AUDI SQ8 · model year

2021 AUDI SQ8

4 NHTSA complaints, and 6 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2021AUDISQ8 carries 4 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. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2021 SQ8 is power train with 2 filings, followed by suspension (1) and electrical system (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 6 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 2021 SQ8. 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
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN2
SUSPENSION1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1

Recalls (6)

25V20100031/03/2025

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 SQ8, A6 SEDAN, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 SEDAN, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail.

22V03400026/01/2022

TIRES

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7,

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

21V33900012/05/2021

ENGINE

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi SQ7, RSQ8, RS7, RS6 AVANT, and SQ8 vehicles. Cracks may develop on the surface of the engine cylinder bore.

22V74200005/10/2022

BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro

21V60600005/08/2021

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS

Recent Complaints

20220217POWER TRAIN

MMI system stops working all of a sudden. This has happened multiple times and especially when it takes updates on its own. When called customer service they referred to the dealer stating they cannot do anything. Right after my call with them the car starts functioning back to normal. When I took it to the dealer for service and the problem, Dealer mentioned Audi has received complaints about the new models being affected and is aware of the problem but there is no software patch released yet. Its dangerous to drive as all functions are are turned off including cameras, Bluetooth, collision warning, blind spot, lane departure, music and more (except the engine running). Another issue is with its auto engine stop function, is when you are at a red light with a complete stop and when the light turns green and you are ready to move, the car takes a second or two to get the engine started and pulls back a little. Also the transmission pulls rough at that time of start. Am not sure why t

20220217ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MMI system stops working all of a sudden. This has happened multiple times and especially when it takes updates on its own. When called customer service they referred to the dealer stating they cannot do anything. Right after my call with them the car starts functioning back to normal. When I took it to the dealer for service and the problem, Dealer mentioned Audi has received complaints about the new models being affected and is aware of the problem but there is no software patch released yet. Its dangerous to drive as all functions are are turned off including cameras, Bluetooth, collision warning, blind spot, lane departure, music and more (except the engine running). Another issue is with its auto engine stop function, is when you are at a red light with a complete stop and when the light turns green and you are ready to move, the car takes a second or two to get the engine started and pulls back a little. Also the transmission pulls rough at that time of start. Am not sure why t

20210827POWER TRAIN

This 2021 Audi SQ8 vehicle was purchased new. The vehicle features an automatic engine stop/start feature which is intended to enhance vehicle fuel economy. The incident(s) include: (1) multiple instances when slowing to a stop and the stop/start feature turned off the vehicle engine before the vehicle has come to a stop, leaving the vehicle to "coast" to a complete stop but without the aid of power steering, full braking capacity and ordinary functionality of a running engine; (2) one instance when parking and the /start feature turned off the vehicle engine, in a drive aisle of a busy plaza parking lot, after I stopped and moved the transmission to reverse in order to back into a parking space; and (3) multiple failures to quickly start and permit required fast acceleration when the start/stop feature would not turn on the engine on demand to permit quick acceleration needed to safely cross a 2 lane roadway in front of approaching traffic from the opposite direction.

20210630SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2021 Audi SQ8. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V295000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Compare 2021AUDISQ8 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2021 AUDI SQ8 have?
The 2021 AUDI SQ8 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2021 AUDI SQ8?
The 2021 AUDI SQ8 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2021 AUDI SQ8?
Yes, the 2021 AUDI SQ8 has 6 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 AUDI SQ8?
The most-complained component for the 2021 AUDI SQ8 is POWER TRAIN with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2021 AUDI SQ8 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2021 AUDI SQ8 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. 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.