1996 Audi A8

Routine

Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › foundation components › disc › rotor. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Power Train › Automatic Transmission08V397000
Filed Aug 14, 200813,900 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America, Inc

Defect. VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 13,900 MY 1996-2003 AUDI A8 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE LOCKING CABLE MAY MOVE OUT OF POSITION OVER TIME. WITH THE LOCKING CABLE OUT OF POSITION, THE SHIFTER CAN BE MOVED OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION EVEN IF THE IGNITION KEY IS NOT IN THE IGNITION LOCK.

Risk. THIS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL, CAUSING A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LOCKING CABLE BY INSTALLING AN ADJUSTING PIECE THAT WILL SECURE THE LOCKING CABLE IN PLACE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.

Air Bags › Frontal97V175000
Filed Oct 8, 199739,300 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DISCHARGE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY UNDER LOW HUMIDITY CONDITIONS CAN ACTIVATE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WHEN THE DRIVER ENTERS OR EXITS THE VEHICLE AND FORMS AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BY TOUCHING CERTAIN AREAS OF THE STEERING WHEEL.

Risk. ACTIVATION OF THE AIR BAG UNDER THESE CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A GROUND WIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed Nov 17, 1999TX

THE FRONT ROTORS ON THE 1998 AUDI A8 WARP AFTER VERY SHORT USAGE. WE HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE RESURFACED THE ROTORS, AND THE PROBLEM QUICKLY RE-OCCURS. THIS CAUSES MILD TO SEVERE STEERING WHEEL OSCILLATION UNDER MODERATE BRAKING, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LIFT UP ON BRAKES. AUDI DEALER, AND MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE COMPONENTS WITH ADEQUATE DISC SUCH THAT THERE IS NO REOCCURRENCE. CAN CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES AND STEERING ERRORS. *AK

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2013
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20260100Routine
20250100Routine
20240200Routine
20230200Routine
20220300Routine
202151000Routine
20203510Routine
201914300Routine
20180200Routine
20178300Routine
201611400Routine
201531500Routine
201418500Routine
201349600Routine
201211100Routine
201115100Routine
20101100Routine
20095100Routine
20088100Routine
20074200Routine
20066200Routine
20056110Routine
200420120Routine
20033100Routine
20021100Routine
20016200Routine
20003210Routine
19999410Routine
19984300Routine
199710200Routine
1996 — this page1200Routine
19950100Routine

Compare every A8 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Aug 14, 2008. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.