Total Complaints
6 filings
AUDI A8 · model year
2009 AUDI A8
6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2009AUDIA8 carries 6 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, 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 2009 A8 is engine and engine cooling:engine with 1 filings, followed by electronic stability control (esc) (1) and exterior lighting (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. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2009 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.
6
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recalls (1)
16V41500009/06/2016
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Audi A8 and S8 vehicles. The sunroof glass on the affected vehicles may not be properly secured to the sunroof frame. As a result, the sunroof glass may detach from the car while driving.
Recent Complaints
20250425VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2009 Audi A8. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof glass detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sunroof glass frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 133,878.
Mileage: 133,878
20210605LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
1: My passenger door sensitive door closing sensor is not working 2: my sunroof is off track and makes noises 3: battery cord is corroded. There is no where in the world to get 1 right now apparently. I bought a brand new battery and car still doesnât pull energy from the battery so Iâm scared the car wonât start very soon
20210605ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1: My passenger door sensitive door closing sensor is not working 2: my sunroof is off track and makes noises 3: battery cord is corroded. There is no where in the world to get 1 right now apparently. I bought a brand new battery and car still doesnât pull energy from the battery so Iâm scared the car wonât start very soon
20140410EXTERIOR LIGHTING
MULTIPLE COMPONENT FAILURES RELATIVE TO TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES. BOTH TRUNK MOUNTED TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACE IN 12/11 UNDER MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. SEALED TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES WERE NOT WATER TIGHT WHICH CAUSED FAILURE OF CIRCUIT BOARDS AND LED LIGHTS. ONE OF THE TWO REPLACEMENT UNITS HAS ALSO FAILED AGAIN (18 MO. IN SERVICE AND 6000 MILES) LIGHTS HAVE FAILED IN THIS UNIT AS WELL, CAUSING POTENTIAL HAZARD DUE TO LACK OF ILLUMINATION EXPERIENCED IDENTICAL FAILURE ON MY 2007 AUDI S8 WHICH IS THE SAME CHASSIS PLATFORM AS THE VEHICLE ABOVE. A TOTAL OF FOUR OF THESE TAIL LIGHTS HAVE FAILED ON THESE TWO VEHICLES. THERE WERE NO COLLISIONS OR EVENTS THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE OR AFFECTED THE INTEGRITY OF THE LIGHTING UNIT . APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IN REVIEWING SOME OF THE AUDI CHAT BOARDS, THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE ON THIS D3 PLATFORM. *TR
Mileage: 5,390
20091211CrashELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
CAR HANDLING SYSTEM WENT OUT OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND STEERING CONTROL CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE SENT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THEN OFF THE ROAD. *TR
Mileage: 5,050
20090819ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 AUDI A8. WHEN HE TURNED THE VEHICLE ON THE ENGINE BEGAN VIBRATING AND WHENEVER THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED TO A LOWER GEAR AND THEN SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 4 OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 9033.
Mileage: 9,033
Compare 2009AUDIA8 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2009 AUDI A8 have?▼
The 2009 AUDI A8 has 6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2009 AUDI A8?▼
Yes, the 2009 AUDI A8 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 AUDI A8?▼
The most-complained component for the 2009 AUDI A8 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) and EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Is the 2009 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.