CSR

Audi · NHTSA safety record

2019 Audi A6

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

114

Complaints

2

Crashes

1

Fires

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2019 Audi A6 have filed 114 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2019 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 84 of them (74%). The typical failure was reported at 1,000 miles, the median across the 17 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 7 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (7)

LANE DEPARTURE:SOFTWARE

26V125000 · March 4, 2026

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019 Audi Q8, Audi A7, and Audi A6 vehicles previously repaired under recall number 25V900. Due to a software error, the lane departure warning system may be deactivated.
The risk
The driver may be unaware that the lane departure warning system is deactivated and rely on a system that is not functional, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 13, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TW. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 6, 2026.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 1,620 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

25V900000 · December 19, 2025

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 356,894 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID

23V601000 · August 25, 2023

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, RS7, RS6 Avant, A6 Allroad, 2019-2021 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. An incorrectly labeled brake fluid cap may have been installed, which can result in the use of the wrong type of brake fluid.
The risk
Incorrect brake fluid can reduce braking ability and increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the brake fluid reservoir cap and, if necessary, replace it, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47T9.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 7,499 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

22V861000 · November 21, 2022

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, A6 Allroad, 2021-2022 RS7, RS6 Avant, 2019-2022 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. Liquid spilled in the rear seat may penetrate and cause the gateway control module to shut down.
The risk
A gateway control module shutdown will suddenly reduce engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will install a protective cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90V2.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 50,883 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:FUEL GAUGE:FUEL LEVEL FLOAT/SENSOR/SENDING UNIT

22V155000 · March 14, 2022

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RS6 Avant and RS7, 2020-2022 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, and S7, and 2019-2022 A6 Sedan and A7 vehicles. The fuel level sender may stick, causing an inaccurate fuel level reading to be displayed on the instrument cluster.
The risk
An inaccurate fuel reading may cause an engine stall due to lack of fuel, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will install a new sensor in the tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2023. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DN.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 47,238 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS

21V159000 · March 10, 2021

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS6 Avant, RS7, 2020-2021 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, S7, 2019-2021 A6 Sedan, and A7 vehicles. The score line on the passenger air bag may not have been manufactured correctly.
The risk
An incorrectly manufactured air bag may not deploy properly, and could also eject plastic debris into the passenger compartment, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the passenger air bag score line, and repair it as necessary, free of charge. The recall begin March 26, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 70i2.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 3,421 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

20V153000 · March 19, 2020

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Audi A6 vehicles equipped with mild-hybrid technology and 2.0TFSI engines. Moisture may enter the starter generator and cause an electrical short circuit.
The risk
A short circuit in the starter generator increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the starter generator, free of charge. The recall began by May 22, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 27H2.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 5,471 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 114.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 84 74%
ENGINE 32 28%
POWER TRAIN 15 13%
STEERING 12 11%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11 10%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 11 10%
SERVICE BRAKES 6 5%
LANE DEPARTURE 5 4%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 3%
STRUCTURE 3 3%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 2%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 51.

2019 2023 2026
2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 750 miles

MY 6 WEEK OLD AUDI A6 WAS TOTALED WHEN I WAS DRIVING 20 MPH! I LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK MY ODOMETER, AND WITHIN THAT TIME, NO WARNING SIGNALS , BRAKES, ETC. ALERTED ME! THIS CAR HAD ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES! THAT MORNING I WAS ON A TREE LINED DRIVE TO THE TENNIS COURTS! NO ALERTS! HIT A TREE AND ALL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED! TREMENDOUS IMPACT FOR 20 MPH! I WAS ALL BANGED UP, CAR TOTALED! I AM STILL IN DISBELIEF...THOUGHT I HAD THE WORLD'S SAFEST CAR. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD A PROBLEM???

NHTSA complaint 11253328. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1 injured · crash · 100 miles

STOP ENGINE OIL PRESSURE TOO HIGH LIGHT COMES ON DEALER DOES NOT HAVE SOLUTION. ENGINE COULD BLOW DURING OPERATION AND CAUSE ACCIDENT. VEHICLE RECALL NEEDED

NHTSA complaint 11185595. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

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

NHTSA complaint 11431540, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The factory-installed mechanical water pump module suffered a severe internal seal and housing failure. This allowed pressurized engine coolant to migrate directly into the engine's vacuum control system and vacuum lines, damaging crucial emissions and vacuum tubing. This defect poses a severe safety risk as coolant entering the vacuum grid can cause sudden loss of engine power, erratic braking assist, and localized engine overheating while operating the vehicle at highway speeds.

NHTSA complaint 11757339. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My 2019 Audi A6 was diagnosed with catastrophic internal engine failure on May 9, 2026 at Audi of Newton, Newton, NJ, at 93,645 miles. The vehicle required a full engine rebuild performed by REV Auto NJ at a cost of $12,000. The failure involved metal debris found in the engine oil, consistent with the documented EA839 3.0L V6 TFSI rocker arm needle bearing failure or piston skirt failure affecting this engine family. The EA839 engine used in this vehicle has a documented history of design defects: (1) Rocker arm needle bearings in early production engines were undersized and prone to disintegration, releasing metal debris into the oil supply and destroying camshaft lobes, balance shafts,

NHTSA complaint 11749217, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I recently brought my 2019 A6 to Nyack Audi for an unrelated repair, after performing their complimentary inspection the service advisor told me my water pump was leaking coolant into the vacuum hose system; and the pump, PCV valve, sensors, solenoids and vacuum hose system need to be replaced, costing $6,186. My A6 was out of warranty at that point, so Audi would not pay for the $6,186 in repairs. Engine coolant purportedly leaks into the vacuum system and other electrical components, causing contamination of the vacuum system. Leaking coolant will cause an overheated engine and possible FAILURE of the (EA839)engine and even the turbocharger . Today I did some online research line research

NHTSA complaint 11744302, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The central locking / electronic door lock system on my 2019 Audi A6 intermittently malfunctions, sometimes with a long beep sound and an error message appearing on the screen in front of my steering wheel. The affected system is available for inspection upon request. The issue does not happen all the time, but the door sometimes fails to unlock or appears to re-lock while I am trying to open it. In late April 2026, in the morning, I was leaving YogaSource in [XXX] . As I approached my vehicle in the parking lot, an unstable individual was approaching the area near my car. I attempted to enter the vehicle quickly for safety, but the central locking system malfunctioned. As I tried to unlock

NHTSA complaint 11736719, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Every single EA839 Audi Engine has piston skirt and cylinder scoring.

NHTSA complaint 11735503. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Shortly after purchasing in 2025 I began having occasional issues with the door locks. Eventually the issue would self resolve but now I have experienced at least 2 times in last month being locked inside the vehicle and unable to exit without climbing into the passenger seat. I have not taken it in for repairs yet due to cost concerns but I am worried about this dangerous situation.

NHTSA complaint 11733922. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Audi A6

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2021 15 11
2020 24 9
2018 11 2
2017 20 3
2016 51 3
2015 22 4
2014 41 4
2013 52 6
2012 59 8
2011 21 3
2010 17 3

Other 2019 Audi models

Every Audi on this site — 147 vehicles, 216 recall campaigns and 0 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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