Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1999 record →
GAS GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE FUEL GAUGE TO READ "HALF FULL," AND THE VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY DUE TO NO GAS IN THE VEHICLE. PRESENTLY, THE FUEL GAUGE READS FULL TANK AT ALL TIME. ALSO, A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE BRAKE BOOSTER FOR WHICH THE DEALER HAS NOT RECEIVED PARTS SINCE 3 MONTHS AGO. THIS MAY CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND RESULT IN A CRASH IN BELOW 0 DEGREE WEATHER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR IS INOPERABLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
BRAKE APPLICATION ON WET HIGHWAY INDUCED AN UNCONTROLLABLE SPIN. THE SPIN RESULTED IN SEVERE IMPACT WITH A GUARD RAIL CAUSING FRONT-END DAMAGE SO SEVERE AS TO PREVENT THE DRIVER DOOR FROM OPENING. THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILED TO DEPLOY EVEN AFTER SEVERE FRONTAL IMPACT.
WINDSHIELD WIPER SPEED (ON THE HIGHEST SETTING) DOES NOT CLEAR WINDOWS FAST ENOUGH DUE TO DESIGN. NLM
DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOWS FAILED. YH
THE GAS GUAGE READS THAT THERE IS MORE FUEL IN THE VEHICLE THAN THERE ACTUALLY IS. DEALER REPLACED GAS SENSOR, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
GAS GUAGE RED HALF FULL WHEN TANK EMPTY. CAR LOST POWER WHEN IT RAN OUT OF GAS ON A REMOTE SECTION OF HIGHWAY CAUSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION. MANUFACTURER APARANTLY WAS AWARE OF DEFECTS IN THE ELECTRICAL UNIT IN THE GAS TANK CAUSED BY FUEL ADDITIVES IN THE US. NOTICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO OWNERS, EVEN IF NO RECALL WAS PLANNED AS THE UNITS SEEM TO FAIL INTERMITENTLY. COMPANY APPEARS TO BE TRYING TO IGNORE A PROBLEM THEY COULD FIX WITH ONE MAILING TO ITS CUSTOMERS...
FUEL GAUGE GIVES WRONG READING, WHEN TANK IS IT INDICATES THAT TANK IS ON EMPTY . DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
FRONT BUMPER ASSEMBLY DESIGN IS A PROBLEM, LOW GROUND CLEARENCE AND LIP AT THE END OF THE BUMPER ASSEMBLY ALLOWS THE BUMPER TO GET CAUGHT ON PARKING CURBS. THE BUMPER PROVIDES ON STRUCTURAL RESISTANCE AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IS CAUSE AT VERY LOW SPEEDS.
THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER HEATING COIL IS NOT RECESSED IN THE BODY OF THE LIGHTER. THE HEATING COIL IS AT THE TIP OF THE LIGHTER, MAKING IT EASY TO TOUCH WHICH RESULTED IN INJURY TO CHILDS FINGER. . *AK
FAULTY FRONT BUMPER DESIGN IS CAUSING IT TO GET CAUGHT IN 6 INCH CURBING, RESULTING IN BUMPER RIPPING, AND MAKING FENDER PRESS AGAINST TIRES. *AK
THE FRONT BUMPER CATCES ON 6" CURBS AND ITS TEARING LOOSE FROM THE FENDER AND BENDING FENDERS ON BACKING FROM CURBS AFTER PARKING. NLM
GAS TANK SENSORS FAILED, UNABLE TO DETERMINE GAS VOLUME. MJS
FRONT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY REPLACED DUE TO UNIT NOT RETRACTING PROPERLY. MJS
DEAR GENTLEMEN: THIS IS A CAUSE FOR SERIOUS CONCERN. THE DESIGN OF AUDI A6'S FRONT BUMPER IS FLAWED. IT IS EXTREMELY LOW, AND WHEN YOU PARK THE BOTTOM PART OF THE BUMPER GETS STUCK IN THE CONCRETE SLAB PLACED IN PARKING LOTS. SLOWLY THE BUMPER STARTS TO SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF THE BODY. IF THIS HAPPENS AT NIGHT AND THE DRIVER IS UNAWARE OF THIS, THAT IT COULD FALL OFF, CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT INVOLVING NOT ONLY THE OWNER OF THE AUDI, BUT THOSE THAT TRAIL BEHIND, WHO MOST CERTAINLY GET HIT BY THE FLYING BUMPER. I HAVE ALREADY BROUGHT MY CAR TWICE TO AUDI FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND ON BOTH OCASSIONS THE COMPANY'S OFFICIAL POSITION IS THAT IT IS THE DRIVER'S FAULT. UNOFFICIALLY (I HAPPEN TO DEAL WITH SOME VERY DECENT FOLKS AT THE COLLECTION, THE LARGEST AUDI DEALERSHIP IN MIAMI) THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FLAW, ITS RECURRENCE WITH OTHER OWNERS, AND CAN'T REALLY DO MUCH ABOUT IT EXCEPT SEND ME TO A REPUTABLE BODY SHOP. LABOR TO FIX THIS RUNS AT AROUND $ 550 PER INCIDENT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO EVERYONE WHO OWNS A 1999 A6. AS A MATTER OF FACT, TODAY THERE WERE THREE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, AND ONE IN THE BODY SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. THE BODY SHOP OWNER TOLD ME THEY FIX SEVERAL OF THESE EVERY WEEK. OBVIOUSLY THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS CAR WHEN EVERYONE'S BUMPER GETS RIPPED OFF IN STANDARD PARKING LOTS. OBVIOUSLY THE US DOT OR WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AUTO SAFETY DESIGN HAS NOT DEEMED THIS IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR A RECALL, UNTIL SOMEONE DIES OR
CANNOT SEE ANY INSTRUMENT DUE TO WINDSHIELD ANGLE TRANSMITTING SUNLIGHT INTO VEHICLE,UNABLE TO DETERMINE SPEED ETC. OK AT NIGHT. *AK
VEHICLES LOW BEAM PROJECTION LAMPS ARE SO NARROW THAT THERE IS LITTLE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE ROAD SURFACES RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. DEALER ADJUSTED THE LOW BEAMS UP, THAT ADJUSTMENT RAISED THE HIGH BEAMS AS WELL AND NOW THE HIGH BEAMS ARE OFF THE ROAD.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1999 Audi A6 → · Every A6 year → · How the figures are calculated →