Reliable Auto DB

2021 Audi SQ8 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Audi SQ8 has 3 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 1 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 5 SQ8 years on this site. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Camera, Instrument cluster, and Display.

2020 Audi SQ8
Photo by Alexander-93, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

3

Per year

1

Recalls

6

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (2 of 3), then Electrical system (1) and Suspension (1).

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 SQ8 has 1 complaint, 0 per year, and the 2022 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Audi SQ8. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2025-12-19 · NHTSA campaign 25V900000
Summary 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."
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 NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2025-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 25V201000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 SQ8, A6 SEDAN, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 SEDAN, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail.
Remedy Dealers will update the instrument panel module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90VC.
Recall back-over prevention, display 2022-10-05 · NHTSA campaign 22V742000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.
Recall Tires 2022-01-26 · NHTSA campaign 22V034000
Summary 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.
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 seat belts, rear or other, retractor 2021-08-05 · NHTSA campaign 21V606000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).
Recall Engine 2021-05-12 · NHTSA campaign 21V339000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi SQ7, RSQ8, RS7, RS6 AVANT, and SQ8 vehicles. Cracks may develop on the surface of the engine cylinder bore.
Remedy Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 9, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 10G9.

Complaints by component (3 total)

Powertrain
2
Electrical system
1
Suspension
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

2202112022
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "MMI system stops working all of a sudden. This has happened multiple times and especially when it takes updates on its own. When called customer service they referred to the dealer stating they cannot do anything. Right…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system · filed 2022-02-17
  • "This 2021 Audi SQ8 vehicle was purchased new. The vehicle features an automatic engine stop/start feature which is intended to enhance vehicle fuel economy. The incident(s) include: (1) multiple instances when slowing…"
    Powertrain · filed 2021-08-27
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Audi SQ8. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V295000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the…"
    Suspension · filed 2021-06-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Audi SQ8 SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
SQ8 4L, 8-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $4700

Specs and fitment

4M generation, 2020–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-40 or 5W-40 (Audi-approved; 4.0L V8) , 10.6 qt capacity
Tire size 285/40R22, 285/45R21 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 25V900000 covers certain 2019-2026 Audi models including SQ8 where a software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying; dealers update the software. Recall 23V868000 covers certain 2023-2024 SQ8 models (with RS Q8, Q8, Q7, and 2024 SQ7) for a side/window air bag concern as stated in NHTSA's summary. Recall 25V201000 covers certain 2021 SQ8 models (with A6, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, and RS Q8) for an instrument cluster concern.

Compare

See every Audi SQ8 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Audi SQ8 reliable?

The 2021 Audi SQ8 has 3 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 1 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 5 SQ8 years on this site. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Camera, Instrument cluster, and Display.

What are common problems with a 2021 Audi SQ8?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (2 of 3), then Electrical system (1) and Suspension (1).

Is the 2021 Audi SQ8 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 SQ8 has 1 complaint, 0 per year, and the 2022 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Audi SQ8 been recalled?

The 2021 Audi SQ8 has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Audi SQ8?

Owners have filed 3 complaints about the 2021 Audi SQ8 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Audi SQ8 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Audi SQ8 is 17 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a US Audi SQ8 use?

0W-40 or 5W-40 (Audi-approved; 4.0L V8) With filter, about 10.6 qt is commonly listed for this generation—confirm in the owner manual.

What tire sizes fit a US Audi SQ8?

Published US specs commonly list front 285/40R22, 285/45R21 (trim-dependent) and rear 285/40R22, 285/45R21 (trim-dependent); confirm on the door jamb placard for your trim.

What NHTSA recalls affect the US Audi SQ8?

Recall 25V900000 covers certain 2019-2026 Audi models including SQ8 where a software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying; dealers update the software. Recall 23V868000 covers certain 2023-2024 SQ8 models (with RS Q8, Q8, Q7, and 2024 SQ7) for a side/window air bag concern as stated in NHTSA's summary. Recall 25V201000 covers certain 2021 SQ8 models (with A6, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, and RS Q8) for an instrument cluster concern.