Research · Midsize Cars

2014 Audi A6Recalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 41 owner complaints for the 2014 Audi A6. Most complaints involve steering (8) and air bags (7). The EPA rates it 21–29 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall.

Combined MPG
21–29mpg
EPA · 4 versions
NHTSA overall
5of 5 stars
NCAP crash tests
Safety recalls
4campaigns
Latest Jun 2018
Owner complaints
41
Top: steering
Fuel cost / yr
$2,850est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Air bags: occupant classification

Free remedy

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S6 and S7, 2012-2018 A7 and A6 Sedan, and 2014-2018 RS7 vehicles equipped with basic seats (with or without heating). Stress or wear of the body-sensing mat within the front passenger seat may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) control module to malfunction.

Air bagsReported Jun 4, 2018NHTSA 18V370000

Engine and engine cooling: cooling system

Free remedy

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sedan and Audi Q5 vehicles, 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles and 2013-2016 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad vehicles. These vehicles, equipped with 2.0l Turbo FSI engines, have an electric coolant pump that can either become blocked with debris from the cooling system causing it to overheat or can short-circuit from moisture within the pump.

Engine and engine coolingReported Apr 11, 2018NHTSA 18V229000

Fuel system

Free remedy

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Audi A6 and A7 vehicles. The fuel line has a compression point that can weaken, potentially resulting in a fuel leak.

Fuel system, gasolineReported Dec 6, 2017NHTSA 17V781000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 28, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

41 complaints filed with NHTSA · Dec 2013 – Jul 2026
  1. Steering8
  2. Air bags7
  3. Fuel/propulsion system6
  4. Engine5
  5. Service brakes3
  6. Electrical system2
  7. Fuel system, gasoline2
  8. Structure2
  9. Power train1

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

By model year

Complaints for each A6 model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
199654
199721
1998130
1999217
2000148
2001113
2002103
200371
200435
200667
200753
200871
200921
201017
201121
201260
201352
201441
201522
201651
201720
20182
20269
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Steering

8 reports
“The electronic steering system on my Audi A6 failed without warning, locking my steering wheel in place. A review of on line message boards for Audi owners indicates this is a systemic problem, and has, for some owners, actually locked their steering while driving. This did not happen to me, but prior to locking, my car instantly transitioned from steering with no issues to almost becoming undrivable before I could get to a repair shop.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 24, 2022SteeringODI 11490592

Air bags

7 reports
“National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation Re: Safety Defect & Recall Non-Compliance – 2014 Audi A6 (VIN: [XXX] ) I, [XXX] , a private living woman domiciled at c/o [27870], native to Turtle Island of Choctaw and Moorish lineage, submit this complaint regarding an unrepaired federal safety recall on my 2014 Audi A6. Facts: 1. My vehicle has an open safety recall that remains unrepaired, despite being serviced at Audi dealerships by prior owners. 2. The recall was never disclosed to me by the selling dealer, Roland Holmes Auto Sales, nor by the financing entity, Credit Acceptance Corporation. 3. The unrepaired defect presents a serious safety hazard to myself, my family, and the public. 4. The manufacturer, Audi USA, has failed to complete the required recall work. I request that NHTSA investigate this matter, enforce compliance upon Audi USA, and take appropriate action against the dealer for failure to disclose the recall. Respectfully submitted, [XXX] c/o [27870] All Rights Reserved. Without Prejudice. UCC 1-308. Date: 09/01/2025”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 1, 2025Electrical system, Air bagsODI 11684339

Fuel/propulsion system

6 reports
“I purchased a 2014 Audi A6 2.0T Quattro premium plus on November 15, 2024 with 99,141 miles. I got the 14 day dealership extended warranty, which covered powertrain systems. After 3 days of driving exactly 103 miles the oil light came on my dashboard telling me that the oil was low. I immediately brought it back to the dealership and their mechanic look at it, he said there was nothing wrong and changed the oil so it should be good now. I drove it another 3 days 136 miles this time, and the oil light came on once again. Brought it back a 2nd time to the dealership’s mechanic. After about a week, we heard back and they told us he still couldn’t find anything wrong, but agreed that for some reason, the engine is consuming oil more than it should be. At this point we go to an actual Audi dealership where they tell us that the pistons and turbo were the problem so they would have to rip apart the engine and seal everything back up. At the time we purchased the vehicle on top of the 14 day dealership warranty we also purchased an extended warranty by a company called integrity warranty LLC. Our warranty company decided that they were not going to cover the cost of…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2025Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11646146
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

4 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Midsize Cars
Engines
3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel · 2.0L 4-cyl turbo · 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged
Transmissions
Automatic (S8) · Automatic (AV-S8)
Drive
All-Wheel Drive · Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Diesel · Premium Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 28, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
A6 quattro
Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo · All-Wheel Drive
243829$3,250349
A6
Auto (AV-S8), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
253328$2,850320
A6 quattro
Auto (S8), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo · All-Wheel Drive
202923$3,450386
A6 quattro
Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Sup Charg · All-Wheel Drive
182721$3,800414
  • A6 quattro
    Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo
    24 city · 38 hwy · $3,250/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • A6
    Auto (AV-S8), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo
    25 city · 33 hwy · $2,850/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
  • A6 quattro
    Auto (S8), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo
    20 city · 29 hwy · $3,450/yr
    23
    mpg comb.
  • A6 quattro
    Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Sup Charg
    18 city · 27 hwy · $3,800/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 28, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
Overall rating
5/ 5
5 of 5
Audi A6 4 DR FWD
Frontal crash
5 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
5 of 5
Rollover risk
9.0%
Overall
5 / 5
Audi A6 4 DR AWD
Frontal crash
5 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
5 of 5
Rollover risk
9.0%
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Oct 28, 2026Vehicle 8356Vehicle 8355
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2014 A6 questions

How many recalls does the 2014 Audi A6 have?

4 safety recalls as of Oct 28, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2014 Audi A6 problems?

Owners filed 41 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are steering (8), air bags (7), fuel/propulsion system (6). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2014 Audi A6 get?

The EPA rates the 2014 Audi A6 at 21–29 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (4 versions rated).

How safe is the 2014 Audi A6?

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2014 Audi A6 5 out of 5 stars overall.

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Oct 28, 2026