AUDI 80 · model year

1989 AUDI 80

10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989AUDI80 carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 80 is power train:automatic transmission with 2 filings, followed by power train:axle assembly (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 1989 80. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER2
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT1
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT1
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL1
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE1

Recent Complaints

19991129POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

DIFFERENTIAL FAILED DUE TO EVAPORATION OF THE OIL, (RECALL, HOWEVER VEHICLE DENIED # 93V-006).

19991129SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE CAUSED BRAKES TO FAIL AND RESULTED IN ACCIDENT. YH

19990711POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

NO SUMMARY

19980326SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

WHILE DRIVING MASTER CYLINDER MALFUNCTION, CAUSING BRAKES TO FAIL, RESULTING IN A MINOR COLLISION. *AK

19970424POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

TRANSAXLE FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID TO A STOP.

19970424POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT

BEARINGS MELTED/SHREDDED.

19970424POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL

SEALS MELTED, CAUSING TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK INTO THE DIFFERENTIAL.

19961127POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

TRANSAXLE/TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY FAILED DUE TO LACK OF DIFFERENTIAL FLUID PRIOR TO RECALL, REPAIRS WERE NEVER DONE (93V-006). *AK

19951109POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

OIL LUBRICATING TRANSAXLE GEARS WAS LOST DUE TO EVAPORATION, CAUSING VEHICLE NOISE PRIOR TO/AFTER RECALL REPAIRS (93V-006). *AK

19950717POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECALLED THREE YEARS AGO FOR THE TRANSMISSION. NOW THE TRANSMISSION DAMAGED AGAIN DUE TO LOW OIL. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

Compare 1989AUDI80 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 AUDI 80 have?
The 1989 AUDI 80 has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 AUDI 80?
The most-complained component for the 1989 AUDI 80 is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER.
Is the 1989 AUDI 80 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.