2002 Audi A6 Problems and Recalls (86 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2002 Audi A6 is Engine (17% of 86 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 86 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2002 Audi A6?

15 of 86 filings named Engine (17% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Fuel system (13 reports).

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

The 2001 has 104 reports on file; this year has 86. 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 2002 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. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. 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: Engine 15 complaints · 17.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 6
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 11
  • Deaths 1
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 Engine (ENGINE) appears in 15 of 86 owner complaints (17.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 15 complaints, 17.4% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 fire reports 15 · 17.4% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 13 complaints, 15.1% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 13 · 15.1% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 12 complaints, 13.9% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 12 · 13.9% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 11 complaints, 12.8% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 11 · 12.8% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 9 complaints, 10.5% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 9 · 10.5% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 6 complaints, 7.0% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 6 · 7.0% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 4 complaints, 4.7% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 · 4.7% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 3 complaints, 3.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 crash reports 3 · 3.5% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 3 complaints, 3.5% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 crash reports 3 · 3.5% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 51 complaints, 59.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 51 · 59.3% 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)
Engine (ENGINE) 15 17.4% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 13 15.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 12 13.9% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 11 12.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 9 10.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 6 7.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 4.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 3.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 3.5% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 51 59.3% 2 crashes · 1 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 Apr 2002; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2004. 2002-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Apr 2002 Apr 2021 Recall campaign 04V133000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V133000 Recall campaign 06V198000 ◆ Recall campaign 06V198000 Recall campaign 08V157000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V157000 Recall campaign 11V267000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V267000 Investigation PE08008 ● Investigation PE08008
  • Campaign 08V157000 was reported 673 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 11V267000 was reported 1,793 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2002-Q2 Owner reports 2
2002-Q3 Owner reports 4
2002-Q4 Owner reports 2
2003-Q1 Owner reports 7
2003-Q2 Owner reports 2
2003-Q3 Owner reports 1
2004-Q1 Owner reports 2
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 1
2004-Q4 Owner reports 3
2005-Q1 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 5
2005-Q3 Owner reports 2
2005-Q4 Owner reports 2
2006-Q1 Owner reports 1
2006-Q2 Owner reports 1
2006-Q3 Owner reports 4
2006-Q4 Owner reports 1
2007-Q1 Owner reports 1
2007-Q2 Owner reports 2
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 3
2008-Q1 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 2
2009-Q2 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 2
2010-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 5
2011-Q1 Owner reports 2
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 2
2012-Q2 Owner reports 2
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 2
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 04V133000
Recall campaign 1 06V198000
Recall campaign 1 08V157000
Recall campaign 1 11V267000
Defect investigation 1 PE08008
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.

  1. 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 →

  2. 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 →

  3. Recall campaign 08V157000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    A FUEL LEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REINFORCE THE NIPPLE ON THE ROLLOVER VALVE TO PREVENT LEAKAGE OR REPAIR THE CRACKING AT THE NIPPLE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 27, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 11V267000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    A FUEL LEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REINFORCE THE NIPPLE ON THE ROLLOVER VALVE TO PREVENT LEAKAGE OR REPAIR THE CRACKING AT THE NIPPLE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JUNE 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.
    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 9 of 86 complaints · page 1 of 4
2021-06-12Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11420657
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHEN I FIRST GOT THE VEHICLE IT WOULD START WITH NO ISSUES AND NOW IT WONT START AN I CANT FIGURE OUT WHY AND NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE REASON I CANT THINK OF WHAT ELSE IT COULD BE IT ACTS LIKE ITS NOT GETTING ANY FUEL OR SOMETHING TO GET STARTED.
2021-04-01Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11405964
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ON FEBRUARY 11, 2021, MR. TRAVIS WAS TRAVELING ON I-70 IN VANDALIA ILLINOIS WHEN HE WAS REAR ENDED AT HIGH SPEEDS BY MR. FREE. MR. TRAVIS' 2002 AUDI A6 SUSTAINED SERIOUS DAMAGE BUT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MR. TRAVIS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH.
2020-09-10Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11354327
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SHORTING OUT AND CRACKING AND BARE WIRES TOUCHING
2020-05-20Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11325248
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I PARKED MY CAR TO DETAIL IT AND AFTER I WENT TO DRIVE TO THE STORE AND MY CAR WASN'T REACHING ABOVE 4000 RPMS AND WOULDN'T GO OVER 60 MPH ...ITS ACTING LIKE THERE IS A REV LIMITER AND THROW 2 NEW CODES...NEVER GOT ENGINE BAY WET JUS OUTER BODY OF VEHICLE ...DIAGNOSTIC CODES ARE P0322 AND P0421 I BELIEVE ONE IS FOR THE ENGINE IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR NO SIGNAL AND ALSO CATALYTIC SYSTEM BELOW THRESHOLD BANK 1 .....AFTER I PARKED CAR AGAIN I TRIED TO START AND NOTHING HAPPENED ....I'VE BOUT NEW C.O.P'S ....AND STILL NOTHING I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND ALSO NOTICE THAT THE FUEL FILLER JUST INSIDE THE PORT WAS ALL CRACKED AND WHEN I FILLED WITH FUEL ITS LEAKED ALOT OF MY GAS ...THE *TR
2020-01-09Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11298091
CrashFireInjuryDeath
FILLED GAS TANK AND NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM TOP OF THE TANK TO THE GROUND NEAR THE INSIDE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE REAL WHEEL. FUEL STOPS LEAKING AFTER IT DROPS BELOW 3/4 FULL. TOOK THE CAR TO THE AUDI DEALERSHIP THINKING IT WAS FAILURE OF THE ROLLOVER/FILLER NECK VALVE RECALL AGAIN (NHTSA RECALL #08V157000). AUDI SAID THE FILLER NECK WAS DRY, BUT THERE IS A LEAK SOMEWHERE ON TOP OF FUEL TANK ON THE SAME SIDE AS THE FILLER NECK. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT SEE WHERE THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM WITHOUT DROPPING THE FUEL TANK FROM THE CAR. AUDI QUOTED THE REPAIR FOR COMPLETELY REPLACING THE FUEL TANK AT ~$3400. A FUEL TANK SHOULD NEVER LEAK, AND THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY CONCERN, NOT ONLY FOR THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS OF THE CAR, BUT ALL OTHERS ON THE ROAD. THIS IS ALSO A FAILURE OF AN EMISSIONS COMPONENT THAT AUDI NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SINCE THERE IS RAW FUEL LEAKING ALL OVER THE ROAD.
2018-03-06Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11076530
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 AUDI A6. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THERE WAS AN ODOR OF SMOKE. THE CONTACT OBSERVED SMOKE COMING THROUGH THE VENTS ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING FACILITY. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
2013-08-24Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 10537099
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MPH. I WENT TO PASS ANOTHER CAR IN A PASSING ZONE SO I ACCELERATED FULL THROTTLE. THE GAS PEDAL STUCK AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I BRAKED AND MANEUVERED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED IT OFF. AFTER A WHILE IT RELEASED. I STARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND CONTINUED HOME, NOT PUSHING THE PEDAL DOWN ANY FARTHER THAN NECESSARY. I WILL TAKE IT IN TO BE FIXED. THERE WAS NOTHING OBSCURING THE PEDAL AND THE FLOOR MAT WAS CLICKED INTO PLACE. I FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A RECALL, BUT MANY AUDI OWNERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR EXPERIENCES, SO I AM NOT SURE WHY THIS ISN'T A RECALL ISSUE. *TR
2013-07-25Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10531869
CrashFireInjuryDeath
FUEL VAPORS AND LEAKING FUEL APPEARS WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FILLED BEYOND 3/4 TANK. THIS IS UNSAFE FOR THE CAR TO BE PARKED INSIDE OF THE GARAGE. THE FUMES MAKE PASSENGERS FEEL ILL. AUDI SERVICE DEPARTMENTS WANT TO CHARGE OVER $2500 TO REPAIR. A RECALL FOR THE ROLLOVER VALVE HAS BEEN PERFORMED; HOWEVER THE AUDI SERVICE TECHS SAY THE LEAKAGE IS COMING FROM SMALL CRACKS IN THE DEFECTIVE TANK. UNABLE TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE BECAUSE OF COSTS I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR WITH LESS THAN1/2 TANK OF FUEL FOR SEVERAL YEARS . THE STATE OF UTAH WILL NO LONGER PASS MY VEHICLE INSPECTION DUE TO THE EMISSIONS ISSUE. MY FEAR IS THE LEAKING FUEL COULD BE IGNITED BY ANY NUMBER OF SOURCES INCLUDING EXHAUST/HEAT FROM THE VEHICLE. PASSENGERS SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE SUBJECT TO VAPORS INSIDE OF A VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN TO 3 DIFFERENT UTAH AUDI DEALERSHIPS AND 1 INDEPENDENT AUDI REPAIR GARAGE. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED AUDI CUSTOMER RELATIONS @ [redacted]. ALL OF THE AUDI REPRESENTATIVES AND TECHNICIANS HAVE PLAYED DUMB REGARDING THIS ISSUE; YET THE ISSUE CAN BE FOUND IN A NUMBER OF FORUMS WHERE OTHERS HAVE DEALT WITH THE SAME ISSUE. AUDI REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OR EVEN SHOW REAL CONCERN FOR THIS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. *TR
2013-05-02Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 10510423
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY. FOURTH TIME IN 3 YEARS. EACH TIME THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. AUDI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FAILURE OF THE CVT TRANSMISSION ON THAT MODEL. IT IS A DANGER TO PUBLIC SAFETY. *TR

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2002 Audi A6?

Owners named Engine most often — 15 of 86 reports (17%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2002 Audi A6?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system. 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 2002 Audi A6?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. 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