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2019 Audi A8 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2019 Audi A8 has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 0safety recalls
- 12owner complaints
- 1crash report
- 0fire reports
- 6%fail the UK MOT
12 complaints, against an average of 20 for the other 6 Audi A8 model years.
Every Audi A8 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2019 Audi A8?
The components named most often in the 12 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2019 Audi A8 owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 12 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2019 Audi A8 been recalled?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2019 Audi A8 as of October 25, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.
Is the 2019 Audi A8 recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSAFollowing a previous campaign the toe and/or camber values on the rear axle may in certain circumstances incorrectly be changed without…FOLLOWING A PREVIOUS CAMPAIGN THE TOE AND/OR CAMBER VALUES ON THE REAR AXLE MAY IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES INCORRECTLY BE CHANGED WITHOUT THIS BEING NOTICED
Risk: Following a previous campaign the toe and/or camber values on the rear axle may in certain circumstances incorrectly be changed without this being noticed.
Fix: The wheel alignment must be checked and if necessary the suspension must be serviced on the affected vehicles.
UK DVSARear axle suspension links nuts do not meet specifications
Risk: One or more nuts which do not meet the specifications may have been fitted on the rear axle suspension links.
Fix: The affected nuts on the rear axle will be replaced on affected vehicles.
UK DVSAGear oil may escape due to a faulty welded joint on the gearbox oil line
Risk: It is possible that gear oil may escape due to a faulty welded joint on the gearbox oil line.
Fix: The production date of the gear oil line must be checked first on the vehicles affected and the gear oil line must be replaced if necessary.
UK DVSAThe rigidity of the rear shock absorber forks may be impaired
Risk: The rigidity of the rear shock absorber forks may be impaired
Fix: Replace the rear shock absorber forks on affected vehicles
UK DVSAA component securing seat rail for front passenger seat may be impaired
Risk: The rigidity of a component securing the seat rail for the front passenger seat may be impaired
Fix: Both guide rails for the front passenger seat must be replaced on the vehicles affected
UK DVSAAn error in the casting process may affect the rigidity of the shock absorber fork
Risk: A casting process error may affect the rigidity of the front shock absorber fork.
Fix: Replace the affected shock absorber forks.
EU Safety GateThe cell modules of the high-voltage battery could overheat during charging which can lead to a fire.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateAlteration of the rear axle’s toe and/or camber values lead to increased and uneven wear on the rear tyres, and if worn down to its…Alteration of the rear axle’s toe and/or camber values lead to increased and uneven wear on the rear tyres, and if worn down to its carcass may suffer a sudden loss of pressure. This can lead to loss of traction and may affect vehicle handling, increasing the risk of an accident.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe vehicles are equipped with control software regarded as unauthorised by the competent authorities.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Importer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: 23/04/2021
EU Safety GateMoisture may enter into the engine control unit due to a missing sealing pin in one of the connectors.As a result, the engine may run in an emergency mode with reduced power or stall.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe nuts on the eccentric bolt of the rear-axle spring-link control arm may break due to stress corrosion.As a result, the rear axle could move in the wrong direction, in an uncontrollable manner at high speeds.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe wire coil profile used in the radiator tank seal may be deformed due to the very variable temperatures within the engine compartment.Over time, and under unfavourable conditions, this could lead to the radiator seal coming loose. A loose radiator seal could come into contact with hot components in the engine compartment as a result of vibrations during driving. This could lead to the seal and, potentially, neighbouring components starting to smoulder, increasing the risk of fire.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateAn oil line in the automatic gearbox may have a manufacturing defect.Consequently, oil may leak out onto the road, posing a riskto the following traffic.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe suspension forks on the rear axle may be defective.As a result, the tyres may come into contact with the wheelhouse, possibly leading to a loss of control over the vehicle and increased risk of an accident.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe rivets which fix the seat tracks on the passenger side of the vehicle have an unsuitable head diameter.This can cause the rivet connection to fail in the event of an accident, impairing the restraining effect of the seat and belt system and increasing the risk of injuries.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateA component of the wheel suspension may not be strong enough and could break over time.As a consequence, the tyre may press against the wheel arch which poses a risk of accidents.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
How often does the 2019 Audi A8 fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2019, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2019 Audi A8 owners report?
12 of the 12 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.
My grandson and I got in the car after being in a Lego store for 20 minutes. We tried to start the car to leave but the car started the electronic starting procedure but stoped. All kinds of malfunction and failure lights came on and EVERYTHING LOCKED UP. WE WERE TRAPPED IN THE CAR AND COULD NOT ESCAPE
Electrical system malfunction. Faulty generator shut dow. All electrical systems and eventually shut the car down.
Electrical Malfunction light came on and it says to pull over and cut your car off and also contact your dealer. This is very scary because you may be in am area that is very isolated or dangerous to stop. This is very disturbing. This is a known problem by Audi. The vehicle is currently at the Audi dealership. There were no warnings prior to this.
While driving on highway my car experienced massive electrical malfunction. All systems shut down (including dashboard) and engine cut off. I think it was a miracle that I was able to pull over to the roadside parking lot without any accident. The issue was caused by faulty design of the starter-alternator combo that may render the car undriveable (single point of failure). I had to use a tow track to get my car to nearest dealership where it is right. I think it is extremely dangerous to have cars on the road with possibility of total breakdown without any warnings. My car has only 43000…
The sunroof on my 2019 Audi A8 spontaneously exploded around 445 pm on Friday, April 7, 2023. The car was traveling around 55 MPH and the sunroof just exploded out. The sunscreen was closed at the time. It was not hit by a rock or a tree limb or any other item. It just exploded. Sounded like a gunshot when the car was brought to a stop, there was a large hole in the sunroof and glass scattered all around the hole.
Hello, On April 6th, 2023, at 12 pm, my car experienced a electrical malfunction within the Start/Stop system, which didn’t posed an immediate threat to my life. Later that day, the car stalled on me while driving, causing a highly dangerous situation on a busy street during peak traffic hours. Multiple error codes appeared, and the transmission failed, leaving me in a perilous position. It is alarming that AUDI is aware of this life-threatening issue, yet no recall has been issued thus far. I urge NHTSA to take swift action and hold AUDI accountable for this critical failure, which endangers…
Alternator/Start stop generator is bad. Car stopped dead in the intersection.
The contact owns a 2019 Audi 8. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the message "Electrical Malfunction" was suddenly displayed before the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the alternator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were not available. The failure mileage was 45,000.
Message appeared on display Jan 7 2023: "Electrical system: Malfunction! Please contact service" The trunk lid opened while I was driving, the a/c quit (I am in Key West!), the auto start/stop quit. I had heard of many other Audi owners whose car just quit, so I scooted home and parked. I had it towed to Coral Gables FL at my expense, and the dealer told me it was an alternator problem that needed to be replaced. None available in the US, could be months before it's repaired. Car is 2019 Audi A8 with 42,000 miles.
Vehicle engine would suddenly stop working, warning, "drive system malfunction: stop vehicle safely." It has happened 3 times within 3 days in the middle of the intersection. Dealers wouldn't take this issue seriously and they asked me to make an appointment online, which is scheduled to be 1 month away. The issue almost caused an accident twice. Adaptive cruise is also malfunctioning, engine random misfire, sunroof rattle, etc. This car is just so problematic it only has 20,000 miles on it and had scheduled maintenance performed just a month back.
INADVERTENT ACCELERATION. CAR A AGAINST WALL AT LOW SPEED (EST. 3 MPH). WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH BEHAVIOR OF STOP-START FEATURE. ENGINE WAS STOPPED, BUT VEHICLE IGNITION WAS NOT TURNED OFF. DRIVER DID NOT ANTICIPATE RESTART OF VEHICLE WHEN LIFTING FOOT OFF OF BRAKE. MINOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLE FRONT END.
I OWN A 2019 AUDI A8 WITH 2000 MILES ON IT. THIS NEARLY HAS CAUSED ME ACCIDENTS AND OTHER AUDI A8 OWNERS ARE ALSO VOICING COMPLAINTS. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF IT BUT SAID AUDI ENGINEERS WILL NOT ADDRESS IT. AFTER COMING TO A STOP, UPON PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR THE VEHICLES DOES NOT RESPOND FOR THREE OR FOUR SECONDS AND THEN ABRUPTLY TAKES OFF. THERE IS A MAJOR HESITATION AND CAN BE DANGEROUS IF YOU ARE PULLING OUT IN AN INTERSECTION WITH TRAFFIC APPROACHING. AFTER THE 3-4 SECOND DELAY, IT THEN DANGEROUSLY SPEEDS AHEAD. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ON/OFF SWITCH AS IT HAPPENS IN ALL SETTINGS…
2019 Audi A8: questions owners ask
Is the 2019 Audi A8 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Audi A8; the most common categories were electrical system (8, 66.7%), engine (3, 25%), forward collision avoidance (2, 16.7%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year. 1 complaint mentions a crash.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Audi A8?
Across 12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are electrical system (66.7% of complaints), engine (25% of complaints), forward collision avoidance (16.7% of complaints), lane departure (8.3% of complaints), power train (8.3% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2019 Audi A8 have any recalls?
As of October 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2019 Audi A8. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does the auto start-stop system act up on my 2019 Audi A8?
4 of the 12 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2019 Audi A8 (33.3%) describe problems with the automatic start-stop system. One owner wrote: "Message appeared on display Jan 7 2023: "Electrical system: Malfunction! Please contact service" The trunk lid opened while I was driving, the a/c quit (I am in Key West!), the auto start/stop quit." (NHTSA complaint 11502629, January 2023). 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
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), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2019 only.