Selling a wrecked or broken Audi R8
Of the 15 owner complaints NHTSA holds on the Audi R8, seven point to the suspension. Eleven of the 15 are on the first two US model years, 2008 and 2009. Past those early cars, the R8's record is short, and most of what's in it is recalls.
- Model years in EPA data
- 2008-2023
- Generations
- Type 42 and Type 4S
- Complaints to NHTSA
- 15 (as of October 10, 2026)
- Most-named component
- Suspension (7)
- Year with the most complaints
- 2009 (6)
- Recall campaigns
- 5
- Production ended
- First quarter of 2024
Whether yours is crash-damaged, stuck with a transmission problem or simply not worth fixing, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
Recalls and complaints by year
NHTSA owner complaints, tallied October 10, 2026. Empty years are bundled together, listing any recall that reaches them.
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Components named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 5 | 0 | Suspension (4), structure (1) |
| 2009 | 6 | 0 | Suspension (2), structure (2), engine (1) |
| 2010 | 0 | None listed | None filed |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | Suspension |
| 2012-2014 | 0 | 11V390000 on 2012 | None filed |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | Engine and engine cooling |
| 2016-2017 | 0 | 22V543000 on 2016; 18V639000, 19V014000 on 2017 | None filed |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | Air bags (1 crash, 1 injury, 1 death reported) |
| 2019 | 0 | None listed | None filed |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other |
| 2021-2023 | 0 | 22V225000 on 2021-2022 | None filed |
Check your own VIN at NHTSA's recall page.
What each generation has on file
Type 42, 2008-2016
Wikipedia traces the R8 to the Le Mans quattro concept shown at Geneva and Frankfurt in 2003. The road car launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006. The US got the second generation as a 2017 model, so the EPA years before that are this car.
The suspension complaints sit almost entirely here: four on the 2008, two on the 2009, one on the 2011. The 2008 and 2009 also carry three complaints about the structure between them.
Two recalls reach these years:
- 11V390000 (2011-2012 R8 Spyder, 920 vehicles): on cars built from May 18, 2010 through June 22, 2011, the fuel supply line can rub against a heat shield in the engine compartment. Dealers inspect the line and replace it if damaged.
- 22V543000 (2016 R8 Coupe, 1,216 vehicles): the front passenger air bag module gets replaced. The campaign also covers the TT, A3, S3 and several Volkswagen Golf models, so the count is not R8s alone.
Type 4S, 2017-2023
The second generation was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva show on the Modular Sports System platform it shares with the Lamborghini Huracán. Production ended in the first quarter of 2024.
Its recalls center on the gearbox:
- 18V639000 (2017-2018, 1,916 vehicles): transmission fluid can leak from the gearbox vent hose after certain high-speed and maneuvering situations. Dealers swap in a double vent hose.
- 22V225000 (2021-2022, 8 vehicles): the gearbox may be short on oil, which can lead to clutch slippage.
- 19V014000 (2017): the driver's frontal air bag inflator gets replaced. The 119,394 count covers the Passat, Eos, CC and TT as well.
The 2018 has one complaint. It reports a crash with one injury and one death, and it names the air bags.
Is it worth the repair?
On an R8, the repair bill can be large even when the car is worth a lot. Get every quote in writing, and get the car's value as repaired from a source you trust before you approve anything.
Clear the recalls first, since each one above lists a free dealer remedy. A car that sits low at one corner or clunks over bumps fits the suspension pattern on early cars; the broken suspension guide covers how to weigh that. If the car was in a crash, read wrecked or totaled before you talk to a body shop.
Selling an R8 whole
- Note the VIN, the mileage, Coupe or Spyder, and what is damaged or not working.
- Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
- Say where the car sits, a home garage, a body shop lot, a storage unit, and whether it rolls. A low car is easier to load when we know up front.
- Sell the whole car as it sits. If parts have been taken off, list them, since missing parts change the offer.
Questions people ask
- Which Audi R8 year has the most NHTSA complaints?
- The 2009 leads with 6 of the 15 in NHTSA's October 10, 2026 count; the 2008 has 5. A late R8 has spent fewer years in owners' hands, which helps explain its near-empty record.
- Is there a transmission recall on the R8?
- Two. Recall 18V639000 covers 2017-2018 R8 Coupe and Spyder cars that can leak transmission fluid from the gearbox vent hose after certain high-speed and maneuvering situations; dealers fit a double vent hose. Recall 22V225000 covers 2021-2022 cars whose gearbox may be low on oil, which can make the clutch slip.
- Does the air bag recall count of 119,394 mean that many R8s?
- No. Recall 19V014000 covers the 2017 R8 along with the Passat, Eos, CC and TT, so 119,394 is the whole campaign.
- Will you buy an R8 that was in a crash?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Tell us what was damaged, whether it rolls, and where it sits.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- EPA fuel economy data: Audi R8 model years and variants fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 11V390000: R8 Spyder fuel supply line nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 18V639000: gearbox ventilation hose nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 19V014000: driver air bag inflator nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 22V225000: gearbox oil level nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 22V543000: passenger air bag module nhtsa.gov
- Wikipedia: Audi R8 (generations, launch, end of production) en.wikipedia.org