2016 Audi S8
Gas Midsize car
The 2016 Audi S8 is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car. The most efficient version, the S8, is EPA-rated at 18 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 6 complaints, most often about service brakes.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S8 | Gas | AWD | 4.0L 8-cyl turbo | 15 | 25 | 18 | $4,300 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (3)
Engine And Engine Cooling
highProblem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2013-2017 A8, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, and 2014-2017 RS7 vehicles. The turbocharger oil supply strainer can become blocked, causing wear to the bearings due to lack of lubrication.
Risk: Worn bearings can cause the turbine wheel to contact the turbocharger housing or cause the shaft to break, causing an engine stall and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the oil strainer and perform an oil change, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 21H7.
Structure
criticalProblem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S8 and A8 vehicles. The seal around the engine compartment may come loose and contact hot engine components.
Risk: If the seal contacts hot engine components, there could be an increased risk of a fire.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install a retaining plate to prevent the engine compartment seal from loosening. The recall began September 4, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 51G6.
Fuel System, Gasoline
criticalProblem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Audi A8 and S8 vehicles. The fuel supply line for the high pressure fuel pump may become porous and leak fuel.
Risk: Leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of fire.
Fix: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will install a fuel pressure damper, free of charge. The recall began February 21, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20BM.
NHTSA investigations
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Oil/Lubrication:Filter/Screen — Engine Stall - Turbo Failure (closed)
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE 21-009) after the agency received 58 reports alleging engine stalling in 2013-2016MY Audi vehicle models A8, S6, S7, S8 & RS7 equipped with the 4.0L, twin-turbocharged engine. Complainants reported the vehicles would stall with no warning while driving at highway or city traffic speeds. Several of the complainants alleged an inability to restart. The complaints alleged the major contributing factor to the engine stalling was the failure of the turbochargers. The complaints cited the turbocharger failure was a result of oil starvation due to a clogged oil strainer in the turbocharger oil supply li
Opened Apr 4, 2022 · closed May 26, 2023 · action EA22001
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Oil/Lubrication:Filter/Screen — Engine Stall - Turbo Failure (closed)
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 21-009 after the agency received 58 reports alleging engine stalling in 2013-2016MY Audi vehicle models A8, S6, S7, S8 & RS7. The subject vehicles are equipped with 4.0L, twin-turbocharged engine. Complainants reported that the vehicles stall suddenly with no warning while driving on the highway or in city traffic. Several of the complainants alleged an inability to restart. The complaints allege the major contributing factor to the engine stalling is the failure of the turbochargers. The complaints further allege the turbocharger failure is a result of oil starvation due to a clogged oil strainer
Opened Mar 29, 2021 · closed May 27, 2022 · action PE21009
Owner complaints
6 complaints filed
0 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2019: 6
Most-cited components
- Service Brakes — 2
- Steering — 1
- Power Train — 1
- Suspension — 1
- Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 1
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Other S8 model years
2027 S8
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2026 S8
1 recalls · 0 complaints
A2025 S8
1 recalls · 0 complaints
A2024 S8
1 recalls · 0 complaints
B2023 S8
2 recalls · 0 complaints
B2022 S8
3 recalls · 0 complaints
F2021 S8
8 recalls · 1 complaints
C2020 S8
4 recalls · 0 complaints
B2018 S8
1 recalls · 0 complaints
C2017 S8
2 recalls · 0 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 37296). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.