6 complaints reported

2020 Audi Q8 Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
6
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jan 2026

Engine failed at 78,990 from an manufacturer defect that Audi knows about for the last couple of years. Audi extended warranty due to the failure to 8 years or 80K miles. The engines can lock up due to a piston failure in the scored cylinder walls causing a crash. Oil consumption is very high causing vehicle to burn oil and not pass smoke test. Please investigate these engine failure and manufacturer defects with this engine in multiple vehicles 3.0L turbo gas engine thanks

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 AUDI Q8, Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2025
Oct 2025

Water pump failed coolant leaked all over the vehicle five years old and a $7500 repair vacuum seals and most of the engine is damaged from the coolant. I have the video from the dealership but can’t upload

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 AUDI Q8, Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2025
Sep 2025

Catastrophic engine failure on Audi Q8 3.0L turbo. Per service manager it a know issue and Audi just sent out a letter extending engine warranty to 80,000 miles. Per Audiworld forum Audi is replacing some engines and charging some owners $27,000 Audi needs to be investigated and held accountable for people that have faulty engines and can make the car crash when engine locks up

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 AUDI Q8, Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2025
May 2025

The vehicle is a 2020 model with less than 55k miles and experienced coolant leaks. Specifically, the water pump was faulty and leaked causing coolant liquid to leak in additional lines and gaskets. The repairs resulted into costs upwards of $5k. When I first brought into dealer, the service rep mentioned that the fluctuating coolant lines wouldn’t be an issue but I further pressed them on doing a pressure test to which the issue was discovered. This is a huge safety problem if my engine was to overheat or face and other issues on the leak. I’ve never heard of a water pump going bad so quickly.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 AUDI Q8, Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2025
Feb 2025

- The water pump failed, leading to a coolant leak and potential engine overheating. The failed component is not available for inspection, as it was replaced by an independent repair shop after the dealership quoted an excessive price and could not complete the repair in a timely manner. - A failing water pump can cause engine overheating, sudden power loss, or complete engine failure while driving, which increases the risk of an accident. Additionally, I noticed the smell of coolant inside the cabin, which could indicate a leak that might pose a fire hazard or expose occupants to coolant fumes. - Yes, the issue was diagnosed by an Audi dealership (Audi Northlake), which confirmed that the water pump had failed and needed replacement. Due to their high repair quote and scheduling delays, I had the repair completed at an independent service center, which also confirmed the failure and replaced the water pump. - The issue was confirmed by an Audi dealership but was not formally inspected by Audi corporate, law enforcement, or an insurance company. - Yes, I noticed a coolant smell inside the cabin for a few days before taking it to the dealership. However, there were no warning lights or messages on the dashboard before the failure was diagnosed.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 AUDI Q8, Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2024
Feb 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Audi Q8. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the oil needed to be topped off frequently. The Check Oil warning light was illuminated and remained illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 AUDI Q8, Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Incident: May 2023

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2020 Audi Q8 has 6 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.