Complaints by model year
Each bar is one model year. The most recent years are still collecting complaints.
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. Best against its own year: 2022.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections, initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Year by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 SQ8 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024 SQ8 | 2 | 2 |
| 2023 SQ8 | 2 | 2 |
| 2022 SQ8 | 4 | 3 |
| 2021 SQ8 | 3 | 6 |
| 2020 SQ8 | 1 | 1 |
A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections
Most common problems
- Engine5
- Electrical system3
- Power train2
- Forward collision avoidance2
- Vehicle speed control1
- Suspension1
- Structure1
- Latches/locks/linkages1
NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years
Crash-test ratings by year
NHTSA 5-star results for 5 model-year variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Year | Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026 AUDI SQ8 SUV N/A AWD | — | 15.8 % |
| 2025 | 2025 Audi SQ8 SUV AWD | — | 15.8 % |
| 2024 | 2024 Audi SQ8 SUV AWD | — | 15.8 % |
| 2021 | 2021 Audi SQ8 SUV AWD | — | 15.8 % |
| 2020 | 2020 Audi SQ8 SUV AWD | — | 15.8 % |
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 7 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 13.8–14.2 L/100 km.
| Year | Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | SQ8 quattro · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 16.1 | 11.9 | 14.2 |
| 2025 | SQ8 quattro · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 16.1 | 11.9 | 14.2 |
| 2024 | SQ8 quattro · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 15.6 | 11.5 | 13.8 |
| 2023 | SQ8 quattro · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 16.1 | 11.3 | 13.9 |
| 2022 | SQ8 quattro · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 16.0 | 11.4 | 13.9 |
| 2021 | SQ8 quattro · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 16.0 | 11.4 | 13.9 |
| 2020 | SQ8 · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 15.8 | 11.4 | 13.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
In New Zealand
11 SQ8 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports.
| Model year | Registered | Sold new in NZ | Used imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
In the Netherlands
603 SQ8 cars are on Dutch roads; 79% arrived later as imports, and 9 still have a recall open. Open a year for APK defects, odometer checks and colours.
| First registered | On the road | Median list price |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 133 | €121,625 |
| 2023 | 86 | €120,086 |
| 2022 | 63 | €216,442 |
| 2021 | 104 | €210,313 |
| 2020 | 146 | €191,998 |
| 2019 | 71 | €194,974 |
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles (CC0) · list price is the manufacturer's catalogue price when new
In the United Kingdom
1,363 SQ8 cars were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, by year of manufacture.
| Built | Licensed | Off the road (SORN) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 147 | 1 |
| 2024 | 285 | 3 |
| 2023 | 235 | 2 |
| 2022 | 205 | 4 |
| 2021 | 202 | 6 |
| 2020 | 174 | 10 |
| 2019 | 115 | — |
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
315 SQ8 cars took their annual MOT test in 2023; 91% passed first time, against 87% for all cars of the same ages. Older cars fail more often, so compare a year with the same year of other cars.
| First registered | Tests | Passed first time |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 198 | 93% |
| 2019 | 117 | 87% |
Why they fail
Share of all first tests that ended in a fail because of each part of the car (one test can fail on several).
| Area | SQ8 | All cars, same ages |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 5.7% | 4.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.3% | 3.1% |
| Visibility | 1.0% | 3.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Brakes | 0.6% | 2.0% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests of cars only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
New registrations in Europe
8,448 new Audi SQ8 cars registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland between 2019 and 2022, from the European Environment Agency's CO₂ monitoring of every new car. In 2022 the largest markets were Germany (902), Poland (266), Czechia (100).
| Year | New cars | CO₂ g/km |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,665 | 288 (WLTP) |
| 2021 | 1,371 | 273 (WLTP) |
| 2020 | 3,997 | 240 (WLTP) |
| 2019 | 1,415 | 239 (WLTP) |
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
1,810 Audi SQ8 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2024 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Petrol versions average 14.7 l/100 km on the road, against 12.6 l/100 km in the official WLTP test — 17% more.
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,810 | 14.7 | 12.6 | +17% |
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 SQ8 uses 14.7 litres per 100 km, so 15,000 km a year takes about 2,210 litres: €4,818 at this week's average price in Germany, its largest market in Europe.
| Country | Petrol |
|---|---|
| Germany | €4,818 |
| Poland | €3,449 |
| Czechia | €4,117 |
| Italy | €4,457 |
| United Kingdom | £3,860 |
| United States | $2,502 |
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
EU safety alerts
Safety Gate, the European Union's rapid alert system, names the SQ8 in 1 alert. European versions can differ from the North American car.
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.
Safety Gate (European Commission) · CC0
Recalls
10 campaigns cover the SQ8.
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."
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Audi RS Q8, Audi Q8, Audi Q7, and Audi SQ8 vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belt buckles may be missing a rivet that secures the buckle to the seat belt stalk.
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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2023-2024 SQ8, RSQ8, Q8, Q7, and 2024 SQ7 vehicles. The driver's seat side air bag may have been improperly mounted to the seatback frame. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
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."
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."
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.
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."
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."
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi SQ7, RSQ8, RS7, RS6 AVANT, and SQ8 vehicles. Cracks may develop on the surface of the engine cylinder bore.
NHTSA recalls