Audi RS Q8: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Audi RS Q8: 5 model years scored from 2 NHTSA owner complaints and 16 recall campaigns. Worst year 2021, best year 2024.
Audi RS Q8: which years to avoid
Across 4 scored model years the Audi RS Q8 ranges from 81/100 in 2021 to 89/100 in 2023 — a 8-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Electrical System (2 of them).
Safest years: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 — 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: 2024 (score 86). Worst: 2021 (score 81, BUY).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 86 | BUY | $5,720 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023 | 89 | BUY | $5,560 | 0 | 2 |
| 2022 | 87 | BUY | $6,000 | 0 | 4 |
| 2021 | 81 | BUY | $6,147 | 2 | 7 |
| 2020 | — | DATA PENDING | $6,280 | 0 | 0 |
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 RS Q8, through the years →
RS Q8 sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the RS 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 RS Q8
Across every RS 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 System2 complaints across all RS Q8 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Steering1 complaints across all RS Q8 years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
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 RS Q8 years to buy?
2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2023 at 89/100, on 0 complaints and 2 recall campaigns.
Which Audi RS Q8 years should I avoid?
The 2021 is the weakest year we score, at 81/100 (BUY), on 2 complaints and 7 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Audi RS Q8 problem?
2 of the complaints filed against the RS 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