1990 Audi V8

Routine

Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. It has been recalled 3 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Equipment › Electrical › Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.2
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components1
000
Electrical System › Wiring › Rear Compartment/Trunk1
000
Air Bags › Side/Window1
000

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module-inactive97V172000
Filed Oct 6, 199754,800 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME AIR BAG SENSORS DO NOT COMPLY WITH AUDI'S DURABILITY STANDARDS OVER THE LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE.

Risk. IN THE EVENT THE SENSOR SHOULD MALFUNCTION, THE AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM CAN INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY. DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM WITHOUT WARNING COULD CAUSE A DRIVER TO LOSE VEHICLE CONTROL.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG SENSOR CONTROL MODULE.

Vehicle Speed Control96V084000
Filed May 10, 19963,100 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. A BUSHING WHICH GUIDES THE CRUISE CONTROL ROD CAN, OVER TIME, DETERIORATE AND CAUSE THE CONTROL ROD TO BIND.

Risk. A BINDING CONTROL ROD CAN IMPEDE THE RETURN OF THE THROTTLE PLATE TO ITS FULL IDLE POSITION.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONTROL ROD BUSHING WITH AN IMPROVED VERSION.

Equipment › Mechanical › Integrated Jack/Leveler/Stabilizer91V050000
Filed Apr 2, 199120,800 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. INSTRUCTION LABEL IN THE TRUNK OF VEHICLE IS INCORRECT FOR THE JACK SUPPLIED WITH THE VEHICLE.

Risk. INCORRECT USE CAN RESULT IN THE JACK COLLAPSING, WITHINJURY TO INDIVIDUALS UNDER OR NEAR VEHICLE DURING COLLAPSE.

Remedy. SUPPLY INSERT TO OWNER'S MANUAL NOTING CORRECT USAGE, AS WELL AS A CORRECTED INSTRUCTION LABEL FOR THE TRUNK.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System › Wiring › Rear Compartment/Trunk
Filed Oct 25, 200675,000 milesNJ

REAR SPEAKERS MAKE NOISE UPON TURNING RADIO ON. NOISE INCLUDES HUM, HISSING, SQUEAL AND POOP NOISES. ACCORDING TO AUDI, THE SPEAKERS AND AMPLIFIERS IN MY CAR ARE THE ASME AS THOSE IN 1991 AND 1992 VERSIONS. 1991 AND 1992 CARS HAD A RECALL ON THESE BOSE SPEAKERS AS THE FAILURE CAN CUASE A FIRE. AUDI IS NOT EXTENDING THE SAME REPAIR TO MY CAR BECAUSE IT IS NOT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL, ALTHOUGH THE SYSTEMS ARE THE SAME AS ARE THE PROBLEMS

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Apr 5, 2004WA

THE DRIVER WAS ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ACCELERATION. THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE CONSUMER SAYS THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE CRUISE CONTROL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

Equipment › Electrical › Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.
Filed Jun 7, 2002ME

THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE DOES NOT FIT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF RECALL 01V-324 DUE TO THE VIN, THE CONSUMER FEELS THE VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO THE SAME RISK OF FAILURE AND FIRE.

Air Bags › Side/Window
Filed May 22, 2002NV

WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

Equipment › Electrical › Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.
Filed Jan 14, 2002WA

NHTSA ALREADY HAS A DEFECT NOTED AS #01V324000 - THIS NOTICE IS TO ADVISE THE CONDITION EXISTS ON 1990 MODELS NOT JUST THE 1991 AS LISTED IN THE NHTSA REPORT. MY SPEAKERS HAVE FAILED JUST AS THE REPORT INDICATES CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD. PLEASE ADD 1990 AS A YEAR TO BE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT.*AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Oct 27, 1998IN

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, IN THE PROCESS OF BRAKING, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES OUT OF CONTROL UNTIL THE SPEED REACHES 25 TO 30 MPH, THEN THE VEHICLE OPERATES CLOSE TO NORMAL. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed May 22, 1997NJ

THE ROTORS HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY (10,000-15,000) MILES BECAUSE OF WARPING. BECAUSE OF THE WARPED ROTORS, WHEN BRAKING, THE VEHICLE GOES INTO A UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKING VIRBRATION. IN THE LAST 2 1/2 YEARS (3) SETS OF ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED A (4TH) TIME. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages
Filed Aug 8, 1996CT

CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED, AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAED, HIT RESUME, VEHICLE WENT INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION AND WOULD NOT RELEASE, APPLIED THE BRAKES REAL HARD TO STOP VEHICLE.*AK MECHANIC DISENGAGED CRUISE CONTROL ROD AND INFORMED CONSUMER THERE WAS A RECALL 96V084, CONSUMER IS ANGRY THAT HE NEVER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE. *SLC

8 of 8 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1990
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19930100Routine
19921200Routine
19912400Routine
1990 — this page8300Routine

Compare every V8 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: Oct 6, 1997. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.