Owners have filed 180 complaints on the Audi Q8, covering 2019–2025. The system named most often is Electrical System (52 reports). Worst years by volume: 2019, 2021, 2020; cleanest: 2025, 2024, 2020. 4 reports describe a crash, 1 a fire. On average the car was 2.6 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Audi Q8
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 180 Q8 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Electrical System 52 Read
Our Audiu Q8 has had a host of safety issues since purchased in December 2023 and we have been denied or delayed on a buyback twice. The vehicle has been unable to be moved 3 times due to battery (12V and relay) issues that left my wife and [XXX] stranded at home. On one occasion the vehicle could not be moved by the…
The contact owns a 2024 Audi Q8. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V842000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the…
From the first day I purchase the vehicle, even when the sales person was walking me through the vehicle, the vehicle window was constantly retracting itself lower when i tried to close it. When the window is half way open, and the driver is trying to close the window, the window automatically retracts and lowers the…
Power Train 44 Read
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q8. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shutoff as the electrical problem, see local dealer warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact pulled off to the side of the highway and had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The vehicle remained in the…
The vehicle recently started to behave uncharacteristically when navigating around the curbs and changing lanes, it feels like you have hit a patch of black ice or an oil slick which I attributed to needing new tires. I purchased new tires according to the vehicle Audi manufacturer specification and had an alignment…
Audi Q8 failed water pump leading to severe loss of power and a major safety issue. I was merging on a very busy highway when I had loss of power with my children in the vehicle. This was alarming as I was not able to accelerate as anticipated and had no warning/notice that this was going to occur, and others around…
Engine 17 Read
The engine (internal mechanical failure) malfunctioned. The vehicle developed a persistent ticking/knocking noise from the engine bay, and the authorized Audi dealer diagnosed the issue as requiring a full engine replacement. The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. A catastrophic engine failure…
My boyfriend was driving the vehicle and it killed on him in the middle of Veterans Highway in Metairie. La back in August 2022. I did not want to drive the car after that. I have grandkids and am a single female and do not want to die or get in a serious accident because the fuel is not getting to the engine…
- The water pump failed, leading to a coolant leak and potential engine overheating. The failed component is not available for inspection, as it was replaced by an independent repair shop after the dealership quoted an excessive price and could not complete the repair in a timely manner. - A failing water pump can…
Steering 15 Read
Many times my 2020 SQ8 instrument pannel lights up , even just pulling out of my garage , and indicates that my RIGHT Front Tire is low/ or flat ( low tire warning ) and to check Right passenger side for damage .??? . ( each time (10-20 times ) this has happened and i discover NO Flat tire or Damage ). On June 16 ,…
The contact owns a 2020 Audi Q8. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph the steering wheel suddenly turned to the right causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into the curb and dirt. After the crash, the vehicle was undrivable and was towed to the dealer. No injuries were…
On 3 separate occasions the vehicle has abruptly stopped while making a left turn endangering our lives. The pre-sense automatic braking malfunctions and stops the vehicle as we begin a left turn. The turn signal is engaged and the car incorrectly determines it needs to perform an emergency braking action. The only…
Fuel System 9 Read
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q8. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V516000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the…
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q8. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V516000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the…
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q8. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V516000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and the contact was informed that the recall could not be serviced for several months.…
Service Brakes 7 Read
Complaint Regarding Brake Safety Issue – 2024 Audi e-tron Q8 Launch Edition Under Warranty While driving my 2024 Audi e-tron Q8 Launch Edition, I encountered an accident ahead and had to brake hard. As I applied the brakes, the entire car began to shake violently, nearly causing me to lose control. Prior to this…
I have experienced a persistent brake vibration issue since I first acquired my 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron in December 2023. The vehicle has required two full brake rotor and pad replacements within 12,000 miles, which is highly abnormal and suggests a fundamental defect in the braking system. Audi North Miami acknowledged…
Whenever the physical brakes are engaged during daily "brake cleaning" during the first mile of driving, or whenever the regenerative brakes do not engage, or when the physical brakes are engaged under heaving braking where the regenerative braking system's braking capacity is exceeded, the vehicle shudders as the…
Forward Collision Avoidance 4 Read
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q8. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the rain, the automatic braking system sensors engaged. There was an abnormal sputtering sound coming from the vehicle. The driver believed that the vehicle had struck an object. The vehicle was taken back to the local…
Every tim towing a trailer and hitch weight is over 300 lbs ( specification shows 770 lbs max, original audi hitch installed came with the car ) the audi limited pre-sense warning goes on after ~45 min drive with trailer. After that no distance warning or cruse control (adaptive) possible. After removing the trailer -…
On several occasions, the supposed "driver's assistance" almost made me crash. In two or three cases, the assistance slammed on my breaks unnecessarily when a vehicle in front of me changed lanes, which almost caused me to be rear ended. In another, even more concerning case, the assistance accelerated heavily just as…
Seat Belts 3 Read
Seatbelt apparatus and seat detached during rear end motor vehicle crash
The contact owns a 2021 audi q8. The contact stated while stopped at a red light, he leaned forward and the front driver's seat belt shoulder harness tightened which caused him shortness of breath and chest pain. Medical treatment was later received for his injuries. Audi rancho mirage (71265 ca-111, rancho mirage, ca…
I am the owner of a 2019 Audi Q8, purchased on 8-8-19. I have had repeated issues with the driver's side seatbelt twisting and retracting the twisted portion up into the B pillar. I have had this issue repaired 3 separate times at my local dealership, most recently in June of 2023. Just 2 weeks after having it…
Q8 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Air Bags,forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | — | |
| 2024 | Electrical System | — | 1 | |
| 2021 | Back Over Prevention | — | — | |
| 2020 | Electrical System | 2 | — | |
| 2019 | Air Bags,structure,visibility/wiper | 1 | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 107 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.7 |
| Worst single series | 5 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 2.6 years |
A model average of 1.7 hides a worst series at 5. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Q8?
By complaint volume, 2019, 2021, 2020 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Q8 years are the cleanest?
2025, 2024, 2020 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Audi Q8 have?
180 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2019–2025. Of those, 4 describe a crash and 1 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.