The 2012 Audi A8 is a midsize car that came with a choice of 4.2L 8-cyl and 6.3L 12-cyl engines. At 14 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Large Cars, Midsize Cars |
|---|---|
| Engines | 4.2L 8-cyl, 6.3L 12-cyl |
| Transmissions | Automatic (S8) |
| Drive | All-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Premium Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 14–18 city / 21–28 highway / 16–21 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $3,900–$5,150 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 423–555 grams per mile |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 5,776–6,074 lb |
| Versions tested by EPA | 3 configurations: A8 L, A8 |
| Age | 14 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 1 safety recall covering the 2012 Audi A8. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Audi A8 vehicles manufactured May 15, 2010, to May 14, 2012. The affected vehicles have a coolant valve that may leak, allowing coolant to enter the engine control module causing a loss of power or the engine to stall.
Risk: A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2012 Audi A8 with NHTSA.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
Manufacturers have filed 1,107 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2012 Audi A8. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
2 of them are warranty extensions. Warranty extensions mean the manufacturer agreed to cover a specific repair beyond the normal warranty. They rarely still apply to a car this age, but they point to known weak spots.
This bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
This bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has flooded, and specify the height to which the vehicle has been flooded.
This bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
This bulletin provides information when the license plate mounting bracket threded inserts are stripped.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. Its parts make up much of its value. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2012 A8s that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2012 Audi A8; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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