Electrical malfunction warning light and assorted other warning lights came on during acceleration on highway. Loss of car functions due to error. Car is waiting on parts due to failed belt start generator as part of its 48 volt mild hybrid system.
2019 Audi Q8
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
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Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Q8 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
34 reports with mileage · 74 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
43 reportsWhile driving 35 mph car electrical system started to shutdown. Red warning message came on immediately followed by car turning off while in drive and car was moving.
I have a 2019 Audi Q8 with 39k miles. I just received an indication stating that an electrical issue has occurred and to contact service maintenance. While on my way home from work with the electrical issue active the air conditioning stopped working which appeared to be unusual. I was able to still drive the vehicle home. I the…
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I have a 2019 Audi Q8 with 39k miles. I just received an indication stating that an electrical issue has occurred and to contact service maintenance. While on my way home from work with the electrical issue active the air conditioning stopped working which appeared to be unusual. I was able to still drive the vehicle home. I then searched on Google about the issue and read numerous complaints through various forums regarding the issue. Most of these issue were similar to my experience. Also these complaints were around the same year and mileage of my vehicle. Please help to have Audi resolve this issue.
Driving vehicle at a low/medium rate of speed, and car completely shut off without warning. Check engine light appeared after restarting the vehicle. This is the second time this has happened to me since November 2022. I filed a report then as well. This car should not be allowed on the road and Audi should be forced to buy it b…
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Driving vehicle at a low/medium rate of speed, and car completely shut off without warning. Check engine light appeared after restarting the vehicle. This is the second time this has happened to me since November 2022. I filed a report then as well. This car should not be allowed on the road and Audi should be forced to buy it back. The vehicle has less than 35,000 miles. Dealer has not confirmed what the issue is this time.
Electrical system malfunction caused the car to come to a stop in the middle of a busy highway. The vehicle needed to be pushed off to the side of the road by other parties as steering became increasingly difficult to navigate to the side of the road. The vehicle was stuck in neutral and could not start the engine to drive again…
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Electrical system malfunction caused the car to come to a stop in the middle of a busy highway. The vehicle needed to be pushed off to the side of the road by other parties as steering became increasingly difficult to navigate to the side of the road. The vehicle was stuck in neutral and could not start the engine to drive again. The vehicle needed to be towed to the closest dealership for further investigation.
Car started flashing all kinds of warnings, then cut off and had to coast to the side of the highway. Then could not get out of the car and the entire system was in complete failure so the doors would not open. Absolutely terrifying experience. Audi knows this is a bad issue and it keeps happening to thousands of Audi owners …
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Car started flashing all kinds of warnings, then cut off and had to coast to the side of the highway. Then could not get out of the car and the entire system was in complete failure so the doors would not open. Absolutely terrifying experience. Audi knows this is a bad issue and it keeps happening to thousands of Audi owners with the mild hybrid system.
Electrical malfunction illuminated on the dash than brake malfunction illuminated than the vehicle lost all power no power to windows locks but I was able to roll off an exit and waited for a tow truck to tow to nearest dealer
48v mild hybrid system failed, car went completely dead in rush hour traffic putting me and other drivers in danger.
November 18, 2022 a warning lamp of electric system problem was displayed. There is no local Audi dealer and I decided to take the vehicle to my local automotive repair shop that does non warranty repair on Audis. I drove approximately 6-8 miles after the light came on and was one half mile from the service technicians when with…
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November 18, 2022 a warning lamp of electric system problem was displayed. There is no local Audi dealer and I decided to take the vehicle to my local automotive repair shop that does non warranty repair on Audis. I drove approximately 6-8 miles after the light came on and was one half mile from the service technicians when within 300 yards the vehicle became sequentially inoperable. First power steering, then transmission, brakes , ended with engine failure. I was in rush hour traffic and unable to steer off the road so I was blocking traffic near an intersection. My flashers and power windows were all that functioned. The doors were locked. When the tow truck arrived he let me out of the car. I was not injured and the vehicle was not hit either. The vehicle was transported to Audi Beaverton Oregon and now 3 1/2 months later is still there because there are no available starter/generator units available in this country. That unit failed and was the cause for my Audi’s complete shutdown. This was a potentially very dangerous situation and needs to be reported for a recall campaign. I have read that there are thousands of similar failures of the starter/generator systems in the USA and no available parts. I still have no estimate from my Audi Beaverton dealer/sevice supervisor as to when I can expect to get my car repaired and returned to me. They have not provided a loaner vehicle and refuse to cover the full cost of a rental car. I am disappointed in Audi’s level of customer service and communication.
2019 Audi Q8. The car is back in the Dealer Shop for almost 2 months. We don't really know what is wrong with the main issue on ALTERNATOR OR 48 V battery problems. And the excuse Service gave us is No ETA on the Parts From Germany. They have new cars coming in and they don't have parts coming in??. We are stuck in the middle, c…
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2019 Audi Q8. The car is back in the Dealer Shop for almost 2 months. We don't really know what is wrong with the main issue on ALTERNATOR OR 48 V battery problems. And the excuse Service gave us is No ETA on the Parts From Germany. They have new cars coming in and they don't have parts coming in??. We are stuck in the middle, can't trade in or sell our cars. Right now this Q8 is a huge junk without any functional purpose. Some of the owners have been waiting for this fix for 3, 4 months. The government really should step in to find out what is going on on AUDI. It can't be parts shortage. It is some problem what AUDI simply can't fix. AUDI USA is also very unreliable. They direct us to our individual dealer, saying they can't do anything about it. They don't take any responsibly. We have no one to file complaint to.Most of the cars are still in the warranty, it is simply unbelievable.
Official recalls
526V125000 · Lane Departure:software
Mar 4, 2026
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q8, Audi A7, and Audi A6 vehicles previously repaired under recall number 25V900. Due to a software error, the lane departure warning system may be deactivated.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The driver may be unaware that the lane departure warning system is deactivated and rely on a system that is not functional, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 13, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TW. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 6, 2026.
25V900000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
Dec 19, 2025
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."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
22V516000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Jul 20, 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi Q8, and 2020-2021 Audi Q7 vehicles. A component inside the fuel pump may break, causing the fuel pump to fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DR.
20V149000 · Steering
Mar 16, 2020
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q8 and 2017-2019 Audi Q7 vehicles. The bolt connecting the steering shaft to the steering gear may loosen, possibly resulting in a loss of steering control.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A sudden loss of loss of steering control may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the steering shaft bolt, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 36A1.
19V114000 · Suspension:front:shock Absorber
Feb 20, 2019
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019 Q7, Q8, S5 Cabriolet, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The front shock absorber forks may develop cracks allowing the shock absorbers to loosen.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Loose shock absorbers may impair vehicle steering, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the shock absorber forks, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 40O4.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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