2021 Audi Q8

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Above Average

Quick Summary

The 2021 Audi Q8 has 45 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (29% of all complaints), specifically: oct 15, 2022 lights began flashing. electrical malfunction came up. said to pull over safely as soon as possible. dealership said it is not safe to drive. is still at the audi dealership since they could finally get it in nov 16, 2022. it has 17,248 miles on it. am told it needs a new alternator/ge.

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.6x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

13 complaints

29%

• Oct 15, 2022 lights began flashing. Electrical Malfunction came up. Said to pull over safely as soon as possible. Dealership said it is not safe to drive. Is still at the Audi dealership since they could finally get it in Nov 16, 2022. It has 17,248 miles on it. Am told it needs a new Alternator/Ge
• When driving, my car had several red and yellow warning lights that came one - one for electrical system, the other for Vehicle starting malfunction and another was a battery sign. The vehicle also had delays starting. I was fearful the car would stop while driving (hopefully not on a highway or b
• Vehicle reported an electrical failure and to stop vehicle. Vehicle towed to dealership. Service reported Alternator failure and a 6-8 week repair time as part is on back order.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Oct 15, 2022 lights began flashing. Electrical Malfunction came up. Said to pull over safely as soon as possible. Dealership said it is not safe to drive. Is still at the Audi dealership since they could finally get it in Nov 16, 2022. It has 17,248 miles on it. Am told it needs a new Alternator/Ge”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

7 complaints

16%

• When my car is placed in reverse, the parking assist system is activated. The cameras are supposed to turn on to give me visibility and warnings if cars or people are approaching. Instead, the screen will go out and start blinking with a white screen. This results in an inability to safely maneuv
• The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q8. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for scheduled maintenance and she was notified of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V742000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that she was informed that the recall was repaired however, after the vehicle
• Took Audi Q8 in Jan 29 2024 do to 2 indicates one was a low oil, and a week before a Addaptive Lighting Warning came on my vehicle 2x , the following day to Warning light did NOT appear but the Blind Spot/Lane Assist lights did not operate. They were unable to resolve the issue Fault B200FF - TBS 20

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“When my car is placed in reverse, the parking assist system is activated. The cameras are supposed to turn on to give me visibility and warnings if cars or people are approaching. Instead, the screen will go out and start blinking with a white screen. This results in an inability to safely maneuv”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

6 complaints

13%

• 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 remai
• Complete loss of electrical power while driving due to faulty alternator at only 35K miles. This resulted in total loss of steering, suspension failure, and any other electrical systems in the car. Making the car almost impossible to control specially for a new driver. Apparently the issue is widesp
• I wish to report a critical safety issue with our Audi Q8, which experienced a complete electrical failure while traveling at 65 mph on the freeway on [XXX]. The warning indicators transitioned from yellow to red before the vehicle lost all functionality, including turn signals and emergency blinker

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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 remai”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

5 complaints

11%

• 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
• 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 amoun
• 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 fo

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

4 complaints

• 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 remai
• 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
• 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,

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 45 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: Oct 15, 2022 lights began flashing. Electrical Malfunction came up. Said to pull over safely as soon as possible. Dealership said it is not safe to drive. Is still at the Audi dealership since they could finally get it in Nov 16, 2022. It has 17,248 miles on it. Am told it needs a new Alternator/Ge
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: When my car is placed in reverse, the parking assist system is activated. The cameras are supposed to turn on to give me visibility and warnings if cars or people are approaching. Instead, the screen will go out and start blinking with a white screen. This results in an inability to safely maneuv
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: 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 remai
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: 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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)