Most common 2012 Audi A6 problems
Share of the 60 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 →
2012 Audi A6 recalls (8)
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S6 and S7, 2012-2018 A7 and A6 Sedan, and 2014-2018 RS7 vehicles equipped with basic seats (with or without heating).
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a PODS system repair kit, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sedan and Audi Q5 vehicles, 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles and 2013-2016 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad vehicles.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the pumps, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number's for this recall is 19N3/19N4.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Audi A6 and A7 vehicles. The fuel line has a compression point that can weaken, potentially resulting in a fuel leak.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-888-237-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AR.
Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 vehicles, 2013-2016 Audi Allroad and Audi A4 vehicles and 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the software so that the power supply to the coolant pump is deactivated if the pump becomes blocked with debris, free of charge.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Audi A6 and Audi A7 vehicles. The affected vehicles have a fuel hose in the engine compartment that may degrade and leak fuel.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the under hood fuel pump and fuel hose, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Audi A6 vehicles manufactured March 28, 2011, to March 25, 2013, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles manufactured January 25, 2011, to March 19, 2013.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will install a PODS system repair kit, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Show 2 more recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system › Fuel rail
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles. In the affected vehicles the fuel injection system may experience a fuel leak.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails and corresponding seals, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015.
Air bags › Side/window
Volkswagen is recalling certain model 2012 Audi a6 vehicles manufactured from April 8, 2011, through May 26, 2011. Due to a problem in the stitching process of the curtain air bag, the seam of the air bag May not be stitched properly.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify all owners and dealers will replace the left and/or right curtain air bag free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during January 2012.
What 2012 Audi A6 owners say
Engine & cooling
Greeting, I drove my car for a minor body repair and paint job at Midland Park Auto Body located at 158 Godwin Ave, Midland Park, NJ 07432 on March 22 2022. There were no signs on the dashboard for any services or repair when I dropped of the car. Warren the owner called me to let me know that the paint job was completed by had some bad news for me. The car would not start. He thought it was the starter that had malfunctioned. We decided to have the car inspected by Jack Daniels Audi of Paramus Service Center located at 16-01 McBride Ave, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. I have had this car serviced there since I bought the car from them. James a senior technician called Warren and told him that the engine was shot. He was surprised and shocked that the engine ceased working. The was enough oil in the engine, car had been serviced regularly with them. …
Ran OBD reader myself and at mechanic and found the following; p0456 EVAP emission control system (very small leak) | leak detected and p190f00 coolant pump for charge pressure cooler | electrical malfunction in load circuit. Mechanic informed that the vehicle needs a software update regarding the p0456 code as no leak was found. Also that only Audi performs this update. Regarding the p190f00 code informed me that there are several recalls regarding this issue as it has been causing some severe symptoms such as engine shaking, loss of power, squealing, whining noise near or at timing belt area at start up, delayed reaction at acceleration ( takes a while to reach desired speeds), temp gauge lowering despite warm up, warming of vehicle taking longer, unable to drive over 30-40mph and RPM won't go above 2000-2500 rpms. Acceleration is not as responsive as it should be.
Air bags
The contact owns a 2012 Audi A6. The contact stated that while there was a passenger seated inside the vehicle, the passenger's side air bag warning light turned on and off, and the main air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V370000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and stated that the parts were not available. 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 failure mileage was 154,000.
My 2012 Audi A6 was part of safety recall 74d1. Received the recall notice and immediately scheduled, with the dealership, to bring the car in for the necessary work. The service was performed on 02/16/16. When the vehicle was returned, the passenger occupant detection system began exhibiting the problem described in the recall notice. Prior to the recall the passenger airbag system had been working properly. The dealer and and the Audi technical field manager have worked on the vehicle but cannot get it to recognize when my wife is seated in the passenger seat. The current official position of Audi is that the system is operating to manufacturer's specification and no further action will be taken. I disagree with the conclusion since the passenger occupant detection system works fine of other Audi A6 vehicles without heated and cooled seats. …
Electrical system
This needs to be heavily looked into. I see countless reports online and on NHTSA about "coolant" leaking onto components/wiring. Whatever it is, is definitely frying the electrical system. My info screen will state: "Transmission Malfunction: You can continue driving" and it'll go away a minute later, them beep again with the same message- then beep again- then go away- then come back again. etc etc etc. I recently a year or so ago got some coolant leak that was dripping on transmission wires below. I've seen this complaint too many times. Audi needs to investigate this issue and if this is a countless issue we need to be issued a proper TSB / recall. …
On my car, there is an internal transmission coolant value that is part of the cooling system and obviously, that component also helps keep the transmission temperature in check. The issue with this defective part is the valve malfunctions causing coolant to penetrate the transmission control module and from there into the wiring harness. When this happens, it is a catastrophic malfunction of those components and a potential fire hazard. Water and electrical do not mix well. Pictures are attached. The root of my issue is that there is no way to detect that there is a problem with the automobile until this major malfunction happens. If that were not the case, the consumer could at least have the chance to have the car serviced preventing this huge expense and potential fire hazard. I have an email from the service manager admitting this is the case. In my case. The car ran fine. …
2012 Audi A6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | CVT | FWD | 25 / 33 / 28 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Audi A6 a good car?
Based on 60 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 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 2012 Audi A6?
The engine & cooling — 15 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the air bags (15) and electrical system (13).
How many recalls does the 2012 Audi A6 have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2012 Audi A6, the most recent from June 4, 2018 (occupant classification). 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 2012 Audi A6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 72,000 miles; 28% 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.