Audi Q8 Complaints

64 consumer complaints on file.

#11757601August 18, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
At approximately 52,000 miles, on August 11,2026 (or earlier), my vehicle developed a coolant leak that was traced to a failed coolant shut off valve. The coolant shut-off valve failure allowed coolant to migrate into the vacuum harness, vacuum reservoir which contaminated the water pump. This resulted in the vacuum system becoming filled with coolant, compromising components that rely on vacuum pressure to function correctly. The combination of these failures — water pump contamination, coolant shut-off valve failure, and a coolant-contaminated vacuum system — points to a defect in the design or manufacturing of these components rather than an isolated or wear-related issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757026August 14, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STRUCTURE:BODY
While traveling on a major freeway between 65mph and 70mph, vehicle alarms started sounding and numerous alarm / warning messages appeared on the dashboard display, while at the same time, the automatic door opening mechanism (e-latch system) unlatched and partially opened the driver’s side door. The partial opening of the door at high speed is hazardous, and could also cause a major distraction, resulting in a crash and/or danger to others in the vehicle and/or on the highway. The vehicle is currently being inspected at a dealership. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The warning lamps, messages or other symptoms as described appeared during the incident as described.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756593August 12, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On [XXX] about [XXX], I was driving my 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron Premium Plus (VIN [XXX]) in a private parking garage while on the clock for work. I had just left a work meeting and was traveling back to my office. I was backing out of a parking space next to a concrete column when my passenger-side mirror contacted the column. The vehicle’s proximity sensors beeped, which appeared normal. I then pulled forward slowly to straighten the vehicle and assess the mirror. My foot was initially on the accelerator because I was attempting to move forward slowly. The vehicle suddenly jerked and accelerated extremely rapidly and unexpectedly. I immediately moved my foot completely from the accelerator to the brake. I am certain I was not touching the accelerator. The brake pedal felt normal, but the vehicle continued accelerating and would not stop. The vehicle struck a second concrete column approximately one parking space away with substantial force. The impact stopped the vehicle. The vehicle remained powered on after the collision. There was no apparent collision-assistance intervention. I did not observe a brake-system or collision-assistance warning immediately before the event. I was not yet wearing my seatbelt because I was still maneuvering out of the parking space. My head struck the rearview mirror during the collision, causing an avulsion wound to my forehead requiring stitches. I was treated in the ER, underwent CT imaging, and was kept overnight for observation. After the crash, I discovered that my exact VIN has an unrepaired NHTSA safety recall 26V240 / Audi 46P7, issued April 15, 2026. The recall concerns the brake pedal input rod/brake booster actuator rod connection, which may disconnect and result in loss of normal braking. I received the recall letter in April but had not yet had an opportunity to take the vehicle to Audi before the crash. letter did not instruct me not to drive the vehicle. I’m concerned the defect caused the acciden INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA),
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11755728August 9, 2026
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On multiple occasions, the car states there is a steering malfunction and to stop the car immediately. Power steering fails. The last time I left the car to the dealership to have a recall serviced - it did this. I let the Audi (Fred Lavery Birmingham Michigan) know. They did not respond / did nothing. It has happens at least 10x at varying speeds (some high, med and low speed) since the day I left the dealership
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754181August 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron, VIN [XXX], [XXX]. Vehicle has had four documented electrical/drive system malfunctions in 12 months, all tied to high heat. We regularly drive our [XXX] child in this vehicle and no longer feel safe doing so. XXX: Electrical system malfunction warning while driving. Taken to Audi dealer. XXX: Same malfunction recurred, taken to Audi dealer again. Both times dealer advised waiting for cooler temps rather than repairing the vehicle. Mid-XXX: Charging began degrading in extreme heat. Day before report: Charging stopped completely, leaving vehicle unusable. Day of report: Drive system malfunction error, vehicle would not shift into drive, had to be towed. A dealer service advisor confirmed Q8 e-tron batteries commonly degrade and fail in Arizona heat and described it as a known regional issue. Safety concern: this vehicle repeatedly loses drive function and charging capability without warning in extreme heat, creating a real risk of being stranded on the road, including with a young child in the car. This is not a comfort or convenience issue, it is a recurring safety failure that Audi has been made aware of multiple times without resolution. Documentation available: text correspondence with Audi, dealer service records, tow record. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753232July 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Water leaking from sunroof drains to interior of cabin. Water getting electronics wet and filling up where the battery sits as well. Both driver side and passenger side. Vehicle has numerous electrical problems such as: Vehicle auto start stop function failing (car not turning back on at traffic light) Emergency indicators not working infotainment crashing
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750275July 14, 2026
ENGINE
On July 4, 2026 in the early evening, I was driving in the HOV lane of the freeway when the engine abruptly lost power. There was a warning light that came onto the dashboard but I did not see what it said as I was solely concerned about moving safely off to the shoulder in moderate traffic. Once I pulled to the shoulder, I restarted the vehicle and was able to drive home safely. What put my wife and I in great danger was the vehicle losing power without warning when driving on the freeway and having to navigate safely to the shoulder in traffic without having acceleration power. I took the vehicle into the Audi Ontario dealer on July 6 for a rearview camera recall notice and to address the engine problem. I did not drive the vehicle after the July 4 incident but the loss of power did not happen again after I restarted the engine nor when I drove it to the dealer on July 6. The dealer notified me the next day that they could not recreate the engine problem and that the engine automatically turns off after coming to a stop. I explained I had not come to a stop, that I was driving at about 80 MPH with both hands on the steering wheel. I asked about what trouble codes they found and if I could have a print out since this was a safety concern and the vehicle only has 1,500 miles on it. The loss of propulsion was not the auto turn off when coming to a stop. They kept the vehicle for further review and I have not heard back as of July 14. I called to make inquiry and they are supposed to call me back. My concern is not only for me, but also for anyone that has this vehicle year, make, and model - the next person may not be so lucky to navigate to safety if it happens to them.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750180July 13, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Opened passenger door, then closed it. Door would not latch and could not be closed or secured despite numerous attempts. Had to tie door shut via interior to safely get vehicle to repair shop. No warning or error lights came on besides door ajar warning. The handles and locking mechanism on this q8 etron have already failed and been replaced numerous times.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741357June 1, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I was driving my car would not accelerate on the highway and it almost caused me to get into an accident with my niece in the car. When I took the car to Audi this is what I was told my the service adviser. “Good afternoon. The technician has been looking into the vehicle and has found the cause of the issue. He has found the coolant water pump has failed internally causing coolant to leak internally into the vacuum system. This is causing the vacuum to be blocked for the turbo and thus causing the sluggish feeling when accelerating. In order to fix, the water pump and all compromised vacuum system components need to be replaced. It is a rather extensive job unfortunately.” My car only has a little over 45 thousand miles. Audi should be responsible to fix this problem because they sold this car knowing the water was faulty in these models. I recall should have been put out. I was quoted $6,000 to fix this problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737284May 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle currently has 55k and water pump failed. Costing me a fortune
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733037April 22, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am writing to formally document an urgent and ongoing safety issue with my new Audi Q8 (VIN [XXX] rrently has fewer than 1,100miles. On my recent visit to my local Audi authorized dealer's service department (Tuesday, 4/21/2026), I brought the vehicle in for a “central lock malfunction” warning and was advised that the issue had been resolved. However, the next morning the same error reappeared. This warning has been present intermittently, beginning the day I purchased the vehicle at 0 miles. More critically, this malfunction is affecting the driver-side door’s ability to open from the inside. On multiple occasions, I have been unable to exit the vehicle without repeated attempts. This presents a serious safety concern, as it temporarily prevents me from exiting the vehicle in a normal and timely manner. Given the nature of this issue, I want to clearly document that: - This is a safety-related defect impacting my ability to exit the vehicle - The issue was not resolved after the initial repair attempt - The problem has reoccurred immediately INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727957March 30, 2026
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Belt Starter Generator failure rendered car undrivable -- power steering failed while in motion. Issue is subject to Class Action Settlement in USDistrict Court, Case # 3:23-cv-02291-RK-RLS. But this should have been a recall because of danger of Injury or Death. A recall would provide notice that the notice of settlement failed to provide. This failure happened to me on March 29, 2026. Dealer is not able to do the repair work in a timely manner.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727557March 27, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
1. The front brake on my 2023 Audi Q8 produce an ear-piercing noise when backing up after the car has set for a period of time. 2. The dealer and manufacture state this is not a safety concern, but rather just an annoying noise I have to put up with. 3/4. This ear-piercing noise has been inspected and confirmed by the dealer, and I have provided several video recordings of the noise to the dealer. 5. There are no warning lamps or messages associated with this noise. The noise started about a year after I purchased the vehicle and that's when I contacted the dealer. I was informed that this is a known problem on many Audi Q7s and Q8s and there is nothing the dealer or manufacture can or will do to resolve the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726513March 23, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
While operating my 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron at 30 mph, I attempted to slow the vehicle to make a turn. Upon pressing the brake pedal, the regenerative braking system failed to engage properly, and the expected deceleration did not occur. The brake pedal felt very soft and the vehicle continued to move forward with nearly no braking force, despite significant pressure being applied to the pedal. The failure appears to be a total malfunction of the 'brake blending' system—the critical handover between the electric regenerative system and the hydraulic friction brakes. Even as a secondary safety measure, the hydraulic brakes failed to provide adequate stopping power. This resulted in a significantly extended deceleration distance that nearly caused a collision. No warning lights appeared on the dashboard prior to this event, making the failure sudden and unpredictable. Please note that this happened shortly after driving 10 miles on a very hilly road and extensively using paddle shifters while driving downhill to force battery charging. The breaks continued to have issues for the next 2h of driving and didn't work as expected for about 60% of the time. The next day, I tried driving short distance and was not able reproduce the problem. This happened on March 21, 2026 between hours of 2 and 4pm.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725412March 18, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
CHARGING SYSTEM DEFECT: The manufacturer-supplied portable charger (rated 9.6kW at 240V/40A) delivers only 7.4kW — a 23% shortfall. The authorized dealer confirmed this measurement in March 2026 but refused to repair, stating "no issues." The charging rate also degrades over time without manual reset. The vehicle also intermittently fails to charge at DC fast charging stations — it begins charging, then stops within minutes displaying "Malfunction of charging" error. Other EVs charge normally at the same stations. SAFETY RISK: Charging failures create a stranding hazard. The vehicle can fail to charge at public stations without warning, leaving the driver unable to complete trips. REPAIR HISTORY: 5+ visits to two authorized dealerships over 10 months (May 2025–March 2026), 16+ days out of service. No fix — returned each time as "no fault found" despite video evidence of failures shown to dealer at every visit. Manufacturer corporate support also failed to resolve. Dealer found DTCs for charger communication faults. A demand letter was sent to manufacturer — no response received. Vehicle and charger available for inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11722548March 6, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Hello, I would like to bring the below serious safety concern to your attention which will likely require a recall to be performed: I brought my vehicle to an Audi dealership (Audi of North Austin, TX, USA) and physically demonstrated the issue, which is that the INTERIOR door handle (on all doors) will NOT unlatch unless the passenger pushes on the door while the door handle is pulled. This vehicle has an electronic door latching system and it will remain latched after the door handle is pulled open if the passenger does not also push on the door while pulling the handle. If the door is pushed a few seconds after the handle has been opened (and remains open) the door WILL NOT OPEN. Additionally, there is a safety direct cable connection to the latch that often does not work on the first try either and can experience the same issue. This poses a major safety concern because in the case of an emergency the passenger or driver may not be able to exit the vehicle promptly and could be stuck inside. Also, if the vehicle ends up on its side and the door must be opened upwards, it will NOT open even if the door handle is being pulled unless the passenger also pushes on the door at the same time as pulling the handle. For safety reasons, the door handle latch must remain open when the handle is in the open position however this is not the case, the handle being pulled only momentarily unlatches the door. I brought this issue to our AUDI technician and they confirmed that ALL similar models with the same door handle style had the exact same operation with this same issue. They confirmed that it is not unique to my vehicle, and they denied any safety concerns that I had. They have sent me home with the issue unprepared. I have the messages between the dealership and myself confirming that the issue is widespread. Heres a shared video on Google Drive explaining in detail: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11722250March 5, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
Brake rotors warped around 33k miles under standard operating conditions. Manufacturer refused to replace under warranty. On an EV, this is completely unacceptable mileage to replace brakes (should last 70-100k or more). Research shows others with this model encountering similar issues. There must be a defect with these rotors.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720162February 24, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
Two years of break issues where the breaks shudder badly on and off - whole breaking system was replaced and problem still occurs to the point my wife won't drive the car because of the shuddering - audi deny the problem even though they replaced all the braking system - its a well known design fault - Audi has to take responsibility!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718553February 17, 2026
AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: DYNAMIC BRAKE SUPPORT/BRAKE ASSIST
The contact owns a 2025 Audi Q8. The contact stated that while driving at 25-30 MPH, she crashed into the rear of a pick-up truck towing a boat on a trailer. The contact did not notice that the vehicle in front was coming from a stop, which caused the accident. During the crash, the engine of the boat detached, causing damage. The contact was concerned that the Audi Pre Sense Front Braking feature failed to engage, which could have prevented a crash. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. No medical attention was required. The insurance company was notified of the incident, and the inspection was pending. A dealer was contacted and was informed to call the manufacturer. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 11,700.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714623January 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Audi Q8 failed water pump leading to severe loss of power and a major safety issue. I was merging on a very busy highway when I had loss of power with my children in the vehicle. This was alarming as I was not able to accelerate as anticipated and had no warning/notice that this was going to occur, and others around me did not know what was going on as well. This is a known complaint and issue in these vehicles and a major safety issue. Audi should stand behind their quality and it is dissapointing costly repair that shouldn’t be needed at 50 k (right outside of warranty). This issue can cause a detrimental accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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