2013 Audi A8: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
49 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 49 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 3.77
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Engine totaled because of oil starvation I'm guessing or maybe an oil pump failure oil starvation caused Pistons to rub inside of head cost of engine and work is more than the vehicles cost so that means car is totaled
The pcv oil separator has failed and is making a whistling sound. From researching this issue it is widely known and an investigation shows it is caused in relation to a recall for the oil strainer that was done on this vehicle. I called audi dealership and they said this is not an open recall, however it seems this is exactly what caused it.
Audi, A8L 2013, also has the stuck piston. Rings end oil blow by like the other Volkswagen, defected engines of the same year yesterday while driving my car ended up stalling on a road with traffic behind me going up a hill because too much oil I'd burnt in the cylinders, causing the spark plugs to become completely coated in oil and the cars. Electronic system registered multiple misfires, multiple cylinders. Are mi…
Recalls: 6 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 20V397000 | Structure:Body:Hood | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles. |
| 22V178000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/Supercharger | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2013-2017 A8, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, and 2014-2017 RS7 vehicles. |
| 13V448000 | Visibility:Sun/Moon Roof Assembly | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Audi A8 and S8 vehicles equipped with a standard sunroof, manufactured March 12, 2013, through July 15, 2013. |
| 16V619000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Audi A8 vehicles manufactured May 15, 2010, to May 14, 2012. |
| 18V430000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles. |
| 19V057000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Audi A8 and S8 vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,900
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine36 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Fuel/Propulsion System5 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Unknown Or Other5 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes4 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Power Train3 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Suspension3 complaints · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle (4.0 h labour + parts)$780–$1,580
Other Audi A8 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Audi A8?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (36 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Audi A8 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 56/100, computed from 49 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Audi A8's most common problem?
36 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Audi A8 sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Audi A8 cost to run per year?
About $6,321 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $31,608 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Audi A8 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Audi A8, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 07/07/2020. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Audi A8 really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 49 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 49 NHTSA complaints on record (3.8/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (1.5/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality