Audi A8: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Audi A8: 7 model years scored from 124 NHTSA owner complaints and 18 recall campaigns. Worst year 2013, best year 2014.
Audi A8: which years to avoid
Across 5 scored model years the Audi A8 ranges from 56/100 in 2013 to 93/100 in 2011 — a 37-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy an A8 at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Engine (36 of them).
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2014 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2014 (score 82). Worst: 2013 (score 56, CAUTION).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,980 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,120 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 68 | CAUTION | $5,433 | 31 | 5 |
| 2014 | 82 | BUY | $5,898 | 18 | 5 |
| 2013 | 56 | CAUTION | $6,182 | 49 | 6 |
| 2012 | 93 | BUY | $6,264 | 11 | 1 |
| 2011 | 93 | BUY | $6,409 | 15 | 1 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the A8, through the years →
A8 sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the A8 on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Audi A8
Across every A8 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Engine79 complaints across all A8 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other10 complaints across all A8 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System10 complaints across all A8 years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Service Brakes8 complaints across all A8 years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Electrical System8 complaints across all A8 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Suspension6 complaints across all A8 years · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle$780–$1,580
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Audi A8 years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2014 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2011 at 93/100, on 15 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
Which Audi A8 years should I avoid?
The 2013 is the weakest year we score, at 56/100 (CAUTION), on 49 complaints and 6 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Audi A8 problem?
79 of the complaints filed against the A8 across all its model years sit in the Engine group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04