2004 Audi A6 Problems and Recalls (32 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2004 Audi A6 is Fuel system (25% of 32 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 32 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2004 Audi A6?

8 of 32 filings named Fuel system (25% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (4 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 2003 has 66 reports on file; this year has 32. 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 2004 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. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  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 Fuel system. 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: Fuel system 8 complaints · 25.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 1
  • 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 Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) appears in 8 of 32 owner complaints (25.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 8 complaints, 25.0% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 8 · 25.0% Engine (ENGINE): 4 complaints, 12.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 4 · 12.5% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 3 complaints, 9.4% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 3 · 9.4% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 2 complaints, 6.3% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 · 6.3% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 2 complaints, 6.3% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 2 · 6.3% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 2 complaints, 6.3% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 · 6.3% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 2 complaints, 6.3% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 · 6.3% Wheels (WHEELS): 2 complaints, 6.3% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 2 · 6.3% Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE): 1 complaints, 3.1% of reports Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 1 · 3.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 16 complaints, 50.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 16 · 50.0% 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)
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 8 25.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 4 12.5% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 9.4% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 6.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 2 6.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 6.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 6.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 2 6.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 1 3.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 16 50.0% 0 crashes · 0 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 2004; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2004. 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Mar 2004 Oct 2023 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 11V267000 was reported 547 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q4 Owner reports 1
2006-Q1 Owner reports 1
2007-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 1
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 2
2009-Q4 Owner reports 3
2010-Q1 Owner reports 3
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q1 Owner reports 4
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
2015-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
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 8 of 32 complaints · page 1 of 2
2023-12-12Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11559710
CrashFireInjuryDeath
- ABS Module has intermittent failures, available for inspection - Anti-lock brakes will not work - Yes, the problem reoccurs and the module loses power and then errors out - Others - VCDS - ABS lights come on and BRAKE light stays illuminated
2018-12-09Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11157093
CrashFireInjuryDeath
RE: SAFETY RECALL 20L8/JY; 08V157000: FUEL TANK ROLLOVER VALVE MODIFICATION; VIN: (XX); 2004 AUDI A6 3.0L QUATTRO AT5 ATTACHED DOCS: 1. 20L8/JY RECALL NOTICE. 2. 7.14.2008 & 11.18.18 AUDI N. SCOTTSDALE, AZ DEALER INVOICES 3. AUDI A6 GAS TANK DIAGRAM. AUDI CORP EMAIL RESPONSE: "AT THIS TIME WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT THE 20L8 REPAIR WAS SPECIFIC TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP IS INDICATING THIS CURRENT RECOMMENDED REPAIR IS SPECIFIC TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE." "SINCE WE ARE SHOWING THE 20L8 COMPLETED IN JULY OF 2008 AND THE ORIGINAL 20L8 REPAIR IS SPECIFIC TO DRIVER'S SIDE ROLLOVER NIPPLE VALVES, ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS CURRENT REPAIR IS UNRELATED TO THE RECALL." "CURRENTLY PER THE NHTSA WEBSITE, THE 20L8 IS NOT SHOWING AS AN OPEN RECALL, SO I WOULD BE UNABLE TO SPEAK TO HOW THEY WOULD REACT TO INFORMATION REGARDING A CLOSED RECALL." 'WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE SUPPORTING AN INCORRECT REPAIR BEING PERFORMED IN JULY OF 2008, SO AT THIS TIME WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TOWARDS THIS REPAIR." CURRENT EMISSIONS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (NOV 18, 2018) IS DIAGNOSED BY THE AUDI DEALER AS A GAS TANK LEAK. ALSO, THERE IS A STRONG ODOR COMING FROM GAS TANK. DEALER QUOTED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TANK (SEE ATTACHED #2). THERE ARE SEVERAL ROLLOVER VALVES ON EACH SIDE OF THE GAS TANK ON THE TOP SIDE (SEE ATTACHED #3 GAS TANK DIAGRAM). RECALL (SEE ATTACHED #1) DOES NOT ADDRESS "DRIVERS SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE" OF GAS TANK. DEALER CLAIMED THAT BACK IN 2008 THAT THEY DID NOT EVEN LOWER THE GAS TANK FOR THE REPAIR. IN SUMMARY: MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS A GAS TANK LEAK ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK COMING FROM THE ONE OR MORE ROLLOVER VALVE NIPPLES ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK. THE SAFETY RECALL ADDRESSES REPAIRING AND REINFORCING THESE LEAKING ROLLOVER VALVE NIPPLES SO A REPAIR REQUEST SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE RECALL. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2017-07-25Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11010494
CrashFireInjuryDeath
AFTERMARKET RADIO: PIONEER ELECTRONICS AVH-4100 NEX BACKUP CAMERA FAILS AND DISTRACTS DRIVER SIGNIFICANTLY. I HAVE ATTACHED A SCAN OF THE COMPLAINT TO PIONEER ELECTRONICS. THE RADIO LIKELY HAS SOFTWARE DEFECT THAT CAUSES VERY DISTRACTING FAILURES WHEN OPERATING THE BACK-UP CAMERA. PIONEER ADVERTISES THAT THIS BACKUP CAMERA WORKS AS ADVERTISED - IT IS ACTUALLY NOW A DISTRACTION AND HAZARD. AS WELL, OPERATING GOOGLE "ANDROID AUTO" CAUSES MORE SIGNIFICANT DRIVING DISTRACTIONS WHEN USING THE BACKUP CAMERA FUNCTION OF THE AVH-4100. COMPLAINTS TO PIONEER ELECTRONICS HAVE BEEN FRUITLESS. THEY SEEM TO BE ARROGANT AND CLAIM: "ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE THOROUGHLY TESTED." I WOULD LIKE PIONEER ELECTRONICS TO FIX THE SOFTWARE ISSUE AND CREATE A NEW RELEASE THAT ALLOWS THE BACKUP CAMERA TO WORK WITHOUT A DISTRACTION AND SAFTY-HAZARD.
2016-01-11Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10819557
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHEN ENGINE IS COLD, USUALLY BELOW 0 DEGREES FUEL SPRAYS FROM INJECTORS. THIS COULD IGNITE ON EXHAUST MANIFOLDS CAUSING CAR FIRE.
2015-06-08Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10724137
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 AUDI A6. WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V198000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
2015-02-12Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 10683045
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WITH THE ELEC STABILITY CONTROL BEING INTERMITTENT THIS IS BEING CAUSED BY THE ABS MODULE GOING BAD/INTERMITTENT THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE CHANGES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS WITH MY 2002 RAM 1500 (4X4) AS WELL. THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM IN ALL CARS AND TRUCKS. THE COST THE FIX FOR AN AUDI IS AROUND $2500.00 AND MY RAM WAS $1300.00. *TR
2015-01-27Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 10679130
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE EMITTED INSIDE AND AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK COLLAPSE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,569.
2014-11-12Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 10654540
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE FIRST THROTTLE VALVE MALFUNCTION HAPPENED ON JULY 2013. COST TO REPAIR 1557.95 PART COST 878.00 MILEAGE 66784 THE SECOND MALFUNCTION HAPPENED ON OCT. 14, 2014 TO REPAIR 1200.00 PART COST 913.00, MILEAGE 69202 WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN E MAJOR ACCIDENT IF SHE WAS REAR ENDED. I CALLED AUDI TO TELL THEM THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE, BUT THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN. THAT IS WHY I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL, TO SEND THEM A MESSAGE. *TR

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2004 Audi A6?

Owners named Fuel system most often — 8 of 32 reports (25%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2004 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 2004 Audi A6?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. 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