2011 Audi A8 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (7) · Suspension (3) · Structure:body (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Audi A8 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine 2016-08-24 · campaign 16V619000 · 9,067 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (991)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-25 · TSB_2052680_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
Steering 2026-09-22 · TSB_2074846_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-26 · TSB_2074436_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information when the horn sound quality is poor.
Service Brakes 2026-08-21 · TSB_2069904_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information for all models regarding brake sounds.
Service Brakes 2026-08-21 · TSB_2069078_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information on the zirconium insercts in the brake piston (ceramic brakes only).
Steering 2026-08-21 · TSB_2063546_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides service infomraiton regardin gthe identifaction of noises with dynamic steering.
Showing the 6 most recent of 991 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-09-21 · Engine“the coolant is leaking out and onto engine. my safety was at risk due to the car overheating and smoking. this is a on going problem that many audi’s had a recall for except mines. yes the vehicle was inspected and the warning that came up was “coolant level low turn off engine” …”
2023-12-04 · Power Train“ecu starting to malfunction as a coolant leak valve is leaking into it. there is a recall for these models but not for my specific car but i do believe my car is affected because my car has a coolant leak that i personally can’t find and my car was just worked on by audi indianapolis and they did not see any coolant leaks either. it was mentioned t…”
2022-01-12 · Suspension“audi a8 has been using large amount of coolant. however, its not running out the car. yet im steady buying coolant because its saying its low. and when i go to put the coolant in my car it is low. so where is the coolant going? in trying to figure out where my coolant was going or why was it calling for so much i did some audi research on my vehicl…”
2021-06-10 · Engine · 67,000 mi“the contact owns a 2011 audi a8. the contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the camshaft and timing chain failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage …”
2020-03-07 · Structure:body · 96,000 mi“rust, corrosion that may detach from body or frame components or other structual components that may present a safety hazard.…”
2019-02-04 · Engine · 93,000 mi“takata recall coolant failer and motor…”
2018-07-31 · Engine · 66,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2011 audi a8. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle shut off. the contact was able to move the vehicle safely to the shoulder of the road. several attempts were made to restart the engine, but the vehicle did not start. in addition, the check engine indicator illuminated. the vehicle was towed to audi of fairfield (435 commerce d…”
2017-11-30 · Unknown Or Other · 75,000 mi“the navigation system continuously displays a location where i am not located. this has occurred many, many times. it can occur randomly or at startup. this has been an issue for which i have taken the vehicle to my local audi but they have been unable to identify the issue, although they have said other customers have came in complaining about …”
2017-11-30 · Suspension · 85,000 mi“i was hearing a thumping noise coming from the front of my car every time i braked and came to a stop. i also noticed that the car leaned forward heavily when i braked and knew this was not normal. i also noticed a vibration on my steering when when traveling at around 40-50 mph. i took the car (2011 audi 8l) to my local audi who first said the …”
2016-10-26 · Suspension · 87,000 mi“control arm bushings subject to premature failure requiring frequent replacement. this results in extreme vibration and erratic handing during braking. upper control arms were replace while under warranty but others soon failed once vehicle was out of warranty.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.