Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Audi A6, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system14
- Equipment2
- Visibility1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Power train1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Seats1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Exterior lighting1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1997 Audi A6 failed the safety check 1.85% of the time — 16% more often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 154,358 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
68 first registered in 1997 are on Dutch roads; 15% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen42
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde22
- Band onvoldoende profiel13
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect11
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm11
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld9
- Schokdemper aanwezig die lekkage vertoont9
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse8
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
48 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 249 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 101 of these cars first registered in 1997 took their annual MOT test. 65% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1997 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 17.8% | 16.1% |
| Brakes | 10.9% | 11.8% |
| Suspension | 9.9% | 12.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.0% | 7.2% |
| Tyres | 5.0% | 3.7% |
| Visibility | 5.0% | 6.6% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
45 of these cars first registered in 1997 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 320,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
11 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 36% arrived as used imports, 64% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 12.7 L/100 km (about 19 mpg US), CO₂ 292 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A6 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 10.7 | 12.7 |
| A6 quattro Wagon · Station wagon: Small · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 10.7 | 12.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 1997 Audi A6.
| 1999095 19 May 1999 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a control valve in the vacuum hose connecting the brake booster to the intake manifold may not open or close fully at temperatures below -4… |
| 1997176 10 Oct 1997 | Seats And Restraints THE DISCHARGE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY UNDER LOW HUMIDITY CONDITIONS COULD ACTIVATE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WHEN THE DRIVER ENTERS OR EXITS THE VEHICLE AND FORMS A… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTORS MAY NOT LOCK PROPERLY WHEN ENGAGED, OR NOT REMAIN LOCKED AFTER BEING ENGAGED.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Audi told its dealers about the 1997 Audi A6: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 52641 | ABS LIGHT (K47) ON DUE TO BATTERY JUMPING/CHARGING. *TW |
| 10251027 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10250950 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10249085 | Google Maps Street View (NVLW)) |
| 10249054 | Due to new Minnesota state regulations regarding biofuels, biodiesel blends of B5 or less may not be available in the State of Minnesota. |
| 10243787 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10231130 | Idenifying and mixing factory fill engine coolants |
| 10216682 | Engine oils that meet Audi Oil Quality Standards. |
| 10216662 | Discontinuation and mixing of Audi-approved engine coolants. |
| 10216656 | Discontinuation and mixing of Audi-approved engine coolants. |
| 10164518 | This communication is issued to inform dealers of updated shipping regulations related to lithium ion batteries. |
| 10163501 | This communication is issued to remind dealers of the repair validation process for repair group 19. 2005-2019 A3, 1996-2019 A4, 2008-2019 A5, 1992-2019 A6, 2012-2019 A7, 1997-2019 A8, 2019 E-Tron, 2015-2019 Q3, 2010-2019 Q5, 2007-2019 Q7, 2019 Q8, 2000-2019 TT, 2008-2018 R8 |
| 10155644 | This special notice is to inform dealers to return all part numbers listed in the document and order the superseded part numbers going forward. |
| 10128399 | Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 19 number 14-50 dated June 20, 2014. Discontinuation and mixing of Audi-approved engine coolants. G11, G12, and G12+ coolants have been replaced by an improved version. G12++ coolant (for service available) has been introduced in MY 2005 for all engines. G13 has been introduced in MY 2008 as factory filling and service. |
| 10128350 | This informational bulletin contains all the the Audi Oil Quality Standards that should be used when doing an oil change. |
| 10128222 | Due to increasing requests for high voltage personal protective equipment (HVE PPE) for dealer technicians working with high voltage vehicles (Hybrid, Plugin Hybrid, Electric Vehicle), the Volkswagen Tools and Equipment Team has identified two US based suppliers to support dealers in USA and Canada. |
| 10128009 | This information TSB provides information regarding the correct way to torque adjust a wheel bolt. |
| 10127856 | This informational bulletin contains technical information for when there is condensation visible on the inside of the headlight, taillight, fog light, side marker light, front turn signal, daytime running lights, and/or third brake light lens. |
| 10124898 | This is an advance notice for Audi of America employees. This notice contains information for the accessories operations technical bulletin. |
| 10124751 | Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 44 number 13-46 dated December 9, 2013. Wheel bolt requires torque adjustment. |
| 10124690 | This document contains information on the Audi side assist update. |
| 10123901 | Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 00 number 11-19 dated April 8, 2011. This TSB contains information on technician preparation when calling the Audi Technical Assistance Center |
| 10123882 | Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 19 number 11-19 dated February 10, 2011. Discontinuation and mixing of Audi-approved engine coolants. G11, G12, and G12+ coolants have been replaced by an improved version. G12++ coolant (for service available) has been introduced in MY 2005 for all engines. G13 has been introduced in MY 2008 as factory filling and service. |
| 10123764 | Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 19 number 15-61 dated July 7, 2015. Discontinuation and mixing of Audi-approved engine coolants. G11, G12, and G12+ coolants have been replaced by an improved version. G12++ coolant (for service available) has been introduced in MY 2005 for all engines. G13 has been introduced in MY 2008 as factory filling and service. |
| 10123713 | Vehicle will not communicate with diagnostic scan tool or emissions test equipment. Customers may have issues with vehicle passing state IM emissions test programs because the scan tool cannot communicate with the vehicle. ABS and/or brake lamp(s) will be illuminated in IP cluster. Broken ground bond wire within the ABS module (ABS 5.3 system) causes diagnostic communication issues with the ABS module, ECM, and TCM. Brake system and ABS system functionality are not affected by the broken ground circuit. This bulletin only addresses the communication issue (broken ground circuit) between the ve |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)