1996 Audi A6 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other A6 years
- More complaints than other years 14th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Audi A6. That ranks 14th out of 32 A6 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (38 complaints, 75%), typically at around 102,179 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 51owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Audi A6 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 38 | 75% | 102,179 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 10% | 79,900 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 8% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 8% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 4% | 100,600 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 4% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 4% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Audi A6 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The discharge of static electricity under low humidity conditions can activate the driver side air bag when the driver enters or exits the vehicle and forms an electrical circuit by touching certain areas of the steering wheel.
Risk: Activation of the air bag under these conditions can cause personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will install a ground wire on the driver side air bag.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: Defective ignition switches were improperly manufactured and can cause some electrical accessories to malfunction.
Risk: Some electrical accessories, such as, turn signals, windshield wipers, lamps, power wind0ws and air conditioners can malfunction when the car is started.
Fix: Dealers will replace the ignition switch.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Takata recall notice to say airbag unsafe
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 audi a6. The contact stated that the ignition switch became inoperable in various positions. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 96v017000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 audi a6. The contact stated that the transmission failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
On the morning of february 11th 2014, my daughter was on her way to school when her vehicle began to accelerate on its own. She believes she was going between 25 and 35 miles per hour when the vehicle began to accelerate and topped out at 70 before she was able to get it to slow down. She stated to…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 audi a6. The contact stated that the ignition switch failed. The contact stated that he attempted to turn the key in the ignition, but the key would not return to the on position on its own. The key remained in the starting position, causing several components to fail…
Other Audi A6 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 A6 | 6 | 0 |
| 2025 A6 | 6 | 2 |
| 2024 A6 | 3 | 1 |
| 2023 A6 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022 A6 | 2 | 5 |
| 2021 A6 | 17 | 11 |
| 2020 A6 | 26 | 9 |
| 2019 A6 | 114 | 7 |
| 2018 A6 | 11 | 2 |
| 2017 A6 | 20 | 3 |
| 2016 A6 | 51 | 3 |
| 2015 A6 | 22 | 4 |
| 2014 A6 | 41 | 4 |
| 2013 A6 | 52 | 6 |
| 2012 A6 | 60 | 8 |
| 2011 A6 | 21 | 3 |
| 2010 A6 | 17 | 3 |
| 2009 A6 | 21 | 4 |
| 2008 A6 | 71 | 4 |
| 2007 A6 | 53 | 4 |
| 2006 A6 | 67 | 4 |
| 2005 A6 | 91 | 3 |
| 2004 A6 | 35 | 4 |
| 2003 A6 | 66 | 7 |
| 2002 A6 | 88 | 4 |
| 2001 A6 | 113 | 7 |
| 2000 A6 | 148 | 4 |
| 1999 A6 | 217 | 9 |
| 1998 A6 | 130 | 10 |
| 1997 A6 | 20 | 2 |
| 1996 | 51 | 2 |
| 1995 A6 | 16 | 2 |
See all Audi A6 problems by year, every Audi model, or the Audi VIN decoder.
Similar Audi models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Audi A6?
Owners most often report electrical system, visibility, equipment problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 38 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Audi A6?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Audi A6 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other A6 model years, the 1996 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.