I have a 2016 Audi S7 that uses the notorious 7-speed DSG transmission. I started to notice some random jerking when I pull the car from the red light a month before the car completely dead on me in April 2021. One time when I was driving on the highway at 70mph it throws a "transmission malfunction" code on my dash and put my car in Limp Mode (only 1,3,5,7 gear available). I also experience gear slipping when putting the car in reverse, when putting the car in reverse, 9/10 times the R gear won't engage at all, and the onetime the R gear will only engage when the gas pedal is pressed way down, resulting in the car shooting backward and potentially putting anyone behind the car in danger. One time I almost got rear-ended when the car suddenly stalled at a crossroad when pulling from a red light, because the car decided to shift in neutral instead of 2nd gear. I had to restart the car couple of times to drive it in Limp Mode and created a traffic jam at a very busy crossroad. After I did some extensive search on this issue, I believe the mechatronic unit has design flaws that after some miles (in my case 40000 miles) are bound to fail. And since the manufacturer's warranty only covers the drivetrain for cars that is either 5 years old or within 36000 miles, I have to replace the mechatronic unit out of my pocket, which is a major burden on my financial situation. There weren't any warning lights prior to the failure, and the only symptom is the random jerking when upshift or downshifting but I was told it is normal to the 7 speed DSG gearbox my car was using. I had Audi Tysons Corner did a diagnosis and they respond that a new mechatronic needs to be put in. I have attached the report they send me. They also send me a picture of the leaking fluid in the transmission pan which I attached also. I ended up putting a new Mechatronic Unit in and I was told it is an Upgrade version from a local Audi-authorized dealer I am attaching the invoice here.

- Mclean, IN, USA

At 40K miles, I've been noticing the symptoms of a dying mech unit (bang/jerk to stop, shifting from drive to reverse), etc. Those symptoms happened when I pull up from stationary, put the car in reverse. Car will also throw transmission error code on dashboard and put in "limp mode" from time to time. Since it was out of warranty, Audi quoted me $5800 to replace the entire mechatronic unit. Many threads on the Audi forum confirm the issue was due to quality control on Audi's part, and Audi refused to issue a callback or pay for the expense for out-of-warranty cars with faluty 7-speed dsg transmission.

- Mclean, VA, USA

Experienced turbocharger failure when coming to a stop after getting off the interstate after approximate 2.5 hours of driving. Engine died as car slowed down so suspect the turbos failed while driving but Ram air from interstate speeds was adequate to maintain the engine until it slowed down. The extended run time with failed turbos resulted in metal fragments in the oil so after inspection, the engine was replaced under an extended warranty with a used engine. This engine has approximately 58K miles on it and I think the replacement engine had 11K or so on it. This occurred on Dec 26th, 2019. This past February, 2021, noted an odd whistle sound from the turbo but no warning lights and slightly sluggish acceleration. The following day it seemed to run fine on my way to work but on the way back it ran rough and then died so I had to steer off the road into a parking lot as I lost power steering. Further investigation determined that one turbocharger had completely failed (the turbine wheel was completely sheered off) and the other had excessive play in the shaft. The 75K factory maintenance had just been performed in decker, 2020, as had the 65K maintenance earlier in the year. Since the replacement engine was no longer covered under a used parts warranty or my extended warranty, the cost of turbo replacement was entirely out of pocket. I also had to pay for some extra work on the first engine replacement due to discovery of extra work required for the swap that wasn't in the initial quote to the extended warranty company.

- Plainfield, IL, USA