Most common 2005 Audi A6 problems
Share of the 91 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 →
2005 Audi A6 recalls (3)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles.
Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag with an alternate remedy part, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,…
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2011 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands…
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2005 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 2005 Audi A6 owners say
Air bags all 43 →
Takata recall: Audi sent recall notice July 2016 for passenger side airbag, said do not use passenger seat, said replacement parts not availsable. Also said my vehicle at highest risk since purchased and garaged in miami, florida, high heat and humidity. Six months later, January 2017, still no replacement parts available. Unable to sell vehicle until defective airbag replaced. Audi can not provide any estimate for when replacement parts will be available. What can NHTSA do to require Audi to make immediate replacement?
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 Audi A6. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V385000 (air bags); however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 148,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Electrical system
Very common problem - "ignition module defective" code at 190,000 miles. Temporary repair of the issue with DTC reset. Full logging of car data via OBD-ii port reveals zero faults while car is running, and diagnostic traffic on the can bus at startup show zero faults. Once key is inserted in dash and turned to "accessory", module faults out without any traffic sent/received. Happens intermittently and dealership states this is a known problem. Dealership-only repair, per multiple Audi service technicians, Audi of America refuses to comply with massachusetts right to repair law by making available to independent repair shops, the necessary tools and equipment to access the immobilizer hardware. Dealer estimates/quotes range from $2100-$3700 to replace entire steering column with the attached and separable ignition module (accessible via 2 screws and 1 rivet). …
My car was running perfectly, next time I went to drive it, it wouldn't start. The wheels and shifter are locked up .the lights and bells work, but it turns out that the module that recognizes the key has failed. I have been on just about every Audi forum to investigate this, and this is an incredibly common complaint. The part that is broke cannot be fixed, rather the entire steering column has to be replaced at a cost of at least $2000, in some cases over $3000. This is an obvious design defect and Audi needs to be held responsible. Paying thousands of dollars for a module that fails to recognize a key is beyond ridiculous. There were no warning lights whatsoever to indicate that this part was failing. Luckily it is currently stuck in my driveway. It could have left me stranded anywhere.
Brakes
On our 2005 Audi A6 we purchased certified pre-owned (cpo) we are the second owners of the vehicle. When we purchased this A6 it had only 30,330 miles. When we got to around 90K+ miles is when we started to have some issues with the cars braking system. We took it to Audi which is the only place we have had it serviced and where we purchased the vehicle. They said there was a problem with the brake module causing the blinking brake light and the ABS light to come on along with a loud beeping from time to time. They thought it could also be low on brake fluid and capped it off. The problem went away for a while but then came back along with the check engine light. This time it was said we have a fault ECU module. We had this service done which costs $2,200.usd but this was just to repair the check engine light but not the brake module. …
Audi 2005 A6 started to have intermittent warning for ABS, stability, hand brake at ~55K miles. Took car to dealer to diagnose it . Dealer called with an estimate of $2800 to replace ABS module. He also provided an estimate of $1100 for another error code for airbag to replace the center rear seat belt. I'm not understanding why these warning codes come so randomly and clear so randomly. Not sure why an Audi A6 will need such repairs that clearly point to flaws in design and unreliable parts after only 55K miles. There are tons for online complaints from Audi drivers that use the Bosch 8.0 ABS module. Audi should either recall this part or offer to pay for the repairs. When I complained to Audi USA, basically they asked if I was first owner and if I take it to dealer for maintenance. The answers for both is no. I'm the 2nd driver. …
2005 Audi A6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Audi A6 a good car?
Based on 91 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 A6 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the A6 at the same age. 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 2005 Audi A6?
The air bags — 43 complaints, 47% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (16) and brakes (10).
How many recalls does the 2005 Audi A6 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2005 Audi A6, the most recent from June 22, 2018 (inflator module). 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 2005 Audi A6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 90,000 miles; 23% 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.