Most common 2011 Audi A6 problems
Share of the 21 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 →
2011 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 2011 Audi A6 owners say
Air bags
Tl* the contact owned a 2011 Audi A6. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, when he crashed (t-boned) another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact sustained injuries on his 2 lower disc and required surgery and also had back surgery. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The insurance adjuster deemed the vehicle was loss. The contact called local dealer Audi tacoma located at 1701-b alexander ave e, fife, wa 98424, [phone] and was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of failure. The VIN was associated to NHTSA campaign number: 18V427000 (air bags). The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
Takata recall- I was first informed of this recall in March even though the recall for my car started in January. Since, I have received no notification from Audi of the status of repair. Given the direction of Audi, we are not able to use the front passenger seat which makes the car unable to accommodate the specified passengers and the value of the car has plunged. In addition, I have been unable to sell my car given the above. How can I sell a car that has the potential of "metal fragments could pass through the airbag material,which May result in serious injury or death to vehicle occupants." now that I reread the recall notice, I realize that the recall suggests multiple people could die which means others in the car are at risk. There needs to be compensation for the loss of use, loss of value and inability to sell this car.
Electrical system
The car throw a EPC warning light which cause the car to go n limp mode. With doing research ot has to do with the transmission. This cause the car to drive sluggish unable to reverse at times unable to take the car out of park at times. It also cause the car to randomly shut off when reversing or at times when im sitting at a light n i begin to drive the car can randomly shut off at times. Which in my open is unsafe because what if the the person behind me isnt payimg attention and i get rear ended. Ive reached out to Audi dearlership is was told a part was discontiued and to bring it in for them to further diagnostic it. Ive had the codes read and im getting the symptoms of the code i pulled but told that part was discontiued. So i feel like if thats the case Audi should have did a recall on the car.
2011 Audi A6 seems to be overlooked compared to the rest of the Audi's yet the Audi has so many different issues such as timing chain such as water pump, such as brake issues, such as rack pinion yet there hasn't been anyone investigating this in particular make a model it needs to be done for safety reasons. Additionally, I was never contacted for the airbags cars registered DMV and nobody has bothered to inform me of the New airbag issues. What other issues are there brought to one's attention?
Seats
Rear seatbacks (rigid plastic) is open at the top on passenger and driver side seats. This is an Audi design defect and safety concern to rear seat passengers in an accident. Velcro adhesive does not work. The connectors at the top were either missing or not installed correctly.
Passenger and driver seats are falling apart. The seats are paneled and separating seen by rear seat passengers ....the seats are a defect and safety concern for all passengers. The mechanisms of the heated seats are exposed and the only thing holding the seat together is an adhesive that's not sticking or even sticky. Seats back panels are leaning on passenger while driving.
2011 Audi A6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6-cyl | CVT | FWD | 21 / 30 / 24 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 4.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Audi A6 a good car?
Based on 21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 A6 rates better than average: 47% fewer complaints than a typical year of the A6 at the same age. It is one of the best A6 years by this measure. 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 2011 Audi A6?
The air bags — 12 complaints, 57% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (3) and seats (3).
How many recalls does the 2011 Audi A6 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2011 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 2011 Audi A6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 57,000 miles; 43% 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.