C7 All Road suspension problems ?

[Bartx]

Hi
I'm interested in buying a C7 all road.
I've heard about the suspension problems on earlier models and wondered if there's anything similar on these ones that people know about ?

Any other pointers to consider when buying would be appreciated
I'm looking to get a 3.0 diesel.
Many thanks.

[B5NUT]

It's to early to tell what problems will appear wit the air suspension on the C7, but like any shock absorber be it air or liquid they will fail over time, and air struts cost hundreds & hundreds of pounds more when they fail.

Your best option is to find one with the least possible miles & age.

[ukgroucho]

I think the technology is pretty tried and tested now. Splash who posts on here has had C5, C6 and now a C7 and I don't think he's had any significant issues.

The air compressor on mine failed less than a year from new - a pain but fixed by Audi under warranty. I met another person with a C7 of very similar build date who had experienced the same issue so maybe there was a bad batch of compressors.

Ultimately the system is more complex than 'simple' shock absorbers but then it does more complex stuff - the ride height changes provide a bit of extra utility if you get into a sticky situation, the auto drop to "low" at motorway speeds definitely improves fuel consumption (1 or 2 MPG in my experience) and the ride quality is very good. I had a new Nissan Quasqai (sp?) rental the other week and could not believe how harsh and crashy the suspension felt driving up the M40.

[brummygit]

I'm driving a May 2013 A6 S-Line with Air Suspension. It wasn't new when I received it but I found paperwork indicating the compressor had been replaced under warranty too. Adds weight to the theory of a bad batch but also that they should all have failed and been replaced now.

[CharlesElliott]

I have a 2012 A6 Avant with air suspension; so far, no issues. 45K.

[B5NUT]

Like most shocks, it usually around the 100K+ mark you start to see failures.

[Splash]

I think the technology is pretty tried and tested now. Splash who posts on here has had C5, C6 and now a C7 and I don't think he's had any significant issues.

No, nothing to report on the C5 or C7, and just a sensor cable that got affected on my C6 during some extreme cold (it was about -15 degC though).

My only criticism is a self induced one where I've refitted my smaller wheels and tyres from my C6 allroad. I've mentioned before that the dynamic handling is improved, but this comes at the expense of a bit more noise perhaps because the offroad tread is low at about 4mm. It also means I have to keep a full-sized tyre in the back just in case. My Nokians will go back on at the end of the summer and still had the 8mm etching still just visible after 6 months' use. Very pleased.

Extra width of tyres is offset by an even lower ride height and although underlying MPG has been improving with age, there's no significant impact with the offroad tyres after discounting the 5% mileage overread - and I'm still travelling at the same motorway speeds according to a GPS phone app.

My C7 was built in July 2013, so probably a different compressor batch to yours ukgroucho.

[ukgroucho]

Possibly a different batch of compressors - mine was built early to mid June 2013 I think. But it's also possible that they realised that had an issue and started swapping them out "on the quiet" when vehicles went in for a service.

[oldhambull]

I've got a 3.0 A6 Allroad, its currently in Manchester Audi having alleged Compressor failure, its already had control unit replaced at £700 which didn't resolve the problem, they want £1500 quid to replace compressor now. No good will offer , Car is a 2013 with only 38000 on clock.
Lots of arguing going on at the moment over who should pay, its not exactly a wear and tear part and imho should last longer than it has

[Tripletrouble]

If it has FSH I would argue that those components are not fit for purpose.