2001 Audi A8

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control › accelerator pedal. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Wheels1
100
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000
Fuel/Propulsion System1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000
Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel1
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.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly › Filler Pipe and Cap01V259000
Filed Aug 15, 2001600 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A FUEL AND VAPOR LEAK DETECTION SYSTEM. A "BLIND COVER" AT THE FILLER NECK OF THE FUEL TANK MAY NOT SEAL PROPERLY ALLOWING FUEL VAPOR TO ESCAPE.

Risk. SHOULD THIS HAPPEN, THE FUEL TANK PRESSURE WILL BE REDUCED, WHICH WILL ACTIVATE THE LEAK DETECTION SYSTEM AND ALERT THE DRIVER OF A SYSTEM'S FAULT INDICATED BY AN INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FILLER NECK/EXPANSION TANK ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 21, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT AUDI AT 1-866-892-2834.

What owners reported

Newest filings
WheelsCrash
Filed Mar 16, 2019172,000 milesCO

A8L [QUATTRO, ALL WHEEL DRIVE] IN EARLY DECEMBER OF 2018, I ORDERED 4 TIRES FROM WALMART ONLINE FOR MY 2001 AUDI . THEY WERE 245/45/18 SUPERMAX 100V TM-1. THE TIRE SIZE WAS EXACTLY AS RECOMMENDED ON THE B-PILLAR AND EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE AS THE TIRES THAT WERE ON THE CAR WHEN THESE NEW TIRES WERE ORDERED. THE ONLINE AD FOR THE TIRES SPECIFICALLY STATED "ASK US TO INSTALL" [THE TIRES]. I HAD THEM SHIPPED TO THE WALMART ON QUEBEC AND E-470 IN ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, "TED" THE ASSISTANT TIRE DEPARTMENT MANAGER, REFUSED TO MOUNT THEM AND REFUSED TO SELL ME ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE. I WENT TO THE MANAGER "SAMANTHA" TO COMPLAIN, BUT SHE BACK UP TED SAYING THE COMPANY HAD A WRITTEN POLICY NOT TO INSTALL THE TIRES OR SELL ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE FOR THEM. WHEN I ASKED TO SEE THE POLICY SHE SAID THAT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WRITTEN POLICY WAS SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT IT WAS NOT FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW. I HAD TWO OF THE TIRES PUT ON BY AN INDEPENDENT TIRE COMPANY AND THE OTHER TWO BY ANOTHER WALMART WHO INDICATED THEY WOULD INSTALL THEM BUT THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ROAD HAZARD INSURANCE. ALMOST IMMEDIATLY, ONE OF THE TIRES WENT FLAT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A CURVY ROAD [HWY 74 BETWEEN MORRISON AND EVERGREEN] AND RUINED THE TIRE. I DIDN'T SEE ANY NAILS OR PUNCTURES IN THE TIRE. PRETTY SOON TWO MORE OF THE TIRES DID THE SAME THING WHEN GOING AROUND A CORNER. FINALLY, I WAS DRIVING ON I-70 AT ABOUT 50 MILES PER HOUR BY THE CHIEF HOSA EXIT DRIVING WESTBOUND. THE ROADS WERE NOT SNOW PACKE

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jul 23, 201586,000 milesPA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 AUDI A8. UPON TRYING TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE FORWARD AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE UPON PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, BUT NOT INTO DRIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE FUEL FILLER NECK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHICH WAS CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V397000 (POWER TRAIN) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 01V259000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE FURTHER DIAGNOSED BY THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. MA 10/1 UPDATED 12/06/2017*CN

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Jan 10, 2007NY

2001 AUDI A8L GAUGE CLUSTER PROBLEMS**CC THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW MUCH FUEL WAS IN THE VEHICLE, THE TEMPERATURE OR THE VEHICLE SPEED, BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *JB

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Nov 9, 2004NY

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED AN INCONSISTENCY WITH ACCELERATION WHEN MAKING RIGHT HAND TURNS. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN HE DRIVES THE VEHICLE IT FEELS LIKE HE IS STARTING OFF IN THIRD GEAR. *TC

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Sep 29, 20048,600 milesFL

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed Jul 25, 2002IL

CONSUMER STATES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL GOT STUCK WHILE DRIVING, INCREASING THE SPEED TO 100MPH. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF TO STOP DUE TO NO BRAKE RESPONSE. VEHICLE IS A 2001 AUDI A8 QUATTRO DEALER WAS CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*JB

6 of 6 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
2001 — this page6200Routine
20003210Routine
19999410Routine
19984300Routine
199710200Routine
19961200Routine
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.