2017 Audi Q7 Exterior Lighting
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Getting error message that the "Front Right Side Marker Light Defective". The light appears to be operational. Searched for this issue and Audi recalled some models but many users outside the current recall report this same issue. Please expand the vin numbers for the recall action for safety.
Side marker light malfunction warning while light is working properly. There was previously a recall campaign for this issue on this model but the vin number was not included.
The car is displaying "Right front marker light defective". This lessens the visibility when turning. This problem is a VIN specific recall of the 2017 Q7 and my VIN is not included, even though I am experiencing the exact same problem as the recall on the other VINs from the same year.
I was driving last night and the "marker light is defective" error came on. This is a well documented defect in the Audi Q7 and many are subject to recall for this issue.
Dash light is on saying “Front right marker light is defective”. However, the marker light appears to be fine. This seems to be a software issue.
Started receiving error message intermittently regarding front right marker light being defective on the dashboard even though the lights are working. From a brief search online, this appears to be an known issue for this make and year as many others are facing a similar issue. There has been a limited recall for only certain VINs for a similar issue. The recall should be expanded as it's impact is much broader. It is an expensive fix especially for something that is working.
The vehicle is giving an error message that states " "front left side marker light defective". Not having marker lights that make me visible to others on the road reduces my safety. The problem is apparently a known issue by Audi and several consumers are impacted by this error. The Audi recall campaign 97CB (NHTSA campaign ID 16V642000) addresses this exact issue and applies to some affected VIN numbers but not all. It appears that this issue is happening to MANY more owners outside of the VIN numbers that qualify for the recall
Side marker light not working and throwing a dash light.
Front side marker error
•Component/System Failed: Front left marker light; available for inspection upon request. •Safety Risk: Reduced visibility to other drivers, especially at night or in low-light conditions, increasing the risk of a collision. •Reproduction/Confirmation: Confirmed by Audi, but not covered under an existing recall. •Warning Signs/Symptoms: Dash light reads "Front left marker light defective" ; first noticed on during a routine exterior light check. MANY VEHICLES NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL: NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V642000 Manufacturer Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING Potential Number of Units Affected 79,895 Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 TT roadster, A3 cabriolet, A3 sedan and A3 e-tron, 2016-2017 TT coupe, 2017 A4 sedan and Q7 and 2015-2017 Q3 vehicles. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadvertently makes the side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97CB.
Front right side marker light is showing defective on 2017 Audi Q7. Light appears to be on but is still throwing error message. Safety issue as I have no visibility when driving to determine whether or not the light is properly working - anything regarding light faults should be considered a safety issue. Problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by an independent service center, but a quick online search will show this is a known issue and an astronomical cost associated with replacing the entire light assembly.
I have a 2017 Q7 with the "front right side marker light defective" warning THAT POP OUT ONLY WHEN THE LIGHT AUTOMATICALLY TURN ON but the lights are actually functional. Yet the local Audi still wants to charge me 5.3k to fix it. The warning only happens at night. I've asked the shop for clarification on how it was deemed inop. since it looks like it's working to me. I see a lot of posts in forums about this issue. I see that there was a limited recall for this issue with 2017 Audi Q7 vehicles, but it's VIN specific and my VIN isn't included.
Front right & left side marker light defective. See owner's manual However my lights are not blown or out.
Front right side marker light defective error shows up on console. No fix available but Audi seems to be aware of the issue but not willing to fix. Many 2017 Q7's seem to have the same problem.
The "right side marker light" error message comes on when headlights are on, but the marker light is operating fine. I understand that this is part of a recall on other Audi Q7 models, but my 2017 does not appear to be within that recall. I request that the recall be expanded to include my auto. It appears from online information that other owners outside of the recall are having the issue that the recall is aimed at. Thank you for your consideration. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Front left side marker defective fault code. Same issue was part of an existing recall but did not include this VIN. Fault first occurred on January 3rd, 2025. Was taken to Audi dealer who assessed there was in fact an error code in effect. The result is a $6,200 replacement of the entire left headlight. Related recall: Manufacturer's Report Date: September 06, 2016 NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 16V-642 16V642000 Manufacturer Campaign Number: 97CB Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE Potential Number of Units Affected: 79,895
Daytime running light safety hazard led not working Tbone accident in waiting yes yes yes Dash warning light malfunction the internet is overwhelmed with complaints on these AUDI s
A warning light is showing on the dash about the right side light not working. On inspection all lights are illuminated. Reportedly there has been a recall on some VIN’s for this problem but not ours. On line discussion groups report that the problem is more wide-spread in this model than with the limited VIN’s covered. Since the cost of a dealer replacing the lighting assembly is around $5000, we would like to have our vehicle covered as well.
Side markers lights are failing at an abnormally high rate. The pop up error and chime is incredibly distracting as it pops up every 20 to 30 seconds blocking most of the information on the instrument cluster. The side marker lights still function even when the error pops up. Audi will only replace the entire headlight housing to fix the problem, but that seems extreme to fix what appears to be a software issue, as the side marker lights still is fully functioning.
Left Side Marker Light Defective Warning. There is a recall for limited 2017 Q7 vehicles. It needs to be a broader recall. The estimate is between $3000-$5000. Available for inspection.
CAMPAIGN 97cb (nhtsa campaign ID 16v642000 Side Marker Lights Do Not Illuminate With Parking Lights Or Headlights On This poses a risk for my safety and others during night driving making the vehicle less visible at night. I paid Audi of Portland $285.00 to diagnose this issue, due to receiving the message on my car "front left" or "front right" "side marker light defective" and they said it would cost almost $12,000.00 to replace both left and right-side headlight housing. Marker lights are LED and cannot be replaced without replacing entire housing. I checked for a recall and my 2017 Audi Q7 does not have any open recalls. However other models made the same year are being recalled. the side marker lights do not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Error front left side marker light defective error message but no issue with the actual marker light. To be clear the marker light is operating perfectly as noted by my dealer. It is a known system error code malfunction and exact issue for my vehicle year and make - recall code 97cb. I contacted Audi and they claim my VIN was not impacted by the production line issue but obviously that is not true. Audi is not standing by their product and dealer charge is $6,889 to replace left headlight. VIN [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
This issue closely resembles Audi recall campaign 97cb (NHTSA campaign id 16v642000), with details available at [xxx] . In my case, the marker light itself is functioning properly, but the vehicle is displaying a false error message: "front right side marker light defective. " this poses safety risks because the erroneous warning distracts drivers from the road and could lead to the system failing to alert the driver of an actual side marker light issue in the future. Many owners of the same model and year are disabling their side marker lights entirely to avoid the error, as evidenced in discussions such as those on [xxx] . Repairing this issue typically requires replacing the entire headlight assembly, with costs ranging from $2,400 to $5,300, making it prohibitively expensive for many. Although Audi initiated a recall (97cb) for a similar issue, it was limited to a specific subset of vehicles, and the widespread nature of this problem in other vehicles outside the recall’s VIN range suggests a broader defect. Given these safety risks, high repair costs, and the frequency of the issue, I urge the NHTSA to investigate whether this problem warrants a broader recall or corrective actions by the manufacturer. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
We suddenly ([XXX]) experienced the warning message: "front right side marker light defective" on the dash. The marker lights are however working, and it seems related to the recall for a software update (Audi Q7 2017). Our VIN, however, is not covered by the recall for some strange reason. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My car start showing me error "Side marker light defective" but all the lights seems to work properly, none of them is off.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2017 Audi Q7 has 92 Exterior Lighting complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.