2000 Audi A6 problems & reliability
148 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 Audi A6, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2000 Audi A6 vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 0 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 36 | 24% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 25 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 14% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 14 | 9% |
| Tires | 14 | 9% |
| Suspension | 12 | 8% |
| Steering | 11 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 5% |
| Power Train | 8 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 77,040 miles (middle 50% between 52,000 and 112,000 miles), based on 87 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Each time I fill the gas tank there is a strong smell of leaking gas. Not clearly identified the source but feel this is a significant safety risk.”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jul 17, 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 audi a6. The contact noticed strong fumes entering the vents, which affected the contact's breathing. The contact was not able to use the heater or air conditioner. A week later, while driving, a fire erupted near the dashboard and smoke consumed the inside of the vehicle. The contact was…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 15, 2016
“The first time this car had any problems with anything leaking was a couple days ago when we woke up in middle of the night to house and garage smelling like gas. On driver's side rear by passenger door there was a small leak looked like oil but smelled of gas and underneath car you can see wear a small crack is at in…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Apr 1, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- DRIVER'S SIDE DASH FIRE
Recall Query RQ06003 · opened Feb 27, 2006 · closed Jul 20, 2006 · led to recall 06V198000
- DRIVERS SIDE DASH FIRE
Engineering Analysis EA03025 · opened Nov 25, 2003 · closed May 7, 2004 · led to recall 06V198000
- DRIVERS SIDE DASHBOARD FIRE
Preliminary Evaluation PE03035 · opened Jul 25, 2003 · closed Nov 25, 2003
- BRAKE AND CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET
Preliminary Evaluation PE02008 · opened Jan 23, 2002 · closed Jul 12, 2002
Technical service bulletins
99 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2000 Audi A6. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides information on the additional reporting requirements for safety related inquiries.
A0023742052680_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 4, 2023
This informational bulletin explains how to order replacement VIN plates, Safety Certification Labels, etc.
A0021482021205_6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2021
This information bulletin contains instructions for technicans on how to ensure their TAC call goes smoothly.
A0020362002047_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 16, 2020
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 bulletin contains instructions for additional reporting requirements for safety related inquiries (airbag/seatbelts, accidents, fire and overheat damage). 2008-2021A3, 2015-2021A3 Cabrio, 2005-2016 A3 Sportback…
A0019212052680_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 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
This informational bulletin contains instructions for sychronizing the remote key after the battery has been disconnected or replaced.
A571738 2017082- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 23, 2017
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
The 2000 Audi A6 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 2000 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 77,040 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.