Audi 2020 A8L Engine Fire 3/6/2024 Confirmed by Fire Department, American Family Insurance Unclear if it has been inspected by the Audi U.S. No indication has been received. Incident occurred March 6th, 2024 at approximately 3pm. Operated vehicle in early morning to meet friends for coffee at a nearby coffee shop. Returned home, parked in home garage, turned engine off and went to my home office in lower floor. Wife came home after running errands, opened garage door and massive, thick black smoke escaped. Wife ran to front door and called for me to "come quickly." I grabbed the hose, connected it and sprayed front of car. By that time fire was arrived, fire from engine compartment was reaching four-feet high, as well as from passenger-side front wheel well and from rear of front hood at windshield area. CAR TOTALED. Significant fire damage to the Garage interior.
The worst 2020 Audi A8 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical2
- Engine1
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical2
- Engine1
- Transmission1
Recalls 5
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on December 23, 2025.
Recall number 25V900000 · Recall details
Electrical system: propulsion system: charging: cable/cord: onboard
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2022-2024 RS e-tron GT, e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q4 e-tron, 2020-2021 Audi A8, 2019-2024 e-tron Quattro, 2020-2024 e-tron Sportback Quattro, Q5, and 2021-2022 A7 vehicles. When using the industrial 220V/240V plug at the 100% charge setting, some home power outlets may be incapable of handling the electrical current required to utilize the compact charging system, causing the outlet or charging cable to overheat.
- Risk
- An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations. Dealers will supply a new 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable with an incorporated temperature sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2024. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's numbers for this recall are 93U6 and 93U8.
Recall number 23V842000 · Recall details
Tires
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V‑295 (42L1) were performed.
- Risk
- Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.
Recall number 22V034000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
- Risk
- A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.
Recall number 21V295000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: engine control module (ecu/ECM)
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A8 and 2020-2021 Audi S8 vehicles. A missing sealing pin may allow moisture to enter the engine control module connector, possibly causing a control module malfunction.
- Risk
- An engine control module malfunction may cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine control module connector for a missing sealing pin, and install it, if necessary. The connector will also be inspected for corrosion, and replaced as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 12, 20121. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97EV.
Recall number 21V111000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2020 Audi A8 1,304
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Diagnosed and confirmed malfunction of the vehicle’s AEB system that resulted from failure or malfunction...
- This bulletin provides informaiton on the use of the PICO-NVH tool (VAS 611 015).
- This bulletin provides informtion when the exhaust emissions warning lamp lights up or flashes; sporadic...
- This bulletin provides information when the air spring symbol is illuminated; DTC U112100 or C1260F0.
- This bulletin provides information regarding the current top concerns being addressed by the Audi Digital...
- This bulletin proides service information when there is a prompt to take over the steering wheel (hands...
- This bulletin provides information when the starter battery is discharged or malfunctioning.
- This bulletin provides information when there is an Audi pressense warning, warning jolt, and/or brake...
- This bulletin provides information when therea re functional issues with the connectivity box (low).
- This bulletin provides information to aid in diagnosing the vehicle locking system.
2020 Audi A8 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl Plug-in hybrid | AWD | 21 | 27 | 23 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl Hybrid | AWD | 17 | 26 | 21 |
| 4.0L 8‑cyl Hybrid | AWD | 15 | 23 | 18 |
What 2020 Audi A8 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Start system malfunction causes the car to randomly lose ALL power and roll back when at a stopped, causing the car to be disabled and unable to start again. Faults indicate a failure of the 48V belt driven starter generator. Parts to repair defect are severely back ordered, taking months to obtain.
8/23/2021-I was slowing down at a red light and getting ready to stop but the light turned green and so high pushed on the gas to go before I got to a full stop. The battery warning light came on so I turned around to go back home can you swap cars. My fiancé had to go to work that day and took the vehicle. On his way back going 60 mph on the highway, The power to the vehicle shut down and he was unable to do anything other than slow down and pull off to the side of the road. The vehicle was sent into the Audi dealership and they changed out the 48V battery in the trunk. They also ordered an alternator but did not install it because it start it back up. A couple weeks later (9/25/2021) the same thing happened at a stop sign as I was slowing down but not at a complete stop and hit the gas and the battery light came back on. That light means the battery is disconnected from the engine and once the power runs out, it will shut down again. So I took it straight to the dealership and left it there until they can take a look at it. It’s at the dealership now. There seems to be a flaw in the (stop/go)system of the vehicle when the engine wants to turn off at a stop and when to restart the engine to go. Causing a disconnect of the battery in the trunk to the engine.
Compare the 2020 Audi A8
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Questions about the 2020 Audi A8
Is the 2020 Audi A8 reliable?
Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 2020 Audi A8, fewer than a typical A8 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Audi A8?
Electrical system, with 2 complaints. Next is engine (1).
How many recalls does the 2020 Audi A8 have?
5 recalls, covering back over prevention, electrical system and tires.
What gas mileage does the 2020 Audi A8 get?
Official estimates for the 2020 Audi A8 range from 18 to 23 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl plug-in hybrid, AWD) gets 21 city and 27 highway.
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