Audi Q8: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Audi Q8: 7 model years scored from 164 NHTSA owner complaints and 17 recall campaigns. Worst year 2019, best year 2020.
Audi Q8: which years to avoid
Across 4 scored model years the Audi Q8 ranges from 46/100 in 2019 to 89/100 in 2023 — a 43-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a Q8 at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Power Train (43 of them).
Avoid: 2019 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2020, 2021, 2023 — 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: 2020 (score 86). Worst: 2019 (score 46, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,530 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,670 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 89 | BUY | $4,610 | 0 | 2 |
| 2022 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,750 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 75 | BUY | $5,004 | 30 | 7 |
| 2020 | 86 | BUY | $5,516 | 27 | 3 |
| 2019 | 46 | AVOID | $5,660 | 107 | 5 |
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 Q8, through the years →
Q8 sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Q8 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 Q8
Across every Q8 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.
- Electrical System61 complaints across all Q8 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Power Train48 complaints across all Q8 years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Engine45 complaints across all Q8 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Steering14 complaints across all Q8 years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Unknown Or Other12 complaints across all Q8 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System10 complaints across all Q8 years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
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
Which Audi Q8 years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2019 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2019 is the weakest at 46/100, with its complaints concentrated in Power Train.
What are the best Audi Q8 years to buy?
2020, 2021, 2023 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2023 at 89/100, on 0 complaints and 2 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Audi Q8 problem?
61 of the complaints filed against the Q8 across all its model years sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04