2016 Audi A6 Problems and Recalls (50 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2016 Audi A6 is Engine (22% of 50 owner reports). There are 3 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 50 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2016 Audi A6?

11 of 50 filings named Engine (22% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Fuel system (8 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Electrical, and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2015 has 22 reports on file; this year has 50. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2016 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.

Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 3 campaigns on file below.
Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 11 complaints · 22.0% of the file

Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:

Crashes 0
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.

“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)	11	22.0%	0 crashes · 1 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)	8	16.0%	0 crashes · 1 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS)	7	14.0%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)	4	8.0%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)	3	6.0%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)	3	6.0%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)	2	4.0%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE)	2	4.0%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING)	2	4.0%	0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover	14	28.0%	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.

View timeline records as a table

Date	Record type	Count	Record identifier
2016-Q1	Owner reports	1
2016-Q2	Owner reports	1
2017-Q1	Owner reports	1
2017-Q2	Owner reports	1
2017-Q3	Owner reports	2
2018-Q1	Owner reports	1
2018-Q2	Owner reports	1
2018-Q3	Owner reports	6
2018-Q4	Owner reports	2
2019-Q1	Owner reports	2
2019-Q2	Owner reports	1
2019-Q3	Owner reports	3
2019-Q4	Owner reports	1
2020-Q4	Owner reports	1
2021-Q1	Owner reports	2
2021-Q3	Owner reports	1
2021-Q4	Owner reports	1
2022-Q1	Owner reports	1
2022-Q2	Owner reports	1
2022-Q3	Owner reports	1
2022-Q4	Owner reports	1
2023-Q1	Owner reports	2
2023-Q2	Owner reports	2
2023-Q3	Owner reports	4
2023-Q4	Owner reports	1
2024-Q1	Owner reports	2
2024-Q2	Owner reports	2
2024-Q4	Owner reports	1
2025-Q1	Owner reports	1
2025-Q3	Owner reports	1
2025-Q4	Owner reports	1
2026-Q1	Owner reports	1
Jun 2018	Recall campaign	1	18V370000
Dec 2018	Recall campaign	1	18V862000
Jan 2019	Recall campaign	1	19V035000

NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

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

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

Recall campaign 18V370000

Airbags

Report date

Jun 4, 2018

Component:

Airbags (AIR BAGS)

Consequence:

If the PODS module malfunctions, the front passenger air bag may not deploy properly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy:

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a PODS system repair kit, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74D5.

View authoritative NHTSA record →
Recall campaign 18V862000

Electrical

Report date

Dec 5, 2018

Component:

Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)

Consequence:

The extra resistance can cause the connector to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy:

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the auxiliary heater connector, replacing the auxiliary heater and connector, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 82C1.

View authoritative NHTSA record →
Recall campaign 19V035000

Fuel system

Report date

Jan 16, 2019

Component:

Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)

Consequence:

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase risk of a fire.

Remedy:

Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the left and right fuel rail, free of charge. The recall began February 28, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 24DP.

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

Showing 6 of 50 complaints · page 1 of 2

2026-03-29Unclassified NHTSA leftover

NHTSA ODI 11727798

CrashFireInjuryDeath

There is a recall out for “2016 Audi A6 vehicles” the recalls are “fuel system rail” as well as “coolant pump”. Both recalls are vin specific and what I find to be devastating is that both recall risk pertains to possible fire! I have the exact issues with my vehicle I even have the epc light coming on and the code is “fuel rail system” I also have an ongoing issue with my coolant system. I have documentation that I’ve paid out of pocket to take care of these issues, however being that there is no current open recalls under my vin number I do not believe mechanics know exactly what to do to fix the issues. The vehicle is misfiring, shutting off and the EPC code is stating “fuel system rail” along with the coolant leaking. I have a [XXX] daughter and to be such an expensive vehicle, I thought I would feel safe and valued. I’ve worked as a service BDC manager for years and at other dealerships when a situation like this would occur, we still wanted them to bring the vehicle into the dealership and if it was in fact relatable to the recall we would take care of it, regardless to it being “vin specific”. There is a such thing as “silent recall”. I really hope that you all can take this as an emergency case and help with such terrible situation. Thank you so much. I can be reached at [XXX] my name is [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2025-12-30Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)

NHTSA ODI 11707949

CrashFireInjuryDeath

I own a 2016 Audi A6 3.0T. After filling the fuel tank completely, the vehicle only traveled approximately 190–200 miles before the fuel gauge indicated empty. This represents a sudden and significant loss of fuel range compared to normal operation. There are no warning lights, check engine lights, fuel smells, visible leaks, rough idle, or abnormal noises. The vehicle operates normally otherwise. The issue appears to involve excessive fuel consumption or incorrect fuel management without any driver warning. This condition poses a potential safety risk because the vehicle may unexpectedly run out of fuel while driving, which could result in loss of power in traffic or on highways, increasing the risk of an accident. The issue has been observed repeatedly after refueling. At the time of this report, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by a dealer or independent repair facility, but diagnostic evaluation is planned. Based on owner research and symptoms, the issue may be related to a fuel system, engine management, or emissions-related component malfunction that does not trigger a warning indicator. No prior warning messages or lamps were displayed before or during the occurrence.

2025-09-10Engine (ENGINE)

NHTSA ODI 11686225

CrashFireInjuryDeath

The water pump on my 2016 Audi A6 has failed multiple times prematurely. The first water pump failed at 36,965 miles in May 2019. That repair was covered under an extended warranty I purchased. The second water pump failed around 83,000 miles in September 2025, and Audi is now quoting me $2,350 out of pocket to replace it. I am now facing a third water pump replacement, which is far earlier than expected for this type of component. These repeated failures create a significant safety concern, as sudden coolant loss can cause the engine to overheat, potentially leading to engine failure or loss of power while driving. Each problem has been diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized Audi service center. The vehicle was inspected by Audi technicians, and repairs were recommended both times. The repeated failure of this critical component strongly suggests a systemic defect with the water pump design on this model. Despite a recent Audi water pump settlement, my vehicle was excluded, even though it has now experienced two failures and is requiring a third replacement.

2025-03-25Airbags (AIR BAGS)

NHTSA ODI 11650550

CrashFireInjuryDeath

This vehicle had a claim for water pump replacement and the 3.0 model has a recall for the turbo charger. This vehicle is experiencing the same issues and went from 70 mph to 0 and stalled on the freeway. Thankfully the semi and other vehicles were able to avoid me or my family would be reaching out instead of me. Currently the vehicle is parked in my garage because it is unsafe to drive. Can you please advise Audi to take responsibility and offer the same recalls on the 2.0 vehicles for the water pump and turbo charger because they have the same internal parts as the 3.0 vehicles that failed and these parts were covered.

2024-11-18Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)

NHTSA ODI 11625896

CrashFireInjuryDeath

Engine area of car caught fire with ignition off

2024-05-02Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)

NHTSA ODI 11586615

CrashFireInjuryDeath

The contact owns a 2016 Audi A6. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle suddenly experienced a loss of motive power and stalled. During the failure, the message Electric Power Control "EPC" was displayed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the electric wiring harness located in the engine compartment had failed due to moisture intrusion and the harness along with an internal computer needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 49,000.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 Audi A6?

Owners named Engine most often — 11 of 50 reports (22%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2016 Audi A6?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Electrical, and 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 2016 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

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