2013 Audi A8
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2013 Audi A8. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
6 recalls name the 2013 Audi A8. Newest first.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2013-2017 A8, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, and 2014-2017 RS7 vehicles. The turbocharger oil supply strainer can become blocked, causing wear to the bearings due to lack of lubrication.
Worn bearings can cause the turbine wheel to contact the turbocharger housing or cause the shaft to break, causing an engine stall and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the oil strainer and perform an oil change, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 21H7.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles. The seal around the engine compartment may come loose and contact hot engine components.
If the seal contacts hot engine components, there could be an increased risk of a fire.
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install a retaining plate to prevent the engine compartment seal from loosening. The recall began September 4, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 51G6.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Audi A8 and S8 vehicles. The fuel supply line for the high pressure fuel pump may become porous and leak fuel.
Leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of fire.
Audi has notified owners, and dealers will install a fuel pressure damper, free of charge. The recall began February 21, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20BM.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles. The fuel supply line for the high pressure fuel pump may become porous over time, resulting in a fuel leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line, free of charge. The recall began July 20, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AV.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Audi A8 vehicles manufactured May 15, 2010, to May 14, 2012. The affected vehicles have a coolant valve that may leak, allowing coolant to enter the engine control module causing a loss of power or the engine to stall.
A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the coolant valve and inspect for coolant that has leaked through the electrical connector, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 19, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Audi A8 and S8 vehicles equipped with a standard sunroof, manufactured March 12, 2013, through July 15, 2013. These vehicles are equipped with a standard sunroof glass panel that may shatter.
Should the sunroof's glass break while the vehicle is in use, the falling glass could injure the driver or passengers. It could also distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sunroof glass panel, free of charge. The recall began on October 21, 2013. Owners may contact Audi of America at 1-800-822-2834. Volkwagen's number for this campaign is 60B6/1L.
Lionhart LH-Five UHP All Season 265/40ZR20 104Y XL Passenger Tire The tire tread separated at the inside seam of the tire at the side wall. One tire had 90-180 degree of tire separation. You could see the inside of the tire and the belt. The tire was still holding pressure. This problem was identified before the tire further self destructed. But this is considered a near miss if not discovered at the time and future tire degradation continued. The first event happened in Dec 2024. I have two vehicles that use the same tire. I noticed the same problem on all four tires of my other vehicle currently (October 2026). These tires appear to have a manufacturer defect. The DOT manufacturer date on my current tires is 1124 which I believe means 11th wk of 2024. The tires that had the tread separation had about 20k of use. I have included a picture below. On my other car the tires have about 20k miles of use also, and the location where the sidewall meets the tread on the inside of the tire is very thin and stretched. It is a matter of time before these fail as well. I am seeking to get these replaced by the tire company.
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
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 is exactly what caused it.
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 plugs. At this point I had found out about the recall for the same problem. On the same engine. In all of audi's cars, except for the A8 line was excluded, do not know the reason why it's the same engine in multiple vehicles that were listed in the recall for the piston rings. My other Audi a 6 has over 200000 miles and does not have this issue. Get these low tension piston ring failures that have been recalled. On the issue with all of audi's in this year
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 contact was notified that the failure persisted and was then informed that a defective engine cylinder now needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle remained in the dealer's possession and had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
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 power steering. If this was on the highway this could have been exceptionally bad. I request the Audi AH. L and 8 series to be added to the current recall. For the A6Q5A4 A seven with the exact same problem
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.
Unknown at this moment service vist is next week. The problem is a know piston ring issues on other years of same engine with massive oil consumption 1 qt a week with minimal driving less then 100 miles. Spent 3k on pvc and coolant pump that are a known issue of totaling engine but burning oil non stop and risk or seized engine if on highway
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 steering the car and controlling the direction of the car and getting the car to the side of the road. Once we were at the side of the road, we looked up the closest Audi dealership, fortunately we were 3.9 miles away from Audi Dealership in Van Nuys, CA. Once on the side of the road the vehicle initially would not restart the engine stalling had drained the battery. We waited on the side of the road for approx.. 40 minutes and were able to restart the car and drive with much difficulty to the Keys Audi Van Nuys dealership. We were able to barely get into the dealership parking lot when the car completely stalled, we went in and met with the service manager. We explained what had happened, and with the service teams help we pushed the vehicle into a bay to get reviewed. I have purchased eight (8) Audi’s over the past years for me and my wife. The service manager promised to review the problem. Typically, Audi service will give you a vehicle to drive but the had no vehicles available, so they told us they would take us to a rental car company and cover the cost of the vehicle except for the insurance on rental car, which we had to pickup at a rate of $ 35.00 per day. As we were on a work trip we had to hustle to our customers as we had a meeting scheduled for 2:30 PM at Manna Beverage in Anaheim, CA. We went to our meeting and then returned to the Audi Dealership in Van Nuys. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF I
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 direction of the car and getting the car to the side of the road. Once we were at the side of the road, we looked up the closest Audi dealership, fortunately we were 3.9 miles away from Audi Dealership in Van Nuys, CA. Once on the side of the road the vehicle initially would not restart the engine stalling had drained the battery. We waited on the side of the road for approx.. 40 minutes and were able to restart the car and drive with much difficulty to the Keys Audi Van Nuys dealership. We were able to barely get into the dealership parking lot when the car completely stalled, we went in and met with the service manager. We explained what had happened, and with the service teams help we pushed the vehicle into a bay to get reviewed. I have purchased eight (8) Audi’s over the past years for me and my wife. The service manager promised to review the problem. Typically, Audi service will give you a vehicle to drive but the had no vehicles available, so they told us they would take us to a rental car company and cover the cost of the vehicle except for the insurance on rental car, which we had to pickup at a rate of $ 35.00 per day. As we were on a work trip we had to hustle to our customers as we had a meeting scheduled for 2:30 PM at Manna Beverage in Anaheim, CA. We went to our meeting and then returned to the Audi Dealership in Van Nuys. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(
The contact owns a 2013 Audi A8. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V178000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the contact had scheduled three separate appointments with a dealer and was cancelled after each scheduled appointment. The contact stated that the manufacturer had 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
Sunroof shattered while driving.
In March of 2022, a safety recall number 21H7, was issued for my 2013 Audi A8L regarding the oil strainer which could clog and result in the turbocharger failing and subsequent consequences. I have contacted my Audi dealer numerous times since first receiving written notification with the most recent contact being today October 31. The dealer says they still don’t have the necessary parts and even though there is still supply chain issues internationally, quite enough time has passed and when I reached out to Audi USA, they said parts have been available since August! I have not had any issues yet in driving the car but still feel reluctant to do so and would like this fixed asap. Thank you.
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.
There is an open recall: 16V619000 Which applies to a set of VIN numbers. This same issue happened on my vehicle and my VIN is not part of the recall. Other VIN numbers should be included in this recall like mine. I had to get the repaired on my own for $2500 because this recall isn’t showing up for my vin number
Manufacturer Recall Number21H7 NHTSA Recall Number22V178 This recall was issued in May 2022. I emailed Audi USA, who advised me that they do not have a repair they can implement to address this recall. This is surprising because, according to an Audi enthusiast website, repairs under this recall are being made in the United Kingdom. See pdf attached. Why is Audi telling me they cannot repair my car when they seem to be doing just that in other countries? It appears that this is not a complicated repair and seems to involve only replacing a mesh oil strainer.
I was told the recall wasn't yet active, but the dealer had the parts to take care of the recall. Now I am being told I must pay for the recall repair and wait an undetermined amount of time to get reimbursed through the manufacturer. Meanwhile I can not do anything with the vehicle as if I sell it I cannot collect the monies from which they want me to pay ( over $8000 ). Please advise as this is a lot of money to tie up not knowing when it will be refunded. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
My car don’t get the full power & it whistles they say it’s the oil seperator .
The car has only 60,000 miles and it is gently driven. In the middle of the interstate it started making a rattling noise. Immediately the car ceased to run. Luckily there was no vehicle otherwise it would have been a disaster. I managed to start the car back and bring it to my home which was nearby. I called a friend who is the mechanic and he mentioned the turbo had failed
I experienced the engine stall/turbo failure as described in NHTSA Action Number PE21009. I have all of the supporting documents regarding this turbo failure. Volkswagen auto group had previously issued a voluntary TSB regarding this known design shortcoming in the turbo system of the 4.0T engine. The oil screens that filter the turbo cooling were engineered with a mesh that was too fine. This mesh eventually clogged and severed oil flow to the turbo units, causing failure. There is discussion of this design shortcoming in every single Audi online group, so much so, that when new members join the owners Facebook group, they are nearly all immediately warned to change their oil screens. The concept that I was without a vehicle for months as well as having to pay for this repair out of pocket still shocks me - I had several heated calls with the Audi warranty headquarters and an incident at the dealership that required retraining of the service staff. Needless to say, this turbo failure on my vehicle was an absolute nightmare. I’d be more than happy to share all of my documents and story with the NHTSB. Thank you.
On the afternoon of September 12, 2018, my 2013 Audi A8L 4.0T started with somewhat of a rough idle, but no warning lights or error codes were present on the dashboard. I owned the car for approximately 18 months at that point, and this had never happened before. As soon as I started to drive, the tachometer became steady and there were no other indications anything was wrong, even stopping at traffic lights the problem did no persist nor were there any indications anything was wrong. Once back in Spartanburg, the car stalled while slowing down for a traffic light. The engine cut off completely, the steering became very rigid, and the Check Engine light turned on. I was able to coast to a stop and turn on my hazard lights, and then tried to restart the car to no avail. The engine would turn over, but the car would not start. Another car stopped behind me, and we were able to push the car onto the grassy shoulder out of traffic, which was dangerous in itself but safer than sitting in the middle of a busy road. I had the car towed to Steve White Audi in Greenville, SC. Once there, they informed me that the error codes indicated that both turbo's failed simultaneously and the failure of those turbos caused the first set of downstream catalytic converters to fail also. See attached repair report and payment receipt = $10,975.57 for the replacement parts and labor ($12,070.85 including the 115,000 mile service). Once they told me the cost of the repair, I called Volkswagen USA corporate headquarters to ask if there were any pending recalls for the turbos. Multiple message boards and FaceBook pages go into detail about how the turbos are a known point of failure on the 4.0T cars, and the astronomical cost to replace them. I was informed by Volkswagen that there were no pending recalls, and that I would have to pay for the repairs out of pocket, which I did.
Vehicle windshield started leaking from top and visibly moves when pressed from outside. This is the original windshield, never in an accident.
Car is not blowing hot air. I have a transmission fault code related to this which is P2753. Coolant is leaking and has run through the control valve to the wiring and connector causing corrosion.
While traveling on Interstate 65 through Nashville, TN my 2013 Audi A8L showed an EPC light alert then <5 miles later while traveling through interstate split going 20mph the car without alert shut down and I lost power steering, brake control, accelerator control, electric control and was forced to navigate hazardously across 3 lanes of traffic to a modified left side median. I had large vehicle traffic dodging my car going 50-60mph and was forced to call 911. I stayed in the car because much too dangerous to leave the vehicle and was able for a brief minute to restart and get off an exit ramp where it abruptly died again. I had the car towed to Audi dealership where diagnosis showed dual turbocharger failure and they recommended replacement. * Catastrophic turbo charger failure - it is available for inpsection * Car catastrophically shut down going 15-30 mph on interstate in downtown nashville causing loss of power steering/brake control. This led to immediate danger and harm caused by loss of vehicle control and traffic collision risk * Yes - dealer confirmed in multiple locations (Nashville and Louisville of turbocharger failure * No * The car EPC light came on <5 miles prior to shutdown I understand that the NHTSA already has an investigation into this model and year audi regarding turbocharger failure and I would like to add that I have had a similar problem with this vehicle. It should be recalled to address these safety concerns
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 lane. At about 2:55 pm a state Trooper stopped and asked if he could help me get to a safer spot but by that time I had called AAA. At 3:30pm AAA arrived and towed us to a safe spot. At no time before, during or after this failure did I receive any message or warning that this failure was imminent. The car was taken to Audi Norwell and diagnosed with defective turbos due to failure of turbo shaft bearings . The screens were clogged preventing oil from reaching the bearings. The turbos were the original equipment. I have read in the Audi Forum this is not an uncommon problem. I understand the screens have been redesigned as a result.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE 21-009) after the agency received 58 reports alleging engine stalling in 2013-2016MY Audi vehicle models A8, S6, S7, S8 & RS7 equipped with the 4.0L, twin-turbocharged engine. Complainants reported the vehicles would stall with no warning while driving at highway or city traffic speeds. Several of the complainants alleged an inability to restart. The complaints alleged the major contributing factor to the engine stalling was the failure of the turbochargers. The complaints cited the turbocharger failure was a result of oil starvation due to a clogged oil strainer in the turbocharger oil supply line.The location of the oil strainer in the turbocharger oil supply line is in the inner valley of the engine. It is not easily accessible, making servicing the component difficult. The oil strainer removes particles and carbon deposits from the oil before lubricating the turbochargers. Over time, if the debris is not removed from the oil strainer, it becomes clogged and prevents oil from flowing to the turbochargers. This causes the turbine bushings to run dry and overheat resulting in turbine shaft failure due to thermal stress.On April 04, 2022, PE21-009 was upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA22-001) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the alleged defect. Volkswagen filed recall 22V-178 to replace the 30?m mesh oil strainer with a 90?m mesh oil strainer in the subject vehicles. VW introduced the larger mesh oil strainer into production in March of 2017 effecting the 2017-2018MY vehicles.ODI reviewed information from VW for vehicles that had the larger mesh installed in production. The data received showed, since the new oil strainer size of 90?m went into production for the 2017-2018MY, there has not been any reported incidents of turbocharger failures due to oil starvation or other failures that could be related to the larger screen mesh. In view of the recall being conducted by VW and lack of any detrimental side effect to the turbocharger caused by the larger mesh, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.11502847,11506565,11494663,11488813,11486393,11480926,11479882,11476289,11466761 11464663,11463254,11460580,11460496,11458973,11458804,11457556,11454753,11452668 11452589,11452584,11452383,11452175,11452111,11451724,11451724,11450995,11450988 11449661,11447092,11443657,11442867,11440536,11440052,11439959,11438691,11436461 11435619,11433925,11433733,11432336,11431661,11431421,11429704,11429584,11428128 11426929,11424203,11423603,11423337,11422431,11421084,11420626,11420342,11419693 11418884,11418437,11418433,11418135,11417635,11417351,11416095,11414578,11414235 11414064,11413359,11413285,11413214,11407510,11407450,11406897,11406821,11406637 11406460,11406416,11406291,11406287,11406277,11406273,11406263,11406256,11406251 11406229,11406222,11406208,11406204,11406197,11406182,11406015,11404665,11404426 11404348,11403823,11403430,11403268,11402684,11399435,11397821,11396241,11394763 11391037
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 21-009 after the agency received 58 reports alleging engine stalling in 2013-2016MY Audi vehicle models A8, S6, S7, S8 & RS7. The subject vehicles are equipped with 4.0L, twin-turbocharged engine. Complainants reported that the vehicles stall suddenly with no warning while driving on the highway or in city traffic. Several of the complainants alleged an inability to restart. The complaints allege the major contributing factor to the engine stalling is the failure of the turbochargers. The complaints further allege the turbocharger failure is a result of oil starvation due to a clogged oil strainer.The location of the oil strainer in the turbocharger oil supply line is in the inner valley of the engine. It is not easily accessible, making regular service difficult. The oil strainer removes dirty particles and carbon deposits from the oil before flowing to lubricate the Turbochargers. Overtime if the debris are not removed from the oil strainer, it clogs the strainer and prevents free flow of oil to the turbochargers and makes the turbine bushings to run dry and overheat which causes the turbine shaft to break due to thermal stress. In VW's response to ODI's Information Request letter, VW provided approximately 611 warranty claims with unique VINs, 70 Field Reports and 45 Consumer complaints. These reports allege engine stalling due to turbocharger failure similar to the NHTSA reports described above. To date, NHTSA has received approximately 98 allegations of stall due to turbocharger failures. The total of 824 reports shown in the table above eliminates duplicate reports received by both ODI and the manufacturer.This Preliminary Evaluation is being upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the alleged defect of engine stalling due to turbocharger failureThe ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers:11452589, 11452584, 11452383, 11450995, 11450988, 11449661, 11447092, 11442867 11440536, 11440052, 11439959, 11438691, 11436461, 11435619, 11431661, 11429704 11429584, 11426929, 11424203, 11423603, 11423337, 11421084, 11420626, 11420342 11418884, 11418437, 11418433, 11417635, 11417351, 11416095, 11414235, 11413359 11413214, 11413285, 11413133, 11407510, 11407450, 11407289, 11406821, 11406416 11406291, 11406277, 11406273, 11406256, 11406251, 11406229, 11406222, 11406204 11406197, 11406182, 11404665, 11404426, 11404348, 11403430, 11403268, 11399435 11397821, 11396241, 11394763, 11391037, 11388662, 11387166, 11377446, 11363283 11354107, 11344193, 11342497, 11342360, 11340302, 11325065, 11324163, 11322168, 11321144, 11318477, 11306754, 11279429, 11268109, 11256706, 11252723, 11246579 11234853, 11234714, 11231582, 11231013, 11230589, 11229484, 11222281, 11218822 11218749, 11217604, 11209168, 11209142, 11197149, 11191243, 11175842, 11170776 11164032, 11152418.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.