The 2021 Audi A8 has 10 safety recalls and 5 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is power train (2 complaints).
Recalls10safety recalls
Complaints5filed by owners
Crashes · fires0 · 0reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths0 · 0reported in complaints
Safety recalls
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
NHTSA recall 25V900000 · Dec 19, 2025 · 356,894 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (ODI)
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.
Electrical system › Software
NHTSA recall 25V201000 · Mar 31, 2025 · 44,387 vehicles
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 SQ8, A6 SEDAN, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 SEDAN, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail.
Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the instrument panel module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90VC.
Components: Electrical system › Software; Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Charging › Cable/cord › Onboard
NHTSA recall 23V842000 · Dec 13, 2023 · 93,196 vehicles
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2024 RS e-tron GT, e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q4 e-tron, 2020-2021 Audi A8, 2019-2024 e-tron Quattro, 2020-2024 e-tron Sportback Quattro, Q5, and 2021-2022 A7 vehicles. When using the industrial 220V/240V plug at the 100% charge setting, some home power outlets may be incapable of handling the electrical current required to utilize the compact charging system, causing the outlet or charging cable to overheat.
Risk: An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations. Dealers will supply a new 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable with an incorporated temperature sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2024. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's numbers for this recall are 93U6 and 93U8.
Equipment › Electrical › Infotainment › Video (touch)screen/monitor/unit
NHTSA recall 22V806000 · Oct 26, 2022 · 6,076 vehicles
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 AUDI A8, A6 Allroad, E-TRON Quattro, 2022 S3, RSQ8, RS7, RS6 Avant, Q8, Q7, Q3, E-TRON Sportback Quattro, S5 Cabriolet, E-TRON GT, S5 Sportback, A7, A6, A5 Sportback, A5 Cabriolet, A4, A4 Allroad, A3, S8, SQ7, SQ8, S6, and S4 vehicles. The infotainment main unit may become damaged internally when the vehicle is shut off, resulting in an inoperative rearview camera display the next time the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the infotainment main unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 91Ei.
Components: Equipment › Electrical › Infotainment › Video (touch)screen/monitor/unit; Back over prevention › Display function
Back over prevention › Display function
NHTSA recall 22V742000 · Oct 5, 2022 · 170,296 vehicles
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.
Tires
NHTSA recall 22V034000 · Jan 26, 2022 · 31,058 vehicles
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.
Risk: Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
NHTSA recall 21V825000 · Oct 20, 2021 · 2,857 vehicles
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8 and S8, 2022 Audi A5 Sportback, A4 Sedan, E-Tron GT, Q3, Q5, RS6 Avant, A3 Sedan, S5 Sportback, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RSQ8, SQ7, SQ8, and S3 Sedan vehicles. A software error may prevent the rear-view image from initially displaying when the vehicle begins to reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rear-view camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the infotainment unit parameters, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 9, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 91CR.
Seat belts › Rear/other › Retractor
NHTSA recall 21V606000 · Aug 5, 2021 · 45,496 vehicles
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Risk: A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Engine control module (ecu/ecm)
NHTSA recall 21V111000 · Feb 24, 2021 · 238 vehicles
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A8 and 2020-2021 Audi S8 vehicles. A missing sealing pin may allow moisture to enter the engine control module connector, possibly causing a control module malfunction.
Risk: An engine control module malfunction may cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine control module connector for a missing sealing pin, and install it, if necessary. The connector will also be inspected for corrosion, and replaced as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 12, 20121. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EV.
Components: Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Engine control module (ecu/ecm); Engine
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Fuel economy
A8 L Plug-in Hybrid
23mpg combined
City / highway
21 / 26 mpg
Electric range
18 mi
On electricity
53 MPGe · 63 kWh/100 mi
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive · about $3,550/year to fuel
A8 L Hybrid
21mpg combined
City / highway
17 / 26 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
3 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive · about $3,900/year to fuel
A8 L Hybrid
18mpg combined
City / highway
15 / 23 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
4 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive · about $4,550/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
Problem area
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Typical mileage*
Power train
2
0
0
0
—
Electrical system
2
0
0
0
—
Structure Body
1
0
0
0
—
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
0
0
—
Engine
1
0
0
0
—
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Feb 2, 2026Electrical system See attached document for complaint. I took my 2021 AUDI A8 to Audi Rockville located at 1125 Rockville Pike; Rockville, MD 20852 on July 18 to fix the recall. After waiting for 2 hours at the dealership, they told me they must go to BestBuy to buy a USB stick and asked if we could re-schedule which we did. I then came back on September 30, and again after 2 hours of waiting, they told me the USB port in the car is not working and that I must pay over $1000 to replace the USB Port so that they can perform the recall. As such we could not get the update done. I followed up with Audi North America Headquarters in Michigan, and they basically told me the same thing that the dealer told me.…
Apr 4, 2024Power train Total electrical shutdown over about 2 minutes. Stranded on road. All electrical systems failed rapidly. Strongly suspect this is part of known BSG/alternator issues with this model.
Jul 4, 2022Power train Delay in change gear especially from full stop, vehicle recoil, jump, jolt, sometimes with loud noise
Jan 31, 2022Fuel/propulsion system fuel pump leak, dealer claimed the seal is broken from the manufacture, gave out strong gasoline smell
Dec 3, 2021Structure › Body I was driving in the morning on a November day on a rural road. The rear moon roof exploded outward. The sound was deafening and scared my passenger and I. The center glass exploded outward, scattering glass outside and inside of the car. I believe that if this happened that passengers in the car could be hurt. Other drivers on the highway could be startled on their car damaged by the flying glass. An accident could be induced by the incident either by the drive of my car or by nearby drivers.
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.