2000 Audi A6 Problems and Recalls (138 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2000 Audi A6 is Electrical (21% of 138 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Electrical — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 138 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2000 Audi A6?

29 of 138 filings named Electrical (21% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Brakes (25 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1999 has 215 reports on file; this year has 138. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2000 Audi A6

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  3. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  4. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Electrical. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Electrical 29 complaints · 21.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 3
  • Fires 8
  • Injuries 5
  • Deaths 0
All Audi A6 years →
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.

Which systems owners named Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) appears in 29 of 138 owner complaints (21.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 29 complaints, 21.0% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 8 fire reports 29 · 21.0% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 25 complaints, 18.1% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 25 · 18.1% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 20 complaints, 14.5% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 20 · 14.5% Engine (ENGINE): 14 complaints, 10.1% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 14 · 10.1% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 10 complaints, 7.3% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 10 · 7.3% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 7 complaints, 5.1% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 crash reports 7 · 5.1% Steering (STEERING): 7 complaints, 5.1% of reports Steering (STEERING) 7 · 5.1% Tires (TIRES): 6 complaints, 4.4% of reports Tires (TIRES) 6 · 4.4% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 4 complaints, 2.9% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 4 · 2.9% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 104 complaints, 75.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 3 crash reports 2 fire reports 104 · 75.4% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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)
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 29 21.0% 0 crashes · 8 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 25 18.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 20 14.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 14 10.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 10 7.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 7 5.1% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 7 5.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 6 4.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 4 2.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 104 75.4% 3 crashes · 2 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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2000; the first recall shown was reported in May 2001. 2000-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2000-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2000-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2001-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2003-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2004-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2005-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2008-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2009-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2000 Apr 2022 Recall campaign 01V157000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V157000 Recall campaign 04V133000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V133000 Recall campaign 06V198000 ◆ Recall campaign 06V198000 Recall campaign 20V056000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V056000 Investigation PE02008 ● Investigation PE02008 Investigation PE03035 ● Investigation PE03035 Investigation EA03025 ● Investigation EA03025 Investigation RQ06003 ● Investigation RQ06003
  • Campaign 01V157000 was reported 422 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20V056000 was reported 6,751 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2000-Q1 Owner reports 3
2000-Q2 Owner reports 2
2000-Q3 Owner reports 4
2000-Q4 Owner reports 4
2001-Q1 Owner reports 2
2001-Q2 Owner reports 2
2001-Q3 Owner reports 4
2002-Q2 Owner reports 2
2002-Q3 Owner reports 1
2002-Q4 Owner reports 2
2003-Q1 Owner reports 3
2003-Q2 Owner reports 5
2003-Q3 Owner reports 3
2003-Q4 Owner reports 1
2004-Q1 Owner reports 5
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 9
2004-Q4 Owner reports 2
2005-Q1 Owner reports 6
2005-Q2 Owner reports 3
2005-Q3 Owner reports 1
2005-Q4 Owner reports 1
2006-Q1 Owner reports 6
2006-Q2 Owner reports 4
2006-Q3 Owner reports 3
2007-Q1 Owner reports 3
2007-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 3
2007-Q4 Owner reports 6
2008-Q2 Owner reports 2
2008-Q3 Owner reports 7
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 4
2009-Q3 Owner reports 3
2009-Q4 Owner reports 2
2010-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q2 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 1
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 2
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 2
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 01V157000
Recall campaign 1 04V133000
Recall campaign 1 06V198000
Recall campaign 1 20V056000
Defect investigation 1 PE02008
Defect investigation 1 PE03035
Defect investigation 1 EA03025
Defect investigation 1 RQ06003
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system and Airbags.

  1. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

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
Safety incident filters
Showing 7 of 138 complaints · page 1 of 6
2022-05-21Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11465549
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Gas is pouring out from the top of the gas tank
2017-07-17Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11005938
CrashFireInjuryDeath
EACH TIME I FILL THE GAS TANK THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF LEAKING GAS. NOT CLEARLY IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE BUT FEEL THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK.
2016-06-15Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10874383
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT NOTICED STRONG FUMES ENTERING THE VENTS, WHICH AFFECTED THE CONTACT'S BREATHING. THE CONTACT WAS NOT ABLE TO USE THE HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONER. A WEEK LATER, WHILE DRIVING, A FIRE ERUPTED NEAR THE DASHBOARD AND SMOKE CONSUMED THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND A FIRE INSPECTOR EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V198000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND PARKED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
2016-04-01Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10852911
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE FIRST TIME THIS CAR HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH ANYTHING LEAKING WAS A COUPLE DAYS AGO WHEN WE WOKE UP IN MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO HOUSE AND GARAGE SMELLING LIKE GAS. ON DRIVER'S SIDE REAR BY PASSENGER DOOR THERE WAS A SMALL LEAK LOOKED LIKE OIL BUT SMELLED OF GAS AND UNDERNEATH CAR YOU CAN SEE WEAR A SMALL CRACK IS AT IN FUEL SYSTEM. I SEE MANY RECALLS FOR SAME THING FOR DIFFERENT YEARS AND COMPLAINTS FILED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND YEAR. NO RECALL NOTICES WAS EVER RECEIVED BY MYSELF OR PREVIOUS TWO OWNERS WHO WAS FRIENDS OR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED. I AM UPSET BECAUSE NOW IT WON'T BE FIXED UNDER RECALL BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO LONG HOWEVER THERE WAS NO CLOSE DATE ON REPORTS IT SHOWS SEVERAL THOUSAND CARS NEVER GOT THE REPAIR AND WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT NOT ONLY CAN START CAR ON FIRE BUT HOUSE ON FIRE IF PARKED IN GARAGE. NOW I AM SUPPOSE TO PAY FOR THE COST ON SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT PUT TOGETHER CORRECTLY AND IS A SAFETY HAZZARD BECAUSE I WAS NOT WARNED ABOUT IT BY MAIL OR WHEN CAR WAS SERVICED AND NEVER HAD TROUBLE TILL NOW AND THERE ARE TONS OF CUSTOMERS YOU ARE NOT HELPING WITH SAME PROBLEM YEAR MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR. IF THIS RESULTS IN DEATH THAN IT WILL BECOME A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM ON YOUR HAND FOR NOT FIXING A RECALL THAT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE PROBLEMS ON SEVERAL YEARS OF AUDI'S AND NOT ALL AUDI OWNERS WAS REACH OR REPAIRS DONE AND NOW WHEN WE ARE FINDING OUT WE ARE BEING TURNED AWAY. IF THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING HAZARDOUS OR LIFE THREATENING THAT'S ONE THING BUT SOMETHING SO DANGEROUS THAT CAN TAKE A LIFE YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE EVERY RECALL THAT IS SAFETY RELATED AND HAZARDOUS FIX REGARDLESS OF WHEN NOTICE IF FOUND. I AM EXPECTING THE RECALLS FOR ALL FUEL RELATED PROBLEMS ON ALL AUDI BE FIXED WHEN CUSTOMERS CALL TO INQUIRE AND NOT BE TURNED AWAY AFTER WE ARE SENT TO DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT.
2015-10-12Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 10781459
CrashFireInjuryDeath
FIRST THE CAR RAN HOT NO TEMP HAVE CAME ON HAD TO REPLACE MOTOR .....THE COOLING FAN BROKE MADE OF PLASTIC AND CUT MY SERPENTINE BELT INTO ......THEN THE CAR FLOODED AND RUINED THE COMFORT CONTROL MODULE HAD TO REPLACE THIS NOW THE FRONT AXEL IS BROKE AND THE BOOTS FELL APART AND THE BALL JOINTS ARE NO GOOD......
2015-01-07Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10670841
CrashFireInjuryDeath
HELLO! TODAY I WAS AT THE SAMS CLUB GAS STATION TO FILL UP MY VEHICLE, 2000 AUDI A6 WITH THE 4.2 ENGINE. WHEN I FINISHED, I WENT OVER TO THE DRIVER SIDE, WHERE IVE SEEN A HUGE AMOUNT OF GAS ON THE GROUND. THE FUEL WAS LEAKING REALLY BAD FROM MY CAR. THE SAM'S CLUB EVEN CALLED THE FIRED DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE THERE TOO. IT LEAKED OUT A LOT COUPLE GALLONS FROM MY VEHICLE. THANKS GOD THE GAS STATION HAD A SMALL INCLINE SO I COULD NOTICE IT RIGHT BEFORE I WOULD DRIVE AWAY. JUST THINKING THAT I WOULD DRIVE AWAY AND SOMETHING SERIOUS WOULD HAPPEN IT SCARES ME. AS I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF AUDIS ARE RECALLED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. MINE IS NOT UNDER THE RECALL. WHAT CAN I DO TO GET MINE UNDER THE RECALL TOO? PLEASE HELP ME. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
2014-03-20Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10573837
CrashFireInjuryDeath
AFTER FILLING GAS TANK, GAS BEGAN LEAKING AS A STEADY STREAM FROM LEFT FRONT SIDE OF GAS TANK, NEAR THE REAR DRIVER'S WHEEL WELL. OWNER CONTACTED AUDI DEALERSHIP AND AUDI OF AMERICA. OWNER PAID FOR DEALER INSPECTION TO DIAGNOSE LEAKING GAS ISSUE. DEALER STATED THE TANK WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AUDI OF AMERICA CONTACTED OWNER ON 3/20/2014 AND STATED THE SERVICE MANAGER OF AUDI OF ANN ARBOR, MI HAD DECIDED THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR DUE TO VEHICLE "MILEAGE AND AGE." AUDI OF AMERICA STATED SINCE VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE OF RECALL RANGE (2001-2005 MY), THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. INDEPENDENT OWNER RESEARCH SHOWS MULTIPLE LEAKING GAS TANK ISSUES (BROKEN ROLLOVER VALVE NIPPLE) WITH THIS VEHICLE, AND MATCHING PART NUMBERS BETWEEN 2001-2005 MY GAS TANKS AND 2000 MY GAS TANK. *TR

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2000 Audi A6?

Owners named Electrical most often — 29 of 138 reports (21%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2000 Audi A6?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system and Airbags. 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 2000 Audi A6?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on. 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources