CSR

Audi · NHTSA safety record

2019 Audi Q8

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

107

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2019 Audi Q8 have filed 107 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2019 and June 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 43 of them (40%). The typical failure was reported at 4,000 miles, the median across the 34 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 5 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (5)

LANE DEPARTURE:SOFTWARE

26V125000 · March 4, 2026

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q8, Audi A7, and Audi A6 vehicles previously repaired under recall number 25V900. Due to a software error, the lane departure warning system may be deactivated.
The risk
The driver may be unaware that the lane departure warning system is deactivated and rely on a system that is not functional, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 13, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TW. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 6, 2026.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 1,620 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

25V900000 · December 19, 2025

The defect
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."
The risk
A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 356,894 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

22V516000 · July 20, 2022

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi Q8, and 2020-2021 Audi Q7 vehicles. A component inside the fuel pump may break, causing the fuel pump to fail.
The risk
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DR.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 49,443 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING

20V149000 · March 16, 2020

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q8 and 2017-2019 Audi Q7 vehicles. The bolt connecting the steering shaft to the steering gear may loosen, possibly resulting in a loss of steering control.
The risk
A sudden loss of loss of steering control may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the steering shaft bolt, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 36A1.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 229 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER

19V114000 · February 20, 2019

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019 Q7, Q8, S5 Cabriolet, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The front shock absorber forks may develop cracks allowing the shock absorbers to loosen.
The risk
Loose shock absorbers may impair vehicle steering, increasing the risk of crash.
The remedy
Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the shock absorber forks, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 40O4.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 34 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 107.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 43 40%
POWER TRAIN 43 40%
ENGINE 31 29%
STEERING 11 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 10 9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 6 6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 3%
SUSPENSION 3 3%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2 2%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2 2%
SEAT BELTS 2 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 32.

2019 2023 2026
2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SEAT BELTS

1 injured · crash · towed · 12,000 miles

SEATBELT APPARATUS AND SEAT DETACHED DURING REAR END MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH.

NHTSA complaint 11267036. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1 injured

My alternator failed with "electrical malfunction" alerts until the car decided to shut down on the highway with my newborn and wife. The bigger issue is I'm being told there is a national shortage for this part with no ETA on receiving the part and that it could be MONTHS until they receive the alternator replacement.My car is in dealership since Dec 6 2022. Today is 01.10.2023

NHTSA complaint 11501175. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have experienced multiple events in which the there is a central locking system malfunction which renders the fob, door lock button, and at times, the door handle nonfunctional and effectively traps occupants in the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint 11742553. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My car is a 2019 Audi Q8 3.0L V6 with only 41,831 miles. My emergency light went on and I brought it my locat Audi Dealer. The inspection revealed that the coolant pump was leaking internally, contaminating the entire vacuum system with coolant. This is not a maintenance failure or the result of owner neglect. It is a well-documented, inherent design defect in the EA839 3.0T engine platform that powers the 2019 Q8, a defect that Audi of America has acknowledged through multiple Technical Service Bulletins. Specifically, the EA839 water pump uses a vacuum-operated diaphragm to control coolant flow. When the pump's internal seals fail — as they predictably do — coolant migrates directly into

NHTSA complaint 11736636, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I own a 2019 Audi Q8. The vehicle was in the dealership’s possession for approximately three (3) weeks for service. During that time, I was not informed of any significant mechanical concerns or issues. After retrieving the vehicle, it displayed an oil pressure warning while in operation. I immediately returned the vehicle to the dealership for evaluation. At that time, the dealership added oil (“topped off” the vehicle) and released it back to me without identifying or addressing the underlying cause of the warning. Following this, I made multiple attempts to have the vehicle properly diagnosed. I experienced difficulty obtaining assistance, including calls being disconnected, and I was

NHTSA complaint 11734916, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Vehicle: 2019 Audi Q8, VIN [XXX] - Recall: Campaign 25V900 (90TV), Rearview Camera Software - Dealer: Audi Marin, 700 Francisco Blvd W, San Rafael CA, BAR# XXX - What happened: Recall attempted April 1, 2026. Technician logged Error 005A — communication failure with front driver assistance — on RO #XXX. Vehicle returned with rearview camera non-functional and driver assistance systems unavailable. - Current status: Dealer claims recall was performed. Rearview camera remains non-functional. The specific defect the recall addresses is present in the vehicle. - Dealer conduct: Dealer is attempting to charge $345 diagnostic fee for damage introduced during the recall attempt, claiming fault

NHTSA complaint 11731959, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Piston slap issues. The manufacturer is aware of the engine failure issues. They extended the engine warranty coverage from 50k to 80k miles knowing that the engine piston slap is an extreme issue but they won’t issue a total and complete recall. Owners have to identify that issue and have to specifically bring it in to have it bore scoped. If an owner isn’t aware of the noise and goes over the 80k miles then they are not held responsible for the complete and utter engine destruction.

NHTSA complaint 11715703. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
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

NHTSA complaint 11711877, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Audi Q8

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 22 3
2021 29 7
2020 26 3

Other 2019 Audi models

Every Audi on this site — 147 vehicles, 216 recall campaigns and 0 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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