Model year 2017 · Two Seaters

2017 Audi R8 Spyder: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2017 Audi R8 Spyder at 17 mpg combined across 1 version. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 0 owner complaints for this model year.

Safety recalls

2

EPA combined mpg

17

NHTSA overall rating

—

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Audi dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2017 Audi R8 Spyder recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2017 Audi R8 Spyder, newest first.

Air bags: Frontal: Driver side: Inflator module

NHTSA 19V014000 Reported Jan 11, 2019
Filed by
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 69S8/69Y5)
Units affected
119,394 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Power train: Automatic transmission

NHTSA 18V639000 Reported Sep 17, 2018
Filed by
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 34J1)
Units affected
1,916 (estimate)
Problem
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Audi R8 Spyder and R8 Coupe vehicles. Transmission fluid may leak from the gearbox ventilation hose after certain high speed and maneuvering situations.
Risk
If leaked transmission fluid contacts hot engine parts, it can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the single gearbox ventilation hose with a double ventilation hose, free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 34J1.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2017 Audi R8 Spyder fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2017 Audi R8 Spyder EPA fuel economy
VersionEngineTransmissionDriveFuelCity/Hwy/CombFuel cost/yrCO2 g/mi
R8 Spyder5.2L 10-cylAutomatic 7-speedAll-Wheel DrivePremium14/22/17 mpg$4,850519

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2017 Audi R8 Spyder crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2017 Audi R8 Spyder NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicleOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover riskForward collision warning
2017 Audi R8 2 DR AWDNot ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated—No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2017 Audi R8 Spyder owner complaints

NHTSA's complaint files list no owner complaints for the 2017 Audi R8 Spyder received since January 1, 2015.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Audi R8 Spyder model years

Audi R8 Spyder by model year
YearCombinedRecallsComplaintsOverall rating
2015 R8 Spyder14–17 mpg01—

All Audi R8 Spyder years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2017 Audi models

2017 Audi A32017 Audi A42017 Audi A52017 Audi A62017 Audi A72017 Audi A82017 Audi Q32017 Audi Q52017 Audi Q72017 Audi R82017 Audi RS 32017 Audi RS 72017 Audi S32017 Audi S52017 Audi S62017 Audi S7

Sources

  • Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
  • Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
  • Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
  • Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
  • NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Audi.