2007 Audi Q7: Park Brake

Fine German Engineering!
 
How's the other 'German Engineered' MB in the LT fleet doing? Is the sunroof working now?

I cannot believe I am actually standing up for Audi here, but wobbly_ears you are way off base. I realize it is all fun and games to attack German luxury cars for quality problems, but news flash: every car in the LT fleet has had issues sometime during the ownership experience without exception.
 
Cars require service, things break. When a machine is subjected to the kind of abuse a car is things are going to require service or replacement. I agree the parking break should never have broken but that is the threat of new technology. Electronic parking breaks are relatively new and are highly sophisticated. I have no doubt you will be embracing them whole heartedly when they finally show up on a run of the mill Camry when all the kinks are worked out.
 
Someone has to try out new technology, the Germans are always brave enough to do so. The Japanese will happily proclaim their reliability records, but hide the fact that everything they brag about first came out on a German car, they just took the idea after the kinks had been worked out. Lexus is the poster child for this.
 
Lastly, the sunroof never broke in the C300 just the external switch broke off. A ridiculous problem but a minor fix.

mercedesfan,
 
The Lexus LS600hL is the 1st to have LED headlights out of all cars, also the 1st to have self parking function, it might be useless and in my opinion pointless, but no other cars has it yet. The Japanese are selling many different Hybrid electric cars for many years now, the German are still working on theirs. Your point of the Japanese always copied the German is not valid.
  
Regarding the C300, not only the switch cover broke off, the switch itself and the rear sunroof shade are also broken:
 
http://66.160.188.111/roadtests/1762
 
http://66.160.188.111/roadtests/1769

Of course there are exceptions (I thought of twelve as soon as I pressed "post"), especially in the case of Honda (aka hybrid technology), but as a rule the Japanese are followers not innovators. Secondly, the Audi S6 was the first car to have LED driving lights, the LS600hL was simply the first to use LED headlights and I hardly consider that a breakthrough. Secondly, the Park-Assist system uses an algorithm previously developed by another company (not an automaker) and is possible only because the Lexus has electric power steering. The Mercedes-Benz park guidance system makes the same calculations but forces you to do the parking yourself by guiding you with explicit directions on how much to turn the wheel (hydraulic power steering). The Mercedes system actually made it to market first by two years but garnered almost no publicity. I find it invaluable in my S550.
 
Also, the sunshade on the C300 only malfunctioned because the knob broke off, it in itself was not broken.
 
Lastly, to clarify, I think Japanese cars are great and have been the epitome of reliablity for years which is extremely noble. I only argue that someone has to take risks with new technology and it always happens to be the Germans.

Dear mercedesfan,
 
I'm not the one to defend japanese, me being a korean descent and all. but your "as a rule the Japanese are followers not innovators" comment strikes me as a sort of racially discriminating and untrue.
 
Would you classify building world's first self balancing, walking, semi-running, stair climbing robot being a follower?
What about honda building world's first Carbon fibre F1 transmission?
What about world's first fuel cell powered train?
what about leading the world in semi-conductor manufacturing and design?
 
and though you discounted it before, Lexus's LED headlight is still world's first. Audi's is a driving light, NOT a headlight. Audi's LED lighting does not emit enough light to be used at night.
 
So please tell me, is leading the world in some of the most advanced technology what a follower is supposed to do?
 
note, i'm NOT knocking german cars. just countering your above comment.

Dear mercedesfan,
 
I agreed up to a few years ago, the Japanese are generally followers, but they have caught up to the European and now they are starting to be innovators.
 
Like Mohaji said, the LED lights on the Audi S6 are like day time running light, parking lights, like the LED parking lights on the Porsche 997 Turbo, the LS600hL are full on low beam headlights.
 
I do agreed most of the time, the Germans are the first to apply new technology to their cars, like the 997 Turbo's variable vanes turbo are the 1st on the market and still no cars has it yet, I was hoping the Nissan GTR would have them, but it still doesn't, I am sure the cost is too high for the budget of the GTR.
 
I too want to clarify, I admire the status all European cars offers, no Japanese cars, regardless of price, can offer the same status as an European car. What Japanese cars offers are excellent reliablity, but lately the reliablity of Japanese cars are going dowhill. I hope it doesn't continue.

The brake light could be a big problem. An identical situation in my mothers DGC turned out to be a busted rear brake cylinder, which had leaked out all of its brake fluid, thus, no rear brakes. Have your brake system checked out.

Audi uses the park brake light to indicate low brake fluid. I've had the same issue on my S4. Check the fluid level.