Is the Audi Q8-E-Tron more reliable than the Mercedes-Benz EQS?

Yes, by a large margin. The Q8-E-Tron has a good standing, no owner complaints, and 2 recalls. The EQS has a mixed standing, 112 complaints, and 26 recalls. The Audi data covers only two model years, but it shows no problem areas.

Which has more recalls, the Q8-E-Tron or the EQS?

The EQS has far more. Federal recall records list 26 recalls across its three model years, 2022 to 2024. The Q8-E-Tron has 2 recalls across its two model years, 2024 and 2025. Check any specific car's VIN for open recall work before buying.

What goes wrong most often on the Mercedes-Benz EQS?

Electrical faults lead with 24 complaints, then service brakes with 23 and forward collision avoidance with 19. Owners describe the car shutting down while driving, melted charging inlets, and hard braking with nothing in front of it. Dealers often cannot reproduce the braking problem.

Is phantom braking a safety risk on the EQS?

Owner complaints say yes. Brake complaints include 5 that are crash-linked, and speed control adds 2 more. Drivers describe seat belts tightening, near rear-end collisions, whiplash, and one injury report. Some say the problem returned after dealer visits, so test drive any EQS carefully.

Which EQS model year is the safest to buy?

The 2024 ranks among the strongest years, and the 2022 ranks among the weakest. The 2023 appears on both lists, so it is mixed. Even the best EQS year trails the Q8-E-Tron, which has no complaints on file.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Audi Q8 e-tron vs Mercedes-Benz EQS: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Audi Q8 e-tron

Good

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mixed

Reliability favors the Audi Q8-E-Tron by a wide margin over the Mercedes-Benz EQS. The Audi has no owner complaints; the EQS has 112. The EQS also has 26 recalls, with sudden shutdowns and phantom braking leading the reports.

How Do the Audi Q8 e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQS Generations Compare?

Second-generation cars, sold as the Q8 e-tron, ran in the US from the 2023 model year through 2025, so the 2024 and 2025 years on this page sit inside that run. The first generation, sold as the e-tron, covered 2018 and 2019 and received a facelift in 2022. On the Mercedes side, the first-generation V297 ran in the US from 2022 through 2024, with a facelift in 2024. A shopper looking at the EQS is therefore choosing among the original 2022 and 2023 cars and the facelifted 2024, which is among the strongest years in the data.

Verdict

The Audi Q8 e-tron is more reliable than the Mercedes-Benz EQS, scoring 77/100 vs 52/100.

On the records, the Audi Q8-E-Tron is clearly the more reliable of the two, and the gap is large. Owners have filed no complaints on it, and federal recall records show 2 recalls. The Mercedes-Benz EQS has 26 recalls and 112 complaints, including sudden shutdowns while driving and hard braking with nothing ahead. The Audi's clean record covers only two model years, so the sample is thin. Even so, nothing in the data points to a problem on the Audi, while the EQS has several repeating ones.

Key Differences

1Audi Q8 e-tron has 63.8 fewer complaints per 10k sold
2Audi Q8 e-tron scores 25 points higher in reliability
3Audi Q8 e-tron has 24 fewer total recalls

Category Scoreboard

3Audi Q8 e-tron

—

0Mercedes-Benz EQS

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint Rate

Audi Q8 e-tron vs Mercedes-Benz EQS: Which Is More Reliable?

Audi Q8 e-tron vs Mercedes-Benz EQS at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Audi Q8 e-tron	Mercedes-Benz EQS
Reliability Score	77/100	52/100
Years Tracked	2	3
Total Recalls	2	26
Complaints per 10k Sold	0	63.8
Year Wins	1	0

What Are the Common Problems With the Audi Q8 e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQS?

A car that acts on its own defines the Mercedes complaints. Owners report highway shutdowns with "Battery malfunction" warnings, melted charging inlets, and one fire report. The bigger group is phantom braking: the car slams the brakes and tightens the seat belts with nothing nearby, sometimes in reverse. Brakes carry 5 crash-linked complaints, and speed control carries 2. Drivers also describe whiplash, sunroof glass shattering at highway speed, and dealers who cannot reproduce the fault. The Audi has no complaint areas on file, so it has no crash-linked area to set against these.

Audi Q8 e-tron vs Mercedes-Benz EQS common problem areas comparison
Component	Audi Q8 e-tron	Mercedes-Benz EQS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	—None	13.7Above Avg
SERVICE BRAKES	—None	13.1Above Avg
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	10.8Above Avg
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	—None	6.8Average
STRUCTURE	—None	5.1Average
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	2.8Low
WHEELS	—None	1.7Low
POWER TRAIN	—None	1.7Low

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

How Does Audi Q8 e-tron vs Mercedes-Benz EQS Reliability Compare by Year?

Audi Q8 e-tron vs Mercedes-Benz EQS year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Audi Q8 e-tron	Mercedes-Benz EQS	Edge
2024	75/1002R / 0C	61/1004R / 6C	Audi Q8 e-tron

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron scored 75/100 and the 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQS scored 61/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Audi Q8 e-tron vs the Mercedes-Benz EQS?

Pick the Audi if you want the lower-risk purchase. It has no owner complaints on file and only 2 recalls, so the data gives you nothing to work around. Either model year, 2024 or 2025, is a reasonable target. Check that the recall work has been done before you sign. Consider the Mercedes only if you specifically want a large sedan, and shop it carefully. Aim for a 2024, which ranks among its strongest years. Be wary of 2022, which ranks among its weakest. The 2023 sits on both the strongest and weakest lists, so treat it as a toss-up. Ask for the recall history and a record of any shutdown or braking repairs. Test drive it at highway speed and on city streets, and walk away if the seller mentions phantom braking or charging port damage. If a large SUV works for you, the Audi is the safer bet. If you need a sedan, accept more risk with the EQS.

Audi Q8 e-tron vs Mercedes-Benz EQS: Common Questions

Is the Audi Q8-E-Tron more reliable than the Mercedes-Benz EQS?: Yes, by a large margin. The Q8-E-Tron has a good standing, no owner complaints, and 2 recalls. The EQS has a mixed standing, 112 complaints, and 26 recalls. The Audi data covers only two model years, but it shows no problem areas.
Which has more recalls, the Q8-E-Tron or the EQS?: The EQS has far more. Federal recall records list 26 recalls across its three model years, 2022 to 2024. The Q8-E-Tron has 2 recalls across its two model years, 2024 and 2025. Check any specific car's VIN for open recall work before buying.
What goes wrong most often on the Mercedes-Benz EQS?: Electrical faults lead with 24 complaints, then service brakes with 23 and forward collision avoidance with 19. Owners describe the car shutting down while driving, melted charging inlets, and hard braking with nothing in front of it. Dealers often cannot reproduce the braking problem.
Is phantom braking a safety risk on the EQS?: Owner complaints say yes. Brake complaints include 5 that are crash-linked, and speed control adds 2 more. Drivers describe seat belts tightening, near rear-end collisions, whiplash, and one injury report. Some say the problem returned after dealer visits, so test drive any EQS carefully.
Which EQS model year is the safest to buy?: The 2024 ranks among the strongest years, and the 2022 ranks among the weakest. The 2023 appears on both lists, so it is mixed. Even the best EQS year trails the Q8-E-Tron, which has no complaints on file.

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How we score the Audi Q8 e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQS

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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