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Free public service · Official NHTSA & EPA data

2021 Audi Q8

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
7
on record
MPG
0
combined

Open recalls on record

7 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2021 Audi Q8

7 recalls
30 complaints
0
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 7 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
No complaint on record reports a crash
Review the 30 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
7
Owner complaints
30
Complaints citing a crash
0

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

7 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

7 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 21V606000high

    Safety restraint issue

    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, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Consequence

    An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).

    Full campaign record
  • 22V034000high

    Tire/wheel issue

    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, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

    Consequence

    Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

    Full campaign record
  • 21V295000high

    Suspension issue

    SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

    Consequence

    A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V516000high

    Fuel pump may fail

    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi Q8, and 2020-2021 Audi Q7 vehicles. A component inside the fuel pump may break, causing the fuel pump to fail.

    Consequence

    Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DR.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V742000high

    Rear-visibility system issue

    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, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    Consequence

    A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.

    Full campaign record
  • 25V201000high

    Electrical issue

    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.

    Consequence

    An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will update the instrument panel module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90VC.

    Full campaign record
  • 25V900000high

    Rear-visibility system issue

    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 Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    Consequence

    A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    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.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2021 Audi Q8.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    4 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    15.8%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Standard
Lane departure warning
Standard

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2021 Audi Q8 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 15.8% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2021 Audi Q8 Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2021 Audi Q8 Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2021 Audi Q8 Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2021 Audi Q8, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

0

City

0

Hwy

0

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$3,800
Tailpipe CO₂
453 g/mi
Charge time
0 hours (240V)

How this compares

The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2021 Audi Q8 against its peers.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 453 grams per mile — about 6.8 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

30 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

30
Total
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE9
  • ELECTRICAL8
  • FUEL SYSTEM4
  • OTHER4
  • STEERING2

Normal Range

30 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)9
electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)8
fuel system problems (leaks, pump failure)4

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2021 Audi Q8, newest first.

  1. Recall

    Recall 25V900000

    A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  2. Recall

    Recall 25V201000

    An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

  3. Recall

    Recall 22V742000

    A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 22V516000

    Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V034000

    Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

  6. Recall

    Recall 21V606000

    An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

  7. Recall

    Recall 21V295000

    A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Drive type
All-Wheel Drive
Engine
3L 6-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Automatic (S8)
Seats
0

Fuel economy

0

City

0

Hwy

0

Comb

Annual cost
$3,800
Fuel
Premium Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 25V900000

    A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  2. Recall

    Recall 25V201000

    An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

  3. Recall

    Recall 22V742000

    A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 22V516000

    Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V034000

    Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.