Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Audi A6, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags6
- Steering5
- Engine4
- Unknown or other2
- Lane departure2
- Electrical system2
- Vehicle speed control1
- Forward collision avoidance1
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
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 6 2017 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 2017 Audi A6 failed the safety check 1.25% of the time — 30% less often than the average 2017 passenger car (1.79%). Median odometer at inspection: 61,275 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2017
24,592 new Audi A6 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2017; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (11,246), Germany (5,100), Spain (1,823).
- Average mass
- 1,784 kg
- Average CO₂
- 124 g/km (NEDC)
- Average power
- 160 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 95% · Petrol 5.3%
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 2017 Audi A6 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (140 kW, 188 hp), 2.0 diesel (140 kW, 188 hp) and 3.0 diesel (235 kW, 315 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 140 kW 188 hp | 127 |
| 2.0 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 36 |
| 3.0 diesel | 235 kW 315 hp | 28 |
| 2.0 petrol | 185 kW 248 hp | 26 |
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
260 first registered in 2017 are on Dutch roads; 27% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €59,930.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde71
- Band onvoldoende profiel67
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm40
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld33
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage12
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen8
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af7
- Band beschadigd7
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
8,803 cars built in 2017 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 412 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, 9,536 of these cars first registered in 2017 took their annual MOT test. 87% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2017 the figure was 82%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 6.4% | 5.7% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.0% | 4.7% |
| Brakes | 1.4% | 3.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Visibility | 1.3% | 3.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 0.9% | 0.9% |
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
230 of these cars first registered in 2017 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 164,000 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
96 2017 cars are on the New Zealand register; 49% arrived as used imports, 50% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Audi A6 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | 9.0 % |
| 2017 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 2 variants: combined 9.4–10.0 L/100 km (about 24–25 mpg US), CO₂ 220–238 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 10.9 | 7.5 | 9.4 |
| A6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 11.5 | 8.2 | 10.0 |
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 2017 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… |
| 2016662 30 Dec 2016 | Airbag Certain vehicles may have been equipped with airbag and/or pretensioner igniters that do not meet specifications. This could cause affected airbags and/or prete… |
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 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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being recalled because the seat belt pretensioners may not activate properly.
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 2017 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. |
| 11009927 | This bulletin provides information when oil is lost from the filler cap. |
| 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. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)