Total Complaints
4 filings
AUDI A8 · model year
1998 AUDI A8
4 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998AUDIA8 carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 1998 A8 is air bags with 2 filings, followed by visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:exterior (1) and equipment:mechanical:accessory scissor/screw/bottle jack/lift (1). 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 1998 A8. 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.
4
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20061109EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT
TIRE JACK SUPPLIED BY AUDI USA FOR THE AUDI A8 IS VERY DANGEROUS. IT IS MANUFACTURED OUT OF CHEAP ALUMINUM AND IS NOT RUGGED ENOUGH TO LIFT THE CAR EVEN ON FLAT PAVEMENT. THE JACK BENT UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HURT SOMEONE. *JB
Mileage: 105,000
20030128AIR BAGS
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT INDICATES AIRBAG FAILURE. AUDI DEALER CANNOT RECTIFY.
Mileage: 59,000
20000928CrashAIR BAGS
SINGLE OCCUPANT IN VEHICLE (DRIVER) VEHICLE WAS FORCED OFF THE ROAD AND ENTERED A DITCH ABOUT THREE-FOUR FEET DEEP. PASSENGER'S AIR BAG, FRONT, FIRED. THE AUDI A8 CLEARLY STATES IN THE SALES LITERATURE THAT THE PASSENGER'S AIRBAG IS INTERLOCKED OUT WHEN NO PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT AND THERE WERE NO PARCELS, SHOPPING BAGS, AND ETC. ON THE PASSENGER'S SEAT. AUDI & THE DEALERSHIP HAVE BEEN HIGHLY UNPLEASANT TO DEAL WITH CONCERNING THIS "PERFECTLY NORMAL OPERATION OF THE PASSENGER'S AIRBAG."
19990728VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
BLIND SPOTS, REAR VISIBILITY: AUDI'S REFUSAL TO REPLACE OUTSIDE MIRRORS. THE PASSENGER'S OUTSIDE MIRROR AN DRIVERS POORLY DESIGNED AND HAVE TREMENDOUS BLIND SPOTS. DRIVING A $70K WITH MIRROR ASSEMBLIES THAT DO NOT PROVIDE SAFE REAR VISION MONITORING IS OUTRAGEOUS AND DANGEROUS. POOR REAR VISION RESULTS FROM EXCESSIVELY WIDE C PILLARS, REAR SEAT HEAD RESTS THAT DO NOT HAVE STORAGE RECESSES OR OTHER PROVISIONS FOR PREVENTING THEM FROM OBSCURING LARGE AREAS OF THE REAR WINDOW. THE DEALER HAS AND AUDI HAVE BEEN LESS THAN HELPFUL EVEN WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT A 19991/2 A4 ($30,000) RIGHT OUSIDE MIRROR HAS ALMOST TWICE THE VISUAL FIELD AS MY A8. AUDI'S RESPONSE TO ME HAS BEEN TERRIBLE, AND THEIR SUGGESTED ACTIONS INCLUDE MY HAVING TO PURCHASE AND HAVE INSTALLED APPROXIMATELY $1000 FOR RIGHT AND LEFT OUTSIDE MIRROR. THE LATEST A4'S REAR HEAD RESTS RECESS INTO THE TOP OF THE REAR SEATS AND PROVIDE ALMOST NO OBSCURATION OR REAR VISION. I REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM AUDI AT PURCHASE TIME RE: REAR H
Compare 1998AUDIA8 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 AUDI A8 have?▼
The 1998 AUDI A8 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 AUDI A8?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 AUDI A8 is AIR BAGS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR and EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT.
Is the 1998 AUDI A8 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.