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2021 Audi S8

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2021 S8.

Transmission Automatic (S8)

The 2021 Audi S8 features an S8 automatic transmission and an engine requiring 10.0 quarts of 0W-30 oil. This model delivers an EPA rating of 13/22/16 mpg and marks the lowest point for owner complaints in the model's 2003-2026 history, with only one reported issue involving the power train, electrical system, and engine. Despite this reliability standing, the vehicle has eight recorded recalls.

Model year2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity10.0 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type0W-30OEM · verified

Lug nut torque118 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy13/22/16 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI Refer to the appropriate service information for options and battery usage. battery, OE oil filter 06M115331A. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI Refer to the appropriate service information for options and battery usage.OEM · verified

Tire size265/35R21/XL 101YOEM · verified

Wheel / rim9 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	06M115331A alt 06M115441G
Engine air filter	4N0129620C
Spark plug	0P2905601
Battery	000915089BE alt 000915089BC
Front wiper blades	4N1998002B alt 4N1998002
Thermostat	0P2121115E alt 06M121688
Cabin air filter	4M0819439C

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic (S8)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	203.9 in
Overall width	76.8 in
Overall height	57.9 in
Wheelbase	118.1 in
Curb weight	5313 lb
Track (front / rear)	64.2 / 63.8 in

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	13 / 22 / 16 mpg
Drivetrain	All-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	111 cu ft
Cargo volume	13 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the S8 of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

3.2–3.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 3.20 sec — 2020 L Quattro Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2020	L Quattro Sedan 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8	3.20 sec	11.60 sec	563 hp	AWD
2022	Quattro Sedan 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8	3.70 sec	12.20 sec	563 hp	AWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 10.0 qt of 0W-30 engine oil, Front: 0D; Rear: 0G in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 118 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to Use new seal: 22.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-5-4-8-6-3-7-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	Audi P/N G 060 162 A2
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	9.0 qt
Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Clutch Fluid	DOT 4
Differential Gear Oil	Front: 0D; Rear: 0G
Engine Coolant	Audi Coolant G13-TL-VW774J
Engine Coolant Capacity	10.5 qt
Engine Oil	0W-30

Engine torques

Cylinder Head Instructions	Only use new bolts.
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	Use new seal: 22.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	80.0 inch lbs. ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Differential Fill Plug	Front: 20.0 ft-lbs
Differential drain Plug	Front: 7.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts	118 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order

1-5-4-8-6-3-7-2

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant

R1234yf

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque	Front: NS, Rear: Use new bolts: 26.0 ft-lbs
ABS Sensor Torque	6.4
Minimum Pad Thickness	0.079" in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for Replacement	Front: 1LN; Rear: 2EA

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages

Bolts 1-10

11 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi.

Every 10,000 mi	Brake Linings (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire Repair Kit Sealant (inspect)
Every 20,000 mi	Air Conditioning Evaporator Case Drain (inspect) · Body Water Drains (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Door Hinge (lubricate) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2021 Audi S8 shows a notable shift from the preceding years: while 2017 and 2018 recorded zero complaints, the 2021 model year registered 1 complaint tied to the power train, electrical system, and engine—a minimal figure. However, it also recorded 8 recalls, the highest count in the entire dataset, alongside 1,106 technical service bulletins. This spike in recalls compared to 2020's 4 and 2018's 1 suggests Audi addressed multiple safety or reliability issues post-launch. The absence of crash or fire complaints is reassuring. The 2026 data point appears anomalous given its future year designation and minimal entries, likely representing a data entry or projection error rather than a meaningful trend. Given the low complaint volume but elevated recall activity, the 2021 S8 represents a year where the manufacturer proactively resolved issues rather than waiting for widespread failures—a potentially reassuring sign for used buyers, though the high TSB count indicates ongoing technical service attention.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

1106

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Overall★★★★★

Frontal★★★★★

Side★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’03 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’20’21’26

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Power Train,Electrical System,Engine1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 8 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V825000Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: CameraReported 20/10/2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8 and S8, 2022 Audi A5 Sportback, A4 Sedan, E-Tron GT, Q3, Q5, RS6 Avant, A3 Sedan, S5 Sportback, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RSQ8, SQ7, SQ8, and S3… Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment unit parameters, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 9, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at…

21V606000Seat Belts:Rear/Other:RetractorReported 05/08/2021

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… 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1106 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
TSB_2079747_2	2026-06-30	Structure	This bulletin provides information regarding various complaints about front or rear door…
TSB_2076404_8	2026-06-29	Unknown Or Other	This bulletin provides a deployment overview for customer service packages MLB and MQB…
TSB_2074640_3	2026-06-26	Engine	This bulletin provides information when there is increased oil consumption; >0.5ltr/1000…
TSB_2074729_3	2026-06-23	Electrical System	This bulletin provides informationwhen noises/vibration are detected from front of…
TSB_2059335_7	2026-06-23	Electrical System	This bulletin provides information when there are noises from the area around the…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific S8. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group R battery Vehicles taking 10.0 qt Engine oil filter 06M115331A Engine air filter 4N0129620C Spark plug 0P2905601 Battery 000915089BE

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2021 S8 take?

10.0 qt of Audi 0W-30, per the factory manual.

Does the 2021 S8 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the S8 get?

EPA figures are 13 city / 22 highway / 16 combined mpg.