2012 Audi A8

Routine

Owners filed 11 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine3
000
Steering2
000
Air Bags2
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Fuel/Propulsion System1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine16V619000
Filed Aug 24, 20169,067 vehiclesVolkswagen Group Of America, Inc.

Defect. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Audi A8 vehicles manufactured May 15, 2010, to May 14, 2012. The affected vehicles have a coolant valve that may leak, allowing coolant to enter the engine control module causing a loss of power or the engine to stall.

Risk. A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the coolant valve and inspect for coolant that has leaked through the electrical connector, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 19, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine
Filed Jun 10, 2021PA

Check Engine ON. Diagnosed as cam shaft timing chain failure

Air Bags
Filed Jun 23, 2020121,000 milesVA

AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON EVEN AFTER THE INITIAL STARTUP. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND HAS NOT BEEN MOVED. CODED ERROR IS DRIVER HEAD CURTAIN IGNITER SHORT CIRCUIT TO GROUND. *TR

Engine
Filed Aug 19, 2019103,000 milesIL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 AUDI A8. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V619000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED BY FLETCHER JONES AUDI (1523 W NORTH AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60642, (312) 628-4300). TWO YEARS AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SPORADIC ENGINE LEAKS THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

Steering
Filed Jul 23, 2019160,247 milesNJ

POWER STEERING PUMP MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION/ NO POWER ASSIST CUSTOMER STATES STEERING WHEEL IS STIFF NO POWER ASSIT. POWER STEERING PUMP MALFUNCTION PUMP ASSEMBLY FAILED AND POWER STEERING PUMP

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump
Filed Jun 25, 201983,998 milesTN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 AUDI A8. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE ELECTRONIC POWER CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER 25 MINUTES AND TOWED TO AUDI NASHVILLE (LOCATED AT 1576 MALLORY LN, BRENTWOOD, TN 37027, (855) 574-8043). THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE, BUT INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT A LOOSE CONNECTION WAS FOUND ON THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,998. *JS

Engine
Filed Oct 29, 2018109,500 milesAL

I'VE RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS AND CAM FOLLOWERS AT COST TO MYSELF EVEN THOUGH AUDI EXTENDED THE WARRANTY DUE TO PREMATURE FAILURES ON SEVERAL AUDIS. APPARENTLY MY VIN WASN'T IN THE LIST . I TRIED CALLING AOA FOR ANY ASSISTANCE BUT WAS TOLD BECAUSE I ONLY OWN ONE(APPARENTLY BRAND LOYALTY MEANS BUYING 2 AT A TIME) AND I BOUGHT IT FROM AN INDEPENDENT DEALER THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I GET ALL MY WORK DONE AT THE LOCAL AUDI DEALER. SINCE THEN I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE MY WINDSHIELD DUE TO THE SEALS FAILING AND LEAVING ME WITH A WATER FALL IN MY CAR(I SEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE AFFECTED IN FORUMS). NOT TO MENTION THE SHORT IN MY MMI SCREEN AND TAIL LIGHT(SOME OF THE LEDS ARE OUT AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I HAD REFUSED TO COVER) THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED BUT HAS TO BE PUT ON HOLD DUE TO MY THERMOSTAT FAILING. I ONLY HAVE 113,950 MILES AND HAVE BEEN GETTING REGULAR SERVICE. I HAVE HAD MANY CARS OVER THE YEARS AND NEVER HAD THIS MANY PROBLEMS. BETWEEN THE PROBLEMS I'M HAVING AND THE COMMENTS MADE BY AUDI OF AMERICA THIS MAY BE MY FIRST AND LAST AUDI.

Steering
Filed Nov 5, 201762,000 milesNV

WITHOUT NOTICE, STEERING CEASED TO FUNCTION WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED IN A RETAIL PARKING LOT.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Oct 29, 201675,257 milesMD

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A RECALL ITEM TO BE REPLACED AND I WAS INFORMED THAT MY FUEL RAIL WAS LEAKING GAS. THEY DIDNT SAY IT WAS URGENT SO I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AND ON MY WAS HOME I HAS THE STRONG SMELL OF GAS. I THEN TOOK MY CAR TO ANOTHER AUDI REPAIR HOP FOR A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS SPRAYING FUEL AND THAT IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. HE ALSO SAID THAT MY CAR WAS NOT OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF LEAK SO IT MAY BE A DEFECT . HE ALSO SAID IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN LEAKING FOR SOME TIME BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF RESIDUE HE SAW NEAR THE LEAK

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 19, 201638,000 milesTX

I WAS TOLD THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE, THE ANTIFREEZE GETS INTO THE WIRING HARNESS AND FOR ME THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. TO FIX THE ISSUE THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE ENGINE OUT AND REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS. A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX, I HAVE IT UNDER WARRANTY BUT WAS TOLD I WAS LUCKY, WHICH I ASSUME MEANS IF I DID NOT HAVE THE 100000 MILE WARRANTY I WOULD BE PAYING OUT OF POCKET. BUT IF THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed May 27, 201656,000 milesIN

AFTER STARTING THE CAR IT WILL TRAVEL OR IDLE FOR 3-6 MINUTES (2-3 MILES) THEN START TO SPUTTER AND STALL. DURING THIS TIME THE YELLOW EPC LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT ARE ON. AFTER SITTING FOR 3-8 MINUTES IT MOST OFTEN STARTS BUT WILL NOT IDLE OR TRAVEL UNLESS THE EPC LIGHT GOES OUT. THIS RESTART MAY NOT BE SUCCESSFUL THE FIRST OR SECOND TIME. RUNNING OTHER SOFTWARE, AIR CONDITIONING, AND CRUISE CONTROL HAS NO INFLUENCE. PRELIMINARY COMPUTER CHECK SUGGESTS 14 FAULTS. FURTHER EXAMINATION WILL BE DONE AFTER MAY 30, 2016.

Air Bags
Filed Mar 25, 20131,000 milesCT

FRONT SEAT PASSENGER AIRBAG REPEATEDLY DEACTIVATES REGARDLESS OF 115 POUND ADULT SITTING PROPERLY IN THE SEAT. SAME ISSUE HAPPENED WITH THE A8 LOANER VEHICLE PROVIDED WHILE THIS CAR WAS BEING SERVICED. AUDI TRIES TO EXPLAIN IT "AS DESIGNED" SUGGESTING THAT THE AIRBAG WOULD HARM THE PASSENGER. *TR

11 of 11 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
2012 — this page11100Routine
201115100Routine
20101100Routine
20095100Routine
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: Aug 24, 2016. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.