Used Audi A8 2017-present reliability
Category: Luxury car
The Audi A8's performance, comfort and refinement put it near the top of the luxury car class. It's a great used buy, too.
What should I look for in a used Audi A8 saloon?
When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.
The A8 has had few reported problems so far. Nevertheless, it’s important to check your prospective purchase over thoroughly, as the A8’s a complicated car, and there are a lot of things that theoretically can go wrong.
Make sure that all of the touch-sensitive switches still work, for example, and that goes for the touchscreens too. You’ll also want to check all of the gadgets they control do what they’re supposed to – don’t rush this, as there’s so much to find your way around.
Avoid any A8 that brings up error messages in the central information display when you start the car, or has dashboard lights that stay on. Be especially careful around vehicles with air suspension problems – they can be extremely costly to sort.
Also check all four wheels out and look for signs of kerbing – wheels this big are costly to refurbish and even more expensive to replace.
What are the most common problems with a used Audi A8 saloon?
Oil strainer mesh
The mesh size of the oil strainer in the oil supply for both turbochargers is too small. You can check with an Audi dealer to see if your A8 is among those affected. If it is, the oil strainer will be replaced with a revised version with a larger mesh size. The recall date is 04 May 2022 and 4690 cars were listed.
Engine compartment seal
The engine compartment seal may become deformed and come loose in unfavourable circumstances. To fix this issue, a retaining plate will be fitted on the affected vehicle to prevent the engine compartment seal from coming loose. The recall was listed on 09 October 2022 and 798 cars were affected.
Rear shock absorbers
There have been two recalls issued regarding a problem with the rear shock absorber forks on A8s built from 27 November and 18 December 2018, and 21-24 October 2019. Check with an Audi dealer if your A8 is amongst those affected because the forks will need to be replaced if it is.
Front passenger seat rails
A problem has been found with the seat rails for the front passenger seat of some examples made from 10 January to 25 March 2019, and means that both guide rails will need to be replaced by an Audi dealer if yours is among those affected.
Gearbox oil leak
Oil may escape from a faulty join in the gearbox oil line of A8s manufactured from 1 September to 31 December 2019. Speak to an Audi dealer to find out if your car is affected, because the line will need to be replaced to solve the problem.
Active headrest
A retaining clip could be missing from the active headrests of some A8s made between 1 to 31 January 2018. Speak to an Audi dealer for further information about whether or not your car is affected.
Click here for more information. Contact your local Audi dealer if you believe your vehicle is involved in a recall.
Is a used Audi A8 saloon reliable?
The A8 didn't feature in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey. However, the Audi A6, its smaller sibling, did, and it finished near the bottom of the executive car class.
Reliability rating 82.5%
What went wrong? Non-engine electrics 19%, sat-nav/infotainment 15%, interior trim 12%, bodywork 4%, brakes 4%, engine electrics 4%, fuel system 4%,
The Audi A6 was not only plagued with problems (50% of cars went wrong), but it was also costly to fix in many instances. Audi covered the cost of 77% of repairs, but that left 17% of owners with bills of up to £200 and 6% paying more than £1500. Two-thirds of cars were back on the road in less than a week, though.
Audi as a manufacturer came 24th out of 31 car makers in the same survey, which is below BMW and Mercedes but above Land Rover. You can check out the list of all the manufacturers here.
See the full list of executive cars here.
See the full list of brands here.
Used Audi A8 reliability: the owners' view
As part of our annual Reliability Survey, What Car? readers said that while the Audi A8 offers an impressive driving experience, its reliability leaves room for improvement, particularly among diesel models. Several owners reported electrical faults, including persistent warning lights and issues with the infotainment system. One diesel owner experienced a recurring suspension fault, which required multiple visits to the dealership.
There were mixed reviews on dealer service. Some readers praised their local Audi centres for being helpful and communicative during repairs, while others complained about long wait times for parts and delays in booking appointments. In a few cases, repairs were not completed on the first attempt, leading to frustration and repeat visits.
Overall, petrol variants appeared to fare slightly better in terms of reliability, though electrical gremlins were still noted. Owners recommend checking warranty coverage thoroughly, given the cost of out-of-warranty repairs.
