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2013 Audi A8 L problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2013 Audi A8 L has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 0safety recalls
- 47owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 0injuries reported
The most complained-about Audi A8 L year on file: 47 complaints, against an average of 14 for the other 4 model years.
Every Audi A8 L model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2013 Audi A8 L?
The components named most often in the 47 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2013 Audi A8 L owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 47 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2013 Audi A8 L been recalled?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2013 Audi A8 L as of October 25, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.
What do 2013 Audi A8 L owners report?
12 of the 47 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Driving up an inclined road at night. Car engine started to sputter and jerk and lost power. Was able to get to the side of the road out of traffic at the top of the hill? I was able to coast down the hill to a gas station. Carl would not drive without Jerking or accelerate, add check engine, light on and flashing. With the smell of burning from the engine, compartment waited two hours for a tow truck towed it home, the following day, I had to take off of work. I checked all the spark plugs to find multiple spark plugs completely soaked in oil, took an Uber to parts store to buy new spark…
The contact owns a 2013 Audi A8. The contact stated that while her son was driving at highway speeds, the warning lights on the instrument panel flashed as the vehicle shut off. The contact's son managed to pull over despite the failure. The vehicle was initially towed to one dealer; however, the dealer failed to service the vehicle promptly. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a defective ECM(Electronic Control Module) that needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained in the dealer's possession for a month before the vehicle was repaired. Despite the repair, the…
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 misfired and multiple other safety epc codes, causing the vehicle to not be able to drive more than 5 miles an hour, stuttering. Which also caused the engine to almost stall, losing…
Brake pedal is hard when starting the vehicle. Brake pedal turns soft when engine is started. The brake pedal is so hard that it requires significant force to depress sufficiently to start the engine. This indicates loss of vacuum in brake booster when engine is off. The vehicle is equipped with a start/stop system and it seems likely that the brakes would not sufficiently hold the vehicle when the start/stop system turns off the engine.
Me and my son were traveling on a business road trip from my home in Lincoln, CA to do business at several companies and end up at a customer located in Anaheim, CA. We started on [XXX] in Roseville, CA highway Interstate [XXX] traveling towards Anaheim with stops along the way. We were coming down [XXX] on the southside of the grapevine at the speed limit of 70 MPH, when the engine began to stall, and the steering also began to lock up. We began losing control of the vehicle and engine power was failing and stalling. In addition, the stall was impacting the car battery. We had difficulty…
Me and my son were traveling on a business road trip from my home in Lincoln, CA to do business at several companies and end up at a customer located in Anaheim, CA. We started on [XXX] traveling towards Anaheim with stops along the way. We were coming down highway [XXX] on the southside of the grapevine at the speed limit of 70 MPH, when the engine began to stall, and the steering also began to lock up. We began losing control of the vehicle and engine power was failing and stalling. In addition, the stall was impacting the car battery. We had difficulty steering the car and controlling the…
1. OeM audi windshield started leaking water inside the vehicle. Thia is very unsafe when driving thru rain as water pours down the inside of the glass. 2. Uneven and creaky suspension. Vehivle pulls on side where suspension is not leveling thw vehicle out. 3. Followed all processes in changing brake pads, toros, sensors etc. Brake light doesnt go away after replacing all brake components and resetting brake warning light. Very uneasy feeling driving around qithtbhe light on as unsure as to brakes would spontaneously fail.
FAILURE BOTH TURBOS Purchased Audi Naples Jan 2018 Maintained at Audi Ft Myers Audi While on a vacation from our home in Florida to New England our Audi A8 experienced a major turbo failure while on an Interstate highway. On 8/6/21 I was traveling in the middle lane of I495 at 65 mph, when traffic slowed, the car stalled. With cars passing me on both sides I eventually managed to get the car started and made it to exit 15 (rt44) going toward Plymouth, MA. This truly was a scary situation, waiting to be rear ended. While on rt 44 it died again in traffic. I managed to make it into the breakdown…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A8. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V397000 (STRUCTURE) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. FATHERS & SONS-AUDI WEST SPRINGFIELD (434 MEMORIAL AVE, WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA 01089) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE EPC LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, AND SHORTLY AFTER DIED OUT COMPLETELY. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND ME WHEN THE CAR DIED, AND THAT I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO LIMP ONTO THE SHOULDER. WAITED FOR TOW TRUCK. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER WHERE A FAULTY TURBOCHARGER WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE REASON FOR VEHICLE BREAKING DOWN
SUSPENSION FAILS DURING DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A8L. THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS INSTALLED TOO CLOSE TO THE SIDE WALL ON THE FLOOR BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT WAS A MANUFACTURER DESIGN WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL INSTALLATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300....UPDATED 05/08/13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION WITH THE DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SPACING BETWEEN THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE FOOTWELL SIDE WALL WAS DIFFERENT BETWEEN 2011 AND 2013 MODEL YEARS. THE LOSS OF 3/4 OF AN INCH IS…
2013 Audi A8 L: questions owners ask
Is the 2013 Audi A8 L reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Audi A8 L; the most common categories were engine (34, 72.3%), fuel/propulsion system (5, 10.6%), service brakes (4, 8.5%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Audi A8 L?
Across 47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are engine (72.3% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (10.6% of complaints), service brakes (8.5% of complaints), power train (6.4% of complaints), suspension (6.4% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2013 Audi A8 L have any recalls?
As of October 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2013 Audi A8 L. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does my 2013 Audi A8 L stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
16 of the 47 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi A8 L (34%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "The car start chugging and lost power while driving. My safety and the safety of other drivers were at risk, because the vehicle stalled immediately. This issue happened while exiting off the highway." (NHTSA complaint 11426929, July 2021). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why won't my 2013 Audi A8 L start?
5 of the 47 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi A8 L (10.6%) describe the car failing to start. One owner wrote: "After exiting the highway the car just stopped running. There was no warning and all power was lost. Engine would not start up and vehicle had to be towed from the road. It was at night and the car stopped dead at an intersection (safety)." (NHTSA complaint 11420342, June 2021). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Does the 2013 Audi A8 L have turbo problems?
5 of the 47 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi A8 L (10.6%) describe turbocharger failure or turbo noise. One owner wrote: "Driving with my 3 kids on the highway, the car lost power and stalled. wouldn't start. after research, found out i was the next in a long line of folks with a 4.0t engine turbo failure." (NHTSA complaint 11234714, July 2019). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2013 Audi A8 L idle rough, misfire or hesitate?
4 of the 47 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi A8 L (8.5%) describe rough idling, misfires or hesitation when accelerating. One owner wrote: "Driving up an inclined road at night. Car engine started to sputter and jerk and lost power. Was able to get to the side of the road out of traffic at the top of the hill? I was able to coast down the hill to a gas station." (NHTSA complaint 11667840, June 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own A8 L
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2013 only.