Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Audi A6, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags49
- Electrical system7
- Exterior lighting6
- Engine and engine cooling3
- Power train3
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Engine2
- Service brakes2
- Seat belts2
- Fuel system, other1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 5 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 10 2008 A6 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 5 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. 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 2008 Audi A6 failed the safety check 2.23% of the time — 10% less often than the average 2008 passenger car (2.48%). Median odometer at inspection: 138,105 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2008 Audi A6 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp), 2.8 petrol (154 kW, 207 hp) and 2.4 petrol (130 kW, 174 hp), out of 8 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 370 |
| 2.8 petrol | 154 kW 207 hp | 167 |
| 2.4 petrol | 130 kW 174 hp | 115 |
| 2.7 diesel | 132 kW 177 hp | 74 |
| 3.0 diesel | 171 kW 229 hp | 61 |
| 3.0 petrol | 213 kW 286 hp | 40 |
| 2.0 diesel | 103 kW 138 hp | 27 |
| 3.1 petrol | 188 kW 252 hp | 25 |
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
949 first registered in 2008 are on Dutch roads; 26% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €56,761.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde503
- Band onvoldoende profiel381
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen278
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld254
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt188
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm170
- Band beschadigd161
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm148
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
4,052 cars built in 2008 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,371 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, 6,637 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 67% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.0% | 19.8% |
| Suspension | 11.8% | 17.2% |
| Tyres | 9.0% | 7.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.4% | 6.2% |
| Brakes | 4.6% | 11.3% |
| Visibility | 4.2% | 6.7% |
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
1,008 of these cars first registered in 2008 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 328,000 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
215 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 77% arrived as used imports, 20% 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 11.8–12.8 L/100 km (about 18–20 mpg US), CO₂ 271–294 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 13.6 | 9.5 | 11.8 |
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.7 | 10.4 | 12.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2008 Audi A6.
| 2018342 22 Jun 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2017026 13 Jan 2017 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2016266 27 May 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2007248 24 Jul 2007 | Other On certain Audi A6 Avant and Q7, if one of the automatic rear lid struts has a total loss of pressure, the resultant slow movement of the rear lid is interprete… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Avant, A4 Sedan, A6 Sedan, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan vehicles, 2007-2008 A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Sedan, S4 Cabriolet and S6 Sedan vehicles, and 2006-2008 A6 Avant and 2008 RS4 Cabriolet vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2011 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2008 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling model year 2004 Audi A4 vehicles originally sold, or registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE AUTOMATIC REAR LID INCLUDES AN ELECTRIC MOTOR AND CLUTCH THAT WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH TWO GAS STRUTS TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE REAR LID, INCLUDING A MANUAL CLOSE FUNCTION. IF ONE OF THE STRUTS HAS A TOTAL LOSS OF PRESSURE, THE RESULTANT SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE REAR LID IS INTERPRETED BY THE SOFTWARE AS AN INTENDED MANUAL CLOSE AND THE MOTOR CLUTCH RELEASES TO CLOSE THE REAR LID IMMEDIATELY.
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 2008 Audi A6: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10253418 | Audi Delivery Guidelines. |
| 10253417 | Audi Delivery Guidelines. |
| 10251038 | Brakes squeel |
| 10251035 | Brakes make moaning or "muh" noise when accelerating from stop or turning at slow speeds |
| 10251027 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10251025 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10251023 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10251018 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration and/or oscillation |
| 10251016 | Self-leveling compressor inoperative |
| 10251009 | Self-leveling compressor inoperative |
| 10250999 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250995 | Clicking noise from wheel bearing |
| 10250982 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation |
| 10250971 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation |
| 10250968 | Electric steering column adjustment is inoperative |
| 10250966 | Brake pulsation diagnostic guidelines |
| 10250959 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250952 | Electric steering column adjustment is inoperative |
| 10250950 | Tightening wheel bolts |
| 10250949 | Steering wheel leather damage, all vehicles |
| 10250944 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation |
| 10250676 | Self-leveling compressor inoperative |
| 10250665 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250658 | Shock absorber leaks: assessment aid |
| 10250654 | Clicking noise from wheel bearing |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)