2009 Audi A8

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly1
000
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch1
000
Exterior Lighting1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1
100

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly16V415000
Filed Jun 9, 2016536 vehiclesVolkswagen Group Of America, Inc.

Defect. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Audi A8 and S8 vehicles. The sunroof glass on the affected vehicles may not be properly secured to the sunroof frame. As a result, the sunroof glass may detach from the car while driving.

Risk. If the glass detaches from the sunroof frame it could be come a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install additional adhesive between the sunroof glass and frame, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in August 4, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 60C3.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
Filed Apr 25, 2025133,878 milesIN

The contact owns a 2009 Audi A8. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof glass detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sunroof glass frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 133,878.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Jun 5, 2021IA

1: My passenger door sensitive door closing sensor is not working 2: my sunroof is off track and makes noises 3: battery cord is corroded. There is no where in the world to get 1 right now apparently. I bought a brand new battery and car still doesn’t pull energy from the battery so I’m scared the car won’t start very soon

Exterior Lighting
Filed Apr 10, 20145,390 milesWA

MULTIPLE COMPONENT FAILURES RELATIVE TO TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES. BOTH TRUNK MOUNTED TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACE IN 12/11 UNDER MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. SEALED TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES WERE NOT WATER TIGHT WHICH CAUSED FAILURE OF CIRCUIT BOARDS AND LED LIGHTS. ONE OF THE TWO REPLACEMENT UNITS HAS ALSO FAILED AGAIN (18 MO. IN SERVICE AND 6000 MILES) LIGHTS HAVE FAILED IN THIS UNIT AS WELL, CAUSING POTENTIAL HAZARD DUE TO LACK OF ILLUMINATION EXPERIENCED IDENTICAL FAILURE ON MY 2007 AUDI S8 WHICH IS THE SAME CHASSIS PLATFORM AS THE VEHICLE ABOVE. A TOTAL OF FOUR OF THESE TAIL LIGHTS HAVE FAILED ON THESE TWO VEHICLES. THERE WERE NO COLLISIONS OR EVENTS THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE OR AFFECTED THE INTEGRITY OF THE LIGHTING UNIT . APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IN REVIEWING SOME OF THE AUDI CHAT BOARDS, THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE ON THIS D3 PLATFORM. *TR

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Crash
Filed Dec 11, 20095,050 milesTX

CAR HANDLING SYSTEM WENT OUT OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND STEERING CONTROL CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE SENT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THEN OFF THE ROAD. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Aug 19, 20099,033 milesNJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 AUDI A8. WHEN HE TURNED THE VEHICLE ON THE ENGINE BEGAN VIBRATING AND WHENEVER THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED TO A LOWER GEAR AND THEN SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 4 OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 9033.

5 of 5 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
2009 — this page5100Routine
20088100Routine
20074200Routine
20066200Routine
20056110Routine
200420120Routine
20033100Routine
20021100Routine
20016200Routine
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: Jun 9, 2016. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.