Most common 2003 Audi RS6 problems
Share of the 43 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Audi RS6 complaints by model year
2003 Audi RS6 recalls (2)
Fuel system, other › Storage › Tank assembly
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 Audi a6, model year 2002-2003 s6 and model year 2003 rs6 vehicles equipped with 4.2l engines and manufactured from June 19, 2001, through June 8, 2004.
Remedy: Dealers will reinforce the nipple on the rollover valve to prevent leakage or repair the cracking at the nipple. The recall is expected to begin during June 2011. Owners May contact Audi at 1-800-822-2834.
Electrical system
On certain passenger vehicles, if a driver's knees push against the knee bolster (crash element) located under the dashboard, it can contact the headlight switch wiring harness, and an electrical short could occur.
Remedy: Dealers will install a protective covering on the knee bolster (crash element). In addition, the wiring harness as well as the felt protector on the left side of the dashboard carrier will be checked, and replaced if…
What 2003 Audi RS6 owners say
Suspension all 31 →
I was driving the vehicle for a family vacation to nashville tn from milwaukee, and I started to notice that the rear suspension was very bouncy. I thought it May have been due to the extra weight of the luggage in the trunk, but as the vacation went on, the bounce got worse. By the time we were headed back to milwaukee, the bounce was so bad, that the car would lose control while going over rough highway. We took the car into the dealership for repairs, and were told that the suspension system had a leak in one of the rear shocks. However, because of the way that the system is designed, all four of the shocks have to be replaced in order to balance the pressure in each absorber. My car was out of service for 2 weeks, and the first time it was repaired, the mechanic stated that he did not have any training on how to fix the system. …
My 2003 Audi RS6 has suffered its 5th drc failure in 4 years as front shock absorbers once again leaked fluid out resulting in dangerously improper handling. If I hadn't known what was happening it could cause one to think that the race tuned suspension was working and that aggressive driving in this 450 horsepower car could have resulted in a fatal accident. Audi continues to charge its customers thousands of dollars to replace this faulty system with more faulty parts as they refuse to redesign the system and opt for instead putting more faulty parts on the car which they full well know will fail again. Please help us force Audi to make this right before someone loses their life as a result. It May have already happened but nobody has connected it yet. …
Fuel & propulsion system
The contact owns a 2003 Audi RS6. The contact stated that after adding fuel to the vehicle, he noticed that fuel had leaked, and there was a puddle of fuel on the ground on the rear driver's side of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred routinely when adding fuel in the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V267000 (Fuel System, Other) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
2003 Audi RS6 (a6 4.2 v8 biturbo) fuel tank defect: this complaint is in regard to my 2003 Audi RS6 sedan. After noticing a strong smell of fuel and fuel vapor in my garage the morning after filling up said car, I immediately took my vehicle to my local Audi dealer to have the car inspected and determine the cause of the problem. I have been notified that the car's fuel tank is broken at the top where the roll over valve is bonded to the tank. It seems to me that a 7 year old vehicle should not have such a potentially hazardous problem such as a leaking fuel tank. In my research I have now found that a similar problem exists with other Audi a6 based models - and that there has been a recall safety recall (08v-157) for this same problem, however only on vehicles equipped with the smaller 18.5 gallon fuel tank. …
Transmission & drivetrain
Transmission would occasionally slip to such an extent that when merging into traffic I had to pull to the shoulder as I couldn't accelerate. This is an expensive car that has much more power than most vehicles so under normal operations acceleration should be quick & fast. This first started with only 35~40,000 miles on the car. All RS6 owners begin to learn that the only two week points in the car are the suspension and the transmission. Thanks to the NHTSA the vehicles were finally recalled for suspension failures. Now we are left with a substandard transmission design. I recently paid $5000 to have my transmission rebuilt by a shop that guarantees to fix the factory drawbacks. Previously I took it to the Audi dealer to no avail.
Check engine light came on. Investigation revealed that the torque converter was malfunctioning. This resulted in needing to replace the torque converter.
2003 Audi RS6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2L 8-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Audi RS6 a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the RS6 to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Audi RS6?
The suspension — 31 complaints, 72% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rear › shock absorber. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (7) and transmission & drivetrain (3).
How many recalls does the 2003 Audi RS6 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2003 Audi RS6, the most recent from May 3, 2011 (tank assembly). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2003 Audi RS6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 45,000 miles; 63% 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.