MotorCaliberNHTSA Safety Index

MODEL

Audi Sq8 E-Tron

NHTSA safety across every Audi Sq8 E-Tron model year we cover.

Across the 2 model years of the Audi Sq8 E-Tron we cover (2024 to 2025), the strongest crash-test showing is the 2025 at 92 on the NHTSA Safety Index, and the lowest is the 2024 at 91. 1 recall have been issued across those years.

THE MOTORCALIBER REVIEW
MotorCaliber editorial Reviewed against NHTSA data 2026-07-02

The Audi SQ8 e-tron is a performance-oriented all-electric SUV competing in the luxury large-SUV segment, aimed squarely at buyers who want the driving urgency of an S-badged Audi combined with a fully electric powertrain. It targets affluent, tech-forward drivers who prioritize premium refinement alongside credible performance credentials, and it carries Audi's flagship electric SUV ambitions into a competitive and growing market.

At MotorCaliber, we look at the safety picture first, and for the 2024-2025 Audi SQ8 e-tron, that picture is largely encouraging. The 2025 model earns a 92 out of 100 on our NHTSA Safety Index, placing it in the Exceptional band - a strong result for a large luxury SUV. Rollover protection is a particular highlight, earning a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, which matters on a tall, heavy electric platform. The frontal crash result of 4 out of 5 stars is solid but not perfect, and the side-impact rating is currently not reported, leaving a gap in the full crash-test picture that shoppers should note. Across the 2024 and 2025 model years we cover, NHTSA has recorded just 2 recalls - a low count for a newly launched model navigating the typical early-production adjustment period. Owner complaints are equally sparse at just 2 total, with zero reported crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths attached to those filings. It is worth remembering that complaints are unverified allegations, but the near-silence here is a reasonable early signal. The honest bottom line: the SQ8 e-tron posts a genuinely strong safety profile for its segment, with the missing side-impact rating being the one meaningful data gap to watch as NHTSA testing continues.

WHAT REVIEWERS SAYReviewers generally regard the SQ8 e-tron as one of the more polished luxury electric SUVs available, praising its refined interior, composed ride, and strong performance delivery. Most acknowledge it sits at a premium price point and note that range figures trail some rivals, but the overall driving experience and build quality tend to draw consistent approval from the professional press.

WHAT TO KNOW
  • The 2025 model earns a 92 out of 100 NHTSA Safety Index score, landing in the Exceptional band - one of the stronger results in the large luxury SUV class.
  • Rollover protection scores a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, a meaningful result for a tall, heavy electric SUV where high center-of-gravity risk is a real engineering challenge.
  • The side-impact crash-test rating is currently not reported by NHTSA for the covered model years, which is a genuine gap in the safety data picture that shoppers should monitor as additional testing becomes available.
  • Only 2 recalls and 2 owner complaints are on record across the 2024-2025 model years, with zero reported crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths tied to those complaints - an unusually quiet early-production safety complaint record.

Safety Index by year

Most-recalled year on record: 2024 Audi Sq8 E-Tron with 1 recalls.

BY YEARSq8 E-Tron by model year