1997 Audi A6 problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Audi A6. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 14 | 70% |
| Equipment | 2 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% |
| Visibility | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1997 audi a6 quattro. Filled up with gas at 8pm, parked car in driveway in front of garage. By 2pm next day there was a large puddle of gas (nearly 1/2 tank) located under the entire rear end of the car past the wheels more then 2 ft on both sides. The fumes could smelt over 5 ft away. I'm positive the slightest spark…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 25, 2017
“Ignition switch stopped working causing the headlights, turn signals, and wipers to stop working. Car still operates and is a danger if driving without turn signals or wipers without knowing. I have noticed this issue has occurred several times with this model and understand the a4 had a recall for this problem the…”
Electrical System · filed Dec 24, 2013
“The rear seat was shifted by the occupant to attach a child's car seat to the passenger side rear seatbelt mounting brackets. The spring wires under the rear seat contacted both posts of the battery under the seat, igniting a fire, which spread through the entire rear seat of the car. The suspension wires of the rear…”
Seats · filed Jun 28, 2013
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
42 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Audi A6. The 10 most recent:
This communication is issued to inform dealers of updated shipping regulations related to lithium ion batteries.
AWC 19-05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2019
This communication is issued to remind dealers of the repair validation process for repair group 19. 2005-2019 A3, 1996-2019 A4, 2008-2019 A5, 1992-2019 A6, 2012-2019 A7, 1997-2019 A8, 2019 E-Tron, 2015-2019 Q3…
AWC 19-04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2019
This informational bulletin contains technical information for when there is condensation visible on the inside of the headlight, taillight, fog light, side marker light, front turn signal, daytime running lights…
A941791 2012749- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 2017
This special notice is to inform dealers to return all part numbers listed in the document and order the superseded part numbers going forward.
SM 44-2017 EN · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 28, 2017
This informational bulletin contains all the the Audi Oil Quality Standards that should be used when doing an oil change.
A171782 2010043- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 10, 2017
Due to increasing requests for high voltage personal protective equipment (HVE PPE) for dealer technicians working with high voltage vehicles (Hybrid, Plugin Hybrid, Electric Vehicle), the Volkswagen Tools and Equipment…
ATE-17-05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2017
This information TSB provides information regarding the correct way to torque adjust a wheel bolt.
A441662 2010334- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 19, 2016
Vehicle will not communicate with diagnostic scan tool or emissions test equipment. Customers may have issues with vehicle passing state IM emissions test programs because the scan tool cannot communicate with the…
A451510 2042048- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 5, 2015
Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 19 number 15-61 dated July 7, 2015. Discontinuation and mixing of Audi-approved engine coolants. G11, G12, and G12+ coolants have been replaced by an improved version. G12++…
A191562 2025303- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 8, 2015
Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 19 number 14-50 dated June 20, 2014. Discontinuation and mixing of Audi-approved engine coolants. G11, G12, and G12+ coolants have been replaced by an improved version. G12++…
A1915612025303-5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 7, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1997 Audi A6 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Audi A6?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.