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2021 Audi Q8
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 29 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Audi Q8, most frequently naming the electrical, driver assistance and engine categories. 7 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 1,290 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2021 | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 2021 | 1 | 2 |
| Jun 2022 | 1 | 3 |
| Oct 2022 | 1 | 4 |
| Nov 2022 | 1 | 5 |
| Dec 2022 | 1 | 6 |
| Jan 2023 | 2 | 8 |
| Sep 2023 | 3 | 11 |
| Nov 2023 | 1 | 12 |
| Dec 2023 | 1 | 13 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 14 |
| Feb 2024 | 2 | 16 |
| Mar 2024 | 1 | 17 |
| Sep 2024 | 1 | 18 |
| Jan 2025 | 1 | 19 |
| Feb 2025 | 1 | 20 |
| Apr 2025 | 1 | 21 |
| Jul 2025 | 1 | 22 |
| Aug 2025 | 1 | 23 |
| Sep 2025 | 1 | 24 |
| Jan 2026 | 2 | 26 |
| Mar 2026 | 1 | 27 |
| Jun 2026 | 1 | 28 |
| Aug 2026 | 1 | 29 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical1331.0%
- Driver assistance819.0%
- Engine614.3%
- Fuel system511.9%
- Powertrain (other)37.1%
- Steering37.1%
- Transmission12.4%
- Exterior lighting12.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
7 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
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Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
On multiple occasions, the car states there is a steering malfunction and to stop the car immediately. Power steering fails. The last time I left the car to the dealership to have a recall serviced - it did this. I let the Audi (Fred Lavery Birmingham Michigan) know. They did not respond / did nothing. It has happens at least 10x at varying speeds (some high, med and low speed) since the day I left the dealership
- NHTSA ID
- 11755728
- Incident
- Aug 9, 2026
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 ID
- 11741357
- Incident
- Jun 1, 2026
Belt Starter Generator failure rendered car undrivable -- power steering failed while in motion. Issue is subject to Class Action Settlement in USDistrict Court, Case # 3:23-cv-02291-RK-RLS. But this should have been a recall because of danger of Injury or Death. A recall would provide notice that the notice of settlement failed to provide. This failure happened to me on March 29, 2026. Dealer is not able to do the repair work in a timely manner.
- NHTSA ID
- 11727957
- Incident
- Mar 29, 2026
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 ID
- 11714623
- Incident
- Aug 11, 2025
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 presents a risk of sudden loss of power, stalling, or engine seizure, which could occur while driving at speed or in traffic. This creates a potential risk of loss of vehicle control, inability to accelerate, or being stranded in unsafe conditions, endangering both the driver and other motorists. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Audi dealership, which diagnosed the vehicle and stated that a complete engine replacement is required. The estimated repair cost provided by the dealer is approximately $26,000 (so far in parts only). The vehicle has been inspected and diagnosed by an authorized Audi dealership. At this time, it has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. Audi corporate has been contacted for review. The primary symptom was a persistent ticking noise from the engine bay, which began around late December 2025 / early January 2026. There were no immediate warning lights or dashboard messages at the onset of the noise. The noise progressively worsened, prompting dealer inspection and diagnosis.
- NHTSA ID
- 11711800
- Incident
- Dec 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q8. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel failed to operate. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the failure recurred. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V201000 (Electrical System), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed; however, the failure recurred the same day while driving from the dealer. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump had failed, but the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that while driving 50-55 MPH, the messages "Loss of Power", "Reduced RPMs to 3,000", and other unknown messages were displayed, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V516000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11687263
- Incident
- Apr 15, 2024
- Mileage
- 60,000 mi
Subject: Spontaneous Sunroof Shattering – 2021 Audi Q8 Summary: On 8/5/2025, while driving my 2021 Audi Q8 under normal conditions, the sunroof suddenly shattered without warning. There was a loud popping sound, followed by glass breaking and falling onto the closed sunroof shade. There were no visible signs of impact from external objects, and weather conditions were normal at the time of the incident. The vehicle was not involved in a collision and was being operated safely. This incident created a serious safety hazard, as the loud popping sound once the sunroof ruptured could have cause me to get into an accident. I am also lucky that the sun roof shade was closed or the pieces could have struck me inside my vehicle. I will be contacting insurance and Audi dealership regarding the damage. However, after researching online, I found similar complaints from other Audi owners, suggesting this may be a recurring issue with panoramic sunroofs across multiple models. I am reporting this to the NHTSA because I believe this could indicate a potential defect in the sunroof glass or its installation. I request an investigation into this matter to ensure the safety of other drivers who may be at risk.
- NHTSA ID
- 11678611
- Incident
- Aug 5, 2025
Purchased my car used from Volkswagen of west islip. After a few months I was doing regular maintenance when I noticed that the brake sensor was missing and the harness was tampered with. The brake wear sensor was removed from the front driver side and a small price of wire/ conductive material was inserted into the harness to trick the cars system into on seeing the sensor in a safe and working manner. This would prevent the cars system from alerting me when the brakes need to be replaced which could have resulted in resulted in a serious accident due to brake failure. I feel like this was either deliberately done by the dealer before selling the car to save a few dollars or was overlooked during what should have been a basic safety inspection before listing the vehicle for sale. After reaching out to the dealer- they refused to fix the issue.
- NHTSA ID
- 11672145
- Incident
- Jul 2, 2025
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
This bulletin provides a statement regarding the bottleneck of supply for VW approved oil types VW 504.00 and VW 507.00.
STRUCTURE:BODY
This bulletin provides information when there is an insufficient gap width between the tank flap and the side panel.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This bulletin provides information when DTC B105A1A, B103E25 is stored in 0017; fuel tank level implausible.
STRUCTURE:BODY
This service information TSB provides warranty coverage information for vehicles with a broken sunroof panel.
STRUCTURE:BODY
This bulletin provides information when there is a film/visible rings on the clear glass cover of the headlight when the dipped beam is switched on.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin provides informatoinw hent here are scratches or a coating on the cover of the instrument cluster, or particles inside of the housing.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.