Problems · NHTSA complaints
1998 Audi A8 problems
Owners filed 7 complaints about the 1998 Audi A8 with NHTSA between Jul 1999 and Nov 2006. The most-cited component is air bags (2).
Complaints
7
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags2
- Equipment1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Visibility1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
2
0
0
1
0
1
2
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 2 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 2 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
2 reports1 crash1 related recall
“AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT INDICATES AIRBAG FAILURE. AUDI DEALER CANNOT RECTIFY.”
Equipment
1 report
“TIRE JACK SUPPLIED BY AUDI USA FOR THE AUDI A8 IS VERY DANGEROUS. IT IS MANUFACTURED OUT OF CHEAP ALUMINUM AND IS NOT RUGGED ENOUGH TO LIFT THE CAR EVEN ON FLAT PAVEMENT. THE JACK BENT UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HURT SOMEONE. *JB”
Engine and engine cooling
1 report
“AUDI ENGINES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR SLUDGE PROBLEMS. ALTHOUGH AUDI RECOGNIZES THIS PROBLEM ON THEIR 4 CYL TURBO ENGINES, THEY DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM ON THE 6 CLY ENGINE. MY ENGINE, WITH 71,000, HAS A SEVERE ENGINE SLUDGE PROBLEM, WHICH HAS CAUSE ALL THE SEALS TO LEAK. AUDI DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, AND WON'T ASSIST. *JB”
Service brakes, hydraulic
1 report
“FAILURE OF THE ABS CONTROLLER WITH LESS THAN 70,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM WAS CONFIRMED BY A LOCAL AUDI DEALERSHIP. AUDI WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO MAKE REPAIRS. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM FOR LATE MODEL AUDI'S AND VW'S AND NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE FREQUENCY OF FAILURE AND REQUIRE A RECALL. THE INCIDENT DATE IS APPOXIMATE. *JB”
Fuel system, gasoline
1 report
“WHILE FILLING THE FUEL TANK, GASOLINE SPRAYS OUT OF THE TANK, UNDER PRESSURE, AND GETS ALL OVER THE PERSON FILLING THE CAR, ALL OVER THE CAR, AND ALL OVER THE GROUND. ONCE THE SPRAYING STARTS IT DOES NOT STOP UNTIL ALL PRESSURE IN THE TANK HAS VENTED. WHEN THIS OCCURS IS UNPREDCTABLE. AUDI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS CHOSEN TO BLAME THE CONSUMER FOR NOT FILLING THE FUEL TANK CORRECTLY. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN SPRAYED WITH GAS ON THREE OCCASIONS. *AK”
Visibility
1 report
“BLIND SPOTS, REAR VISIBILITY: AUDI'S REFUSAL TO REPLACE OUTSIDE MIRRORS. THE PASSENGER'S OUTSIDE MIRROR AN DRIVERS POORLY DESIGNED AND HAVE TREMENDOUS BLIND SPOTS. DRIVING A $70K WITH MIRROR ASSEMBLIES THAT DO NOT PROVIDE SAFE REAR VISION MONITORING IS OUTRAGEOUS AND DANGEROUS. POOR REAR VISION RESULTS FROM EXCESSIVELY WIDE C PILLARS, REAR SEAT HEAD RESTS THAT DO NOT HAVE STORAGE RECESSES OR OTHER PROVISIONS FOR PREVENTING THEM FROM OBSCURING LARGE AREAS OF THE REAR WINDOW. THE DEALER HAS AND AUDI HAVE BEEN LESS THAN HELPFUL EVEN WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT A 19991/2 A4 ($30,000) RIGHT OUSIDE MIRROR HAS ALMOST TWICE THE VISUAL FIELD AS MY A8. AUDI'S RESPONSE TO ME HAS BEEN TERRIBLE, AND THEIR SUGGESTED ACTIONS INCLUDE MY HAVING TO PURCHASE AND HAVE INSTALLED APPROXIMATELY $1000 FOR RIGHT AND LEFT OUTSIDE MIRROR. THE LATEST A4'S REAR HEAD RESTS RECESS INTO THE TOP OF THE REAR SEATS AND PROVIDE ALMOST NO OBSCURATION OR REAR VISION. I REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM AUDI AT PURCHASE TIME RE: REAR HEAD REST POINTING OUT MY GREAT DANE WAS THE ONLY REAR SEAT PASSENGER, AND MY WILLINGNESS TO SIGN A RELEASE IF THE HEAD RESTS WERE REMOVED AND ABLE TO BE REINSTALLED EASILY. AUDI…”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.