Which Audi A8 years should you avoid?

No Audi A8 model year in 2015–2019 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2015 and 2019.

What is the best year for the Audi A8?

2019 is the best-scoring Audi A8 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 67.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

How many recalls does the Audi A8 have?

8 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Audi A8 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

Which Audi A8 years to avoid

No Audi A8 model year in 2015–2019 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2015 and 2019, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · Audi A8 Full report

Grade 2015–2019

2015 vs model median 1.0×

Model median3× median

Tires & Wheels 4

Brakes 4

Engine 3

Weakest

2015 · 2019

Best

2015 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Audi A8
Year	Complaint volume	vs median	Reports	Grade
2015		1.01×	19	C
2019		0.99×	17	C

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2015 C 19 reports · median 19,000 mi

Tires & Wheels 4

Car vibrates above 35 miles per hour. It almost feels like something is about to give way or fall apart. I have owned several other vehicles by this manufacturer and have not experienced any like it before. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Brakes 4

The brake and gas pedals are too close. I consistently hit the brake while accelerating. They need to be spaced farther apart, and the brake pedal moved to the left. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Engine 3

Engine stalled in traffic and car would not restart. Car was operating normally, pulled up to a red light to turn left on to busy 2-lane highway. Engine began sputtering and car lurched forward. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2019 C 17 reports

Electrical 6

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. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Engine 3

I own a 2019 audi a8 with 2000 miles on it. This nearly has caused me accidents and other audi a8 owners are also voicing complaints. The dealer is aware of it but said audi engineers will not address it. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Driver Assist 3

While driving on highway my car experienced massive electrical malfunction. All systems shut down (including dashboard) and engine cut off. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

1 crash

The best year for the A8

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2019 is the best-scoring A8 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 67.7 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Best-scoring model years
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2019	0.99×	17	C
2015	1.01×	19	C

Recalls

8 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
25V900000	BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA	2019	356,894
19V035000	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL	2015	74,881
22V178000	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER	2015	26,093
20V397000	STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD	2015	12,964
19V057000	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS	2015	8,985
18V430000	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS	2015	6,633
21V111000	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)	2019	238
19V415000	SEATS	2019	66

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2015 were reported at a median of 19,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Audi A8 years should you avoid?: No Audi A8 model year in 2015–2019 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2015 and 2019.
What is the best year for the Audi A8?: 2019 is the best-scoring Audi A8 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 67.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Audi A8 have?: 8 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Audi A8 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 A8

Complaints in window: 19
Severity-weighted: 29.5
Model median (weighted): 29
vs model median: 1.01×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 5
Open investigations: 0

Score 62.3 C