Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Audi A6, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags12
- Electrical system3
- Seats3
- Engine2
- Vehicle speed control1
- Power train1
- Equipment1
- Wheels1
- Steering1
- Unknown or other1
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 2011 A6 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 0 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 2011 Audi A6 failed the safety check 1.60% of the time — 36% less often than the average 2011 passenger car (2.49%). Median odometer at inspection: 115,318 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2011
73,113 new Audi A6 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2011; the largest markets were Germany (35,954), the United Kingdom (10,324), France (3,888).
- Average mass
- 1,752 kg
- Average power
- 145 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 92% · Petrol 8.3%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2011 Audi A6 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp), 2.8 petrol (150 kW, 201 hp) and 3.0 petrol (220 kW, 295 hp), out of 11 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 418 |
| 2.8 petrol | 150 kW 201 hp | 303 |
| 3.0 petrol | 220 kW 295 hp | 178 |
| 3.0 diesel | 180 kW 241 hp | 107 |
| 3.0 diesel | 150 kW 201 hp | 91 |
| 2.0 diesel | 100 kW 134 hp | 56 |
| 2.8 petrol | 140 kW 188 hp | 47 |
| 2.0 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 41 |
| 2.0 diesel | 125 kW 168 hp | 40 |
| 2.0 diesel | 130 kW 174 hp | 38 |
| 2.7 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 23 |
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
1,395 first registered in 2011 are on Dutch roads; 31% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €62,430.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde816
- Band onvoldoende profiel481
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm330
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld289
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen205
- Band beschadigd143
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage128
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt123
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
6,445 cars built in 2011 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 855 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, 7,356 of these cars first registered in 2011 took their annual MOT test. 73% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2011 the figure was 63%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 9.3% | 14.1% |
| Tyres | 8.8% | 7.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.1% | 16.0% |
| Brakes | 3.6% | 8.6% |
| Visibility | 3.5% | 5.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.5% | 3.6% |
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
1,088 of these cars first registered in 2011 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 291,000 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
208 2011 cars are on the New Zealand register; 74% arrived as used imports, 25% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Audi A6 4 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2011 Audi A6 4 DR FWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 11.7–12.6 L/100 km (about 19–20 mpg US), CO₂ 269–290 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 13.5 | 9.5 | 11.7 |
| A6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.6 | 10.2 | 12.6 |
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 2011 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… |
| 2018022 10 Jan 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
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 2010-2011 Audi A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles, ever registered in the states of 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." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet vehicles, and 2009-2011 Audi A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles registered in the states of 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 or "Zone C." 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 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.
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 2011 Audi A6: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011303 | This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate. |
| 11011285 | This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings. |
| 11011282 | This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted. |
| 11011240 | This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool |
| 11009983 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11009941 | This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system. |
| 11009928 | This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds. |
| 11009375 | This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern. |
| 11009356 | This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes. |
| 11009351 | This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach to brakes rubbing. |
| 11009348 | This bulleitn provides information when there is an implausible signal in the ABS/ESC speed sensor. |
| 11009347 | This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11009327 | This bulletin provides information when ther is an Engine: start/stop system fault shown and start/stop system not is working; mileage below 50 km/32 miles. |
| 11009313 | This bulletin provides guidance in order to provid informaiton regarding preparatoin when calling the Audi Technical Assistnce Center (TAC). |
| 11009312 | This bulletin provides informationw hen there are car was brush bristles trapped in the seam between the headlight and fender. |
| 11007345 | This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated. |
| 11007315 | This bulletin provides information vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11007305 | This bulletin offers information about the basic information needed for technical requests for gaerbox complaints. |
| 11007297 | This bulletin provides service information ror when the fuel tank cannot be fully filled. |
| 11007264 | This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated. |
| 11007234 | This bulletin provides information vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11007224 | This bulletin offers information about the basic information needed for technical requests for gaerbox complaints. |
| 11007216 | This bulletin provides service information ror when the fuel tank cannot be fully filled. |
| 11005935 | This bulletin provides informaiton when there are speaker rattles, vibrations or audio interference in the sound system. |
| 11005911 | This bulletin provides informatin for the GFF test plan that is requied for AC compressor replacements. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)