Volkswagen of America, Inc: Electrical System
Volkswagen of America, Inc reported this defect to federal regulators on Mar 18, 2004 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 172,866. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, IF A DRIVER'S KNEES PUSH AGAINST THE KNEE BOLSTER (CRASH ELEMENT) LOCATED UNDER THE DASHBOARD, IT CAN CONTACT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WIRING HARNESS, AND AN ELECTRICAL SHORT COULD OCCUR.
The risk
A FIRE COULD ORIGINATE IN THE LEFT DASHBOARD AREA.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVERING ON THE KNEE BOLSTER (CRASH ELEMENT). IN ADDITION, THE WIRING HARNESS AS WELL AS THE FELT PROTECTOR ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD CARRIER WILL BE CHECKED, AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 26, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-822-2834.
19 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Audi A6 | 35 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 2004 Audi Allroad | 15 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 2004 Audi S6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 Audi A6 | 66 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| 2003 Audi Allroad | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 Audi RS6 | 43 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 Audi S6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 Audi A6 | 88 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| 2002 Audi Allroad | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 Audi S6 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 Audi A6 | 113 | 7 | 7 | 11 |
| 2001 Audi Allroad | 17 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001 Audi S6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 Audi A6 | 148 | 4 | 8 | 4 |
| 2000 Audi S6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 Audi A6 | 217 | 9 | 23 | 12 |
| 1999 Audi S6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 Audi A6 | 130 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| 1998 Audi S6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 04V133000.
Full record for the 2004 Audi A6 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →