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2006 Audi A8 Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

10 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-10-27

The recalls

Serious05V522000

Air Bags

IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, BOTH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" TELLTALE IN THE CENTER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL PROPERLY ILLUMINATE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE WIRING HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 30, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A WIRING HARNESS CONDITION EXISTS THAT MAY DEACTIVATE THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONTAL AIR BAG EVEN UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN IT SHOULD REMAIN ACTIVATED.

Serious06V454000

Air Bags:Frontal

IF THE CASE OF A FRONTAL CRASH, THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL UPDATE THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE SOFTWARE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 5, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES WHERE A WEAK BATTERY EXISTS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A LOW VOLTAGE CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT TO IMPROPERLY SET A FAULT CODE. IF THIS OCCURS, THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONTAL AIR BAG WILL BECOME DEACTIVATED. HOWEVER, BOTH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AS WELL AS THE 'PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF' TELLTALE IN THE CENTER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL ILLUMINATE AND PROVIDE VISUAL WARNING TO THE DRIVER.

Complaint volume

10 this model-year 7 median, same year

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

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 10 complaints. Severity Index 0.00.

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

Vehicle Speed Control2 · 20%Electrical System2 · 20%Vehicle Speed Control · A…1 · 10%Fuel System, Gasoline1 · 10%Structure · Body1 · 10%Latches/Locks/Linkages · …1 · 10%Structure · Body · Door1 · 10%Exterior Lighting1 · 10%
  1. Vehicle Speed Control — 2 reports
  2. Electrical System — 2 reports
  3. Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal — 1 reports
  4. Fuel System, Gasoline — 1 reports
  5. Structure:Body — 1 reports
  6. Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch — 1 reports
  7. Structure:Body:Door — 1 reports
  8. Exterior Lighting — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. 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 (3) · 1999 (4) · 2000 (2) · 2001 (2) · 2002 (1) · 2003 (1) · 2004 (1) · 2005 (1) · 2006 · 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.

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