2021 Audi Q8 problems & reliability
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Audi Q8, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Audi Q8 vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 0 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 13 | 46% |
| Engine | 6 | 21% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 14% |
| Power Train | 4 | 14% |
| Back Over Prevention | 3 | 11% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 11% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 7% |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 7% |
| Steering | 2 | 7% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving my car would not accelerate on the highway and it almost caused me to get into an accident with my niece in the car. When I took the car to Audi this is what I was told my the service adviser. “Good afternoon. The technician has been looking into the vehicle and has found the cause of the issue. He has…”
Power Train · filed Jun 1, 2026
“Belt Starter Generator failure rendered car undrivable -- power steering failed while in motion. Issue is subject to Class Action Settlement in USDistrict Court, Case # 3:23-cv-02291-RK-RLS. But this should have been a recall because of danger of Injury or Death. A recall would provide notice that the notice of…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 30, 2026
“Audi Q8 failed water pump leading to severe loss of power and a major safety issue. I was merging on a very busy highway when I had loss of power with my children in the vehicle. This was alarming as I was not able to accelerate as anticipated and had no warning/notice that this was going to occur, and others around…”
Power Train · filed Jan 30, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1,290 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Audi Q8. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides a statement regarding the bottleneck of supply for VW approved oil types VW 504.00 and VW 507.00.
TSB_2082846_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is an insufficient gap width between the tank flap and the side panel.
TSB_2071697_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 16, 2026
This bulletin provides information when DTC B105A1A, B103E25 is stored in 0017; fuel tank level implausible.
TSB_2081573_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 13, 2026
This service information TSB provides warranty coverage information for vehicles with a broken sunroof panel.
TSB_2078648_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2026
This bulletin provides informatoinw hent here are scratches or a coating on the cover of the instrument cluster, or particles inside of the housing.
TSB_2073747_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is a film/visible rings on the clear glass cover of the headlight when the dipped beam is switched on.
TSB_2073282_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin provides information when DTC B105A1A, B103E25 is stored in 0017; fuel tank level implausible.
TSB_2081573_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 2, 2026
This bulletin provides information regarding various complaints about front or rear door locks.
TSB_2079747_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2026
This bulletin provides a deployment overview for customer service packages MLB and MQB for MIB3/connectivity box/OCU3/LSR.
TSB_2076404_8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 29, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is increased oil consumption; >0.5ltr/1000 km.
TSB_2074640_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Audi Q8 has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Audi Q8?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.