Problems · by component

1999 Audi A6 service brakes, hydraulic problems

31 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Audi A6 cite service brakes, hydraulic, 14% of all 217 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
31
14% of all complaints
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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
“DRIVING HOME TONIGHT MY CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTED ACCELERATING (I DRIVE AN AUDI A6 1999). USING THE BRAKES I WAS ABLE TO SLOW IT DOWN ENOUGH TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY THOUGH MY BRAKES SEEMED TO BE FIGHTING AGAINST THE CAR. I ROLLED THROUGH TWO STOP SIGNS AS MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND LUCKILY AVOIDING THE OTHER CARS WAITING THERE I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. I WAITED TEN MINUTES OR SO AND TRIED STARTING MY CAR. THE ENGINE REVVED TO 4 TO 5000 RPMS SO, I QUICKLY SHUT IT OFF AGAIN. I WAITED AGAIN, TRIED IT ONCE MORE AND THE CAR STARTED FINE. I DROVE HOME, CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I COULD BE SEEN ON 02/14/11. FOUR DAYS FROM NOW. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 9, 2011Service brakes, hydraulic, Vehicle speed controlODI 10381378
“I HAVE A 1999 AUDI A6 QUATTRO -- ABS UNIT LIGHT FLASHES, DIAGNOSED AS A DEFECTIVE CONTROL UNIT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH AUDI AND VW AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 6, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10341625
“ALL OF A SUDDEN MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 1999 AUDI A6, AND THE BRAKE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I HAD A FULL LOSS OF MY ABS BRAKES ON ICY WINTER ROADS. I EVENTUALLY SLID OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A FENCE. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE ON MY CAR HAD FAILED, AND I'VE READ POSTS OF SEVERAL HUNDREDS OTHER HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IN MY CAR IT IS A CONSTANT ERROR, AND NO-ONE BUT AUDI CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. I ALSO CONTACTED AUDI, WHICH CLAIMS THAT THE ABS SYSTEM DISABLING IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN. WHEN THERE'S A CHANCE THAT YOUR ABS (SOMETHING YOU'VE RELIED ON FOR YEARS) SUDDENLY SHUTS DOWN BECAUSE OF A WAY TOO COMMON ERROR, IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. I WAS LUCKY I ONLY GOT SOME DENTS TO MY CAR, BUT IF AUDI HAD RECALLED THESE I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO GET REPAIRS DONE TO MY CAR. UNFORTUNATELY SOMEONE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THIS SAFETY CONCERN IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND AUDI WILL DO A RECALL. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 17, 2009Service brakes, hydraulicCrash reportedODI 10274083
“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
“ABS FAILURE. FLASHING LIGHT,ABS(ORANGE) AND BRAKE LIGHT(RED)FOLLOWED BY ABOUT THREE HIGH PITCHED BEEPS. AFTER DOING ALOT OF RESEARCH ONLINE,FOUND OUT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF BOSCH ABS SYSTEM ,AUDIS, VW'S AND OTHERS FITTED WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 6, 2007Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10205132

Showing 6 of 31 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Service brakes

Free remedy

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. A CONTROL VALVE IN THE VACUUM HOSE CONNECTING THE BRAKE BOOSTER TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MAY NOT OPEN OR CLOSE FULLY AT TEMPERATURES BELOW -4 F UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS.

Service brakes, hydraulicReported May 21, 1999NHTSA 99V131001
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 12, 2026

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