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CarsLore / Audi / A8 / 2012

2012 Audi A8

11 owner complaints — #7 of 25 A8 model years. 1 recall, 25 service bulletins.

11complaints · 0 crashes, 0 fires
1recalls
25manufacturer bulletins
79,628 mimedian mileage at failure

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Audi A8, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

  • Engine4
  • Steering2
  • Air bags2
  • Fuel/propulsion system2
  • Unknown or other2
  • Visibility/wiper1
  • Electrical system1
  • Vehicle speed control1
  • Fuel system, gasoline1
  • Seats1

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported

Compared with other years

’95’98’01’04’07’10’12’13’16’19’22’2511’95’98’01’04’07’10’12’13’16’19’22’2511
199719992001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025

NHTSA ODI complaints by model year

Fatal crashes in the US

From 2020 to 2023, 3 2012 A8 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.

NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)

New York safety inspections

At its first New York inspection the 2012 Audi A8 failed the safety check 0.00% of the time — 100% less often than the average 2012 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 94,656 miles.

121first inspections
0.00%failed on safety
94,656 mimedian odometer
0.0%2.8%5.7%’00’06’08’11’12’13’150.0%0.0%2.8%5.7%’00’07’11’12’14’150.0%

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Registered new in Europe in 2012

4,289 new Audi A8 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were Germany (1,805), the United Kingdom (1,121), France (278).

Average mass
1,990 kg
Average power
221 kW
Fuel type recorded
Diesel 91% · Petrol 9.0%

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

In the Netherlands

55 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 69% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €127,915.

63.6%had an APK defect recorded since June 2022
82.4%logical odometer history
0.0%with a recall still open

Most common APK defects

Colours

Grey 42%Black 40%Brown 13%

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording

In the United Kingdom

589 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 127 more were declared off the road (SORN).

589licensed, end of 2025
82%of those still registered are on the road

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, 782 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 87% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.

87%passed first time
66%all cars from 2012
109,700 miaverage mileage at the test (all cars 87,300 mi)
Failed onThese carsAll cars from 2012
Tyres4.1%7.0%
Suspension2.0%12.2%
Visibility1.9%5.0%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1.8%14.3%
Brakes1.5%7.7%
Body, chassis, structure1.4%3.8%

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

30 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 252,000 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

46 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register; 70% arrived as used imports, 28% 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.

VariantOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
2012 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 11.6 L/100 km (about 20 mpg US), CO₂ 267 g/km.

VariantEngineTransmissionCityHighwayCombinedCO₂ g/km
A8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.2 L, 8 cyl.AS813.59.411.6267

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 2012 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

16V619000 · Engine and engine cooling24 Aug 2016 · 9,067 vehicles

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 2012 Audi A8: known faults, fixes and updates.

BulletinSummary
11011303This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate.
11011285This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings.
11011282This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted.
11011240This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool
11009999This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
11009983Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available
11009941This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system.
11009937This bulletin provides additional information pertaining to continued noises/vibrations in tight bends - Q7 and A8 vehicle models.
11009928This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds.
11009375This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern.
11009356This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes.
11009351This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach to brakes rubbing.
11009348This bulleitn provides information when there is an implausible signal in the ABS/ESC speed sensor.
11009347This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations.
11009344This bulletin provides information on repairs on the air spring strut of the frong axle; additional sealing.
11009332This bulletin provides information when there are noises and/or vibration in tight turns in vehicles with quattro drive.
11009327This 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.
11009313This bulletin provides guidance in order to provid informaiton regarding preparatoin when calling the Audi Technical Assistnce Center (TAC).
11009312This bulletin provides informationw hen there are car was brush bristles trapped in the seam between the headlight and fender.
11007345This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated.
11007315This bulletin provides information vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations.
11007311This bulletin provides information when there are noises/vibrations in tight bends; Q7 and A8 models.
11007305This bulletin offers information about the basic information needed for technical requests for gaerbox complaints.
11007297This bulletin provides service information ror when the fuel tank cannot be fully filled.
11007264This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated.

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)