Most common 2010 Audi A6 problems
Share of the 17 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 →
2010 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 2010-2011 Audi A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles, ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio,…
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Audi mailed an interim owner notification March 02, 2018.
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.
What 2010 Audi A6 owners say
Air bags
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Audi A6. While driving 20 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver's seat belt unlatched independently. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed from the scene. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 75,000.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Audi A6. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V382000 (air bags) for the passenger frontal air bag inflator; however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. In addition, the contact stated that the air bag warning indicator was illuminated. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The local dealer (Audi north orlando located at 139 n oregon st, stanford, florida 32771) continued to inform the contact that they would have parts available the next month and that they were on a wait list; however, the air bags received were for newer vehicles. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Audi A6. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle overheated and steam appeared under the passenger side of the hood. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the coolant system needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither a dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.
2010 Audi A6 experienced massive sudden loss of engine coolant. Result was need to immediately stop car and shut down engine. Loss of coolant resulted in hot liquid spraying out of engine and reducing visibility. Required tow truck to get car to dealer for replacement of defective water pump. According to service manager who directed repairs, the original water pump had a plastic housing and these housings have been failing on many 2009-2010 Audi cars. New water pump part has been changed to metal pump housing (reportedly).
Seat belts
Blinking drivers side headlight. Audi has technical service bulletin and will not repair for free !! Tere reasoning is is that I have over 100 k miles. I reported this to them when I had 62 k miles and they said it never blinked when they tested it (not true) this is a major safety hazard at night and they want to charge me over $1,000 dollars to fix....this should be a recall as it is a safety issue!!!in fact Audi corporate is aware and are picking and choosing who gets the repair for free!
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Audi A6. While driving 20 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver's seat belt unlatched independently. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed from the scene. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 75,000.
2010 Audi A6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6-cyl | CVT | FWD | 18 / 28 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 4.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2010 Audi A6 a good car?
Based on 17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 A6 rates better than average: 49% 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 2010 Audi A6?
The air bags — 11 complaints, 65% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (3) and seat belts (3).
How many recalls does the 2010 Audi A6 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2010 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 2010 Audi A6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 44% 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.