Most common 2006 Audi A6 problems
Share of the 67 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 →
2006 Audi A6 recalls (4)
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.
Structure › Body › Trunk lid
On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, the automatic rear lid includes an electric motor and clutch that work in conjunction with two gas struts to open and close the rear lid, including a manual close function.
Remedy: Dealers will install new software free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2007. Owners May contact Audi at 1-800-822-2834.
What 2006 Audi A6 owners say
Air bags all 40 →
The contact owns a 2006 Audi A6. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V427000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Takata recall the problem with the Takata airbags has been absolutely confirmed for years and this is the first notice from Audi in the time we have owned the car (over one year). How is it that they can casually suggest that, "Audi recommends avoiding use of the front passenger seat whenever possible until the the recall repair has been performed.", and state that the use May result, "in serious injury or death to vehicle occupants.", without offering an immediate remedy. Though ten years old, this is our family car and there is no other remedy offered than to stop driving it?? The government has facilitated an agreement regarding emissions with vw/Audi and yet you have done nothing in this case to prevent possible death. When can we expect this recall to be implemented? It has been a long time already and yet they offer no time line to a safe usable vehicle. …
Electrical system
At 150K miles, experienced no crank, no start. Tow to dealer, and I had already done some triage. They did 2 hrs of troubleshooting problems that were not even related, so I took the car back. Found a trust worthy mechanic and his diag suggested the scm burned out taking the PCM and ECM along with it. The cost would have been in the $6000 range as he stated a %40 failure rate after 150K in alldata. He also said, if I repair it, I need to replace the steering column as well because I will just have issues down the road if I dont. The car also had a slow oil leak. The place where I bought the car said the repair is not worth the cost, so that factored into my decision not to invest in repairs. The oil leak was slow and I never had to top off the oil, but it was significant enough to know it was an issue. That leak was present after 80K miles. …
Dt*: the contact stated that while driving 50 MPH the vehicle burst into flames. Months prior to the fire the vehicle was taken to the dealer 01/27/2005 for recall remedy repairs, #04V133000. During the incident the contact's knee push against the knee bolster located under the dashboard, which made contact with the headlight switch wiring harness, and an electrical short occurred and resulted in a fire. Updated 8/14/2006 -
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owns 2006 Audi A6. The contact stated that she was unable to start the vehicle intermittently without a jump start. The contact stated that the vehicle remained on when the key was removed from the ignition switch. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.
I have a 2006 Audi A6 with VIN number [VIN]. On September 21st when I was driving the vehicle in my office parking lot, the transmission dropped dead when vehicle was in motion and I was unable to move the car. I stopped the ignition and restarted the car and it came back. I had the same issue on September 26th, after pulling off my driveway and after I was exiting my home the car died again luckily I was on local road and this time after starting the car, I started getting check engine light. I contacted Audi dealer and was able to get appointment on October 3rd. The dealer informed me that my car had engine oil sludge issue and they had to clean the engine and it would take at least a week before they could give me the car back. …
2006 Audi A6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1L 6-cyl | CVT | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.1L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
| 4.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 21 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Audi A6 a good car?
Based on 67 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 A6 rates average: 36% fewer complaints than 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 2006 Audi A6?
The air bags — 40 complaints, 60% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the electrical system (13) and engine & cooling (6).
How many recalls does the 2006 Audi A6 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2006 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 2006 Audi A6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 27% 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.