Model research hub
Audi RS Q8
The Audi RS Q8 is the performance flagship of the Q8, sharing its MLB Evo platform with the Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne and Bentley Bentayga. REREV says CarComplaints lists zero filed consumer complaints for the RS Q8, reflecting low U.S. sales volume rather than perfection, and federal data shows the 2021 with the most recalls (7). Car and Driver calls it a budget-friendly way to get Urus-level performance for over $140,000.
What the Audi RS Q8 is
Wikipedia (opens in a new tab) lists the RS Q8 among the Q8's variants, on the Volkswagen Group MLB Evo platform shared with the Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg, a 5-door coupe SUV built in Bratislava since June 2018 with a 2024 facelift. Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says with a starting price of over $140,000 it is hard to call the RS Q8 budget-friendly, but that it delivers a better performance-to-value ratio than its Lamborghini sibling, and is a comparatively budget-friendly way to enjoy the same rip-roaring performance as the Urus without standing out like a sore thumb. Kelley Blue Book lists the 2026 RS Q8 Performance at $139,595, rated 16 mpg combined by the EPA, about $4,850 a year in fuel.
Recalls and complaints
Federal data shows 1 recall on the 2020 RS Q8, 7 on the 2021, the most of any year, covering the backup camera, seat belts, tires and suspension, and 4, 2, 3, 2 and 1 on the 2022 through 2026. REREV (opens in a new tab) says CarComplaints lists zero filed consumer complaints for the RS Q8 specifically, a reflection of its low U.S. sales volume rather than perfection, so no CarComplaints PainRank year-by-year comparison is available, and suggests buyers priced out of the RS Q8 look at Audi Q7 or Q5 years to avoid for more affordable entry points.
How it compares on performance
FastestLaps (opens in a new tab) says the X6M is no doubt quicker than the RS Q8 just about everywhere, and that the Cayenne Turbo GT is the fastest of the group by a small margin. 0-60specs.com (opens in a new tab) says that in the latest shared model year, 2023, the Urus is quicker to 60 mph by 0.5 second than the RS Q8.
Questions buyers ask
How much does the Audi RS Q8 cost?
Kelley Blue Book lists the 2026 RS Q8 Performance at $139,595. Car and Driver says a starting price over $140,000.
Is the RS Q8 as fast as the Lamborghini Urus?
0-60specs.com (opens in a new tab) says the Urus is quicker to 60 mph by 0.5 second in their latest shared comparison year, 2023.
Research map
Every major decision path.
The 2027 Audi RS Q8 is built around 4.0L twin-turbo V8, rated at 631 horsepower across its high-performance luxury SUV body style.
Explore this topic →02Trims and equipmentThe 2027 U.S. lineup has 1 trim.
Explore this topic →03Towing and capabilityThe 2027 RS Q8 seats 5 and is a High-performance luxury SUV.
Explore this topic →04Safety and ownershipNHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings for the 2027 RS Q8.
Explore this topic →Current model year
2027 Audi RS Q8
The RS Q8 performance uses Audi's most powerful combustion engine in an RS model: a 631-horsepower twin-turbo V8 with active roll stabilization and a sport-tuned chassis.
Read specifications, trims, answers and sourcesModel-year archive
4 indexed Audi RS Q8 model years.
| Model year | Trims | Open record |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Audi RS Q8 | 2027 record → | |
| 2026 Audi RS Q8 | 2026 record → | |
| 2025 Audi RS Q8 | 2025 record → | |
| 2022 Audi RS Q8 | 2022 record → |
Background and safety record
What public sources say about the Audi RS Q8.
The Audi RS Q8 is built alongside the Audi Q8, and public records cover the two together. Generation history, the fact box and background are on the Audi Q8 page; the safety record for the Audi RS Q8 itself follows.
Recent recalls (2 campaigns across the latest model years)
- December 2025, Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera. 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… Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- November 2025, Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Audi RS Q8, Audi Q8, Audi Q7, and Audi SQ8 vehicles. The driver and front passenger seat belt buckles may be missing a rivet that secures the buckle to the seat belt… Consequence: A seat belt that is missing a rivet may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Year by year
The Audi RS Q8 across 8 model years.
| Model year | Combined MPG/MPGe | EPA annual fuel cost | EPA records | NHTSA recalls | NHTSA complaints | NHTSA overall rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Audi RS Q8 | 16 | $5,000 | 1 | |||
| 2026 Audi RS Q8 | 16 | $4,850 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2025 Audi RS Q8 | 16 | $4,850 | 1 | 2 | 5 stars | |
| 2024 Audi RS Q8 | 15 | $5,150 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023 Audi RS Q8 | 16 | $4,850 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2022 Audi RS Q8 | 15 | $5,150 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2021 Audi RS Q8 | 15 | $5,150 | 1 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2020 Audi RS Q8 | 15 | $5,150 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Year-to-year changes
What changed in the Audi RS Q8, one model year at a time.
| Step | Combined MPG/MPGe, midpoint | Added | No longer listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 to 2025 | 15.0 to 16.0 | Labels: RS Q8 Performance | Labels: RS Q8 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 16.0 to 15.0 | ||
| 2022 to 2023 | 15.0 to 16.0 |
Buying used
What the Audi RS Q8 recalls and complaints are about.
| Model year | Campaigns | Systems recalled | Warnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2025 | 2 | seat belts (front); back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2024 | 3 | air bags (side/window); air bags (sensor); back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2023 | 2 | air bags (side/window); back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2022 | 4 | back over prevention (sensing system); back over prevention (display function); equipment (electrical) | None |
| 2021 | 7 | suspension (rear); engine; seat belts (rear/other); 4 more | None |
| 2020 | 1 | back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| System | Complaints | Share of all complaints | Worst model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| electrical system | 2 | 100% | 2021 (2) |
| steering | 1 | 50% | 2021 (1) |
Trim by trim
Every 2027 Audi RS Q8 trim side by side.
| Trim | Drive | Engine | Horsepower | Torque (lb-ft) | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Combined mpg | Base price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | AWD | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 631 | 627 | 5,368 | – | 16 | $140,995 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for the 2027 model year; base price is KBB's national base price where its list carries the trim by the same name. A dash means KBB lists no figure.
Specifications by year
Power, weight and towing for every Audi RS Q8 model year.
| Model year | Trims | Engines | Horsepower | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Fuel tank (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 631 | 5,368 | – | 22.5 |
| 2026 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 631 | 5,434 | – | 22.5 |
| 2025 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 631 | 5,467 | – | 22.5 |
| 2024 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 591 | 5,490 | – | 22.5 |
| 2023 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 591 | 5,490 | – | 22.5 |
| 2022 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 591 | 5,490 | – | 22.5 |
| 2021 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 591 | 5,490 | – | 22.5 |
| 2020 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 591 | 5,490 | – | 22.5 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for each model year. A range covers every trim KBB lists that year; a dash means KBB lists no figure.
Model-year recall record
Audi RS Q8: which model years carry more or fewer federal safety recalls.
More recalls than this model’s own average
- 2021 Audi RS Q8 : 7 recalls on file, most commonly affecting backup camera and seat belts.
| Model year | Federal recalls on file | Complaints on file | Recalls most commonly affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | not available | backup camera |
| 2025 | 2 | not available | seat belts, backup camera |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | airbags, backup camera |
| 2023 | 2 | not available | airbags, backup camera |
| 2022 | 4 | not available | backup camera, equipment |
| 2021 | 7 | 2 | backup camera, seat belts, tires, suspension |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | backup camera |
| 2019 | not available | ||
| 2018 | not available | ||
| 2017 | not available | ||
| 2016 | not available | ||
| 2015 | not available |
Method: recall counts and their affected components come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Recalls API, queried by exact make, model and model year. Complaint counts come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Complaints API, same query pattern. Data pulled 2026-09-04.
Known gap: the NHTSA complaints API did not return data for Audi RS Q8 model years 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream, not returning a genuine zero. Those years are marked "not available" above instead of shown as clean; recall counts for those years are unaffected and come from the separate recalls API, which returned data for every year listed.
Check open recalls by VIN for one particular vehicle.
Q01Is there a best year to buy a Audi RS Q8?
Recall count alone can't answer that: it says nothing about a specific vehicle's price, mileage, accident history or maintenance record. What federal data can say: 2021 carried more. See the model-year table on this page for the exact counts and what they cover.
Q02Which Audi RS Q8 model years should I watch for recalls?
The 2021 Audi RS Q8 has 7 federal recalls on file, most commonly affecting backup camera, seat belts, tires. Always confirm the open/completed status of every campaign for the specific VIN: a recall on this list may already be repaired on the vehicle in front of you.
Q03What are common recall-related problems on the Audi RS Q8 by model year?
2026: backup camera. 2025: seat belts, backup camera. 2024: airbags, backup camera. 2023: airbags, backup camera. 2022: backup camera, equipment. 2021: backup camera, seat belts, tires, suspension.
Q04Why do some Audi RS Q8 model years show "not available" for complaints?
The NHTSA complaints API did not return data for Audi RS Q8 model years 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream instead of the count genuinely being zero. Recall counts for those years are unaffected; they come from a separate NHTSA endpoint that returned data for every year listed.
Diagnosing one of these symptoms? The recalled systems above map to this site’s own ownership desks: general, evidence-first guidance that applies regardless of whether the specific vehicle in front of you was ever part of a recall campaign: Climate and electrical, Buying, records and recalls, Brakes, tires and steering.
2021 Audi RS Q8 owners specifically: see Climate and electrical and Buying, records and recalls and Brakes, tires and steering.
Compared with
Models this Audi RS Q8 is most often compared with.
Nearest Audi models
Other Audi models.
Frequent questions
Answers with their conditions intact.
Q01How many trims does the 2027 RS Q8 come in?
The 2027 Audi RS Q8 (high-performance luxury SUV) is offered in one trim, RS Q8 performance.
Q02What are the 2027 RS Q8 trims?
The 2027 Audi RS Q8 comes in one trim, RS Q8 performance.
Q03What engine or powertrain does the 2027 RS Q8 use?
The 2027 Audi RS Q8 is built around 4.0L twin-turbo V8, rated at 631 horsepower across its high-performance luxury SUV body style.
Q04How much horsepower does the 2027 RS Q8 have?
The 2027 Audi RS Q8 is rated at 631 horsepower (4.0L twin-turbo V8).
Q05Is AWD or 4WD available on the 2027 RS Q8?
The 2027 Audi RS Q8 is offered with Standard AWD.