AUDI S8 · model year

2009 AUDI S8

3 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2009AUDIS8 carries 3 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 S8 is vehicle speed control with 1 filings, followed by visibility/wiper (1) and visibility:sun/moon roof assembly (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 S8. 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 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
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY1

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

20230823VISIBILITY/WIPER

While driving on the highway my sunroof glass detached from the frame and flipped over to the back. It was still being held by about 5in of glue on the rear part of the frame and luckily it didn't depart the car which would have caused damage to cars behind me. This issue seems the same as NHTSA Recall No. / MFR Recall No. : 16V-415 / 60C3, however my VIN is not part of it. I'm reporting this because there might be other cars out there affected by this recall, which is a road hazard to other people and vehicles that are traveling behind this car.

20230823VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

While driving on the highway my sunroof glass detached from the frame and flipped over to the back. It was still being held by about 5in of glue on the rear part of the frame and luckily it didn't depart the car which would have caused damage to cars behind me. This issue seems the same as NHTSA Recall No. / MFR Recall No. : 16V-415 / 60C3, however my VIN is not part of it. I'm reporting this because there might be other cars out there affected by this recall, which is a road hazard to other people and vehicles that are traveling behind this car.

20100204VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

2009 AUDI S8 THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO HIGHWAY. FULL BREAKING DID NOT DISCONNECT THROTTLE. BRAKED HARD AND PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND SHUT DOWN ENGINE. HAD TOWED INTO MIRAMAR AUDI, SAN DIEGO. AUDI AMERICA BROUGHT IN AND BLAMED FLOOR MATS. I PAID $2300 TO REPLACE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULES AFTER AUDI REFUSED TO DO SO. *JB

Mileage: 1,667

Compare 2009AUDIS8 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2009 AUDI S8 have?
The 2009 AUDI S8 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2009 AUDI S8?
Yes, the 2009 AUDI S8 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 S8?
The most-complained component for the 2009 AUDI S8 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY/WIPER and VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY.
Is the 2009 AUDI S8 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.