2004 Audi A6: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2004 Audi A6
On the 2004 Audi A6, the failure owners report most often is other wheel or tire problem, with 6 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 72,500 miles. Overall it scores 66 out of 100, high risk for a 2004.
High risk for a 2004 — 207th riskiest of the 329 2004 vehicles we can rate. 44 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 22 named failure modes on the 2004 Audi A6, and the three most-reported carry 32% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other wheel or tire problem leads with 6 reports and about 0.7 per 1,000 vehicles.
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure follows with 4 reports, median 105,000 miles.
ABS module or sensor failure follows with 4 reports, median 110,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into fuel (7), wheels (6) and engine (5).
At what mileage it happens
35 of the reports on the 2004 Audi A6 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 72,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 37% by 50,000 miles, 74% by 100,000 miles and 91% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 40,000 and 50,000 miles, which alone holds 14% of the dated reports.
23% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 22. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 3 mention a crash, 2 a fire and 3 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.91, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other wheel or tire problem at $200–$1,500, fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure at $250–$1,800, ABS module or sensor failure at $500–$2,400 and overheating at $400–$3,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
18% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 6 | 4 | — | 31k | — | 0.7 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 4 | 4 | — | 105k | — | 0.4 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 4 | 2 | — | 110k | — | 0.4 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 3 | 3 | — | 4k | — | 0.3 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 190k | — | 0.3 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Other engine problem | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 92k | — | 0.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 40k | — | 0.2 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 2 | 2 | — | 85k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 2 | 2 | — | 45k | — | 0.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 81k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 108k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 72k | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 57k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 95k | — | 0.1 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 34k | — | 0.1 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 69k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 69k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Unclassified problem | other | 2 | 2 | — | 57k | — | 0.2 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2004 Audi A6 draws about 4.8 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 80th percentile of complaint rates among 2004 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 9,098 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2004 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other wheel or tire problem
I would like to bring to your attention a very serious and dangerous issue I am having with my 2004 audi a6 2.7t s line. The issue is the 18 inch rims and tires delivered with the car. After approximately 10,000 miles, I noticed while traveling at 35 miles per hour the car shakes, vibrates and drives rough. In addition, I experienced 3 tire failures including 1 blow-out while driving at 45mph on a local highway (luckily, I did not lose control of the vehicle). I have now been in contact with 4 new york city metropolitan area audi dealers and the head engineer of the tire manufacturer in the united states, continental tire company, supplying original equipment tires for the a6 2.7t s line. All the dealers and the tire manufacturer have indicated there is a major problem with these 18 inch rims in the northeast area. Specifically, 60-70% of the tires fitted on these 18 inch rims are typically damaged and returned to the tire manufacturer and the majority of these 18 inch rims (equipped on the a6 2.7t) typically become bent because they can not withstand winter road conditions (I.e., potholes caused from the cold weather and snow) in…
During the first 18 months, I have experienced 4 flat tires on my audi a6 2.7t s line. One on the rear passenger side and 3 on the front driver's side. I have driven for over 25 years and have only experienced about 3 flat tires in that entire period before the purchase of this vehicle. The flat tires were replaced with three different brands. Regardless of the tire manufacturer, there continues to be flats. This is a very serious problem and the public should be made aware of this problem. *jb
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 audi a6. When driving he smelled a strong odor of gasoline inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the roll over valve was malfunctioning, and that the gas tank needed to be replaced. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 119898. Updated 11/18/09. *lj the consumer stated the smell particularly strong after filling up. The consumer was told his vine was not included in the recall. Updated 11/19/09 the consumer stated he began to smell gasoline inside the vehicle, particularly after filling home. He took the vehicle to a service center and when the mechanic lifted vehicle to inspect it, he found fuel leaking from the top of the fuel tank on the left side, within inches of the exhaust pipe. Updated 06/08/10.*jb
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 audi a6. The contact stated that when refueling the vehicle over the three quarter capacity level, a substantial amount of fuel would leak underneath the vehicle near the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and stated that the fuel tank rollover valve was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact expressed significant concern of the safety risk involved. The failure mileage was 90,000. The VIN was unavailable.
ABS module or sensor failure
With the elec stability control being intermittent this is being caused by the ABS module going bad/intermittent the brake pedal pressure changes. I have experienced this with my 2002 ram 1500 (4x4) as well. This could be a problem in all cars and trucks. The cost the fix for an audi is around $2500.00 and my ram was $1300.00. *tr
With the elec stability control being intermittent this is being caused by the ABS module going bad/intermittent the brake pedal pressure changes. I have experienced this with my 2002 ram 1500 (4x4) as well. This could be a problem in all cars and trucks. The cost the fix for an audi is around $2500.00 and my ram was $1300.00. *tr
Recalls on the 2004 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2004 Audi A6, affecting an estimated 23,412 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover fuel system, other:storage:tank assembly, fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly and electrical system. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
5,992 vehicles 2011-05-03- Defect
- Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 audi a6, model year 2002-2003 s6 and model year 2003 rs6 vehicles equipped with 4.2l engines and manufactured from june 19, 2001, through june 8, 2004. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
- Consequence
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could lead to a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reinforce the nipple on the rollover valve to prevent leakage or repair the cracking at the nipple. The recall is expected to begin during june 2011. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
68,240 vehicles 2008-04-08- Defect
- Volkswagen is recalling 68,240 my 2001-2004 audi a6 quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7l, 2.8l, or 3.0l engines and my 2001-2005 allroad quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7l or 4.2l engines. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
- Consequence
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could lead to a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reinforce the nipple on the rollover valve to prevent leakage or repair the cracking at the nipple. The recall began on june 27, 2008. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
70,512 vehicles 2006-06-05- Defect
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with halogen low beam headlights, certain connector pins in the headlight switch connector come into contact with each other causing a short circuit. Note: vehicles with xenon low beam headlights are not affected because the circuit in these vehicles contains a fuse, which precludes excessive current flow in the case of a short circuit. Audi s6 and s6 avant vehicles are all equipped with xenon low beam headlights and, therefore, are not longer affected by this recall.
- Consequence
- This condition could lead to overheating or fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reroute the wiring harness by installing a jumper wiring harness. The recall began on december 16, 2006. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
172,866 vehicles 2004-03-18- 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.
- Consequence
- A fire could originate in the left dashboard area.
- 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.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2004 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2004 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2004 — 207th riskiest of the 329 2004 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 26 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1996 comes out best at 59 and 2019 worst at 87, with 2004 itself at 66.
If the model year is negotiable, 1996, 2021 and 1997 score lower than 2004 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 1996–2004 generation specifically, 1996 is the strongest year at 59 and 2001 the weakest at 73.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 1996-2004 generation, 1996 Audi A6 scores best at 59 and 2001 Audi A6 worst at 73.
What this page cannot tell you
44 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 44 reports, 35 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 80% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Audi A6?
The most-reported failures are other wheel or tire problem (6 reports, median 30,000 miles), fuel tank, filler or evap failure (4 reports, median 105,000 miles) and abs module or sensor failure (4 reports, median 110,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2004 Audi A6 reliable?
It scores 66 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 207th riskiest of the 329 2004 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2004 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Audi A6 is best?
Within the 1996–2004 generation, 1996 scores best at 59 out of 100 and 2001 worst at 73. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed