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Light NHTSA footprint — 13 owner complaints and 5 active recall campaigns. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2013 Audi S8 has 13 NHTSA owner complaints and 5 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is engine at 9 complaints, typically surfacing around 81,325 miles (~$3,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 S8 (this page) | 13 | 5 |
| 2014 S8 | 6 | 5 |
| 2015 S8 | 6 | 4 |
| 2016 S8 | 6 | 3 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
Run the VIN from the listing — 5 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.8/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
The dealer doesn’t want to perform the recall due to branded title. They should though. Please look into it
The car was running rough for a couple weeks; hesitant to accelerate, failed to start multiple times and idled rough. One day I was coming home from my hour long commute, I put the car in reverse in my driveway and the car started bucking so badly that it became un-drivable. At…
While driving on the main highway, my car engine shut off. I had dysfunctional brake and steering failure. Brake was hardly working and I had to use all my strength to control steering. Basically, while driving at 50mph, car engine shut off without warning and I lost steering…
Turbos failed, car stalled and will not start unless giving it gas. Down on power and performance. Check engine light came on
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
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.
If the seal contacts hot engine components, there could be an increased risk of a fire.
Leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of fire.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.8 out of 10 based on 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Audi S8 is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2013 Audi S8 is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.8/10 — above the segment average; 5 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the engine first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 9 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 81,325 miles. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.8 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 13 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is engine. Typical failure occurs around 81,325 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is engine, with 9 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 81,325 miles. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop.
The engine is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 81,325 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 13 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $3,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.