Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 11% | — |
| 2019 | 15 | 13% | 3,000 miles |
| 2018 | 1 | 9% | 8,000 miles |
| 2016 | 5 | 10% | 51,000 miles |
| 2015 | 1 | 5% | 0 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2013 | 2 | 4% | 78,000 miles |
| 2012 | 8 | 13% | 62,000 miles |
| 2011 | 1 | 5% | 2,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 5% | 0 miles |
| 2008 | 3 | 4% | 7,000 miles |
| 2007 | 3 | 6% | 40,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 4% | 63,000 miles |
| 2005 | 3 | 3% | 75,000 miles |
| 2004 | 1 | 3% | 4,000 miles |
| 2003 | 10 | 15% | 78,000 miles |
| 2002 | 10 | 11% | 56,000 miles |
| 2001 | 14 | 12% | 45,000 miles |
| 2000 | 8 | 5% | 52,000 miles |
| 1999 | 12 | 6% | 101,000 miles |
| 1998 | 2 | 2% | 87,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 1996 | 2 | 4% | 125,000 miles |
| 1995 | 1 | 6% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was slowing down to stop at a traffic light when a message was displayed on the instrument panel that says "Electrical System Malfunction" with a yellow battery icon. A few seconds later the same "Electrical System Malfunction" with a red battery icon. Then the vehicle came to a complete stop and was inoperable. There was almo smoke coming from the hood near the positive battery terminal. The smoke had an electrical smell to it. I had no opportunity to pull over and was stuck in the middle of a very busy road right at the stop line of the traffic light. My family and I had to exit the vehicle with traffic on both sides of us and get to the side of the road safely. There was no prior indication that there was a problem, this happened all within about 5-10 seconds and I had no time to try and pull over to safety. …
Multiple warnings indicating to contact dealer (Lane departure, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, etc) then 1 minute later transmission failure and engine failure imminent.... pull over immediately and contact dealer. I turned into a road off main highway within a minute of the last two warnings and as I turned, my center MMI went blank then my electronic dash went blank, transmission went into neutral and the engine died all within a few seconds. Fortunately I was able to coast to a stop in the parking lot. Flatbed towed to dealer who stated most likely the generator between the lithium battery bank and gas engine failed. They have seen several in this year for A6 and A7's with mild hybrid engines. I'm lucky to be in low volume traffic as there was no power to indicate to drivers around me that my engine quit and not even turn signals worked.
The contact owns a 2016 Audi A6. The contact stated the emergency lights were illuminated. The vehicle loss coolant and overheated. The stop immediately message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the engine coolant housing assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
This vehicle had a claim for water pump replacement and the 3.0 model has a recall for the turbo charger. This vehicle is experiencing the same issues and went from 70 mph to 0 and stalled on the freeway. Thankfully the semi and other vehicles were able to avoid me or my family would be reaching out instead of me. Currently the vehicle is parked in my garage because it is unsafe to drive. Can you please advise Audi to take responsibility and offer the same recalls on the 2.0 vehicles for the water pump and turbo charger because they have the same internal parts as the 3.0 vehicles that failed and these parts were covered.
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. …
I have 2008 Audi A6 CVT (8000 miles) with 2 major issues. One of them being carbon deposit build-up on intake valve causing engine malfunction light to come up. The problem with this is caused by direct fuel injection of their engine and is common with every fsi engine as I was told. No fix for this and they will be charging about 1500 to clean and fix the problem temporary when the warranty expires. Second issue is with multitronic CVT. This is also their design flaw where the transmission have difficulties engaging causing severe shudder and jerking during an acceleration from stop. I have difficulty controlling the throttle and if I step on the gas pedal harder, it will cause sudden acceleration and if I don't, the car will jerk back and forth and will not get decent acceleration, which is a major safety issue. …
To whom it May concern: we are a group of owners who bought the Audi allroad 2.7 quattro with the tiptronic transmission. We are writing to report a problem related to the tiptronic system. We have noticed significant hesitation when we launch the car from a stop. When the car is completely stopped, and the driver steps on the gas pedal, a lag of 1-3 seconds is observed. Within this time range, the car just idles as-is without moving forward. The same problem happens when the driver attempts to accelerate from 10-30. Using the s mode (if equipped) doesn't completely fix this problem. We consider this to be a safety hazard for both allroad drivers and other people on the road. A common scenario is that when a driver attempts to merge onto a main road, an intersection or freeway and anticipates smooth acceleration, nothing happens and the car is prone to being rear-ended or sandwiched. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Audi A6 years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (15), 2001 (14), 1999 (12), 2002 (10) and 2003 (10) model years. Transmission complaints make up 13% of all complaints for the 2019.
Is there a recall for Audi A6 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for any Audi A6 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Audi A6 transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles; 47% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (35 mentions), followed by the manual transmission (5).
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.