Most common 2003 Audi A6 problems
Share of the 66 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 →
2003 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
Show 1 more recall
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the air bags. Owner notification began November 18, 2002. Owners should contact Audi at 1-800-822-2834.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2003 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…
What 2003 Audi A6 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 21 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Audi A6. The contact stated that the service engine warning light illuminated. The contact mentioned a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who reset the codes but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer who indicated that the engine mount needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. In addition, the contact stated while driving 60 MPH, smoke started to emit from the engine complartment. The contact mentioned that the fire had consumed and burned through the hood around to the front drivers side of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and the fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was filed. No injuries had been sustained. …
Check engine light on, vehicle will not pass emissions testing. Audi determined that it was due to a fuel leak from a crack in the passenger side rear rollover valve. Vehicle had been recalled in past for similar issue (performed). Tank has 4 rollover valves, only one (front driver) included in prior recall. Initial quoted $3,300 to replace tank. Audi offered to pay for replacement tank with the exception of ~$600 (repair order attached). Repair completed on 2/23/2017, car passes state inspection. As you can see by the "staining" in the attached photo, the leak was significant dealer then calls to say that car needs to be returned to perform prior recall on the newly installed tank. Recall to be performed on only the one rollover valve (driver front) that can be accessed with out removing fuel tank. Not the valve that was leaking and necessitated the replacement. …
Electrical system
2003 A6 quattro avant 3.0 car ran fine driving to work. When leaving at end of day, started car and it ran very rough I decided to reverse back into parking space and at that point noted smoke coming from under hood (car had run for approximately 20 seconds). Turned off engine, opened hood, and found the drivers side rear coil pack burning. Extinguished flame using a baseball cap to smother it out. Coil pack continued to smoke and reignite due to burning inside coil pack. Jammed screwdriver into pack to root out flame. Had car towed to Audi dealer - awaiting repair. There is an active recall campaign for bad coil packs (28f2 / j1) - recall states check engine light May come on and car will run rough, further recommends returing vehicle to dealer at that time. …
On May 3, 2013, I was driving on the expressway at approximately 10mph. Suddenly, I began smelling smoke. I thought the smoke was coming from nearby trucks. However, soon after, smoke was profusely coming through my glove compartment. I pulled over, turned the car off, and exited the car. About 5 minutes later, this vehicle engulfed in flames, beginning with the hood! The wind shield then shattered approximately 3 minutes later. By this time, the fire department arrived and battled the fire approximately 20 minutes. There was no previous sign that car service was necessary. Furthermore, according to the dealer and dmv, 3 months ago, there was a clean emissions at the time of purchase.
Transmission & drivetrain
Failure to accelerate. I experience major delays in any acceleration immediately after I have depressed the brake (at any speed) and then try to reaccelerate. I understand that this is a common complaint among all Audi tiptronic owners regardless of engine type. It is not, as Audi tries to say, "turbo lag." in almost every failure to date, I have almost been involved in an accident due to this problem. Had other drivers been less attentive, I most surely would have been struck. I am hesitant to pull out into any volume of traffic with this persistent problem.
Car shakes and shudders when coming to a stop. When trying to start from a stop, car hesitates before moving. Can roll backwards if car is on an uphill incline. Natural response is to depress gas pedal further. Transmission then engages and car lurches forward. Took car to dealer 3 times. First time transmission fluid topped off. Second time tranmission control unit software upgraded. 3rd time we were told that the problem cannot be fixed, even with transmission replacement.
2003 Audi A6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | CVT | FWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 4.2L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Audi A6 a good car?
Based on 66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 A6 rates use caution: 1.5× 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 2003 Audi A6?
The fuel & propulsion system — 21 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about delivery › fuel pump. Next are the electrical system (14) and transmission & drivetrain (10).
How many recalls does the 2003 Audi A6 have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2003 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 2003 Audi A6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 82,000 miles; 30% 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.