IllustrationFRAME CRACK AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. NO ACCIDENTS. NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. FRAME SHOULD NEVER CRACK UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND AUDI FAILED TO ADDRESS IT. I'M AN ATTORNEY. I WILL BE FILING A LAWSUIT.
2008 Audi R8
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →5Owner complaints
Model-year median: 1
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
2008 Audi R8
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 5 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Suspension: 4 reports
- Structure: 1 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all R8 years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 5 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Suspension. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
5 reportsI HAD SHOCK FAILURE RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY (VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION), LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS MATTER WAS DUE TO A KNOWN ISSUE OF AUDI'S LEAKING MAGNETIC SHOCKS THAT HAS BEEN A CONCERN FOR 2008-2010 MODELS WITH A "MAGNETIC RIDE SUSPENSION" AS PER MASTER AUDI SERVICE TECHNI…
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I HAD SHOCK FAILURE RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY (VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION), LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS MATTER WAS DUE TO A KNOWN ISSUE OF AUDI'S LEAKING MAGNETIC SHOCKS THAT HAS BEEN A CONCERN FOR 2008-2010 MODELS WITH A "MAGNETIC RIDE SUSPENSION" AS PER MASTER AUDI SERVICE TECHNICIANS. PLEASE SEE OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE: 2008 AUDI R8 = HTTP://GOO.GL/A1OIUN 2009 AUDI R8 = HTTP://GOO.GL/3P75JI ACTION CSC-10036971-4658 = HTTP://GOO.GL/Y5HLCG ACTION CSC-10036488-9645 = HTTP://GOO.GL/14VAW3 THE MAGNETIC RIDE SHOCKS WILL PREMATURELY LEAK OIL WHICH LEADS TO SUSPENSION FAILURE. PART OF THE FUNCTION IS TO STIFFEN THE SUSPENSION IF SWITCHED INTO SPORT MODE BUT THE LACK OF OIL FLUID WILL PREVENT IT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. A SIMILAR ISSUE OCCURRED WITH AUDI RS4 AND RS4 LEAKING SHOCKS. I DISCOVERED THIS ISSUE WHEN I READ ABOUT THE COMMON ISSUE ON NHTSA. MANY MORE OWNERS WILL NOT KNOW OF THIS COMMON ISSUE. DRIVERS DO NOT EXPECT PREMATURE SUSPENSION FAILURE AND IT IS A SAFETY & HAZARD ISSUE. UNKNOWING OWNERS WOULD EXPECT THE SHOCKS TO NOT FAIL AND CAN SAFELY GO OVER BUMPS OR POT HOLES WITHOUT POSSIBLY LOSING CONTROL OF THE CAR. MOREOVER, FAILED SHOCKS COULD CAUSE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE CAR SINCE IT IS ABSORBING ALL THE VIBRATIONS. CROSS REFERENCE: NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10036971, 10036488
WITH JUST 20K MILES AND GENTLE DRIVING, THE MAGNETIC RIDE SHOCKS ARE NOW CLUNKING AND FAILING. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS ON ONE OF THE HIGHEST PERFORMANCE VEHICLES MADE IN THE UNIVERSE. AUDI AND VW NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS, AND UP TO NOW THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING- WHICH IS NO SURPRISE WITH THE ETHICS THAT THEY ARE KNO…
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WITH JUST 20K MILES AND GENTLE DRIVING, THE MAGNETIC RIDE SHOCKS ARE NOW CLUNKING AND FAILING. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS ON ONE OF THE HIGHEST PERFORMANCE VEHICLES MADE IN THE UNIVERSE. AUDI AND VW NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS, AND UP TO NOW THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING- WHICH IS NO SURPRISE WITH THE ETHICS THAT THEY ARE KNOWN FOR.
MY REAR SHOCKS HAVE FAILED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO MAKE HANDLING UNPREDICTABLE AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS THE 2ND SUCH TIME THEY HAVE FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER IN UNDER 45,000 MILES. THE FRONTS ARE ALSO LEAKING BUT HAVEN'T COMPLETELY FAILED AS OF YET. AS OF THIS FAILURE I HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH AFTERMARKET UNITS TO PREVENT FURTH…
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MY REAR SHOCKS HAVE FAILED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO MAKE HANDLING UNPREDICTABLE AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS THE 2ND SUCH TIME THEY HAVE FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER IN UNDER 45,000 MILES. THE FRONTS ARE ALSO LEAKING BUT HAVEN'T COMPLETELY FAILED AS OF YET. AS OF THIS FAILURE I HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH AFTERMARKET UNITS TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE.
MAGNETIC RIDE SHOCK LEAKING PREMATURELY. LOSS IN HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BEHICLE
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.