The 2011 Audi A8 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 9,067 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING16V6190002016-08-249,067 affected
Defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Audi A8 vehicles manufactured May 15, 2010, to May 14, 2012. The affected vehicles have a coolant valve that may leak, allowing coolant to enter the engine control module causing a loss of power or the engine to stall.
Consequence
A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the coolant valve and inspect for coolant that has leaked through the electrical connector, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 19, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
10
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
SUSPENSION
3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1
POWER TRAIN
1
STRUCTURE:BODY
1
Total complaints23
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The coolant is leaking out and onto engine. My safety was at risk due to the car overheating and smoking. This is a on going problem that many audi’s had a recall for except mines. Yes the vehicle was inspected and the warning that came up was “coolant level low turn off engineâ€�”
“Ecu starting to malfunction as a coolant leak valve is leaking into it. There is a recall for these models but not for my specific car but I do believe my car is affected because my car has a coolant leak that I personally can’t find and my car was just worked on by audi indianapolis and they…”
“Ecu starting to malfunction as a coolant leak valve is leaking into it. There is a recall for these models but not for my specific car but I do believe my car is affected because my car has a coolant leak that I personally can’t find and my car was just worked on by audi indianapolis and they…”
“Ecu starting to malfunction as a coolant leak valve is leaking into it. There is a recall for these models but not for my specific car but I do believe my car is affected because my car has a coolant leak that I personally can’t find and my car was just worked on by audi indianapolis and they…”
“Audi a8 has been using large amount of coolant. However, its not running out the car. Yet im steady buying coolant because its saying its low. And when I go to put the coolant in my car it is low. So where is the coolant going? In trying to figure out where my coolant was going or why was it…”
“Audi a8 has been using large amount of coolant. However, its not running out the car. Yet im steady buying coolant because its saying its low. And when I go to put the coolant in my car it is low. So where is the coolant going? In trying to figure out where my coolant was going or why was it…”
“Rust, corrosion that may detach from body or frame components or other structual components that may present a safety hazard.”
“The contact owns a 2011 audi a8. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the camshaft and timing chain failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2011 Audi A8 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.