2019 Audi A8: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 14 owner complaints on record; most reports concern electrical system; the 2017 and 2020 and 2021 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Dec 2025
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 14 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2024
“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.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 2023
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2023
Show 4 more owner reports
“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.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2023
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2022
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2022
“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.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2020
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 0 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
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.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger seat tracks, free of charge. The recall began July 25, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 72J3.
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.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine control module connector for a missing sealing pin, and install it, if necessary. The connector will also be inspected for corrosion, and replaced as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 12, 20121. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EV.
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 Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2019 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact A8 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2019 Audi A8 reliable?
NHTSA has 14 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2019 Audi A8. The most complained-about area is electrical system.
Does the 2019 Audi A8 have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning seats. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.