1999 Audi A6 Problems and Recalls (215 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 1999 Audi A6 is Brakes (16% of 215 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 215 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 1999 Audi A6?
34 of 215 filings named Brakes (16% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Fuel system (33 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Steering, Fuel system, Airbags, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 1998 has 129 reports on file; this year has 215. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Brakes 34 complaints · 15.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 12
- Fires 23
- Injuries 15
- Deaths 2
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 34 | 15.8% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 33 | 15.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 32 | 14.9% | 0 crashes · 19 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 21 | 9.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 16 | 7.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 12 | 5.6% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 12 | 5.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 9 | 4.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 8 | 3.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 157 | 73.0% | 9 crashes · 13 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 99V248000 was reported 126 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 00V414000 was reported 576 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 01V157000 was reported 696 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V056000 was reported 7,394 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1999-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 1999-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 1999-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2000-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2000-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2000-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2001-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2001-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2001-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 99V058000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 99V131001 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 99V248000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 00V414000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 01V157000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 04V133000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 04V495000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V198000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V056000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE99001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE02008 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE03019 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE03035 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA03025 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE04023 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA04017 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ06003 |
Safety Recalls (9)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Steering, Fuel system, Airbags, and Brakes.
-
Recall campaign 00V414000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- IF MOISTURE AND/OR DUST PARTICLES ENTER THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM, THE SWIVEL BEARING COULD WEAR OVER TIME DIMINISHING THE STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TIE RODS.
-
Recall campaign 01V157000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- RUNNING OUT OF FUEL WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATES THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT FUEL IN THE TANK LEAD TO SAFETY PROBLEMS.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE EXISTING FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNITS AND REPLACE THEM WITH FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNITS USING A NEW ALLOY COMPOSED OF GOLD, SILVER, AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF NICKEL, WHICH WILL NOT CHEMICALLY REACT WITH SULFUR. VW/AUDI WILL ALSO CALL BACK VEHICLES THAT WERE REPAIRED UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL LAST JUNE IN ORDER TO INSTALL THE UPDATED FUEL SENDING UNITS NHTSA 00V137/AUDI LB). OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 1, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT AUDI AT 1-866-892-2834.
-
Recall campaign 04V133000
Safety recall 04V133000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A FIRE COULD ORIGINATE IN THE LEFT DASHBOARD AREA.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVERING ON THE KNEE BOLSTER (CRASH ELEMENT). IN ADDITION, THE WIRING HARNESS AS WELL AS THE FELT PROTECTOR ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD CARRIER WILL BE CHECKED, AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 26, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.
-
Recall campaign 04V495000
Safety recall 04V495000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- IF THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE MAY FAIL TO REDUCE SPEED WHEN THE DRIVER LIFTS HIS/HER FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THIS LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Remedy:
- AUDI WILL INSTALL A REPLACEMENT THROTTLE BODY KIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 29, 2004. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834. OWNERS OF VEHICLES WHICH ARE NOT REGISTERED IN THE COLD-WEATHER STATES OF ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING, WILL BE NOTIFIED OF A SERVICE ACTION, UNDER WHICH THEY WILL BE PROVIDED THE FREE REMEDY UPON REQUEST.
-
Recall campaign 06V198000
Safety recall 06V198000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THIS CONDITION COULD LEAD TO OVERHEATING OR FIRE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REROUTE THE WIRING HARNESS BY INSTALLING A JUMPER WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 16, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.
-
Recall campaign 20V056000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag may not properly protect the occupant, increasing the risk of serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator when the parts become available, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed September 21, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69BT.
-
Recall campaign 99V058000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, FUEL SPRAY COULD RESULT IN FIRE OR POSSIBLE PERSONAL INJURY.
- Remedy:
- VW IS PROVIDING A NEW PAGE FOR THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND ALSO REQUESTING OWNERS TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE A LABEL CONTAINING IMPORTANT REFUELING INSTRUCTIONS INSTALLED INSIDE OF THE FUEL FILLER DOOR. DEALERS WILL ALSO REMOVE THE TIRE PRESSURE LABEL AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW LABEL AFFIXED TO THE FENDER WELL AT THE RIGHT REAR DOOR.
-
Recall campaign 99V131001
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE INSUFFICIENT VACUUM TO BE PROVIDED TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A VACUUM BY-PASS SYSTEM INTO VEHICLES OPERATED IN THESE STATES WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT VACUUM FOR FULL BRAKE ASSIST UNDER ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS.
-
Recall campaign 99V248000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- IF MOISTURE AND/OR DUST PARTICLES ENTER THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM, THE SWIVEL BEARING COULD WEAR OVER TIME DIMINISHING THE STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TIE RODS.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 9 of 215 complaints · page 1 of 9
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V056000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER 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. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V056000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, SMOKE AND FLAMES BEGAN TO ENTER THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE OVER AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED BURNS TO THE FINGERS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THERE WAS NOT A POLICE OR FIRE REPORT FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. *TR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
AUDI CLAIMS THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER NEVER NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, THIS IS NOT ONLY INCORRECT, BUT THIS ALSO CAUSES TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS SHOULD NOT BE TOLD TO THE CUSTOMER FOR IT IS A LIE JUST SO THE CUSTOMER HAS CONSTANT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHILE AUDI RACKS IN THE MONEY. IT IS A SCAM AND IT SHOULD BE ELIMINATED FROM POTENTIAL AND EXISTING AUDI CUSTOMERS. NO OIL WAS EVER MADE NOT TO BREAK DOWN AND NOT EVER BE CHANGED. A NEW AUDI OWNER USUALLY LISTENS TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THEIR CARS, AND USUALLY DON'T CHANGE THE FLUIDS OR FILTERS, HENCE TRANSMISSION BREAK DOWNS AND EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. SCAM *TR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE AUDI A6 SINCE INCEPTION. CAR STARTED MAKING A HORRIBLE NOISE THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS COMING FROM ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION. CAR CANNOT PASS EMISSIONS. ENGINE SMOKING FLUID IS POURING OUT OF FRONT OF TRANSMISSION. THE CAR DEALER: NALLEY AUDI IN ROSWELL, GEORGIA. THE CAR DEALER NALLEY AUDI FRAUDULENTLY TOOK MONEY FROM ME AND NEVER REPAIRED VEHICLE. *TR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ABS MODULE FAILURE, ABS SYSTEM FAILED, ABS WARNING LIGHT ON , ALARM AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ON. COMMON FAILURE ON THIS MODEL BOSCH UNIT. *TR
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 1999 Audi A6?
Owners named Brakes most often — 34 of 215 reports (16%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 1999 Audi A6?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Steering, Fuel system, Airbags, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 1999 Audi A6?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.