Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Audi A8, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine10
- Electrical system4
- Unknown or other3
- Suspension3
- Structure1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Power train1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2011 Audi A8 failed the safety check 0.35% of the time — 86% less often than the average 2011 passenger car (2.49%). Median odometer at inspection: 106,173 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2011
6,279 new Audi A8 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2011; the largest markets were Germany (2,817), the United Kingdom (1,359), Italy (482).
- Average mass
- 1,992 kg
- Average power
- 225 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 92% · Petrol 8.0%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2011 Audi A8 cars on Dutch roads are the 4.2 petrol (273 kW, 366 hp), 3.0 diesel (184 kW, 247 hp) and 4.1 diesel (258 kW, 346 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 4.2 petrol | 273 kW 366 hp | 31 |
| 3.0 diesel | 184 kW 247 hp | 24 |
| 4.1 diesel | 258 kW 346 hp | 23 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
88 first registered in 2011 are on Dutch roads; 69% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €138,424.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde25
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm16
- Band onvoldoende profiel12
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm9
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt9
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht8
- Band beschadigd7
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld6
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
576 cars built in 2011 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 171 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 760 of these cars first registered in 2011 took their annual MOT test. 86% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2011 the figure was 63%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 4.1% | 7.3% |
| Suspension | 2.9% | 14.1% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.8% | 16.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.7% | 4.4% |
| Visibility | 1.7% | 5.4% |
| Brakes | 1.6% | 8.6% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
50 of these cars first registered in 2011 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 258,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
48 2011 cars are on the New Zealand register; 65% arrived as used imports, 27% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Audi A8 4 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 11.9 L/100 km (about 20 mpg US), CO₂ 274 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.0 | 9.3 | 11.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2011 Audi A8.
| 2016409 22 Aug 2016 | Electrical On certain vehicles, engine coolant could leak through a coolant valve connection. This could cause coolant to migrate into the engine control module, potential… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Audi A8 vehicles manufactured May 15, 2010, to May 14, 2012. The affected vehicles have a coolant valve that may leak, allowing coolant to enter the engine control module causing a loss of power or the engine to stall.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Audi told its dealers about the 2011 Audi A8: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011303 | This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate. |
| 11011285 | This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings. |
| 11011282 | This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted. |
| 11011240 | This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool |
| 11009999 | This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided. |
| 11009983 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11009941 | This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system. |
| 11009937 | This bulletin provides additional information pertaining to continued noises/vibrations in tight bends - Q7 and A8 vehicle models. |
| 11009928 | This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds. |
| 11009375 | This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern. |
| 11009356 | This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes. |
| 11009351 | This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach to brakes rubbing. |
| 11009348 | This bulleitn provides information when there is an implausible signal in the ABS/ESC speed sensor. |
| 11009347 | This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11009344 | This bulletin provides information on repairs on the air spring strut of the frong axle; additional sealing. |
| 11009332 | This bulletin provides information when there are noises and/or vibration in tight turns in vehicles with quattro drive. |
| 11009327 | This bulletin provides information when ther is an Engine: start/stop system fault shown and start/stop system not is working; mileage below 50 km/32 miles. |
| 11009313 | This bulletin provides guidance in order to provid informaiton regarding preparatoin when calling the Audi Technical Assistnce Center (TAC). |
| 11009312 | This bulletin provides informationw hen there are car was brush bristles trapped in the seam between the headlight and fender. |
| 11007345 | This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated. |
| 11007315 | This bulletin provides information vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11007311 | This bulletin provides information when there are noises/vibrations in tight bends; Q7 and A8 models. |
| 11007305 | This bulletin offers information about the basic information needed for technical requests for gaerbox complaints. |
| 11007297 | This bulletin provides service information ror when the fuel tank cannot be fully filled. |
| 11007264 | This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)