1998 Audi A8 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1998 Audi A8, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags250.0%
- Other / unspecified125.0%
- Visibility125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT INDICATES AIRBAG FAILURE. AUDI DEALER CANNOT RECTIFY.
SINGLE OCCUPANT IN VEHICLE (DRIVER) VEHICLE WAS FORCED OFF THE ROAD AND ENTERED A DITCH ABOUT THREE-FOUR FEET DEEP. PASSENGER'S AIR BAG, FRONT, FIRED. THE AUDI A8 CLEARLY STATES IN THE SALES LITERATURE THAT THE PASSENGER'S AIRBAG IS INTERLOCKED OUT WHEN NO PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT AND THERE WERE NO PARCELS, SHOPPING BAGS, AND ETC. ON THE PASSENGER'S SEAT. AUDI & THE DEALERSHIP HAVE BEEN HIGHLY UNPLEASANT TO DEAL WITH CONCERNING THIS "PERFECTLY NORMAL OPERATION OF THE PASSENGER'S AIRBAG."
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
TIRE JACK SUPPLIED BY AUDI USA FOR THE AUDI A8 IS VERY DANGEROUS. IT IS MANUFACTURED OUT OF CHEAP ALUMINUM AND IS NOT RUGGED ENOUGH TO LIFT THE CAR EVEN ON FLAT PAVEMENT. THE JACK BENT UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HURT SOMEONE. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
BLIND SPOTS, REAR VISIBILITY: AUDI'S REFUSAL TO REPLACE OUTSIDE MIRRORS. THE PASSENGER'S OUTSIDE MIRROR AN DRIVERS POORLY DESIGNED AND HAVE TREMENDOUS BLIND SPOTS. DRIVING A $70K WITH MIRROR ASSEMBLIES THAT DO NOT PROVIDE SAFE REAR VISION MONITORING IS OUTRAGEOUS AND DANGEROUS. POOR REAR VISION RESULTS FROM EXCESSIVELY WIDE C PILLARS, REAR SEAT HEAD RESTS THAT DO NOT HAVE STORAGE RECESSES OR OTHER PROVISIONS FOR PREVENTING THEM FROM OBSCURING LARGE AREAS OF THE REAR WINDOW. THE DEALER HAS AND AUDI HAVE BEEN LESS THAN HELPFUL EVEN WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT A 19991/2 A4 ($30,000) RIGHT OUSIDE MIRROR HAS ALMOST TWICE THE VISUAL FIELD AS MY A8. AUDI'S RESPONSE TO ME HAS BEEN TERRIBLE, AND THEIR SUGGESTED ACTIONS INCLUDE MY HAVING TO PURCHASE AND HAVE INSTALLED APPROXIMATELY $1000 FOR RIGHT AND LEFT OUTSIDE MIRROR. THE LATEST A4'S REAR HEAD RESTS RECESS INTO THE TOP OF THE REAR SEATS AND PROVIDE ALMOST NO OBSCURATION OR REAR VISION. I REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM AUDI AT PURCHASE TIME RE: REAR HEAD REST POINTING OUT MY GREAT DANE WAS THE ONLY REAR SEAT PASSENGER, AND MY WILLINGNESS TO SIGN A RELEASE IF THE HEAD RESTS WERE REMOVED AND ABLE TO BE REINSTALLED EASILY. AUDI HAS TOTALLY IGNORED MY REQUEST FOR SAFETY CRITICAL REPLACEMENTS FOR MIRRORS, AND AUDI HAS APPARENTLY TERRORIZED THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE CRISWELL AUDI IS NOW REFUSING TO EVEN CONSIDER ANY AFTERMARKET PART INSTALLATION ON MY AUDI A8 INCUDING A BACK UP RADAR TRANSCIEVER THAT ONLY NEEDS A TWO WIRE HOOK UP AND SENSES OBJECTS WITHIN 12' OF THE REAR BUMPER WHEN BACKING UP. FINALLY EACH AREA OF CONCERN ABOUT THAT I HAVE ABOUT MY CAR, LIMITS MY CAR'S UTILITY ESP REAR VISION CONCERNS, AND ARE SEVERE ENOUGH SAFETY CONCERNS I HAVE FEWER THAN 6000 MILES IN 18 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. THE 99.5 ADN YEAR 2000 AUDI'S HAVE ADDRESS EACH OF MY AREAS OF CONCERN IN THEIR NEW VEHICLES MIRROR SIZE, FIELD OF VIEW, AND REAR HEAD RESTS, HOWEVER, I AM STILL BEING STONE WALLED RE: SAFETY ISSUES THAT HAVE PLAGUED THIS CAR SINCE I PURCHASED IT. *
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .