2001 Audi A6 problems & reliability
113 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Audi A6, alongside 7 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.
10 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Audi A6 vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 16% |
| Air Bags | 15 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 14 | 12% |
| Power Train | 14 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 11% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 11 | 10% |
| Tires | 11 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 4% |
| Structure | 5 | 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 80,000 miles (middle 50% between 42,500 and 111,500 miles), based on 63 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My Audi A6 is experiencing symptoms of a documented and open recall at Audi, and Audi USA and the dealer are refusing to even evaluate the vehicle for recall status. The recall is a rollover valve nipple, with age and stress cracking can develop on the plastic fuel tank, causing a leak to occur. My car is experiencing…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed May 8, 2023
“I was driving about 67 on the open highway and was struck from behind by another vehicle. I lost control of my car and careened into a guard rail. I went unconscious and when I woke I was badly injured. All the air bags in car had deployed except for the driver's airbag. As a consequence, I sustained severe damages to…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 6, 2021
“Driving on interstate 80 around a curve when I hear a loud noise o looked around at the other cars in the other lanes to see what was going on and they were looking at me wondering the same thing or they saw the blowout and or heard the noise? I realized it was my tire losing steering control. I quickly moved over to…”
Wheels · filed Oct 6, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL TANK LEAK
Preliminary Evaluation PE08008 · opened Jan 31, 2008 · closed May 30, 2008 · led to recall 08V157000
- BRAKE AND CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET
Preliminary Evaluation PE02008 · opened Jan 23, 2002 · closed Jul 12, 2002
Technical service bulletins
106 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 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 2001 Audi A6 has 7 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 2001 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 80,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.