AUDI R8 · model year

2009 AUDI R8

6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2009AUDIR8 carries 6 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 2009 R8 is suspension with 2 filings, followed by structure:body (2) and engine (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 2009 R8. 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
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

6 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
SUSPENSION2
STRUCTURE:BODY2
ENGINE1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20190715STRUCTURE:BODY

FOR THE YEARS 2008-2010 AUDI R8 MODELS ARE PRONE TO EXPERIENCING STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE FRAME. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO . I SAW THE PREVIOUS RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE AND IT HAS NEVER REPAIRED TO GET THE REENFORCED FRAME STRUCTURE. I HAVEN'T BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND NOW I'M FINDING OUT THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOTED AS FRAME DAMAGE. SHOULDN'T AUDI/VOLKSWAGEN TAKE CARE OF THIS ESPECIALLY WITH THE HISTORY OF COMMON COMPLAINTS . I ONLY FOUND THIS OUT WHEN MY AUDI SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME OF THE CRACKED FRAME MEANWHILE DOING ROUTINE SERVICE OF THE BRAKE FLUID . THEY SENT ME A MESSAGE SAYING THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED A MAJOR ISSUE AND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR IS BREAKING OFF AND NEAR SEPARATION.

Mileage: 36,000

20170202UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE 2008 THROUGH 2010 MODELS ARE PRONE TO EXPERIENCING STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE FRAME (I.E. CRACKING) NEAR THE FRONT STRUT TOWER. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO AFFECT A LARGE NUMBER OF R8S MANUFACTURED DURING THIS PERIOD AND PRESENTS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. AUDI HAS TACITLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE BEING FROM A DESIGN FLAW BY REINFORCING THE FRAME IN THAT AREA ON 2011 AND SUBSEQUENT MODELS. I AM FRANKLY SURPRISED HAS NOT BEEN ACTION TO FORCE AUDI TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM ON THESE MODELS BY THE NHTSA ALREADY. HERE IS A LINK TO A DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW.R8TALK.COM/FORUMS/60-MAINTENANCE-SERVICE/10169-STRUCTURAL-FAILURE-WARNING-8.HTML

20170202STRUCTURE:BODY

I WAS DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, HIT A POT HOLE. NOT A HUGE POTHOLE BUT JARRED THE CAR. AGAIN, UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. WHEN THE CAR WAS ON THE LIFT TO REPLACE THE LEAKING SUSPENSION THAT PLAGUES THESE CARS I FOUND THE FRAME OF THE CAR HAD SEVERE CRACKS IN IT. STRUCTURAL CRACKS. *TR

Mileage: 43,000

20160107SUSPENSION

THE MAGNETIC RIDE SHOCKS WILL PREMATURELY LEAK OIL WHICH LEADS TO SUSPENSION FAILURE. PART OF THE FUNCTION IS TO STIFFEN THE SUSPENSION IF SWITCHED INTO SPORT MODE BUT THE LACK OF OIL FLUID WILL PREVENT IT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. A SIMILAR ISSUE OCCURRED WITH AUDI RS4 AND RS4 LEAKING SHOCKS. OWNERS WERE OFFERED BY AUDI REPLACEMENT IMPROVED SHOCK OR REIMBURSE THEM IF THEY HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THEM EVEN IF OUT OF WARRANTY. THOSE OWNERS AND R8 OWNERS WERE WORRIED ABOUT SUSPENSION FAILURE AGAIN SINCE THE FAULTY SHOCKS ARE PRONE TO FAIL AGAIN SO THEY FELT BEST TO REPLACE THEM WITH OTHER NON MAGNETIC SHOCKS.PRIOR TO THE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM WAS ANNOUNCED. SOME OWNERS HAD LEAKING SHOCKS WHEN OUT OF WARRANTY BUT WITH LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. MY R8 HAD 12,000 MILES WHEN ALL THE SHOCKS WERE DISCOVERED TO BE LEAKING. I ONLY DISCOVERED THIS ISSUE WHEN I READ ABOUT THE COMMON ISSUE ON A R8 FORUM. MANY MORE OWNERS THAT ARE NOT PART OF R8 FORUMS WILL NOT KNOW OF THIS COMMON ISSUE. DRIVERS

Mileage: 12,500

20160105SUSPENSION

LEAKING MAGNETIC SHOCKS

Mileage: 29,000

20150618ENGINE

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING A FAILURE ON SECONDARY AIR PORTS. TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT SECONDARY AIR PUMP MOTOR WAS FINE AS WELL AS ALL VACUUM LINES. IT WAS SUSPECTED AFTER INSPECTION OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND TOP CYLINDER HEADS WERE AT FAULT, DUE TO EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILD-UP. NO AIR CIRCULATING DUE TO THE DECREASE IN AIR FLOW FROM THE EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILD-UP. UPDATED 7/29/15*CN

Mileage: 18,000

Compare 2009AUDIR8 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2009 AUDI R8 have?
The 2009 AUDI R8 has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 AUDI R8?
The most-complained component for the 2009 AUDI R8 is SUSPENSION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY and ENGINE.
Is the 2009 AUDI R8 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.