Problems · NHTSA complaints

1999 Audi A6 problems

Owners filed 217 complaints about the 1999 Audi A6 with NHTSA between Feb 1999 and Mar 2021. The most-cited component is electrical system (37).

Complaints
217
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
12
Reported by owners
Fires
23
Reported by owners
Injuries
15
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system37
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic31
  3. Fuel system, gasoline25
  4. Vehicle speed control24
  5. Steering19
  6. Engine and engine cooling17
  7. Suspension15
  8. Fuel system, other14
  9. Power train12
  10. Seats8
  11. Visibility8
  12. Structure8
  13. Air bags7
  14. Exterior lighting6

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199924
200025
200111
20027
200316
200454
200516
200613
200720
20088
20095
20105
20115
20123
20131
20140
20151
20160
20170
20180
20191
20201
20211

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

37 reports19 fires2 related recalls
“TAKATA RECALL I'VE HAD TO REPLACE A WHEEL BEARING AND AXEL 2X @ $550 EACH TIME. CAR WOULDN'T ALIGN RIGHT, SO I REPLACED THE TIRES SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THE WEARING ON ONE SIDE. THE CALIPERS WON'T COME OFF WHEN CHANGING THE BRAKES AND ROTORS. THE AUTOMATIC WINDOWS WOULD RANDOMLY ROLL DOWN SOMETIMES AFTER IT WOULD RAIN, AND WOULDN'T ROLL BACK UP FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I FIXED THE TURN SIGNAL AND CRUISE CONTROL, BUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THOSE RETURNED AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS, AND WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE UNDER COVER/PROTECTOR PLASTIC BROKE OFF ALL OVER THE ROAD BECAUSE THE AUDI DEALERSHIP APPARENTLY FORGOT TO PUT IT BACK ON PROPERLY. THIS POSSIBLY ALLOWED FOR THE OIL PAN TO HIT THE GROUND AND CRACK, WHICH A SUSPENSION PROBLEM WAS CLEARLY PART OF THAT PROBLEM TOO. I TOOK IT IN TO SEE ABOUT A CRACK IN THE OIL PAN. THEY COULDN'T FIND IT, BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I DROVE TO THE MOVIE STORE AND WHEN I GOT BACK TO MY CAR, IT WAS NO LONGER RUNNING. A PUDDLE OF OIL WAS SPILLING OUT OF IT, AND THE THE ENGINE WAS SHOT. I HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS. I'M GUESSING THAT THE PROBLEMS STEMMED FROM THE WHAT THE CAR WAS RECALLED FOR.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 9, 2019Steering, Suspension, Electrical systemODI 11194856

Service brakes, hydraulic

31 reports5 crashes1 related recall
“MY 1999 AUDI A6 2.8 HAS ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 1996 TO 2001 AUDI'S AND VW'S LACK OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM CONTROL MAKES MY VEHICLE UNSAFE. AUDI IS NOT WILLING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS A LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 18, 2012Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10444382

Fuel system, gasoline

25 reports2 related recalls
“WHEN FILLING THE GAS TANK IN MY 99 AUDI A6 QUATTRO PRESSURE BUILDS INSIDE THE TANK AND SPRAYS BACK AT ME. THIS HAS HAPPENED EACH TIME I PUT GAS IN IT FULL OR NOT. A RECALL WAS MADE BUT, NOT FOR MY VIN. I SPOKE WITH A AUDI REP. AND A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE UNLESS I PAY FOR IT. I WOULD BUT, THERE IS ALREADY A RECALL MADE FOR THAT CAR JUST NOT THAT VIN. IT'S A HAZARD AND I'VE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS THAT I PAID FOR. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYTHING CAN BE DONE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 26, 2006Fuel system, gasolineODI 10156187

Vehicle speed control

24 reports2 crashes1 related recall
“WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN TO 72 MPH AS IF GOING INTO CRUISE CONTROL. CONFIRMED THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. APPLIED THE BRAKES SEVEN TIMES. CAR DID NOT RESPOND TO BRAKING. ENGINE SEEMED TO RACE AGAINST THE BRAKES. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, MOVED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. APPLIED THE HAND BRAKE. TURNED KEY OFF. CAR SLOWED THEN STOPPED. SINCE THIS INCIDENT THE CAR WAS TEST DRIVEN TWICE BY MECHANICS, DURING WHICH IT SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. ON JANUARY 27, 2015 THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER, BELLEVUE AUDI, FOR DIAGNOSIS. AWAITING RESULTS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 28, 2015Vehicle speed control, Service brakesODI 10679584

Steering

19 reports1 fire2 related recalls
“1999 AUDI A6 AVANT WITH SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE AUDI TO PAY FOR THE LAST 4 REPAIRS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. CONSUMER HAS HAD SOME SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE AND STATES THAT IT IS A LEMON. *KB THERE WAS A RUMBLING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE, THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK COMING FROM THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED DUE TO A BAD PIPE, THE FRONT ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACED, THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING, THE BACK WHEELS WERE DRAGGING SO THE PADS WOULD NOT RELEASE, THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS INOPERATIVE, T HE SUNROOF WAS INOPERATIVE, THE TIE RODS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THE TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP, GASKET OIL COOLER AND SERPENTINE BELT WERE ALL REPLACED. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 2, 2007Steering, Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Visibility, Vehicle speed controlODI 10208310

Engine and engine cooling

17 reports
“1996 AUDI A6 CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND STILL HAVING PROBLEMS**CC THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE AFTER MARKET MUFFLER HE PURCHASED DIDN'T WORK WELL WITH AUDI'S AND IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONSUMER ONLY USE A FACTORY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 24, 2007Engine and engine coolingODI 10189022
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.