AUDI A8 · model year

2019 AUDI A8

20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2019AUDIA8 carries 20 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 2019 A8 is electrical system with 8 filings, followed by engine (4) and unknown or other (3). 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 3 active recall campaigns, 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 2019 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.

20
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

20 filings

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

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM8
ENGINE4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
POWER TRAIN1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL1
STEERING1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING1
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION1

Recalls (3)

21V11100024/02/2021

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A8 and 2020-2021 Audi S8 vehicles. A missing sealing pin may allow moisture to enter the engine control module connector, possibly causing a control module malfunction.

25V90000019/12/2025

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal M

19V41500005/06/2019

SEATS

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019 Audi A8 vehicles equipped with rear relaxation seats. The front passenger seat track rivet may fail and cause the spindle bracket to separate.

Recent Complaints

20251016ENGINE

Complete Engine Failure - Audible Engine Knock Noise. Bank 2 Knock Sensor Faults stored & recorded at Audi of Hoffman Estates. Worked with Audi Of Amercia where they denied any wrongdoing or know issues. Bore socped engine at an independent shop & confirmed the cyclinder 6 bore was scored due to picton failure. Paid for a USED engine replacement & install out of my pocket on 8/5/2025 $4,655.57 Install Charge $6,760.49 Used Engine Cost On 9/8/2025 I recieved a letter in the mail from Auid Of America Outling a Piston Skirt Limited Warranty Extension. I reached out to Audi of Amercia the following day, outlined my experiece and was unaware how at no time during my phone calls & emails with Audi of America was a piston skirt issue never discussed. I had the bear the cost of engine replacement out of pocket as during the time frame of failure and per Audi - The repalcement engine was on "intergalactic backorder". When I reached out to Audi of America to discuss reimbursement my cla

20240621ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My grandson and I got in the car after being in a Lego store for 20 minutes. We tried to start the car to leave but the car started the electronic starting procedure but stoped. All kinds of malfunction and failure lights came on and EVERYTHING LOCKED UP. WE WERE TRAPPED IN THE CAR AND COULD NOT ESCAPE

20230930ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Electrical system malfunction. Faulty generator shut dow. All electrical systems and eventually shut the car down.

20230424ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Electrical Malfunction light came on and it says to pull over and cut your car off and also contact your dealer. This is very scary because you may be in am area that is very isolated or dangerous to stop. This is very disturbing. This is a known problem by Audi. The vehicle is currently at the Audi dealership. There were no warnings prior to this.

20230423ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving on highway my car experienced massive electrical malfunction. All systems shut down (including dashboard) and engine cut off. I think it was a miracle that I was able to pull over to the roadside parking lot without any accident. The issue was caused by faulty design of the starter-alternator combo that may render the car undriveable (single point of failure). I had to use a tow track to get my car to nearest dealership where it is right. I think it is extremely dangerous to have cars on the road with possibility of total breakdown without any warnings. My car has only 43000 miles on it so this was totally unexpected and created safety hazard for any all drivers nearby. I just checked some internet boards for Audi and apparently there are many other cars that experienced that issue.

20230423FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

While driving on highway my car experienced massive electrical malfunction. All systems shut down (including dashboard) and engine cut off. I think it was a miracle that I was able to pull over to the roadside parking lot without any accident. The issue was caused by faulty design of the starter-alternator combo that may render the car undriveable (single point of failure). I had to use a tow track to get my car to nearest dealership where it is right. I think it is extremely dangerous to have cars on the road with possibility of total breakdown without any warnings. My car has only 43000 miles on it so this was totally unexpected and created safety hazard for any all drivers nearby. I just checked some internet boards for Audi and apparently there are many other cars that experienced that issue.

20230423LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

While driving on highway my car experienced massive electrical malfunction. All systems shut down (including dashboard) and engine cut off. I think it was a miracle that I was able to pull over to the roadside parking lot without any accident. The issue was caused by faulty design of the starter-alternator combo that may render the car undriveable (single point of failure). I had to use a tow track to get my car to nearest dealership where it is right. I think it is extremely dangerous to have cars on the road with possibility of total breakdown without any warnings. My car has only 43000 miles on it so this was totally unexpected and created safety hazard for any all drivers nearby. I just checked some internet boards for Audi and apparently there are many other cars that experienced that issue.

20230409UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The sunroof on my 2019 Audi A8 spontaneously exploded around 445 pm on Friday, April 7, 2023. The car was traveling around 55 MPH and the sunroof just exploded out. The sunscreen was closed at the time. It was not hit by a rock or a tree limb or any other item. It just exploded. Sounded like a gunshot when the car was brought to a stop, there was a large hole in the sunroof and glass scattered all around the hole.

20230407ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Hello, On April 6th, 2023, at 12 pm, my car experienced a electrical malfunction within the Start/Stop system, which didn’t posed an immediate threat to my life. Later that day, the car stalled on me while driving, causing a highly dangerous situation on a busy street during peak traffic hours. Multiple error codes appeared, and the transmission failed, leaving me in a perilous position. It is alarming that AUDI is aware of this life-threatening issue, yet no recall has been issued thus far. I urge NHTSA to take swift action and hold AUDI accountable for this critical failure, which endangers not only my life but the lives of others on the road. Please refer to the link below for evidence supporting my claim. The issue is widespread, affecting various models of Audi, including the 2019 A6, A7, and A8. https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a7-224/2019-a6-a7-a8-electrical-failures-3037487/

20230407STEERING

Hello, On April 6th, 2023, at 12 pm, my car experienced a electrical malfunction within the Start/Stop system, which didn’t posed an immediate threat to my life. Later that day, the car stalled on me while driving, causing a highly dangerous situation on a busy street during peak traffic hours. Multiple error codes appeared, and the transmission failed, leaving me in a perilous position. It is alarming that AUDI is aware of this life-threatening issue, yet no recall has been issued thus far. I urge NHTSA to take swift action and hold AUDI accountable for this critical failure, which endangers not only my life but the lives of others on the road. Please refer to the link below for evidence supporting my claim. The issue is widespread, affecting various models of Audi, including the 2019 A6, A7, and A8. https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a7-224/2019-a6-a7-a8-electrical-failures-3037487/

20230126ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Alternator/Start stop generator is bad. Car stopped dead in the intersection.

20230125ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2019 Audi 8. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the message "Electrical Malfunction" was suddenly displayed before the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the alternator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were not available. The failure mileage was 45,000.

Mileage: 45,000

20230119ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Message appeared on display Jan 7 2023: "Electrical system: Malfunction! Please contact service" The trunk lid opened while I was driving, the a/c quit (I am in Key West!), the auto start/stop quit. I had heard of many other Audi owners whose car just quit, so I scooted home and parked. I had it towed to Coral Gables FL at my expense, and the dealer told me it was an alternator problem that needed to be replaced. None available in the US, could be months before it's repaired. Car is 2019 Audi A8 with 42,000 miles.

20230119ENGINE

Message appeared on display Jan 7 2023: "Electrical system: Malfunction! Please contact service" The trunk lid opened while I was driving, the a/c quit (I am in Key West!), the auto start/stop quit. I had heard of many other Audi owners whose car just quit, so I scooted home and parked. I had it towed to Coral Gables FL at my expense, and the dealer told me it was an alternator problem that needed to be replaced. None available in the US, could be months before it's repaired. Car is 2019 Audi A8 with 42,000 miles.

20230119UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Message appeared on display Jan 7 2023: "Electrical system: Malfunction! Please contact service" The trunk lid opened while I was driving, the a/c quit (I am in Key West!), the auto start/stop quit. I had heard of many other Audi owners whose car just quit, so I scooted home and parked. I had it towed to Coral Gables FL at my expense, and the dealer told me it was an alternator problem that needed to be replaced. None available in the US, could be months before it's repaired. Car is 2019 Audi A8 with 42,000 miles.

20220217POWER TRAIN

Vehicle engine would suddenly stop working, warning, "drive system malfunction: stop vehicle safely." It has happened 3 times within 3 days in the middle of the intersection. Dealers wouldn't take this issue seriously and they asked me to make an appointment online, which is scheduled to be 1 month away. The issue almost caused an accident twice. Adaptive cruise is also malfunctioning, engine random misfire, sunroof rattle, etc. This car is just so problematic it only has 20,000 miles on it and had scheduled maintenance performed just a month back.

20220217ENGINE

Vehicle engine would suddenly stop working, warning, "drive system malfunction: stop vehicle safely." It has happened 3 times within 3 days in the middle of the intersection. Dealers wouldn't take this issue seriously and they asked me to make an appointment online, which is scheduled to be 1 month away. The issue almost caused an accident twice. Adaptive cruise is also malfunctioning, engine random misfire, sunroof rattle, etc. This car is just so problematic it only has 20,000 miles on it and had scheduled maintenance performed just a month back.

20220217FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

Vehicle engine would suddenly stop working, warning, "drive system malfunction: stop vehicle safely." It has happened 3 times within 3 days in the middle of the intersection. Dealers wouldn't take this issue seriously and they asked me to make an appointment online, which is scheduled to be 1 month away. The issue almost caused an accident twice. Adaptive cruise is also malfunctioning, engine random misfire, sunroof rattle, etc. This car is just so problematic it only has 20,000 miles on it and had scheduled maintenance performed just a month back.

20201207CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER

INADVERTENT ACCELERATION. CAR A AGAINST WALL AT LOW SPEED (EST. 3 MPH). WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH BEHAVIOR OF STOP-START FEATURE. ENGINE WAS STOPPED, BUT VEHICLE IGNITION WAS NOT TURNED OFF. DRIVER DID NOT ANTICIPATE RESTART OF VEHICLE WHEN LIFTING FOOT OFF OF BRAKE. MINOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLE FRONT END.

Mileage: 4,052

20200901ENGINE

I OWN A 2019 AUDI A8 WITH 2000 MILES ON IT. THIS NEARLY HAS CAUSED ME ACCIDENTS AND OTHER AUDI A8 OWNERS ARE ALSO VOICING COMPLAINTS. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF IT BUT SAID AUDI ENGINEERS WILL NOT ADDRESS IT. AFTER COMING TO A STOP, UPON PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR THE VEHICLES DOES NOT RESPOND FOR THREE OR FOUR SECONDS AND THEN ABRUPTLY TAKES OFF. THERE IS A MAJOR HESITATION AND CAN BE DANGEROUS IF YOU ARE PULLING OUT IN AN INTERSECTION WITH TRAFFIC APPROACHING. AFTER THE 3-4 SECOND DELAY, IT THEN DANGEROUSLY SPEEDS AHEAD. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ON/OFF SWITCH AS IT HAPPENS IN ALL SETTINGS. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE THROTTLE AND DELAY AND IT WILL CAUSE ACCIDENTS. PLEASE SEE ONLINE WITH AUDI OWNERS AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP. THE DEALER HAS NOT SOLUTION. THIS APPLIES TO ALL SETTINGS. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU GO STRAIGHT, LEFT OR RIGHT. PLEASE HELP US SAVE LIVES.

Compare 2019AUDIA8 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2019 AUDI A8 have?
The 2019 AUDI A8 has 20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2019 AUDI A8?
Yes, the 2019 AUDI A8 has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM). Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 AUDI A8?
The most-complained component for the 2019 AUDI A8 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2019 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.