2020 Audi RS Q8 Safety Ratings

The 2020 Audi RS Q8 posts a NHTSA Safety Index of 82 out of 100 in the Strong band, with no prior-year Index on file to measure movement against, since this is the first model year for which an Index exists. The score is built on three components: crash protection at 56 out of 70, avoidance technology at 7 out of 10, and a defect record that scores 19 out of 20, reflecting the single recall and zero complaints. That near-perfect defect record is the most distinctive feature of this specific model year. The one recall targets a back-over prevention camera sensing system across a broad 2019-2026 Audi and Volkswagen population, meaning the defect is not unique to the RS Q8 but does apply to it. On crash testing, NHTSA rated only the rollover category, awarding 4 stars with a 16 percent rollover risk and a clean dynamic tip result. Frontal and side categories remain unrated, which constrains the crash-protection sub-score and explains why that component, while solid, does not reach its ceiling. Forward collision warning and electronic stability control are standard, but lane departure warning is absent, holding the avoidance-tech sub-score below its maximum. Taken together, this model year's profile is defined by a strong defect record and a partial but respectable crash-test picture.