Problems · NHTSA complaints
2006 Audi A6 problems
Owners filed 67 complaints about the 2006 Audi A6 with NHTSA between Jun 2006 and Apr 2023. The most-cited component is air bags (40).
Complaints
67
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags40
- Electrical system13
- Engine4
- Steering4
- Exterior lighting3
- Power train3
- Tires3
- Service brakes2
- Seat belts2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Parking brake1
- Vehicle speed control1
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 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
4
1
3
2
0
1
5
2
2
3
10
25
5
1
1
1
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 25 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
40 reports1 crash3 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2006 Audi A6. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V427000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”
Electrical system
13 reports1 crash1 fire
“AT 150K MILES, EXPERIENCED NO CRANK, NO START. TOW TO DEALER, AND I HAD ALREADY DONE SOME TRIAGE. THEY DID 2 HRS OF TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEMS THAT WERE NOT EVEN RELATED, SO I TOOK THE CAR BACK. FOUND A TRUST WORTHY MECHANIC AND HIS DIAG SUGGESTED THE SCM BURNED OUT TAKING THE PCM AND ECM ALONG WITH IT. THE COST WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE $6000 RANGE AS HE STATED A %40 FAILURE RATE AFTER 150K IN ALLDATA. HE ALSO SAID, IF I REPAIR IT, I NEED TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN AS WELL BECAUSE I WILL JUST HAVE ISSUES DOWN THE ROAD IF I DONT. THE CAR ALSO HAD A SLOW OIL LEAK. THE PLACE WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR SAID THE REPAIR IS NOT WORTH THE COST, SO THAT FACTORED INTO MY DECISION NOT TO INVEST IN REPAIRS. THE OIL LEAK WAS SLOW AND I NEVER HAD TO TOP OFF THE OIL, BUT IT WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO KNOW IT WAS AN ISSUE. THAT LEAK WAS PRESENT AFTER 80K MILES. SO I HAD TO MAKE THE UNFORTUNATE DECISION NOT TO INVEST ANY MONEY INTO AN ATTEMPTED FIX. I WAS AT THE GAS STATION, HAD JUST FILLED UP THE GAS TANK, HAD NEW STRUTS, NEW BATTERY AND PRIOR TO IT NOT STARTING, THE CAR WAS RUNNING SO REALLY GOOD. IT LOOKED GREAT AND PEOPLE OFTEN THOUGHT IT WAS WAY NEWER THAN IT WAS. THERE WAS WAY…”
Engine
4 reports
“2006 AUDI A6. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ILLUMINATED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. THE CONSUMER WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER, WHO STATED THEY BOUGHT AND SOLD THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SAME DEALER FOR THE SAME ISSUE. ALSO THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH 119,00 MILES, BUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER STATED THE ACTUAL MILEAGE WAS OVER 200,000. *JS”
Steering
4 reports
“I HAVE A USED 2006 AUDI A6 QUATTRO 3.2 [WHEN PURCHASED IN 2013 IT ONLY HAD 89,000 MILES - CURRENTLY AT 111,139 MILES]. LAST WEDNESDAY 06/15/2016, THE CAR REFUSED TO TURN OVER, HOWEVER, THE RADIO, MMI, EXTERIOR/INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ALL OPERABLE. AFTER INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE MORE, I REALIZED THAT THE ELECTRICAL WINDOWS REFUSED TO RAISE, THE DASH DIDN'T ILLUMINATE, AND I WAS UNABLE TO PLACE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. LATER THAT EVENING, MY INSURANCE PROVIDER SENT A TOW TRUCK WITH A FLATBED - THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE CHAINED TO THE TOW TRUCK AND PULLED OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT BECAUSE THE WHEELS WERE LOCKED. IN THE INTERIM, I RESEARCHED MY ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS RELATED TO MY EXACT ISSUE, WHICH WAS LATER DISCOVERED AS A TRANSPONDER FAILURE THAT WOULD REQUIRE AN ENTIRE NEW STEERING COLUMN BECAUSE THE COMPANY (AUDI) DID NOT SELL THE PART SEPARATELY. THESE ENTRIES WERE FROM DRIVERS OF AUDI A4, A6, AND TT MODELS FROM YEARS 2004-2007. THE FOLLOWING MORNING [THURSDAY, 6/16/2016] I SPOKE WITH JOHN AND KEVIN FROM THE SERVICE CENTER IN THE MAPLE HILL AUTO GROUP IN KALAMAZOO, MI WHICH IS A VW/AUDI DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A TRANSPONDER FAILURE…”
Exterior lighting
3 reports
“ENGINE OIL LEAKS THIS IS A "NORMAL" PROBLEM THAT SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE CONSUMER AND THE ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS CORD BROKE OFF. WILL NOT TURN WITH VEHICLE”
Power train
3 reports
“AUDI WOULD NOT START, CAR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE KEYS, CAR STUCK IN PARK, ALL WHEELS LOCKED, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, MMI RADIO WORKS, LIGHT WORKS, EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE CAR WORKS. *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.