Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
17 mpgcombined; city 14, highway 22; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$23,670U.S. average; Ohio $22,310 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 0 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 R8 Spyder. 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 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 2 recall campaigns for the 2017 R8 Spyder 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. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Audi R8 Spyder and R8 Coupe vehicles. Transmission fluid may leak from the gearbox ventilation hose after certain high speed and maneuvering situations.
Risk: If leaked transmission fluid contacts hot engine parts, it can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the single gearbox ventilation hose with a double ventilation hose, free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 34J1.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 407 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 R8 Spyder, the latest on Sep 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (106), electrical system (99), unknown or other (53), engine (25), structure (23).
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 2017 R8 Spyder.
EPA class: two seaters. EPA greenhouse gas score: 3 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
R8 Spyder All-Wheel Drive
5.2 L, 10 cyl
Automatic (AM-S7)
Premium Gasoline
14 / 22 / 17
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