Your vehicle report
2003 Audi A6
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 66
- Received Jul 2003 to Mar 2021
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline7 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle catches fire from wiring5 complaints · 7.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates4 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #11V267000Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 audi A6, model year 2002-2003 S6 and model year 2003 RS6 vehicles equipped with 4.2L engines and manufactured from june 19, 2001, through june 8, 2004. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
- Recall #08V157000Volkswagen is recalling 68,240 my 2001-2004 audi A6 quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7L, 2.8L, or 3.0L engines and my 2001-2005 allroad quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7L or 4.2L engines. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 1 crash, 5 fires, 1 person injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 8 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 7 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 5 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | 9 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 4 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 66 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 7 | 11% | – | NHTSA recall #11V267000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 7.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 6.1% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 4 | 6.1% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 3 | 4.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 4.5% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 4.5% | – | NHTSA recall #06V017000, #07V375000 |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 4.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #11V267000May 3, 20115,992 vehicles affected
fuel system, other: storage: tank assembly
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 Audi A6, model year 2002-2003 S6 and model year 2003 RS6 vehicles equipped with 4.2L engines and manufactured from june 19, 2001, through june 8, 2004. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
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.
NHTSA recall #08V157000April 8, 200868,240 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
Volkswagen is recalling 68,240 my 2001-2004 Audi A6 quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7L, 2.8L, or 3.0L engines and my 2001-2005 allroad quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7L or 4.2L engines. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
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.
NHTSA recall #07V375000August 28, 200734,358 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
On certain vehicles equipped with 1.8L turbo, 2.8L V6, or 3.0L engines, a change in the electrical motor components in the fuel pump Can lead to an inoperative fuel pump and, ultimately, stoppage of fuel supply to the engine causing it to stall.
If fuel flow to the engine is interrupted, the vehicle could stall without warning and thus present a potential risk of crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install new fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on september 28, 20007. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-222-8987 or Audi at 1-800-822-2834. This recall is a supplement to a previous campaign (please see 06V017).
NHTSA recall #06V198000June 5, 200670,512 vehicles affected
electrical system
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with halogen low beam headlights, certain connector pins in the headlight switch connector come into contact with each other causing a short circuit. Note: vehicles with xenon low beam headlights are not affected because the circuit in these vehicles contains a fuse, which precludes excessive current flow in the case of a short circuit. Audi S6 and S6 avant vehicles are all equipped with xenon low beam headlights and, therefore, are not longer affected by this recall.
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.
NHTSA recall #06V017000January 23, 200674,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
On certain vehicles produced from september 2002 - march 2003, equipped with 1.8L turbo, 2.8L V6, or 3.0L engines, a change in the electrical motor components in the fuel pump Can lead to an inoperative fuel pump and, ultimately, stoppage of fuel supply to the engine causing it to stall.
If fuel flow to the engine is interrupted, the vehicle could stall without warning and thus present a potential risk of crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install new fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on april 10, 2006. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-222-8987 or Audi at 1-800-822-2834.
NHTSA recall #04V133000March 18, 2004172,866 vehicles affected
electrical system
On certain passenger vehicles, if a driver's knees push against the knee bolster (crash element) located under the dashboard, it Can contact the headlight switch wiring harness, and an electrical short could occur.
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.
NHTSA recall #02V275000October 9, 2002170 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3-SPOKE sport steering wheels, it is possible that the igniter for the driver's side air bag may not have been properly assembled.
An improperly positioned igniter will not activate the air bag in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the air bags. Owner notification began november 18, 2002. Owners should contact Audi at 1-800-822-2834.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Audi A6.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN