattle on cold start. CarWiki warns that a stretched chain can cause major engine damage. WHEELSTREET rates the repair as costly and labour-intensive.
Cause: the tensioner weakens over the years, and the chain stretches. Which cars: the 3.0 TDI (BUG, CJG, CJM, CRC). Fix: when the chain is stretched, a specialist renews the whole chain drive with the tensioners, according to gebrauchtwagenberater on the same engine in an Audi A6.
Cost: no confirmed price for the Q7.
Sources: CarWiki, WHEELSTREET, Motorzentrale, gebrauchtwagenberater
Air suspension
Air suspension is an option, so only some cars have it. Symptoms are a car that sags, or loses height after standing. Cause: worn air bellows or a failed compressor. WHEELSTREET says the repair is costly, more so when several bellows are changed at once.
Fix: Kolesa.ru says the bellows cannot be repaired, and a failed compressor is replaced, not repaired.
Cost: no confirmed price for the Q7.
Sources: WHEELSTREET, ADAC, Kolesa.ru
Automatic gearbox shift faults
The 8-speed automatic can jerk or kick on shifts, often from about 60,000 to 100,000 km. Kolesa.ru names two causes: leaking seals on the control unit connector, and a faulty valve body. The valve body is the hydraulic block of the gearbox.
Fix: a software update (reflash) usually helped, according to Za Rulem on the same 8-speed in a Touareg. RAC says the automatic is sometimes prone to failure.
Cost: no confirmed price. Maintenance: change the gearbox oil every 60,000 km (Za Rulem).
Sources: Kolesa.ru, Za Rulem, RAC
V6 TDI fuel injectors
The fuel injectors are a named weak point. Symptoms are knocking from the engine, smoke, and diesel in the oil. Motorzentrale names these signs on the 3.0 V6 TDI in a Touareg. Cause: soot builds up on the common-rail piezo injectors, which can be costly, according to gebrauchtwagenberater on the same engine in an Audi A6.
Fix: the injectors are replaced.
Cost: no confirmed price for the Q7.
Sources: CarWiki, Motorzentrale, gebrauchtwagenberater
Panoramic roof water leaks
Symptoms are water in the cabin, and cracked paint near the glue seams of the roof and windscreen. CarWiki names faulty roof drains that jam, so water runs into the car. Kolesa.ru says leaks and paint cracks at the glue seams are not rare.
Cost: no confirmed price.
Keyless entry antennas
Symptoms: the keyless entry does not work from the door handle. CarWiki says a new key battery does not help. Cause: the antennas in the door handles fail, according to CarWiki, and Kolesa.ru says the keyless antennas regularly die.
Cost: no confirmed price.
Wiper linkage
The wiper linkage has joints that dry out and seize, and this can damage the drive wheel on the wiper motor. Kolesa.ru says corrosion attacks the linkage, and the drive gear can shear.
Cost: no confirmed price.
Recalls
| Country | Code | Years | What is done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | not given | Campaign 09/2007, build years not stated | Tailgate gas struts and drive control can close the tailgate suddenly. Dealers replace both drive units and update the software, about one hour. Automatic tailgate only. |
| Germany | not given | Campaign 08/2014, build years not stated | 3.0 TDI. Oil vapour can damage the brake servo diaphragm, giving a hard pedal and a longer stopping distance. Dealers fit a vacuum line with a non-return valve, about 30 minutes. |
| Germany; Austria, 154 cars | not given | Campaign 03/2015, build years not stated; Austria: model years 2011-2013 | 3.0 TFSI. Tolerances in the fuel rail and injection lines let fuel vapour escape at the seals, with a petrol smell inside. Dealers replace the rail lines and renew the double seals. In Austria the pressure control valve is also repaired. |
Check every open campaign by VIN.
Maintenance
- 8-speed automatic oil: change every 60,000 km, as Za Rulem advises for the same gearbox in a Touareg.
Sources
English
German
- ADAC: Gebrauchtwageninfo Audi Q7 (2005-2015) diesel
- CarWiki: Audi Q7 problems
- ÖAMTC: fuel system recall, 3.0 TFSI
- WHEELSTREET: is the Audi Q7 worth buying
- Motorzentrale: VW Touareg 3.0 V6 TDI problems
- gebrauchtwagenberater: 3.0 TDI problems and upkeep (Audi A6, same engine)