8.7

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
3,098 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2019 Audi Q8 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2019 Audi Q8 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #42

Feb 012024

Q8

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car makes creaking sounds when going over bumps and turning left or right.

- Brookhaven, PA, USA

problem #41

Nov 222023

Q8

  • miles
While driving warning light came on electrical malfunction on highway cat lost all power following a series of light-??s indicting multiple malfunction then transmission disengaged I was able to coast to a stop, was unable to get out of vehicle due to car not unlocking

- Mansfield, TX, USA

problem #40

Aug 302023

Q8

  • miles
Driving vehicle at a low/medium rate of speed, and car completely shut off without warning. Check engine light appeared after restarting the vehicle. This is the second time this has happened to me since November 2022. I filed a report then as well. This car should not be allowed on the road and Audi should be forced to buy it back. The vehicle has less than 35,000 miles. Dealer has not confirmed what the issue is this time.

- Valparaiso, IN, USA

problem #39

Apr 052023

Q8

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Electrical malfunction illuminated on the dash than brake malfunction illuminated than the vehicle lost all power no power to windows locks but I was able to roll off an exit and waited for a tow truck to tow to nearest dealer

- Tolleson , AZ, USA

problem #38

Apr 042023

Q8

  • miles
48v mild hybrid system failed, car went completely dead in rush hour traffic putting me and other drivers in danger.

- Alpharetta, GA, USA

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problem #37

Nov 182022

Q8

  • miles
November 18, 2022 a warning lamp of electric system problem was displayed. There is no local Audi dealer and I decided to take the vehicle to my local automotive repair shop that does non warranty repair on Audis. I drove approximately 6-8 miles after the light came on and was one half mile from the service technicians when within 300 yards the vehicle became sequentially inoperable. First power steering, then transmission, brakes, ended with engine failure. I was in rush hour traffic and unable to steer off the road so I was blocking traffic near an intersection. My flashers and power windows were all that functioned. The doors were locked. When the tow truck arrived he let me out of the car. I was not injured and the vehicle was not hit either. The vehicle was transported to Audi Beaverton Oregon and now 3 1/2 months later is still there because there are no available starter/generator units available in this country. That unit failed and was the cause for my Audi-??s complete shutdown. This was a potentially very dangerous situation and needs to be reported for a recall campaign. I have read that there are thousands of similar failures of the starter/generator systems in the USA and no available parts. I still have no estimate from my Audi Beaverton dealer/sevice supervisor as to when I can expect to get my car repaired and returned to me. They have not provided a loaner vehicle and refuse to cover the full cost of a rental car. I am disappointed in Audi-??s level of customer service and communication.

- Medford, OR, USA

problem #36

Jan 252023

Q8

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Got Electrical System Malfunction to start. I called service and they said car was safe to drive. Continued driving got a fault for automatic start/Stop malfunction, followed by: Right lug nut loose Right brake light malfunction Parking brake malfunction Distance indicator malfunction Power Steering malfunction Drive train, malfunction. Car engine started hesitating and dash went totally blank. Car was hard to steer, luckily I live near the dealership. Dealer said there are 30 cars in their service department with the same problem. I am #3000 on Audis waitlist for parts to fix problem. 48 volt battery and alternator.

- Mckinney , TX, USA

problem #35

Dec 192022

Q8

  • miles
The Generator (Part #: 4N0903028P) failed causing the car to shutoff while driving. This is a known issue by Audi as it has issued a TSB. Further steps must be taken by the OEM to ensure safe operation of the vehicle by its owners. This is a safety issue that must be resolved soonest!

- Centerville, OH, USA

problem #34

Dec 212022

Q8

  • miles
Vehicle lost all power and control while driving 45mph. First electrical system failure warning came on. Within 2 minutes the transmission slipped into neutral and 15 seconds later the vehicle lost power and I coasted to a stop. I was told by Audi dealership service that the starter generator failed. They mentioned they currently have over 20 vehicles in their shop and over 25 at their other location with the same problem. They also said over 1,000 cars nationwide had same problem and the part to repair is back ordered and no reasonable estimate of repair time.

- Cary, NC, USA

problem #33

Dec 042022

Q8

  • miles
Electric System Mal Function. The Car was flashing all signals. It asked to pull over and said there is a danger of car turning over. We called audi assistance. The tow truck driver could not load the car as the wheels were all locked up.

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #32

Oct 012021

Q8

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I purchased a used 2019 Audi Q8 Prestige Plus, with Sportline Pkg on 9/7/21. Car had approx. 18,500 miles. The car attempts to shut off when deaccelerating at any speed below 3000 rpm. There is also a significant throttle delay between the time you push the gas pedal and when the engine responds. To be clear the car is in Dynamic mode and the Start/Stop mode is deactivated. It appears that under certain conditions the car is trying to determine if it should shut down or continue running. The Audi 37M6 update has been performed on my car which was supposed to correct the problem. The Audi Knoxville Shop Foreman drove the car and experienced the problem, contacted Audi Technical Assistance center (case# HS-822562) and was told that the car had the latest software correction. The Shop Foreman wanted to erase the transmission clutch adaptations to see if the car could relearn the shift process but was advised by Audi Technical Assistance not to erase the transmission clutch adaptations and would not allow the Shop Foreman access to the car software in an effort to diagnose the problem. Note: there was a class action lawsuit in May 2020 for this problem that was dismissed because the car manual states the car can experience a delay when restarting from the Start/Stop mode. However, my issue occurs when the Start/Stop system is turned off. There is no continuous throttle response below 3000 rpm with the Start/Stop system turned off. I was given a 2021 Q7 with a 2.0 as a loaner car while my Q8 was in service and I did not experience any of the issues I have with my Q8. I was advised by my dealership to also write a letter to Audi USA as the dealership acknowledges there is a major problem and they want to try fix the issue but will not be given access to the car software to troubleshoot the issue. This is a dangerous problem.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #31

Nov 052020

Q8

  • 8,130 miles
I'm very upset with NHTSA and Audi. I submitted a complaint with NHTSA on 10/22/20 and the complaint number is 11365744. Again as stated in my complaint this is an actual safety issue. I then took the vehicle into the dealership for them to look at the problem. Well it turns out that the dealership's service department has had a number of complaints just like mine. It also turns out that Audi has a fix for the problem. The fix is a software update 37M6. I'm glad the issue has been fixed on my vehicle but the real issue is that NHTSA and Audi are aware of this fix but both of these entities are not requiring the fix to be made via a gov't issued recall. Audi calls this fix a "campaign". Audi is avoiding the standard practices of NHTSA by referring to this problem and fix as a campaign which is outside of the normal technical service bulletin and safety recall process. Has no one at NHTSA or Audi learned the lessons of the GM debacle with the ignition switch. This cover up by NHTSA/dot and Audi is a complete an utter disgrace. To allow Audi to operate outside of the NHTSA system is a complete failure. NHTSA needs to mandate Audi issue a safety recall asap!

- Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA

problem #30

Oct 222020

Q8 6-cyl

  • 4,000 miles
Our A8 has issues with lag time when accelerating from a stop or a slow speed of less then 10 mph. The vehicle seems to stop running prior to a full stop and if the accelerator is depressed nothing happens for about 5 seconds. This is extremely dangerous and leaves us at risk of being injured or killed. This issue started just a few months after purchase and has gotten continually worse. We have also encountered this issue even after a full stop and then trying to accelerate from a full stop. It has even happened when driving on an interstate highway when trying to pass another vehicle. The delay in acceleration is very disconcerting and dangerous to say the least.

- Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA

problem #29

Jul 282020

Q8

  • 8,950 miles
I leased this 2019 Audi Q8 in December 2018 from my local Audi dealer and it has had so many technical issues from the start. I've had it in for service issues 5 or 6 times. It kept showing the oil symbol and said there was too much oil and was checked and they said it was just a computer issue. Then they replaced a part and it happened again not long after. They then claim the replacement part was faulty. Since the beginning, it has had issues accelerating when it is in the energy saving mode, which is default and you have to disable it every single time you use the car. The check engine line has been illuminated multiple times and when serviced, they claim it is safe to drive and that Audi is working on a computer fix to this problem. Now the "drive system: Malfunction! please contact service" light is constantly illuminating as is the check engine light (picture attached). This is by far the most expensive car I have ever had and it has had more issues than any other car I have had. I'm now very concerned that I am putting myself at risk for driving this car.

- Scranton, PA, USA

problem #28

Jan 022020

Q8

  • 11 miles
The car will unpredictably lose all power for 2-3 seconds. This has more than once nearly caused a fatal accident!!!!!!! the manufacturer is aware of the problem but unable or refusing to fix it. Please save lives today and recall the car.

- Great Neck, NY, USA

problem #27

Mar 062020

Q8

  • 3,010 miles
When driving in any standard driving mode, when you start to come to a stop with auto S/S enabled (e.g. slow down) to less than 6mph, then accelerate again, there is a considerable lag for the vehicle to start accelerating again (about 1-2 seconds). This is especially dangerous when making left turns when there is cross traffic as the vehicle often drifts into the intersection and you can't quickly accelerate away. Have had many close calls and the issue is easily replicable on any 2019 Q8.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #26

Mar 032020

Q8

  • 20,000 miles
Auto start/stop is so laggy when re'starting the engine, especially at large crossings w heavy traffic or roundabouts. I had almost 5 accidents in the past year because you anticipate oncoming traffic and from experience you know you can easily turn or go, and then you just roll a bit and there is nothing happening and you have no chance to do anything.

- Chattanooga, TN, USA

problem #25

Jan 032020

Q8

  • 100 miles
When start/stop system is enabled, the engine will shut off when coasting to a stop. If you try to accelerate it takes 2-3 seconds for the car to accelerate. This is extremely dangerous on left hand yield turns where there is oncoming traffic. This problem can be solved by turning off the start/stop systems or putting the transmission into sport mode which will automatically turn off the start/stop system. In addition, the car does not remember your setting when the car is turned off. So everytime you start the vehicle you have to remember to turn off the start/stop systems. Audi dealer asknowldeged the issue and performed update, but the issue still persists.

- Rohnert Park, CA, USA

problem #24

Dec 012019

Q8

  • miles
The vehicle has major throttle lag from a stop state of the car, if you are not aware, the vehicle will lag on acceleration and sudden jerk forward at full speed which is a major safety hazard if you are not paying attention. The turbos take too long to send power to the wheels and result is sudden acceleration.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #23

Mar 022020

Q8

  • 11,000 miles
Throttle lag from a near (but not full) stop. If coming to rolling stop, from 1-8 mph, and then hit accelerator, the car engine revs but no acceleration to vehicle. After a 2-3 second delay, car will lunge and accelerate normally. Scary when need to accelerate from a near rolling stop. Left hand turns especially dangerous. Explained issue to dealer, and Q8 car forums have same issue. Dealer says functioning "normal", which I disagree it is not. I have tried all settings for start/stop, transmission settings, etc., and nothing fully alleviates the problem. This is not episodic and a consistent, reproducible dangerous issue.

- Hillsborough, NJ, USA

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