Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Audi RS6 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
I own an Audi RS6 and recently my car's suspension in particular the shocks failed. The system is called drc and uses hydraulic shocks that are cross connected through central valves. When any of them leak or fail the opposite shock will have no or reduced pressure and fail too. When the shocks started to go the car would jump when taking curves for instance that have expansion joints on the interstate...the rear of the car would hop sideways. There is a very unsteady condition when it starts to fail. There is no real warning and no way to tell when the system is failing. Only once full pressure is lost and the car becomes very twitchy is it obvious something is wrong. …
My shocks and central control valves leak fluid which causes instability in the suspensions system. The fluid leaks off reducing the system pressures within the shock system such that stability is effected when going over bumps, excessive leaning around corners, tramming when encountering grooving in the road surfaces, directional stability when going over holes in the road surface in corners, etc. Once the shock start leaking it only gets worse and effects the spring dampening and general stability of the car. A simple drop test comparison can be made to demonstrate the effect between a car which has not leaks in the system and one which has had leaking shocks for awhile (I.e. Lower system pressure). The shock and valves have been replaced by the manufacture on both occasions. However, I continually see re-occurrence of this problem reported on the web sites. …
Dynamic ride control (drc) is the suspension used on high-end Audi sports cars (usually the r designation of the Audi series: rs4, RS6, r8) it is very important to note that the r series is a lower volume production (there are less than 1,200 RS6's in the us) however the unpredictable and dangerous handling of the car coupled with volume and frequency of drc failures is unacceptable. Many owners have had their suspensions replaced 2-6 times during the warranty period. My suspension components have been replaced 2.5 times. It is also important to note that most essential components in the suspension have to be replaced and will cost well over $12,000. 1. Events leading up to the failure: occurs during normal driving conditions 2. …
I purchased a brand new 2003 Audi RS6 in jan/04, and have kept it meticulous maintained by the dealership according to their recommendations. I had a major suspension issue with all shocks going out and related pumps at approximately 70,000 miles. I have researched and determined that many other Audi owners (seems like most) with this same car have also reported this same problem with relatively low miles 40,000 to 80,000. After a very vocal complaint, Audi did share in the repair costs. However; this has now LED Audi to offer no other assistance with other recent defects (significant oil leaks) that popped up shortly after this issue. The suspension issue is a safety issue and could result in a catastrophic event. Fortunately, I did not experience any personal injury due to this major issue. …
I am the owner of a 2003 Audi RS6 with repeat suspension failures stemming from Audi's dynamic ride control (drc). The system first begins losing hydraulic pressure, then slowly leaks the fluid out of the linked damper system until the car is in effect riding on the springs with inadequate damper control. The end result is a very poor driving car with excessive bump-steer and bounce. If left unattended, it results in a unsafe driving situation due to the unpredictable handling of the car. I have put 12,000 miles in the car in one year and have had the shocks and central accumulator valves changed 3 times. I fully expect to be back into the dealer in 5,000 miles or less, and I just picked the car up from the dealer on Thursday, aug 14th.
My 2003 Audi RS6 has a drc issue, which involves my shock absorbers leaking fluid and is creating a bouncing effect that is getting worse and worse. The vehicle has an uneasy and unsafe feel at low and high speeds, almost like the car is on ice skates and meandering all over the road. After reading many forums, it can be concluded that 77% or more of the 2003 RS6 owners have and are experiencing drc failures that are resulting in huge repair costs ( for vehicles out of warranty). I called the Audi exchange in highland park illinois, and the cost to repair these inherent leaking systems is $2200 per axle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Audi RS6. The contact stated that while driving over a bump at approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle bounced violently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who informed the contact that the hydraulic system was leaking. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The vehicle was previously repaired under a voluntary recall issued by the manufacturer pertaining to the suspension system. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.
Automobile is a top of the line 2003 Audi RS6. The suspension is known as dynamic ride control (drc) which has loud clunking upon cornering and feels quite loose. I am a auto enthusiast and amateur mechanic and Audi club member. This is a common failure on these cars and most of the time Audi mechanics only seem to be able to temporarily repair the cars, if out of warranty, it costs thousands of dollars for a repair which only seems to be temporary.
Suspension complaints in other RS6 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2003 Audi RS6?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the suspension of the 2003 Audi RS6, 72% of the model year's 43 complaints. The component named most often is rear › shock absorber (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Audi RS6 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2003 Audi RS6, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Audi RS6 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 41,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 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.