Audi bulletin SM 42-2025
What it saysThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Audi filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Aug 21, 2025, received Sep 4, 2025, about the engine. It names 19 model years (2016–2026). A manufacturer communication is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM 42-2025 | Other | Aug 21, 2025 | 11022662 |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4M0-121-131-C | — | — | |
| 4M0-121-131-G | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Audi’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 19 model years this bulletin names have filed 898 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 202 of them name Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
Throttle lag from a near (but not full) stop. If coming to rolling stop, from 1-8 MPH, and then hit accelerator, the car engine revs but no acceleration to vehicle. After a 2-3 second delay, car will lunge and accelerate normally. Scary when need to accelerate from a near rolling stop. Left hand turns especially dangerous.
2019 Audi Q8 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 2, 2020 · ODI 11315572
I am reporting an ongoing cooling-system/water-pump issue with my 2020 Audi Q8, approximately 75,000 miles. The problem began when the vehicle repeatedly displayed a low-coolant warning. Inspection confirmed the coolant level was very low and a significant problem involving the coolant pump/vacuum system was diagnosed.
2020 Audi Q8 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 22, 2026 · ODI 11758701
What happened: During routine service on XXX at 64,148 miles, an independent Audi specialist ( , ) found low coolant, coolant leaking into the vacuum system, and coolant on the belt drive. On XXX the shop replaced the water pump, thermostat, vacuum pump, vacuum tank, and vacuum lines at a cost of $6,314.30.
2022 Audi Q7 · Engine · filed with NHTSA Sep 28, 2026 · ODI 11767523
In depth: 2017 Audi Q7 engine problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group82 other manufacturer communications filed against these Audi models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Audi list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_2069531_2 | Service bulletin | Sep 25, 2026 | This bulletin provides information when the MIL is on, EVAP pressure/temp sensor incorrect DTC displayed: P202400, P045000, P045200, P24D600… |
| TSB_2081030_4 | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This bulletin provides information when there is an abnormal knocking noise from the engine compartment; V6 3.0L TFSI. |
| SM 34-2026 | Other | Aug 21, 2026 | This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward. |
| TSB_2079917_2 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This bulletin provides information when the engine can only be started with a delay; 2.0 ltr. 4 cyl. TFSI. |
| TSB_2081030_3 | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2026 | This bulletin provides information when there is an abnormal engine knocking noise from the engine compartment; V6 3.0L TFSI. |
| TSB_2074640_3 | Service bulletin | Jun 26, 2026 | This bulletin provides information when there is increased oil consumption; >0.5ltr/1000 km. |
| TSB_2082323_1 | Service bulletin | Jun 10, 2026 | This bulletin provides informaiton when the engine is not running smoothly, misfiring. |
| TSB_2073867_3 | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2026 | This bulletin provides information when DTC U140A00 Terminal 30 is stored in the ECM. |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Audi, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Audi SM 42-2025 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SM 42-2025 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does SM 42-2025 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 19 model years: 2026 Audi Q7, 2025 Audi Q7, 2024 Audi Q7, 2023 Audi Q7, 2022 Audi Q7, 2021 Audi Q7 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.