1996 Audi A8Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 1996 Audi A8, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls2Free fix at dealers Owner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injury Top problem1Service brakes, hydraulic

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 14, 2008. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1996 Audi A8 has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

1Service brakes, hydraulic

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic	1	0

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

1996 Audi A8 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 08V-397 · Aug 14, 2008 · 13,900 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL, CAUSING A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Air bags: frontal

Recall 97V-175 · Oct 8, 1997 · 39,300 vehicles

Risk. ACTIVATION OF THE AIR BAG UNDER THESE CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Audi.

Best & worst years

1996 vs. every other A8 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the A8 median. How we score

0 1 10 4 9 3 6 1 3 20 6 6 4 8 5 1 15 11 50 18 32 11 8 0 15 3 5 0 0 0 0 0

'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

In owners' words

What A8 owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

THE FRONT ROTORS ON THE 1998 AUDI A8 WARP AFTER VERY SHORT USAGE. WE HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE RESURFACED THE ROTORS, AND THE PROBLEM QUICKLY RE-OCCURS. THIS CAUSES MILD TO SEVERE STEERING WHEEL OSCILLATION UNDER MODERATE BRAKING, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LIFT UP ON BRAKES. AUDI…
Complaint 714891 · Nov 17, 1999

Own a 1996 A8?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.