NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Audi A6. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THERE WAS NO WARNING. CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE HAD THE INCORRECT SPEED SENSORS INSTALLED ON IT. ALSO, THESE BAD SENSORS WERE ON EACH OF THE WHEELS. *AK
CONSUMER EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH LOW PROFILE TIRES THAT ARE OEM ON AUDI A6 3.OL QUATTRO. *BF THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHIN THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRES. *SC *JB
2003 AUDI A6 HAD FOUR TIRES REPLACED DUE TO CRACKING OF THE SIDEWALL. *KB ***NAR*** THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT WHEN TOUCHING THE CURB WHILE PARKING, THE SIDEWALL BEING SO THIN AND LOW PROFILE, SIMPLY CRACK, FAIL AND PUNCTURE. THE SIDEWALLS CANNOT BE FIXED. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. (PIRELLI P6 FOUR SEASON LOW PROFILES TIRES). *NM *NM
DT: CONSUMER MADE A TURN AND ABOUT 2 GALLONS OF WATER CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT INTO THE REAR PASSENGERS SEAT FLOOR BOARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, WHO SAID IT COULD BE THAT THE CONDENSER LINE WASN'T PLUGGED, AND THEN A FACTORY SEAL ABOVE THE CONDENSER WAS FAULTY. SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT, HOWEVER, IT RECURRED THIS PAST WEEKEND. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK AND SHOULDER PAIN. *AK
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TIRES ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE HAVE BEEN REPLACED NINE TIMES, WITHIN ONE AND A HALF YEARS. THE SIDE WALLS ON THE TIRES ARE BLOWING OUT. THE TIRE REPAIR SHOP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ALERTED.
I NOW DRIVE AN AUDI A6 WITH PIRELLI P/6 TIRES. I HAVE HAD 5 BLOW-OUTS IN THE PAST 19 MONTHS. THE SIDEWALLS ARE EITHER PAPER THIN OR NON-EXISTENT. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND HAVEN'T HAD 5 FLAT TIRES IN THAT TIME. THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE PUT ON CARS THAT DRIVE ON REGULAR STREETS. I HAVE NOTIFIED THE DEALER" NEW COUNTRY AUDI OF GREENWICH, CT. THE SALES MANAGER SAID "DIDN'T THE SALESPERSON TELL YOU YOU HAD TO BE CAREFUL WITH THESE TIRES?" WHAT KIND OF AN ANSWER IS THAT?*AK
CAR SHAKES AND SHUDDERS WHEN COMING TO A STOP. WHEN TRYING TO START FROM A STOP, CAR HESITATES BEFORE MOVING. CAN ROLL BACKWARDS IF CAR IS ON AN UPHILL INCLINE. NATURAL RESPONSE IS TO DEPRESS GAS PEDAL FURTHER. TRANSMISSION THEN ENGAGES AND CAR LURCHES FORWARD. TOOK CAR TO DEALER 3 TIMES. FIRST TIME TRANSMISSION FLUID TOPPED OFF. SECOND TIME TRANMISSION CONTROL UNIT SOFTWARE UPGRADED. 3RD TIME WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE FIXED, EVEN WITH TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT.*AK
STEERING WHEEL SHAKE AT 50 TO 60 MPH. MANY ATTEMPTS TO FIX PROBLEM HAS NOT HELPED. OTHER A6 OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. PROBLEM NOTED ON FIRST DRIVE AT 150 MILES AND STILL PRESENT AT 4000 MILES.
FAILURE TO ACCELERATE. I EXPERIENCE MAJOR DELAYS IN ANY ACCELERATION IMMEDIATELY AFTER I HAVE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE (AT ANY SPEED) AND THEN TRY TO REACCELERATE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG ALL AUDI TIPTRONIC OWNERS REGARDLESS OF ENGINE TYPE. IT IS NOT, AS AUDI TRIES TO SAY, "TURBO LAG." IN ALMOST EVERY FAILURE TO DATE, I HAVE ALMOST BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. HAD OTHER DRIVERS BEEN LESS ATTENTIVE, I MOST SURELY WOULD HAVE BEEN STRUCK. I AM HESITANT TO PULL OUT INTO ANY VOLUME OF TRAFFIC WITH THIS PERSISTENT PROBLEM. *LA
WHILE PUTTING VEHICLE IN THE REVERSE MODE IT WILL START SHAKING AND VIBRATING. *AK
THE FRONT BUMPER GETS CAUGHT ON PARKING BUMPERS ON A REGULAR BASIS. ON THIS OCCASION, IT WAS TORN FROM THE FENDER, AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FENDER. IT HAS OCCURRED ON COUNTLESS OCCASIONS SINCE THEN. THE CAR IS DESIGNED WITH THE LOWER BUMPER TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND.*JB
ABS CONTROL UNIT IS FAULTY ON MY AUDI A6 2003. I BELIEVE IT IS SUBJECT TO RECALL INDICATED BY THE $1800 REPAIR AND FREQUENCY OF THIS COMPLAINT ON THE INTERNET. *TR
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FORCE TO REMOVE SNOW BUILD UP EVEN IF IN THE HIGHEST SPEED MODE. THIS RESULTS IN POOR VISIBILITY. *AK
2003 AUDI A6. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FUEL LEVEL SENSOR DAMAGED DUE TO RECALL REPAIR *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE COMPLIED WITH THE RECALL AND TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE AUDI DEALER. THE DEALER FILLED THE GAS TANK; IN ACCORD WITH THE LETTER FROM AUDI. UNFORTUNATELY, AS THE CONSUMER DROVE THE 70 MILES BACK HOME, THE FUEL LEVEL DECREASED TO LESS THAT 1/4 AND THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. SINCE THEN, THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF WITHOUT REGARD TO HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE TANK. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED HE SMELLED GASOLINE PARTICULARLY IN THE MORNING TIME WHEN HE WENT TO HIS GARAGE. HE STATED HE WAS NOT ABLE TO RELY ON THE FUEL GAUGE BECAUSE IT SOMETIMES SHOWED FULL WHEN IT WAS LESS THAN 1/4 OF A TANK. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS RAN OUT OF GAS TWICE, ON A COUNTRY ROAD IN MID-WINTER. AFTER MAKING DOZENS OF FRUSTRATING CALLS TO AUDI, THEY FINALLY ARRANGED TO HAVE THE PROBLEM LOOKED AT. THE DEALER STATED THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PART THEY NEEDED TO REPAIR THE DEFECT AND THEY WOULD CALL WHEN THE PART ARRIVED. THEY ESTIMATED THE REPAIR AT $483.64. THE CONSUMER STATED HE STILL HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE DEALER. THE CONSUMER STATED HE TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WITH NO FUEL GAUGE PROBLEMS AND IT WAS RETURNED TO HIM WITH PROBLEMS. *JB
2003 AUDI A6. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH GAUGE CLUSTER *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE WARNING GAUGES NO LONGER FUNCTIONED AND THE MULTI-FUNCTION LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DOES NOT INDICATE READABLE INFORMATION. *JB
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026