sam08861

This is the type of design flaw for which a company, that cares about long term customer loyalty, should initiate a voluntary recall. I'm sure this could be fixed at a low cost by modifying/supplementing the hinge stop some way. I'll gladly forego the expensive marketing materials the've been sending me non-stop to buy another new car, just after having bought one to help offset the cost to fix.

Suenami6

Well, I'm going to the Audi dealer for a scheduled maintenance tomorrow. Just two days ago my door blew open and did this exact same thing. This actually happened to me on the passenger side, too, but I didn't realize what it was--thought someone had hit me--until it happened on the drivers side. So I have 2013 Q7 and anyone can say it is NOT a design flaw? Please. I'm 54 years old--have had many cars--and this has NEVER happened to me ONCE, much less TWICE. I hesitate to even get it--THEM--fixed--if it happens this easily. This is absolutely ridiculous. Warzilla--we've both been gypped. I called the Audi dealer, mentioned I"m bringing my car in anyway tomorrow, and told them what happened. Asked if they had heard of this--mind you, I hadn't visited the message boards yet. Silence. I said, "I take that as a yes--that you have heard of this." The man said that he'd make a note of this and look at it tomorrow. We'll see. I'm going with a door hinge problem. Wish me luck!

VAG-Fan1

Wow. I had never heard of this and am glad I found this thread before it happens to our Q7. I don't anticipate that Audi will do anything about this proactively/retroactively, but I'm going to try to at least look at the door hinge and see what sort of elastomeric bump stop I can install to create a more gradual deceleration against the hinge stop- maybe it will do nothing to prevent this from happening one day. I suppose searching Google images will be my friend when looking for more examples of what the damage looks like and maybe determine the loading mechanics that causes this internal denting.

Come on Audi, you're better than this. Where's the "truth in engineering" here?

Suenami6

OK everyone with this problem--I have just gotten off the phone with the general manager of Schaumburg Audi (Illinois) who could NOT have been more arrogant and dismissive--as well as Angela at Audi Care US--Audi does not recognize this as a problem with the Q7 and will not do anything about it. This whole experience has been totally disappointing. Don't know what to say except avoid the Audi Q7 unless you are willing to repair at your own cost. I'll file with insurance but on the principle of this I really had hoped for more out of Audi.

Suenami6

Yeah--good luck with this, Warzilla. Audi does not recognize this as an issue and thus is unwilling to address or assist a buyer in any way.

White Shark

I believe the paint on my Q7 is the best I've ever had on a car. I live in Sourthern California and we get Santa Ana winds up to 70 mph and have never had this issue. Of course I do hold my door not wanting it to slam open. Now as to AOL. Back in 2004 I bought a used Audi Allroad from a Texas Audi dealer and had it shipped to California. I had numerouos issues and sent a documented letter to Audi. I decided to sell car and guess what, the next morning I received a letter telling me to go to my local dealer to drop off the car and pick up a check. I contacted the individuals I sold the car to and gave them $1000 to get the car back. When i dropped the car off at the dealer thay had a check in the amount I paid for the car a year earlier. I suppose maybe because California has a though Lemon Law that helped but Audi was great. Mine is a 2008 4.2 S-Line and I have never had any issue's at all.

Edd W

I have to say I cannot really see why Audi would foot the bill for a problem caused by what could be construed as careless. I am not saying it was but simply playing devils advocate. If they pay for that where does it stop, accidents in driving situations, spill a drink over your lap and Audi foot the bill for the clean-up because you say the cup holder should have able to stop that happening?

I guess I am lucky to not have that happen so I can speak from a privileged position, but really, if you open a large car door on a very windy day and you loose the handle, what do you expect is going to happen?

Senobi

Well said.

B490MTL

But you can make an insurance claim ;-)

warzilla

Edd, you're making a big jump here. I guess you're lumping me and the other owners here as irresponsible ******** who can't be responsible for their actions. Trust me, I'm not that kind of guy. I run my own business and I believe in standing for myself, my rep and my products.

Its pretty clear since the time I wrote the first post that this is a DESIGN issue with the door hinge on the Audi Q7. Several people over 2 years has mentioned the same conditions that happened to my car, has happened to theirs. Too much of a coincidence, don't you think?

If a product (door hinge) can not perform a common task (take some wind opening the door to the limit), then its a defect and the manufacturer is responsible.

To compare a design flaw found in a car to a driver being careless with coffee is pretty insulting. Devil's Advocate back to you - after all you read on this thread, if this happened to your car's DOOR tomorrow exactly as everyone here has written it happening, you're going to think its was your driver's error?

I'll answer that question for you - No, you're going to say how did a simple wind just bend my door.