2003 AUDI A8 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
3
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
5
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2003 AUDI A8
The 2003 AUDI A8 has received a total of 3 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There has been 1 recall campaign affecting this vehicle, covering issues with POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. 5 technical service bulletins have been issued by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Exterior Lighting (1 complaint), Power Trainautomatic Transmission (1 complaint), and Suspension (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2003 AUDI A8
NHTSA has recorded 1 recall for the 2003 AUDI A8, potentially affecting up to 13,900 vehicles.
Recall 08V397000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
| 13,900 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: THIS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL, CAUSING A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: 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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2003 AUDI A8
3 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2003 AUDI A8. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Trainautomatic Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
REAR DRIVERS COIL SPRING FAILED, BROKE IN HALF CAUSING SUSPENSION TO FAIL AND DAMAGE RIM/TIRE. SERIOUS CONDITION IF DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NO WARNING OF THE FAILURE PRIOR. *TR
THE CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH: CV JOINTS, CONTROL ARMS AND NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. NOW THERE IS A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION CABLE. *TR
PLEASE ADD MY NAME TO THE LIST OF DRIVERS THAT ARE ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO THE NEW BLUE/PURPLE HEADLIGHTS MANY OF THE NEW LUXURY CARS ARE FEATURING. THE LIGHT IS PIERCING AND A DANGER TO NIGHT TIME TRAFFIC. THESE NEW LIGHTS ARE EVEN DISTRACTING DURING DAYLIGHT. I BELIEVE THAT CARS EQUIPPED WITH THESE BLUE/PURPLE HEADLIGHTS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE HEADLIGHTS REPLACED. THEY ARE A DEFINITE HAZARD TO OTHER VEHICLES. *NLM
Safety Rating for the 2003 AUDI A8
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2003 AUDI A8 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2003 AUDI A8
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has issued 5 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2003 AUDI A8. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
A401768 2024318- — WHEELS
This technical service bulletin provides instructions for correcting a clicking sound from the wheel bearing(s).
2018004/3 — STRUCTURE
SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE.
TSB-24-09-16 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
AUDI: MIL ON (MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR DTCS P0101, P0102, P0103, P0112, P0113 IN ECM). ENGINE HAS LOW PERFORMANCE WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER OR STALLING. DTCS RELATED TO THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR AND FUEL TRIM FAULTS CAN BE RELATED TO (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS-FALSE INTAKE AIR,...
190707 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
POOR OR NO HEATING IN ANY OR ALL HEATING ZONES OF THE VEHICLE. *NJ
TSB-19-07-07 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
AUDI: POOR OR NO HEATING IN ANY OR ALL HEATING ZONES. ECM SOFTWARE UPDATED WITH MODIFIED MAP CONTROLLED COOLANT THERMOSTAT SPECIFICATIONS. THE TCM SOFTWARE MUST ALSO BE UPDATED TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEW ECM SOFTWARE LEVEL. POSSIBLE ENGINE COOLANT SCALING IN HVAC SYSTEM. *PE
NHTSA Investigations for the 2003 AUDI A8
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the AUDI A8
- 1998 AUDI A8 — 4 complaints
- 1999 AUDI A8 — 13 complaints
- 2000 AUDI A8 — 4 complaints
- 2001 AUDI A8 — 8 complaints
- 2002 AUDI A8 — 1 complaint
- 2003 AUDI A8 (current)
- 2004 AUDI A8 — 31 complaints
- 2005 AUDI A8 — 11 complaints
- 2006 AUDI A8 — 10 complaints
- 2007 AUDI A8 — 4 complaints
- 2008 AUDI A8 — 10 complaints