Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Audi A6, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel system, gasoline5
- Tires3
- Seats3
- Engine and engine cooling3
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Electrical system3
- Air bags3
- Wheels3
- Electronic stability control (esc)2
- Service brakes2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 2004 A6 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2004 Audi A6 failed the safety check 1.96% of the time — 11% less often than the average 2004 passenger car (2.21%). Median odometer at inspection: 136,411 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2004 Audi A6 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.4 petrol (130 kW, 174 hp), 3.1 petrol (188 kW, 252 hp) and 2.4 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp), out of 5 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 petrol | 130 kW 174 hp | 194 |
| 3.1 petrol | 188 kW 252 hp | 172 |
| 2.4 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 91 |
| 3.0 diesel | 165 kW 221 hp | 49 |
| 4.2 petrol | 246 kW 330 hp | 37 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
634 first registered in 2004 are on Dutch roads; 30% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €64,569.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen217
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde190
- Band onvoldoende profiel164
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm142
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld139
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm129
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af119
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect94
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
642 cars built in 2004 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,160 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, 1,403 of these cars first registered in 2004 took their annual MOT test. 63% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2004 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2004 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 19.5% | 21.8% |
| Suspension | 11.7% | 17.2% |
| Brakes | 11.5% | 13.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| Tyres | 6.9% | 6.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.3% | 7.5% |
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
748 of these cars first registered in 2004 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 334,000 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
82 2004 cars are on the New Zealand register; 54% arrived as used imports, 39% 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 5 variants: combined 11.5–13.2 L/100 km (about 18–20 mpg US), CO₂ 265–304 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 13.0 | 9.6 | 11.5 |
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 9.9 | 12.4 |
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.7 | 10.1 | 12.6 |
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.7 | 10.2 | 12.7 |
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 15.3 | 10.5 | 13.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2004 Audi A6.
| 2011171 27 Apr 2011 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve, combined with bending stress from the aluminium ventilation line to the roll… |
| 2008116 4 Apr 2008 | Fuel System On certain Audi A6 Quattro and Allroad Quattro, aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve, combined with bending stress from the aluminium v… |
| 2004095 16 Mar 2004 | Electrical On certain Audi S6, A6 and A6 Allroad Quattro, contact between the left driver's side crash element and the headlight switch wiring harness could eventually res… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 2004 Audi A6: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10253418 | Audi Delivery Guidelines. |
| 10253417 | Audi Delivery Guidelines. |
| 10251027 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10251009 | Self-leveling compressor inoperative |
| 10250950 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10250473 | Self-leveling compressor inoperative |
| 10250430 | Oil consumption measurement - Repair Authorization (CA) |
| 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. |
| 10244036 | 2004 Scheduled Maintenance Intervals |
| 10243930 | This bulletin provides information on the additional reporting requirements for safety related inquiries. |
| 10243790 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243787 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243780 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243761 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243756 | Audi Elsa Newsletter |
| 10231144 | Technical bulletins and updates |
| 10231135 | Technical bulletins and updates |
| 10231130 | Idenifying and mixing factory fill engine coolants |
| 10231127 | ElsaPro Software update and technical bulletins |
| 10228314 | The use of contaminated gasoline or gasoline with a low content of deposit control additives may result in one or more conditions. |
| 10228302 | High quality media files (video and sound) are now integrated into technical service bulletins on a case-by-case basis. Media files can now be viewed on any smartphone or tablet. |
| 10228297 | This Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) details the general process for carrying out a Software Version Management (SVM) software update for any TSB or Update. |
| 10226530 | ATF pan leaks |
| 10226529 | Vehicle lacks power or will not move after stop due to simultaneous depressing of the brake and accelerator pedals |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
FUEL TANK LEAK
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation