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Audi S8

Model years 1998–2026 in the US safety record. No model year stands out in owner complaints. Fewest complaints: 2007, 2009, 2021.

42owner complaints
16recall campaigns
7,900service bulletins
26model years on record

Complaints by model year

Each bar is one model year. The most recent years are still collecting complaints.

’98’01’07’10’13’16’19’22’25’98’01’07’10’13’16’19’22’25

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026

New York safety inspections

Share of first inspections failed on safety, by model year. Older cars fail more as miles build up, so compare each year with the average car of the same year.

0.0%1.5%2.9%’07’14’16’21’23’250.0%1.5%2.9%’07’15’21’24’25

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections, initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Year by year

Model yearComplaintsRecallsBulletinsCrashes · fires
20260100 · 0
2025011970 · 0
2024014190 · 0
2023 S8025310 · 0
2022 S8035920 · 0
2021188320 · 0
2020047620 · 0
2019001870 · 0
2018012660 · 0
2017023370 · 0
2016 S8635230 · 0
2015 S8645870 · 0
2014 S8655710 · 1
2013 S81357250 · 0
2012001800 · 0
2011001600 · 0
2010001100 · 0
2009212480 · 0
2008 S8512010 · 0
2007 S8311420 · 0
200300750 · 0
200200650 · 0
200100640 · 0
200000570 · 0
199900360 · 0
199800330 · 0

A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections

Most common problems

  • Engine19
  • Visibility5
  • Unknown or other4
  • Power train4
  • Visibility/wiper3
  • Vehicle speed control3
  • Fuel/propulsion system3
  • Service brakes2

NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years

Crash-test ratings by year

NHTSA 5-star results for 9 model-year variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

YearVariantOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
20262026 AUDI S8 4 DR MHEV AWD————0.0 %
20212021 Audi S8 4 DR AWD————0.0 %
20202020 Audi S8 4 DR AWD————0.0 %
20182018 Audi S8 4 DR AWD————0.0 %
20172017 Audi S8 4 DR AWD————0.0 %
20162016 Audi S8 4 DR AWD————0.0 %
20152015 Audi S8 4 DR AWD————0.0 %
20142014 Audi S8 4 DR AWD————0.0 %
20132013 Audi S8 4 DR AWD————0.0 %

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain

Fuel consumption by year

Official Canadian test results for 18 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 11.9–15.8 L/100 km.

YearVariantEngineTransmissionCityHighwayCombinedCO₂ g/km
2025S8 quattro · Full-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS816.010.013.3312
2024S8 quattro · Full-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS816.010.013.3312
2023S8 Sedan quattro · Full-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS815.910.313.4313
2022S8 Sedan quattro · Full-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS816.910.213.8323
2021S8 Sedan quattro · Full-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS817.610.714.5339
2020S8 · Full-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS817.610.714.5339
2018S8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS816.29.913.4313
2017S8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS816.29.913.4312
2016S8 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS815.79.412.8300
2015S8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS814.68.811.9281
2014S8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS815.89.212.8300
2013S8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AS815.89.212.8300
2009S8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline5.2 L, 10 cyl.AS618.412.715.8363
2008S8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline5.2 L, 10 cyl.AS618.412.715.8363
2007S8 · Full-size · Premium gasoline5.2 L, 10 cyl.AS617.712.115.2350
2003S8 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.2 L, 8 cyl.AS516.712.014.6336
2002S8 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.2 L, 8 cyl.AS517.811.915.1347
2001S8 quattro # · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.2 L, 8 cyl.A517.811.915.1347

Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada

In New Zealand

223 S8 cars are on the New Zealand register; 30% arrived as used imports.

Model yearRegisteredSold new in NZUsed imports
2023101
2020101
2018330
201716160
201626215
201515112
201417143
201321144
20121687
2010541
2009935
20081688
2007261313
200617610
2002431
2001761
2000651
1999651
19981054
1997110

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0

In the Netherlands

436 S8 cars are on Dutch roads; 73% arrived later as imports, and 25 still have a recall open. Open a year for APK defects, odometer checks and colours.

First registeredOn the roadImportedMedian list price
20222181%€239,791
20202374%€224,526
20153586%€194,983
20143589%€188,489
20134564%€178,468
20123795%€192,566
20084869%€166,734
200711369%€178,607
20067963%€154,699

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles (CC0) · list price is the manufacturer's catalogue price when new

In Finland

40 S8 cars were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026: 100% petrol, 0% diesel. Mileage is the odometer reading at the last inspection.

First registeredIn useAverage mileage
20135175,000 km
201211160,000 km
20086249,000 km
200712239,000 km
20066268,000 km

Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use, 30 Jun 2026 · CC BY 4.0

In the United Kingdom

954 S8 cars were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, by year of manufacture.

BuiltLicensedOff the road (SORN)
202510—
202414—
2023403
2022331
202119—
2020191
2017632
201618911
201515119
2014635
20133916
2012345
20106—
2009153
20084128
20076038
20064244
200332
20025181
20013147
20001335
1999521
19981136
1997219

Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124) · Open Government Licence v3.0

New registrations in Europe

4,320 new Audi S8 cars registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland between 2010 and 2022, from the European Environment Agency's CO₂ monitoring of every new car. In 2022 the largest markets were Germany (219), Poland (64), Czechia (20).

YearNew carsLargest marketsMass kgCO₂ g/kmPower kW
2022412Germany, Poland, Czechia2,301264 (WLTP)420
2021327Germany, Poland, Czechia2,305264 (WLTP)419
2020460Germany, Poland, United Kingdom2,305266 (WLTP)420
20194Germany2,305269 (WLTP)420
20187Germany, Poland, Spain2,054218 (NEDC)382
2017159Germany, United Kingdom, Spain2,065221 (NEDC)386
2016398United Kingdom, Germany, Poland2,071—389
2015680Germany, United Kingdom, Poland2,067—382
2014621Germany, United Kingdom, Poland2,065—381
2013551Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands2,052—382
2012672Germany, United Kingdom, France2,050—382
20113Poland, Greece, Austria2,107—331
201026Germany, United Kingdom, Poland2,026——

Averages are weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value (NEDC until the WLTP switch). European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · re-use permitted with acknowledgement

Real-world fuel consumption

327 Audi S8 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2024 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Petrol hybrid versions average 14.0 l/100 km on the road, against 11.6 l/100 km in the official WLTP test — 21% more.

FuelCarsOn the roadWLTPDifferenceAverage distance so far
Petrol hybrid32714.011.6+21%38,000 km

Litres per 100 km: total fuel used divided by total distance driven, from the car's own fuel consumption meter (OBFCM), collected in 2024 by the manufacturers, mostly remotely, and by national authorities. WLTP figures are the type-approval CO₂ values converted to litres. Hybrids, including mild hybrids, do not plug in; plug-in hybrid figures include the distance driven on electricity. European Environment Agency, Real-world CO₂ emissions from cars and vans · CC BY 4.0

What it costs in fuel

On real-world figures the Audi S8 uses 14.0 litres per 100 km, so 15,000 km a year takes about 2,100 litres: €4,566 at this week's average price in Germany, its largest market in Europe.

CountryPetrol hybridPetrol per litreDiesel per litre
Germany€4,566€2.18€2.27
United Kingdom£3,658£1.75£1.99
Poland€3,269€1.56€1.79
France€4,671€2.23€2.35
Austria€3,808€1.82€2.13
United States$2,372$1.13$1.66

Fuel for 15,000 km (9,300 miles) a year at real-world consumption. Pump prices with taxes, week of 19 October 2026: European Commission Weekly Oil Bulletin, UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, US Energy Information Administration. Non-euro EU prices are in euros as the Bulletin publishes them.

Work it out for your driving

Compare running costs of other models

EU safety alerts

Safety Gate, the European Union's rapid alert system, names the S8 in 5 alerts. European versions can differ from the North American car.

SR/00005/25 · Injuries10 Jan 2025 · A8, A8L, S8, S8L

A rocker arm with cracks may have been mounted on the front axle. This can lead the rocker arm to break, causing a loss of vehicle's control, creating a risk of accidents and injuries. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market …

INFO/00143/21 · Injuries30 Jul 2021 · A8/S8

Moisture may enter into the engine control unit due to a missing sealing pin in one of the connectors.As a result, the engine may run in an emergency mode with reduced power or stall.

A12/00938/21 · Injuries25 Jun 2021 · RSQ8, RS6, RS7, SQ7, SQ8, S8

The cylinder crankcase could be cracked, which could damage the pistons and consequently they may become jammed.This could lead to an engine failure, increasing the risk of an accident.

A12/01262/20 · Fire25 Sept 2020 · A8, S8, S8+

The wire coil profile used in the radiator tank seal may be deformed due to the very variable temperatures within the engine compartment. Over time, and under unfavourable conditions, this could lead to the radiator seal coming loose. A loose radiator seal cou…

A12/1041/19 · Injuries12 Jul 2019 · A8, S8

The rivets which fix the seat tracks on the passenger side of the vehicle have an unsuitable head diameter. This can cause the rivet connection to fail in the event of an accident, impairing the restraining effect of the seat and belt system and increasing the…

Safety Gate (European Commission) · CC0

Recalls

16 campaigns cover the S8; the latest 12 are below.

25V900000 · Back over prevention19 Dec 2025 · 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

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."

25V201000 · Electrical system31 Mar 2025 · 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 SQ8, A6 SEDAN, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 SEDAN, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail.

23V084000 · Air bags15 Feb 2023 · 2022, 2023

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2023 S8 and A8 vehicles. During air bag assembly, the front-passenger occupant protection flap of the air bag may not have been folded correctly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

22V806000 · Equipment26 Oct 2022 · 2022

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 AUDI A8, A6 Allroad, E-TRON Quattro, 2022 S3, RSQ8, RS7, RS6 Avant, Q8, Q7, Q3, E-TRON Sportback Quattro, S5 Cabriolet, E-TRON GT, S5 Sportback, A7, A6, A5 Sportback, A5 Cabriolet, A4, A4 Allroad, A3, S8, SQ7, SQ8, S6, and S4 vehicles. The infotainment main unit may become damaged internally when the vehicle is shut off, resulting in an inoperative rearview camera display the next time the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

22V742000 · Back over prevention5 Oct 2022 · 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

22V178000 · Engine and engine cooling23 Mar 2022 · 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2013-2017 A8, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, and 2014-2017 RS7 vehicles. The turbocharger oil supply strainer can become blocked, causing wear to the bearings due to lack of lubrication.

22V034000 · Tires26 Jan 2022 · 2020, 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

21V825000 · Back over prevention20 Oct 2021 · 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8 and S8, 2022 Audi A5 Sportback, A4 Sedan, E-Tron GT, Q3, Q5, RS6 Avant, A3 Sedan, S5 Sportback, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RSQ8, SQ7, SQ8, and S3 Sedan vehicles. A software error may prevent the rear-view image from initially displaying when the vehicle begins to reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

21V606000 · Seat belts5 Aug 2021 · 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

21V295000 · Suspension26 Apr 2021 · 2020, 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

21V111000 · Engine and engine cooling24 Feb 2021 · 2020, 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A8 and 2020-2021 Audi S8 vehicles. A missing sealing pin may allow moisture to enter the engine control module connector, possibly causing a control module malfunction.

20V397000 · Structure7 Jul 2020 · 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles. The seal around the engine compartment may come loose and contact hot engine components.

NHTSA recalls