At approximately 52,000 miles, on August 11,2026 (or earlier), my vehicle developed a coolant leak that was traced to a failed coolant shut off valve. The coolant shut-off valve failure allowed coolant to migrate into the vacuum harness, vacuum reservoir which contaminated the water pump. This resulted in the vacuum system becoming filled with coolant, compromising components that rely on vacuum pressure to function correctly. The combination of these failures — water pump contamination, coolant shut-off valve failure, and a coolant-contaminated vacuum system — points to a defect in the design or manufacturing of these components rather than an isolated or wear-related issue.
NHTSA complaint #11757601 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving my car would not accelerate on the highway and it almost caused me to get into an accident with my niece in the car. When I took the car to Audi this is what I was told my the service adviser. “Good afternoon. The technician has been looking into the vehicle and has found the cause of the issue. He has found the coolant water pump has failed internally causing coolant to leak internally into the vacuum system. This is causing the vacuum to be blocked for the turbo and thus causing the sluggish feeling when accelerating. In order to fix, the water pump and all compromised vacuum system components need to be replaced. It is a rather extensive job unfortunately.” My car only has a little over 45 thousand miles. Audi should be responsible to fix this problem because they sold this car knowing the water was faulty in these models. I recall should have been put out. I was quoted $6,000 to fix this problem.
NHTSA complaint #11741357 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 me did not know what was going on as well. This is a known complaint and issue in these vehicles and a major safety issue. Audi should stand behind their quality and it is dissapointing costly repair that shouldn’t be needed at 50 k (right outside of warranty). This issue can cause a detrimental accident.
NHTSA complaint #11714623 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Due to a leak in the rear axle that is connected to the differential, it caused the entire differential to fail. The bearing within the differential completely failed due to contaminated oil. The Q8s are known to have this occur but only in year models 2020-2022. My Q8 is a 2019 and Audi is aware of these issues given technical service bulletins available but doesnt want to take responsibility as this may be a continuing manufacturing issue arising. My vehicle only has 65k miles on it and Audi admits this is rare. Due to a misdiagnosis in June of 2025 (oil leak), Audi of Seaside Monterey caused the complete failure of the differential in December of 2025 by not doing a deeper diagnosis earlier to resolve the catastrophic failure. This is a safety concern and very expensive. A new differential costs $12k which has been expected to pay with no accountability. I am currently in an active case with Audi Seaside and the BAR to come to a resolution.
NHTSA complaint #11711877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am reporting a safety defect issue that I believe is an alternator recall waiting to happen. While driving with my children, my Audi suffered a sudden, complete electrical failure caused by what I was later told is an alternator defect. The vehicle shut off without warning. At that moment, I lost braking power, the ability to shift into neutral, and full control of the vehicle’s speed. Because of this defect, I was unable to slow or stop the car safely putting myself, my passengers, and others on the road at serious risk. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this alternator issue constitutes a recall-worthy safety defect under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
NHTSA complaint #11686773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 done on 2/14/2024 as is required for all-wheel drive vehicles. The situation was explained to the Audi South Atlanta Service Desk on 2/14/2024 and was logged as "Customer states that the vehicle stutters/shakes and tires seem to lower when changing lanes & going around light curves. The Customer requested that the lane departure system and other related components be checked to confirm if they are operating as designed." Dealership feedback: "Test drove: vehicle driven 2 miles and operating normally when compared to the same or similar models. No DTC's detected & lane departure system operating properly at the same time. The only noise/feeling felt was coming from the Audit Quattro bind from the all-wheel drive electronic - normal behavior." Despite the Audi Service Dept diagnosis and analysis of the issue reported, the behavior continues and is very unnerving. It seems like the front and rear axles are not in sync with the Audi Quattro Electronic all-wheel drive system. I reported the matter to Audi of America, Inc. Customer Care, Case# 06125039 on 2/21/2024, and would like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to be aware of this situation in the event other owners of the Audit Q8 report the matter or this issue results in death or injuries.
NHTSA complaint #11573249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving warning light came on electrical malfunction on highway cat lost all power following a series of light’s indicting multiple malfunction then transmission disengaged I was able to coast to a stop , was unable to get out of vehicle due to car not unlocking
NHTSA complaint #11556584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving vehicle at a low/medium rate of speed, and car completely shut off without warning. Check engine light appeared after restarting the vehicle. This is the second time this has happened to me since November 2022. I filed a report then as well. This car should not be allowed on the road and Audi should be forced to buy it back. The vehicle has less than 35,000 miles. Dealer has not confirmed what the issue is this time.
NHTSA complaint #11541673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Electrical malfunction illuminated on the dash than brake malfunction illuminated than the vehicle lost all power no power to windows locks but I was able to roll off an exit and waited for a tow truck to tow to nearest dealer
NHTSA complaint #11515694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
November 18, 2022 a warning lamp of electric system problem was displayed. There is no local Audi dealer and I decided to take the vehicle to my local automotive repair shop that does non warranty repair on Audis. I drove approximately 6-8 miles after the light came on and was one half mile from the service technicians when within 300 yards the vehicle became sequentially inoperable. First power steering, then transmission, brakes , ended with engine failure. I was in rush hour traffic and unable to steer off the road so I was blocking traffic near an intersection. My flashers and power windows were all that functioned. The doors were locked. When the tow truck arrived he let me out of the car. I was not injured and the vehicle was not hit either. The vehicle was transported to Audi Beaverton Oregon and now 3 1/2 months later is still there because there are no available starter/generator units available in this country. That unit failed and was the cause for my Audi’s complete shutdown. This was a potentially very dangerous situation and needs to be reported for a recall campaign. I have read that there are thousands of similar failures of the starter/generator systems in the USA and no available parts. I still have no estimate from my Audi Beaverton dealer/sevice supervisor as to when I can expect to get my car repaired and returned to me. They have not provided a loaner vehicle and refuse to cover the full cost of a rental car. I am disappointed in Audi’s level of customer service and communication.
NHTSA complaint #11510151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Got Electrical System Malfunction to start. I called service and they said car was safe to drive. Continued driving got a fault for automatic start/Stop malfunction, followed by: Right lug nut loose Right brake light malfunction Parking brake malfunction Distance indicator malfunction Power Steering malfunction Drive train ,malfunction. Car engine started hesitating and dash went totally blank. Car was hard to steer , luckily I live near the dealership. Dealer said there are 30 cars in their service department with the same problem. I am #3000 on Audis waitlist for parts to fix problem. 48 volt battery and alternator.
NHTSA complaint #11503894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Generator (Part #: 4N0903028P) failed causing the car to shutoff while driving. This is a known issue by Audi as it has issued a TSB. Further steps must be taken by the OEM to ensure safe operation of the vehicle by its owners. This is a safety issue that must be resolved soonest!
NHTSA complaint #11499927 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle lost all power and control while driving 45mph. First electrical system failure warning came on. Within 2 minutes the transmission slipped into neutral and 15 seconds later the vehicle lost power and I coasted to a stop. I was told by Audi dealership service that the starter generator failed. They mentioned they currently have over 20 vehicles in their shop and over 25 at their other location with the same problem. They also said over 1,000 cars nationwide had same problem and the part to repair is back ordered and no reasonable estimate of repair time.
NHTSA complaint #11498809 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Electric System Mal Function. The Car was flashing all signals. It asked to pull over and said there is a danger of car turning over. We called audi assistance. The tow truck driver could not load the car as the wheels were all locked up.
NHTSA complaint #11496021 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased a used 2019 Audi Q8 Prestige Plus, with Sportline Pkg on 9/7/21. Car had approx. 18,500 miles. The car attempts to shut off when deaccelerating at any speed below 3000 rpm. There is also a significant throttle delay between the time you push the gas pedal and when the engine responds. To be clear the car is in Dynamic mode and the Start/Stop mode is deactivated. It appears that under certain conditions the car is trying to determine if it should shut down or continue running. The Audi 37M6 update has been performed on my car which was supposed to correct the problem. The Audi Knoxville Shop Foreman drove the car and experienced the problem, contacted Audi Technical Assistance center (case# HS-822562) and was told that the car had the latest software correction. The Shop Foreman wanted to erase the transmission clutch adaptations to see if the car could relearn the shift process but was advised by Audi Technical Assistance not to erase the transmission clutch adaptations and would not allow the Shop Foreman access to the car software in an effort to diagnose the problem. Note: there was a class action lawsuit in May 2020 for this problem that was dismissed because the car manual states the car can experience a delay when restarting from the Start/Stop mode. However, my issue occurs when the Start/Stop system is turned off. There is no continuous throttle response below 3000 rpm with the Start/Stop system turned off. I was given a 2021 Q7 with a 2.0 as a loaner car while my Q8 was in service and I did not experience any of the issues I have with my Q8. I was advised by my dealership to also write a letter to Audi USA as the dealership acknowledges there is a major problem and they want to try fix the issue but will not be given access to the car software to troubleshoot the issue. This is a dangerous problem.
NHTSA complaint #11435174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 possession of the dealer and had yet to be diagnosed. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,500.
NHTSA complaint #11432422 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I'M VERY UPSET WITH NHTSA AND AUDI. I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA ON 10/22/20 AND THE COMPLAINT NUMBER IS 11365744. AGAIN AS STATED IN MY COMPLAINT THIS IS AN ACTUAL SAFETY ISSUE. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. WELL IT TURNS OUT THAT THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS HAD A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS JUST LIKE MINE. IT ALSO TURNS OUT THAT AUDI HAS A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. THE FIX IS A SOFTWARE UPDATE 37M6. I'M GLAD THE ISSUE HAS BEEN FIXED ON MY VEHICLE BUT THE REAL ISSUE IS THAT NHTSA AND AUDI ARE AWARE OF THIS FIX BUT BOTH OF THESE ENTITIES ARE NOT REQUIRING THE FIX TO BE MADE VIA A GOV'T ISSUED RECALL. AUDI CALLS THIS FIX A "CAMPAIGN". AUDI IS AVOIDING THE STANDARD PRACTICES OF NHTSA BY REFERRING TO THIS PROBLEM AND FIX AS A CAMPAIGN WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AND SAFETY RECALL PROCESS. HAS NO ONE AT NHTSA OR AUDI LEARNED THE LESSONS OF THE GM DEBACLE WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS COVER UP BY NHTSA/DOT AND AUDI IS A COMPLETE AN UTTER DISGRACE. TO ALLOW AUDI TO OPERATE OUTSIDE OF THE NHTSA SYSTEM IS A COMPLETE FAILURE. NHTSA NEEDS TO MANDATE AUDI ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL ASAP!
NHTSA complaint #11373792 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
OUR A8 HAS ISSUES WITH LAG TIME WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR A SLOW SPEED OF LESS THEN 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO STOP RUNNING PRIOR TO A FULL STOP AND IF THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED NOTHING HAPPENS FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LEAVES US AT RISK OF BEING INJURED OR KILLED. THIS ISSUE STARTED JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE AND HAS GOTTEN CONTINUALLY WORSE. WE HAVE ALSO ENCOUNTERED THIS ISSUE EVEN AFTER A FULL STOP AND THEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A FULL STOP. IT HAS EVEN HAPPENED WHEN DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DELAY IN ACCELERATION IS VERY DISCONCERTING AND DANGEROUS TO SAY THE LEAST.*DT
NHTSA complaint #11365744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.