Most common 2001 Audi A6 problems
Share of the 113 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Audi A6 complaints by model year
Best A6 years: 2022, 2018, 2011. Years to avoid: 2019, 2012, 2016, 1999, 1998. Compare all years →
2001 Audi A6 recalls (7)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
Tires
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.7l engines fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." the calculated "vehicle normal load" exceeds the allowable weight of the axle load with tire dimension 225/45r 17 91y by 19kg.
Remedy: Dealers will replace all five tires. Owner notification began on September 19, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles (allroad). When activating the windshield wiper under heavy load conditions such as freezing, snow or heavy rain, one wiper could be delayed behind the other wiper.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the entire driver side wiper arm. Owner notification began June 22, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy…
Show 1 more recall
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Sulfur in fuel interacts with certain additives found in widely available gasoline causing sulfur to become deposited on the contact points of three fuel sending units mounted inside the fuel tank.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the existing fuel level sending units and replace them with fuel level sending units using a new alloy composed of gold, silver, and a small amount of nickel, which will not chemically react with…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2001 Audi A6:
Fuel tank leak
Volkswagen (vw) is recalling certain vw passat 4motion and Audi a6 quattro and allroad quattro all-wheel drive passenger cars.vw vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from November 22, 2000 through May 31, 2005 and Audi vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from June 2, 2001 to June 1, 2005.the NHTSA recall number for the vw vehicles is 08v-156 (vw also is correcting defects related to heat shield and…
Brake and clutch pedal bracket
What 2001 Audi A6 owners say
Engine & cooling all 20 →
The consumer was going about 50 MPH when she was involved in an accident. Vehicle a pulled in front of vehicle b and stopped short, forcing vehicle b to rear end vehicle a. In the process, the air bags failed to deploy. Owner contacted the manufacturer and was told that the vehicle was not hit at the right angle to activate the air bags. The emergency lights flashed intermittently and the next day the vehicle would not start, the power unit beneath the floor board was soaking wet and had shorted out, the console under the gear shift was so hot that it could not be touched, there was an oil leak.
Dt: the consumer's car caught on fire. Prior to the fire there was an electrical system recall (04v1233000) which could result in a fire, this recall was complete prior to the fire. While driving the car it started to smoke heavily and smoke came through the vents. The consumer saw fire in the vents on the drivers side. The consumer pulled of the road and stopped the car and call 911. There were no warning lights or prior warning to this fire. Insurance company is investigating and do not have the report. Coolant bottle leaked, third brake light bulb blew out.
Fuel & propulsion system
My Audi A6 is experiencing symptoms of a documented and open recall at Audi, and Audi USA and the dealer are refusing to even evaluate the vehicle for recall status. The recall is a rollover valve nipple, with age and stress cracking can develop on the plastic fuel tank, causing a leak to occur. My car is experiencing just such a symptom, and has been confirmed by two independent mechanics.
Gas leaking on the floor of garage from roll-over nipple. The dealer refused to apply recall (not covered VIN) for this issue. The vehicle was repaired with Audi parts as listed in dot recall documents. The repair failed in April 2015. The 3m material used in the repair had deteriorated.
Air bags
I was driving about 67 on the open highway and was struck from behind by another vehicle. I lost control of my car and careened into a guard rail. I went unconscious and when I woke I was badly injured. All the air bags in car had deployed except for the driver's airbag. As a consequence, I sustained severe damages to my ribs and neck. I am lucky to be alive.
The consumer was going about 50 MPH when she was involved in an accident. Vehicle a pulled in front of vehicle b and stopped short, forcing vehicle b to rear end vehicle a. In the process, the air bags failed to deploy. Owner contacted the manufacturer and was told that the vehicle was not hit at the right angle to activate the air bags. The emergency lights flashed intermittently and the next day the vehicle would not start, the power unit beneath the floor board was soaking wet and had shorted out, the console under the gear shift was so hot that it could not be touched, there was an oil leak.
2001 Audi A6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 2.8L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
| 4.2L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Audi A6 a good car?
Based on 113 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 A6 rates avoid: 2.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the A6 at the same age. It is one of the A6 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Audi A6?
The engine & cooling — 20 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (19) and air bags (15).
How many recalls does the 2001 Audi A6 have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2001 Audi A6, the most recent from May 3, 2011 (tank assembly). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Audi A6?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2022, 2018 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 2012, 2016, 1999 and 1998. See the full Audi A6 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Audi A6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 78,000 miles; 31% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.