2004 Audi A6 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other A6 years
- About as many complaints as other years 17th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 35 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Audi A6. That ranks 17th out of 32 A6 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel system, gasoline (5 complaints, 14%), typically at around 99,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 2 fires, 1 injury. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 35owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 14% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 9% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 9% | 84,824 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 9% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 9% | 99,785 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 9% | 44,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 9% | 31,200 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 9% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 6% | 89,601 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 6% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 6% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 6% | 81,851 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 3% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 3% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% | 33,516 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Audi A6 recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, other:storage:tank assembly
Problem: 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. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could lead to a vehicle fire.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Volkswagen is recalling 68,240 my 2001-2004 audi a6 quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7l, 2.8l, or 3.0l engines and my 2001-2005 allroad quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7l or 4.2l engines. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could lead to a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers will reinforce the nipple on the rollover valve to prevent leakage or repair the cracking at the nipple. The recall began on june 27, 2008. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
Electrical system
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with halogen low beam headlights, certain connector pins in the headlight switch connector come into contact with each other causing a short circuit. Note: vehicles with xenon low beam headlights are not affected because the circuit in these vehicles contains a fuse, which precludes excessive current flow in the case of a short circuit. Audi s6 and s6 avant vehicles are all equipped with xenon low beam headlights and, therefore, are not longer affected by this recall.
Risk: This condition could lead to overheating or fire.
Fix: Dealers will reroute the wiring harness by installing a jumper wiring harness. The recall began on december 16, 2006. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
Electrical system
Problem: 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.
Risk: A fire could originate in the left dashboard area.
Fix: 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 necessary. The recall began on july 26, 2004. Owners should contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fuel tank leak (PE08008) — opened Jan 31, 2008, closed May 30, 2008, led to recall 08V156000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
- ABS Module has intermittent failures, available for inspection - Anti-lock brakes will not work - Yes, the problem reoccurs and the module loses power and then errors out - Others - VCDS - ABS lights come on and BRAKE light stays illuminated
Re: safety recall 20l8/jy; 08v157000: fuel tank rollover valve modification; vin: (xx); 2004 audi a6 3.0l quattro at5 attached docs: 1. 20l8/jy recall notice. 2. 7.14.2008 & 11.18.18 audi n. Scottsdale, az dealer invoices 3. Audi a6 gas tank diagram. Audi corp email response: "at this time we have…
Aftermarket radio: pioneer electronics avh-4100 nex backup camera fails and distracts driver significantly. I have attached a scan of the complaint to pioneer electronics. The radio likely has software defect that causes very distracting failures when operating the back-up camera. Pioneer…
When engine is cold, usually below 0 degrees fuel sprays from injectors. This could ignite on exhaust manifolds causing car fire.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 audi a6. While driving at 20 mph, smoke appeared from the engine compartment and the vehicle caught fire. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 06v198000…
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 | 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 A6 | 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 2004 Audi A6?
Owners most often report fuel system, gasoline, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, fuel system, gasoline, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Audi A6?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.