Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Audi A6 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While traveling home on the atlantic city expressway, my wife and I noticed a peculiar smell coming from the vents. As the odor got stronger, we decided to pull over and check underneath the hood. When I looked underneath the hood, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. A few seconds later, I heard my wife exiting the vehicle because the cabin began to fill with smoke. Upon closer review, I saw a small flame inside the driver s side vent. We worked frantically to put the small flame out however, we had no idea that the flame was much more intense than what was visible. Seconds later, the entire dash was completely on fire. Due to traffic conditions, it took the fire department 22 minutes to reach the fire consequently; the vehicle was completely demolished by the time they arrived. …
December 13, 2007 Audi of rochester hills 45441 dequindre road rochester hills, michigan 48307 attention: service manager subject: safety concern 1999 Audi A6 avant to whom it May concern: this evening, shortly after turning on the seat heater (which automatically turns on the steering wheel heater) I noticed a strong odor (burning plastic) & smoke being emitted from the steering wheel. The smoke was coming from behind the horn/airbag module. I turned off the seat heater, but that did not stop the steering wheel from continuing to heat-up and emit smoke. I had to roll down the windows and open the sunroof (very enjoyable in 30 degree temperature!) in order to be able to ventilate the cabin & be able to drive the vehicle home. After arriving home, I located the fuse related to the steering wheel heater and removed it so that I could drive the vehicle to your shop. …
Takata recall I've had to replace a wheel bearing and axel 2x @ $550 each time. Car wouldn't align right, so I replaced the tires several times due to the wearing on one side. The calipers won't come off when changing the brakes and rotors. The automatic windows would randomly roll down sometimes after it would rain, and wouldn't roll back up for several days. I fixed the turn signal and cruise control, but the problems with those returned after a couple weeks, and while I was driving the under cover/protector plastic broke off all over the road because the Audi dealership apparently forgot to put it back on properly. This possibly allowed for the oil pan to hit the ground and crack, which a suspension problem was clearly part of that problem too. I took it in to see about a crack in the oil pan. …
I parked and shut off my car to go in a store leaving a friend in there to wait. I was in the store for 2 mins and my friend came in and said there was smoke coming from the vents, an abundance of smoke. I went outside to see and witnessed what was happening and proceeded to open the hood of the car to see if the engine was causing the smoke. I opened the hood to realize that the smoke in fact was not coming from the engine. I walked back around to the driver side door and saw flames coming from the vent and a man walked up to say get away. Immediately I called 911 and tried to explain as I was hysterically crying. I went back into the store, which was rite aid and they proceeded to move any persons to the back of the store. The car continued to engulf in flames and continued to burn. The fire department finally showed up. There was a car parked next to me and was also damaged.
While driving my Audi A6 avant quattro, smoke began coming out of the drivers side dash vent. I stopped the car as soon as I safely could and called 911, as soon as I was out of the vehicle the smoke became worse and flames began rolling out of the dash area. The fire was extinguished almost immediately with a fire extinguisher which a nearby resident luckily had handy. By viewing this fire at close range I am certain that the vehicle would have been completely engulfed within minutes. The fire department used a heat sensing tool to determine that the source of the fire or hotspot was very near the fuse box behind the headlight switch. They cut the dash apart to be sure the fire was completely out. I had no warning of this malfunction and am just thankful that I was able to get away from the vehicle as quickly as I did.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Audi A6. While driving 65 MPH, the contact smelled a toxic odor from the driver's side of the vehicle. He noticed green smoke coming from the vents and pulled the vehicle over. The smoke from all four of the vents turned into flames. The contact exited the vehicle and the fire department was called and filed a report. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and the vehicle was inspected to determine the cause of the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact sustained minor injuries and had to go to the hospital. The failure and current mileages were 9,000.
As the car was driving normal, light smoke began coming out of the air vents. Nothing was on, such as the ac or the heater. There were no signals or any alarms lit on the dashboard. In terms of minutes, without any warning, the light smoke turned into pitch black smoke, immediately turning into flames. In a matter of a minute, there was an explosion that completely destroyed the entire interior as well as the exterior of the vehicle. However, the vehicle was left with no visible fire damage to the engine or front end.
While driving my 1999 Audi A6 on the expressway with my 3 year old son in his booster seat, the driver side of the dashboard starts to smoke . Then in less than a minute flames were coming out, by the time I was able to pull over, my dashboard was completely on fire,while taking my son out the airbag blew, scaring him even more, and not to mention all the toxic fumes we inhaled. The insurance tells me the car is a total loss, and if that airbag was activated while I was still driving, it could have been fatal.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Audi A6. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, smoke and flames began to enter the vehicle through the air vents. The contact moved the vehicle over and extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. The contact stated that the passenger sustained burns to the fingers. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for inspection and the cause of the fire was unknown. There was not a police or fire report filed. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 96,000.
I own a 1999 Audi a-6 sedan. Today it had a fire in the dashboard near the driver's side. Fortunately it occurred while it was at home where I had access to fir extinguishers and tools to disconnect the battery. It took 3 extinguishers to put out the blaze. Just moments earlier, my wife and 5 year old son returned home from church complaining of a toxic smell in the car! We were very fortunate the situation was not worse!
Related recalls
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.
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.
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.
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…
NHTSA investigations
Driver's side dash fire
Volkswagen of America, inc. (voa) conducted a safety recall (NHTSA recall number 04V133) to add a plastic cover to the top section of the knee bolster crossmember to prevent contact with the headlight switch wiring harness.the scope of the original recall covered model years 1998 through 2004 with vehicle production dates of August 1997 through December 2004.the office of defects investigation has received nine…
Drivers side dashboard fire
Of the 22 total complaints, 11 were received for the 1999 model year and 11 for the 2000 model year. Audi is conducting testing to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
Drivers side dash fire
The subject vehicles are equipped with a knee bolster located under the dash, near the drivers knees.a wiring harness is also located in the dash, in that same area.Audi's analysis of 39 vehicles indicated that the knee bolster was rubbing against that wiring harness.over time the harness sheathing wears away and the wires come into contact with the metal knee bolster, resulting in a fire.
Electrical complaints in other A6 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1999 Audi A6?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the electrical system of the 1999 Audi A6, 17% of the model year's 217 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Audi A6 electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 06V-198 (electrical system, Jun 5, 2006); NHTSA recall 04V-133 (electrical system, Mar 18, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Audi A6 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 91,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 19 fires and 7 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.