How many recalls does the 1998 Audi A8 have?

3 open NHTSA safety recalls are on record for the 1998 Audi A8, alongside 4 owner complaints.

Home → Audi → A8 → 1998

1998 Audi A8 Recalls & Complaints

open safety recalls on record

Critical

4 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.50 · updated 2026-10-27

The recalls

Critical22V471000

Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

The inflator could explode during air bag deployment, resulting in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternative inflator of a different design, free of charge. Owner notification letters were sent September 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BT. The vehicles in this recall were mistakenly omitted from recall 20V-056. All vehicle owners have already been notified by mail and informed that the remedy is available.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 1998 Audi A8 and 1997-1998 Audi A4 vehicles equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) that do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to explode or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

Serious08V397000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

THIS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL, CAUSING A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LOCKING CABLE BY INSTALLING AN ADJUSTING PIECE THAT WILL SECURE THE LOCKING CABLE IN PLACE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 13,900 MY 1996-2003 AUDI A8 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE LOCKING CABLE MAY MOVE OUT OF POSITION OVER TIME. WITH THE LOCKING CABLE OUT OF POSITION, THE SHIFTER CAN BE MOVED OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION EVEN IF THE IGNITION KEY IS NOT IN THE IGNITION LOCK.

Moderate99V248000

Steering:Linkages:Rod:Relay:Connecting

IF MOISTURE AND/OR DUST PARTICLES ENTER THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM, THE SWIVEL BEARING COULD WEAR OVER TIME DIMINISHING THE STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TIE RODS.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TIE RODS OF THE STEERING ASSEMBLY ARE PROTECTED ON EACH SIDE BY A SEAL TO PREVENT MOISTURE AND DUST PARTICLES FROM ENTERING THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME TIE ROD SEALS MAY NOT SEAL PROPERLY.

Complaint volume

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

1Crashes

0Fires

1Injuries

0Deaths

Across 4 complaints. Severity Index 1.50.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags — 2 reports
Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior — 1 reports
Equipment:Mechanical:Accessory Scissor/Screw/Bottle Jack/Lift — 1 reports

What to do

Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1996 (2) · 1997 (2) · 1998 · 1999 (4) · 2000 (2) · 2001 (2) · 2002 (1) · 2003 (1) · 2004 (1) · 2005 (1) · 2006 (2) · 2007 (2) · 2008 (1) · 2009 (1) · 2010 (1) · 2011 (1) · 2012 (1) · 2013 (6) · 2014 (5) · 2015 (5) · 2016 (4) · 2017 (3) · 2019 (3) · 2020 (5) · 2021 (10)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

From the same data desk

Independent sites, same maintainer, same open-data standards.

TireFit

Is that tyre actually right for your car?

2,808 fitment guides

FuelFacts

What that trip really costs in fuel

Live consumption data

CostCompare

What things cost, city by city

2,123 comparisons