KnownCarProblems2003 Audi A6 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Audi A6, most often about the fuel system (32% of complaints, typically around 84,500 miles). It is 8th of 27 A6 model years by number of complaints and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2003 Audi A6 problems
Fuel system
21 complaints · 32%Half of these problems showed up before 84,500 miles. Parts named most often: delivery, storage.
Tl contact owns 2003 Audi A6, 2.7 quattro. The contact stated that a fuel leak occurred on november 22, 1999. The contact also observed fuel leaking from the vehicle while driving 60 MPH. The contact parked the vehicle and the fuel began leaking out of the vehicle excessively. The rear bumper was hanging off of the…
The contact owns a 2003 Audi A6. The contact stated that the service engine warning light illuminated. The contact mentioned a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who reset the codes but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the…
Electrical
14 complaints · 21%Half of these problems showed up before 82,000 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, wiring, instrument cluster/panel.
2003 A6 quattro avant 3.0 car ran fine driving to work. When leaving at end of day, started car and it ran very rough I decided to reverse back into parking space and at that point noted smoke coming from under hood (car had run for approximately 20 seconds). Turned off engine, opened hood, and found the drivers side…
The fire started under dashboard as I was driving. I stopped the car in the middle of the road and quickly jumped out the car when saw a flame. This was the most freighting experience in my life.
Transmission
10 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 69,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
Car completely stopped in the middle of highway and car behind almost hit me. Transmission failed suddenly. It had to be replaced. Recurring problem with Audi A6 3.0 2003 CVT.
Transmission started to shudder and sometimes the transmission does not goes to neutral when the car is stopped, engine revs and it is difficult to stop. Prnd display on dashboard is blinking. Check engine light is on. Fault code shows failure on transmission control module.
Wheels and tires
6 complaints · 9%Parts named most often: sidewall, tread/belt.
Consumer experience significant problems with low profile tires that are OEM on Audi A6 3.ol quattro. The failure occurred within the sidewall of the tires.
: the contact stated the tires on the front of the vehicle have been replaced nine times, within one and a half years. The side walls on the tires are blowing out. The tire repair shop was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer of the vehicle has been alerted.
Engine
6 complaints · 9%Parts named most often: engine.
Faulty ignition coils (so far 3 out of 6 cylinders went bad). On three occasions after starting and putting the car into the gear, shaking ensued and the "check engine" light turned on. The car had to be towed each time to the dealer where the faulty parts were replaced.
On may 3, 2013, I was driving on the expressway at approximately 10mph. Suddenly, I began smelling smoke. I thought the smoke was coming from nearby trucks. However, soon after, smoke was profusely coming through my glove compartment. I pulled over, turned the car off, and exited the car. About 5 minutes later, this…
Visibility and wipers
3 complaints · 5%Parts named most often: windshield wiper/washer.
Windshield wipers stop during wiper cycle. Wipers do not reset or restart for 30-45 seconds after stopping. Wipers will not start or reset if driver moves wiper selector lever during malfunction into any mode, delay, low or hi. Problem only occurs when raining. Could not duplicate effect in dry weather. Problem…
The windshield washer system fails routinely in Audi A6 models 1998 to 2005 causing the fluid reservoir to rapidly empty leading to loss of visibility in bad weather leading to a traffic safety hazard.
Service Brakes, Electric
3 complaints · 5%Abs control unit is faulty on my Audi A6 2003. I believe it is subject to recall indicated by the $1800 repair and frequency of this complaint on the internet.
Brakes
3 complaints · 5%I have locked my brakes and had a near accident. My ABS and esp has stopped working on my 2003 Audi A6. I was told the ABS control units are known to go bad, and will cost over a $1000 to fix. I cannot afford to fix. If this is a widespread problem, shouldn't Audi be held accountable for any traffic accidents due to…
The contact owns a 2003 Audi A6 2.7 quattro. The contact stated while traveling 20 MPH the ABS system activated causing the vehicle to veer to the left. The vehicle was able to be driven to the contact's home. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2003 Audi A6 recalls
Fuel system: tank assembly
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could lead to a vehicle fire.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: tank assembly
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could lead to a vehicle fire.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: If fuel flow to the engine is interrupted, the vehicle could stall without warning and thus present a potential risk of crash.
Fix: Dealers will install new fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on september 28, 20007. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-222-8987 or audi at 1-800-822-2834. This recall is a supplement to a previous campaign (please see 06v017).
Full defect summary
On certain vehicles equipped with 1.8l turbo, 2.8l v6, or 3.0l engines, a change in the electrical motor components in the fuel pump can lead to an inoperative fuel pump and, ultimately, stoppage of fuel supply to the engine causing it to stall.
Electrical: electrical system
Risk: This condition could lead to overheating or fire.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: If fuel flow to the engine is interrupted, the vehicle could stall without warning and thus present a potential risk of crash.
Fix: Dealers will install new fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on april 10, 2006. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-222-8987 or audi at 1-800-822-2834.
Full defect summary
On certain vehicles produced from september 2002 - march 2003, equipped with 1.8l turbo, 2.8l v6, or 3.0l engines, a change in the electrical motor components in the fuel pump can lead to an inoperative fuel pump and, ultimately, stoppage of fuel supply to the engine causing it to stall.
Electrical: electrical system
Risk: A fire could originate in the left dashboard area.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: frontal
Risk: An improperly positioned igniter will not activate the air bag in the event of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bags. Owner notification began november 18, 2002. Owners should contact audi at 1-800-822-2834.
Full defect summary
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3-spoke sport steering wheels, it is possible that the igniter for the driver's side air bag may not have been properly assembled.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Fuel tank leak
Summary
Volkswagen (vw) is recalling certain vw passat 4motion and audi a6 quattro and allroad quattro all-wheel drive passenger cars.vw vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from november 22, 2000 through may 31, 2005 and audi vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from june 2, 2001 to june 1, 2005.the NHTSA recall number for the vw vehicles is 08v-156 (vw also is correcting defects related to heat shield and fuel line hazards for these vehicles and for 1999-2000 passats in this recall action.)the NHTSA recall number for the audi vehicles is 08v-157.since 2006, odi has received 17 complaints of fuel leaking from the subject vehicles' fuel tanks.the 400 complaints shown above may includ
Questions about the 2003 Audi A6
- What are the most common problems with the 2003 Audi A6?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: fuel system (21 complaints, typically around 84,500 miles); electrical (14 complaints, typically around 82,000 miles); transmission (10 complaints, typically around 69,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2003 Audi A6 have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from May 3, 2011 (fuel system). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2003 a bad year for the Audi A6?
- It is 8th of 27 A6 model years by number of complaints, with 66 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.