2013 Audi A8 problems & reliability
49 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Audi A8, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Audi A8 vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 0 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 36 | 73% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 10% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 8% |
| Power Train | 3 | 6% |
| Suspension | 3 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 4% |
| Steering | 2 | 4% |
| Structure | 2 | 4% |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 21 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 63,000 miles (middle 50% between 58,000 and 71,462 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Engine totaled because of oil starvation I'm guessing or maybe an oil pump failure oil starvation caused Pistons to rub inside of head cost of engine and work is more than the vehicles cost so that means car is totaled”
Engine · filed Apr 19, 2026
“The pcv oil separator has failed and is making a whistling sound. From researching this issue it is widely known and an investigation shows it is caused in relation to a recall for the oil strainer that was done on this vehicle. I called audi dealership and they said this is not an open recall, however it seems this…”
Engine · filed Oct 11, 2025
“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…”
Engine · filed Jun 18, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Engine Stall - Turbo Failure
Engineering Analysis EA22001 · opened Apr 4, 2022 · closed May 26, 2023
- Engine Stall - Turbo Failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE21009 · opened Mar 29, 2021 · closed May 27, 2022 · led to recall 22V178000
Technical service bulletins
1,492 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Audi A8. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides a statement regarding the bottleneck of supply for VW approved oil types VW 504.00 and VW 507.00.
TSB_2082846_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is a film/visible rings on the clear glass cover of the headlight when the dipped beam is switched on.
TSB_2073282_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there are noises from the area around the instrument cluster.
TSB_2059335_7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there are rough downshifts when the vehicle is slowed to a stop.
TSB_2036278_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulleitn procides informaiton when tehre is a transmission warning mssage in the instrument cluster; P074100 is stored in the TCM.
TSB_2028985_13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides informaiton when the transmission warning message appears in the cluster; P074100 stored in the TCM.
TSB_2028902_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides informationwhen noises/vibration are detected from front of vehicle in dynamic mode.
TSB_2074729_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This bulletin provides information when there is a strong jolt after engine automatically starts in start-stop mode; vehicles with 0BK & 0BL Gearbox.
TSB_2082046_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 22, 2026
This bulletin provides informaiton when the engine is not running smoothly, misfiring.
TSB_2082323_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 10, 2026
This Reporting Obligation requires technicains to contact the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) in cases where the airbag/seatbelt is deployed/not deployed; general accident information; and fire and overheat damage.
TSB_2052680_6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 4, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2013 Audi A8 has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 Audi A8?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 63,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.