Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Audi A6, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine17
- Electrical system8
- Air bags8
- Fuel/propulsion system6
- Power train5
- Service brakes3
- Unknown or other3
- Vehicle speed control3
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Engine and engine cooling2
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, 8 2016 A6 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 5 people died inside them, and 2 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 2016 Audi A6 failed the safety check 1.52% of the time — 23% less often than the average 2016 passenger car (1.97%). Median odometer at inspection: 74,021 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2016
32,981 new Audi A6 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2016; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (16,125), Germany (6,289), Spain (2,297).
- Average mass
- 1,801 kg
- Average power
- 160 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 96% · Petrol 3.7%
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 2016 Audi A6 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (140 kW, 188 hp), 2.0 diesel (140 kW, 188 hp) and 2.0 petrol (185 kW, 248 hp), out of 5 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 140 kW 188 hp | 86 |
| 2.0 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 35 |
| 2.0 petrol | 185 kW 248 hp | 31 |
| 2.0 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 24 |
| 3.0 diesel | 160 kW 215 hp | 21 |
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
249 first registered in 2016 are on Dutch roads; 43% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €64,004.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde141
- Band onvoldoende profiel75
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm61
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld58
- Band beschadigd20
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage20
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen17
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling9
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
12,830 cars built in 2016 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 426 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, 13,522 of these cars first registered in 2016 took their annual MOT test. 86% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2016 the figure was 79%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 6.4% | 6.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.2% | 6.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.0% | 1.7% |
| Suspension | 1.8% | 4.9% |
| Brakes | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.4% | 1.3% |
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
239 of these cars first registered in 2016 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 188,000 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
64 2016 cars are on the New Zealand register; 77% arrived as used imports, 22% 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; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Audi A6 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | 9.0 % |
| 2016 Audi A6 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 9.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 7.8–9.9 L/100 km (about 24–30 mpg US), CO₂ 211–232 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A6 quattro TDI (modified) · Mid-size · Diesel | 9.4 | 6.2 | 7.8 |
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 10.8 | 7.3 | 9.2 |
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 11.6 | 7.9 | 9.9 |
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 2016 Audi A6.
| 2019024 17 Jan 2019 | Fuel System Issue: On certain vehicles, a small amount of fuel may leak from one or both fuel rails. Safety Risk: Leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source… |
| 2018365 6 Jul 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, a problem with the passenger occupant detection system can cause illumination of the airbag warning light and the airbag system may not pro… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Q7, A6 and A7 vehicles, and 2015-2018 Audi A8 vehicles. The left and right fuel rails may leak fuel.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Audi A6 Sedans and 2015 Audi A7 vehicles. The auxiliary heater electrical connector on these vehicles may have been incorrectly inserted into the auxiliary heater, possibly resulting in increased electrical resistance.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S6 and S7, 2012-2018 A7 and A6 Sedan, and 2014-2018 RS7 vehicles equipped with basic seats (with or without heating). Stress or wear of the body-sensing mat within the front passenger seat may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) control module to malfunction.
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 2016 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. |
| 11011296 | This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content. |
| 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. |
| 11011263 | This bulletin provides information regarding cleaning exterior glass. |
| 11011252 | This bulletin provides information for when there are noises after selecting a gear at idlijng speed when the vehicle is stationary; noises when driving in different gears. |
| 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. |
| 11009365 | This bulletin provides information when there is visible corrosion at the joint between the roof and roof side member. |
| 11009362 | This bulletin provides information when there is a prompt to take over steering; hands off detection. |
| 11009361 | This bulletin provides information regarding steering wheel visual damage. |
| 11009356 | This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes. |
| 11009354 | This bulletin provides information on frequency analysis. |
| 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. |
| 11009344 | This bulletin provides information on repairs on the air spring strut of the frong axle; additional sealing. |
| 11009332 | This bulletin provides information when there are noises and/or vibration in tight turns in vehicles with quattro drive. |
| 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. |
| 11007354 | This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)