2013 Audi S8: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
13 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 13 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 1.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The windshield top gasket is not working and the glass can be easily pushed out an 1/8”. Wind can be heard while driving and when it’s raining water runs through steady stream. I was under the impression that the windshield is an integral part of the cars structure.
The car was running rough for a couple weeks; hesitant to accelerate, failed to start multiple times and idled rough. One day I was coming home from my hour long commute, I put the car in reverse in my driveway and the car started bucking so badly that it became un-drivable. At this point we had to get the car towed on a flatbed an hour away to the nearest dealership and this is when we discovered that the turbos had…
Turbos failed, car stalled and will not start unless giving it gas. down on power and performance. check engine light came on
Recalls: 5 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. |
| 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 large 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 18 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $4,200
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.
- Engine11 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other2 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Power Train1 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Vehicle Speed Control1 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Fuel/Propulsion System1 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Wheels1 complaints · typical job: Wheel bearing or hub replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$460–$920
Other Audi S8 years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Audi S8?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (11 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Audi S8 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 77/100, computed from 13 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Audi S8's most common problem?
11 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Audi S8 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 S8 cost to run per year?
About $6,569 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $32,845 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 S8 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Audi S8, 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 larges of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Audi S8 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 — 13 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 13 NHTSA complaints on record (1.0/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (0.5/yr)
- 5 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