Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
18–22 mpgcombined; city 15–19, highway 23–27; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$18,290–$22,360U.S. average; Ohio $17,240–$21,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 A8. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
8
0
0
0
Engine
4
0
0
0
Unknown or other
4
1
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
2
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Power train
1
0
0
0
Steering
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2019 A8 over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.
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.
Risk: 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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019 Audi A8 vehicles equipped with rear relaxation seats. The front passenger seat track rivet may fail and cause the spindle bracket to separate.
Risk: A failure of the seat track rivet increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger seat tracks, free of charge. The recall began July 25, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 72J3.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,327 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2019 A8, the latest on Sep 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (425), equipment (342), unknown or other (150), engine and engine cooling (86), engine (85).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2019 A8.
EPA class: large cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 3–4 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
A8 L All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
19 / 27 / 22
A8 L All-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Premium Gasoline
15 / 23 / 18
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data