2021 AUDI S8

Recalls, Specs & Safety Report

7RecallsNHTSA Verified1ComplaintsNHTSA Data2InvestigationsNHTSA Data
Expert Verdict
⚠️Elevated Concerns

This 2021 model shows concerning reliability, primarily driven by 7 recallsβ€”above the AUDI averageβ€”centered on the back over prevention.

Key Factor:elevated back over prevention issues

πŸ“‹Why This Matters

Understanding recall history helps predict future ownership costs. Each unaddressed issue represents potential repair expenses.

Insurance companies review vehicle reliability data when setting premiums. Models with elevated recall rates often see adjusted pricing.

Given this model year's elevated concern level, budget for a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

Focus Area:general reliability
πŸ“Š

Expert Analysis

  • πŸ“ˆ
    Recall Trend:No Change in recalls
  • ⚠️
    Primary Risk Area:Warning
  • βš–οΈ
    Vs Brand: Worse than avg (1.8)
    πŸ“
    Summary:
Critical Component: Warning

Safety & Reliability Score

34/100
Poor

Score Breakdown

Recall Impact-56
Complaint Impact-0.05
Investigation Impact-10

Technical Specifications

Key specifications for the 2021 AUDI S8

Model Year2021
MakeAUDI
ModelS8
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle

Safety History Timeline

Scroll for more β†’
Jan21
NEWProduction
Jan21
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan21
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan21
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan21
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan21
RECALLRecall Issued
May21
RECALLRecall Issued
May22
RECALLRecall Issued
Dec22
ISSUEFirst Report
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened

Consumer Complaint Analysis

⚠️

Most Reported Issue

1 complaints (100% of total)
➑️

Complaint Trend

Stable
No trend data
βœ…

Safety Incidents

No critical incidents

Complaint Severity Distribution

Breakdown of 1 consumer complaints by severity level.

🟒Low
1(100%)
βœ…Good News: No critical or high-severity complaints reported for this vehicle.

πŸ› οΈ DIY Diagnosis Center

Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).

Primary Risk Areas

BACK OVER PREVENTIONSEAT BELTSTIRESENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGSUSPENSIONELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Official Safety Recalls (7)

Campaign: 21V825000

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8 and S8, 2022 Audi A5 Sportback, A4 Sedan, E-Tron GT, Q3, Q5, RS6 Avant, A3 Sedan, S5 Sportback, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RSQ8, SQ7, SQ8, and S3 Sedan vehicles. A software error may prevent the rear-view image from initially displaying when the vehicle begins to reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence

A rear-view camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the infotainment unit parameters, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 9, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 91CR.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 21V606000

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence

An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 22V034000

TIRES

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

Consequence

Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 21V111000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A8 and 2020-2021 Audi S8 vehicles. A missing sealing pin may allow moisture to enter the engine control module connector, possibly causing a control module malfunction.

Consequence

An engine control module malfunction may cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine control module connector for a missing sealing pin, and install it, if necessary. The connector will also be inspected for corrosion, and replaced as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 12, 20121. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EV.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 21V295000

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

Consequence

A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 22V742000

BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence

A blank rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 25V201000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 SQ8, A6 SEDAN, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 SEDAN, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail.

Consequence

An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the instrument panel module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90VC.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA Investigations

2 investigations

Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2021 S8.

INV-2021-1000🟒 Closed

NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding S8 performance issues.

Opened: Affected Units: 52,335
INV-2021-1001🟒 Closed

NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding S8 performance issues.

Opened: Affected Units: 23,561

Consumer Complaints

1 total complaints

Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2021 S8.

Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis

Warning100%
Display100%
Battery100%
Engine/PowertrainπŸ”΅ Low
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

When started up on 11/17/22, multiple warning lights came on in rapid sequence advising of an electrical system & battery malfunction. Warning was to not drive the vehicle and contact service. I shut off the vehicle and re-started it. The same warnings were displayed. I was about 0.8 mile from the dealer so I attempted to drive it to their location. On the way, the warnings continued to show. After about 0.6 miles, the transmission fully disengaged from the engine. I coasted to the side of the street, shut off the vehicle, re-started it (same warnings showed) but the transmission was reset and worked. I drove to the dealership where my Audi mechanic knew exactly what the issue is--there is a huge problem with a Continental-supplied 48V belt starter/generator that needs to be replaced. However, none are available and won't be available until sometime in Q1 2023 or later. The replacement part is backordered with every Audi dealership experiencing this issue with multiple models in the MY's of 2018 through 2023. Had this issue occurred on an Interstate highway (complete loss of transmission), I could have been rear-ended by a vehicle following me. In a multi-lane situation, coasting to the either side of the highway may not have been possible....again, creating a very hazardous situation for me and other vehicles. I tried to attach the Audi Technical Service Bulletin showing the extent of the issue within Audi's model range and model years but it would not upload to your site. The TSB is 27 22 45 2058831/5 September 27, 2022. This is issue is leaving thousands of Audi vehicles unsafe and un-driveable. I urge you to act immediately to force Audi to recall these vehicles.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #21V111000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Dec 31, 2022Resolved

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any recalls for the 2021 AUDI S8?

Yes, the 2021 AUDI S8 has 7 recorded recalls from NHTSA. These recalls cover various components including BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA, SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR, TIRES.

Is the 2021 AUDI S8 safe to drive?

The 2021 AUDI S8 has 7 recalls. If you own this vehicle, check with your dealer to ensure all recall repairs have been completed. Most recalls have free remedies available.

Where can I check if my 2021 AUDI S8 has open recalls?

You can check for open recalls by visiting NHTSA.gov and entering your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), or by contacting your local AUDI dealer.

πŸ“ŠYear-over-Year Context

πŸ“‰Elevated Activity

Compared to earlier years, the 2021 model shows declining reliability trends, largely due to new back over prevention components introduced in this generation. Recall frequency increased 133% versus the 2020 version.

🎯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions

Based on recall data, these components require verification:

1

Back over prevention

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

βœ…

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm back over prevention recalls are complete. Recall repairs are always free.

πŸ”

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all back over prevention recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaigns:21V82500022V742000
2

Seat belts

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

βœ…

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm seat belts recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

πŸ”

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all seat belts recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:21V606000
3

Tires

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

βœ…

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm tires recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

πŸ”

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all tires recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:22V034000
πŸ’‘Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your AUDI dealer to verify recall completion status.

🧭What This Means for You

Both current owners and prospective buyers benefit from reviewing this safety analysis before making decisions.

If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.

πŸ”‘

If You Own This Vehicle

  • Verify all 7 recalls have been completed using your VIN at NHTSA.gov or through your AUDI dealer.
  • If any recalls are open, schedule service immediatelyβ€”recall repairs are always free.
  • Consider setting up VIN-specific alerts to receive notification of future recalls.
πŸ›’

If You're Buying Used

  • Request full service history and documentation of all recall completions.
  • Consider whether adjacent model years (2020 or 2022) show better safety metrics.
  • Budget for thorough pre-purchase inspection focusing on known problem areas.
βš–οΈ

Compare Alternatives

This page is designed to help you decide, not alarm you.

Compare with Similar Vehicles

Compare vs
2021 Toyota Camry
View Analysis→
Compare vs
2021 Honda CR-V
View Analysis→
Compare vs
2021 Ford F-150
View Analysis→

Data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Last updated: January 10, 2026.