2002 Audi A6 problems & reliability
88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 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 (11 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Audi A6 vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 3 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 | 15 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 17% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 11% |
| Power Train | 10 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 8% |
| Engine | 5 | 6% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 6% |
| Structure | 4 | 5% |
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 71,145 miles (middle 50% between 41,104 and 92,192 miles), based on 62 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“When I first got the vehicle it would start with no issues and now it wont start an I cant figure out why and not sure if this is the reason I cant think of what else it could be it acts like its not getting any fuel or something to get started.”
Engine · filed Jun 12, 2021
“On february 11, 2021, mr. Travis was traveling on I-70 in vandalia illinois when he was rear ended at high speeds by mr. Free. Mr. Travis' 2002 audi a6 sustained serious damage but the airbags did not deploy. Mr. Travis sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash.”
Air Bags · filed Apr 1, 2021
“I parked my car to detail it and after I went to drive to the store and my car wasn't reaching above 4000 rpms and wouldn't go over 60 mph ...its acting like there is a rev limiter and throw 2 new codes...never got engine bay wet jus outer body of vehicle ...diagnostic codes are p0322 and p0421 I believe one is for…”
Engine · filed May 20, 2020
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
Technical service bulletins
130 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 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 special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
SM 48-2022 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2022
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
00 Software Version Management (SVM), operating instructions
A0019252011732_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 17, 2019
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
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 2002 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 2002 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 71,145 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.