AUDI A6 · model year

1998 AUDI A6

158 NHTSA complaints, 12 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998AUDIA6 carries 158 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 12 crashes, 7 fires, 12 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 A6 is fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly with 18 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (11) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (7). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 1998 A6. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

158
Complaints
12
Crashes
7
Fires
12
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

158 filings

Crashes Reported

12 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY18
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL11
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP7
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM7
STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS6
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE5
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE3
STEERING:LINKAGES3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH3
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER3

Recent Complaints

20210806AIR BAGS

Takata recall. The contact owns a 1998 Audi A6. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V056000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

20200915FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL WAS FOUND LEAKING FROM THE ROLLOVER VALVE NIPPLE ON THE FUEL TANK. THIS NIPPLE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CRACK WHEN THE METAL VENTILATION LINE LINE ADDS STRESS TO THE PLASTIC NIPPLE. GASOLINE WAS FOUND IN A PUDDLE ON THE FLOOR AT THE LEFT/ REAR OF THE CAR. AUDI HAS RECALLED AND REPAIRED THIS DEFECT ON LATER YEAR A6S BUT AUDI OF AMERICA, INC. REFUSED TO REPAIR THE 1998 A6. THE GAS TANK ON THE 98 A6 IS IDENTICAL TO THE GAS TANK ON THE RECALLED VEHICLES. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS ALREADY DETERMINED THAT THESE FUEL TANKS PRESENT A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD AND PARTICIPATED IN A RECALL. THIS RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL A6 VEHICLES WITH THE DEFECTIVE PLASTIC NIPPLE INCLUDING THE 1998 AUDI A6 IN QUESTION.

Mileage: 224,580

20140312FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE DASHBOARD WIRES HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

20120316SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A6. WHILE TRAVELING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY DROPPED TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 150,000. UPDATED 5/7/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED ONE MONTH PRIOR, WHILE TURNING OFF A ROAD, THE VEHICLE DROPPED TO 25 MPH, THERE WAS LOSS OF BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO CONTROL. UPDATED 05/30/10

Mileage: 150,000

20120316SUSPENSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A6. WHILE TRAVELING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY DROPPED TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 150,000. UPDATED 5/7/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED ONE MONTH PRIOR, WHILE TURNING OFF A ROAD, THE VEHICLE DROPPED TO 25 MPH, THERE WAS LOSS OF BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO CONTROL. UPDATED 05/30/10

Mileage: 150,000

20100225FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

I AM EXPERIENCING AN ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE THAT WAS RECALLED BY THE FACTORY AUDI AG BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED AS ONE OF THE RECALLED VEHICLE. I AM AFRAID OF GETTING STRANDED DUE TO AN IMPROPER FUEL READING. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ACCORDINGLY, THANK YOU. *TR

Mileage: 163,895

20091111SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

DEAR DOT, I'VE A 1998 AUDI A6 QUATTRO. MY ABS SYSTEM SHOWS WARNING YELLOW ABS LIGHT AND RED FLASHING BRAKE LIGHT AT ALL TIME. I'VE TAKEN MY TWO SHOPS AND THEY BOTH INDICATED THAT THE ABS UNIT IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. THEY TESTED ALL 4 WHEEL SENSORS ON THE CAR AND ALSO MAPPED OUT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE CONCLUSION WAS A DEFECTIVE ABS UNIT. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND OTHER AUDI OWNER FROM 1998 - 2001 ALSO HAVE THE SAME ISSUES. IF THIS SYSTEM IS KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE, IT SHOULD BE RECALLED IN ALL FAIRNESS. I AM PRETTY HAPPY WITH THIS CAR, BUT THE ABS IS AN UNCOMFORTABLE EXPERIENCE. IT COST ABOUT $2000 TO REPLACE THE ABS UNIT AND AUDI DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT THE PROBLEM. REFERENCES: HTTP://AUDI-VW-ABS-RECALL.BLOGSPOT.COM HTTP://WWW.ALLWORLDAUTO.COM/COMMENTS/AUDI_A4_AVANT_COMMENTS_AND_COMPLAINTS_65-34245-1.HTML

Mileage: 120,000

20090415ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

FIRE HAZARD DUE TO OIL LEAKING ONTO EXHAUST. *TR

20090204SEAT BELTS

I HAVE AN 1998 AUDI A6, 2.8L, V6, QUATTRO, AVANT WITH A 115000 MLS AND MY CARS'S REAR SEAT, SEAT BELT IN (THE MIDDLE PASSENGER "BELT SHAPE, ONE") SEAT STOP WORKING AND IT IS STUCK IN ITS OPEN POSITION ABOUT 15"-16" OUT. AFTER TALKING TO THE AUDI DEALER NEAR HOME THEY SAID, YEAH NOT WORKING BUT SORRY OUT OF WARRANTY, I ASKED IS THIS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THIS CAR? THEY SAID NO! ITS NOT! I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. IS THAT OK A SEAT BELT IN REAR SEAT HARDLY USED BY ME BREAK SO EASY?! I HAVE SEEN MANY PARENTS USE THIS SEAT BELT TO SECURE THERE CHILD'S CAR SEAT TO THE CAR'S SEAT? THANK YOU. *TR

Mileage: 115

20070506FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

I PURCHASED A USED 98 AUDI A6 PN 4/28/07. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, THE ONLY ISSUES WITH THE CAR WERE THIS GASSY SMELL INSIDE THE CAR WHEN YOU TURN ON THE HEAT, AND A SMOKE COMING FROM THE SOME PIPE. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE BREATHER WAS CUT, AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED . AFTER FIXING THE PROBLEM WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. COULD NOT DO THE INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THAT PROBLEM. A FEW DAYS LATER I STARTED WHILE DRIVING I HEAR THIS BEEPING SOUND. THE FUEL NEEDLE IMMEDIATELY WENT DOWN TO EMPTY, AND BACK UP AGAIN SHOWING THAT I HAD HALF A TANK OF GAS. I WENT TO CHECK IT AGAIN. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. SO I DECIDED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. IN THE MEAN TIME, I DECIDED TO FILL UP MY GAS TANK. THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED A GAS SMELL COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE CAR. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC ON MY WAY HOME, TO FIND OUT THAT MY GAS TANK WAS LEAKING BECAUSE THERE IS A CRACK AND I COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS BECAUSE THE CAR

20070308VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 AUDI A6. THERE RECALL 04V495000 IN OCTOBER 2004 CONCERNING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. ON 3/08/07 THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 90 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REDUCE THE SPEED, ENGAGE THE BRAKES OR PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT HAD TO FORCE THE VEHICLE IN PARK WITH THE TRANSMISSION GRINDING AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR EVERY RECALL. ROAD CONDITIONS WERE NOT A FACTOR. AUDI AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DIDN'T AGREE THAT THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED DUE TO THE FAILURE SHE EXPERIENCED. AUDI ASSURED THE CONTACT THAT PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE VEHICLE ALL RELATED RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 100,000. *AK

Mileage: 100,000

20060821SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ABS/BRAKE LIGHT ON ALL THE TIME. I GOT MY BRAKES CHANGED, MY MECHANIC CHECKED IT, AND TOLD ME THE ABS SYSTEM IS MALFUNCTIONING. *JB

Mileage: 114,000

20060703ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

98 A6 QUATTRO, LEAKS OIL, THE CAR'S BEEN IN THE SHOP 4 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE(IN 2 YEARS TIME FRAME), THE LOWER PAN GASKET HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AS WELL AS THE OIL CAP. LAST TIME I HAD THE AUDI SERVICE CHECK IT OUT I HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY NEED TO TAKE THE WHOLE ENGINE APART= HUGE BILL. I SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THE "HARD TO FIX" OIL LEAK. *NM

20060615SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

CONTROL ARMS WEAR OUT PREMATURELY CAUSING WORN TIRES. *NM

20060609ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

LOWER AND UPPER GASKETS ARE LEAKING. THESE LEAKS DROP ON HOT PARTS OF THE ENGINE AND CREATE SMOKE FUME. I HAD THE LOWER GASKET REPLACED FOR ABOUT $500. I KNOW THAT SIMILAR SERVICES ARE DONE 2 MORE TIMES IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CAR FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM. I DOUBT THAT THERE IS A DESIGN ISSUE ON THIS AREA. *JB

20060609STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

TIE RODS IN THE STEERING SYSTEMS ARE DAMAGED. AUDI CLAIMS THEY HAD A RECALL ON THESE RODS AND THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE CAR HAD THE SERVICE COMPLETED BACK IN 2000. YET, I STILL HAVE PROBLEMS NOW IN 2006. I WONDER IF THE FIX AUDI IMPLEMENTED IS REALLY EFFECTIVE OR NOT. *JB

Mileage: 85,000

20060425VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 40MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE THROTTLE STUCK IN AN OPEN POSITION. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED; THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND MOVED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND ON IN AN ATTEMPT TO RELEASE THE THROTTLE, BUT THIS ATTEMPT FAILED AND THE ENGINE RACED WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS HOME AND THE DEALER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

Mileage: 107,000

20060328FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ON FEBRUARY 4, 2006 I WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 95, BETWEEN EXITS 15 AND 16 IN NORWALK, CONNECTICUT. I WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE CAR, AND I WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR. THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 12:30 PM. SMOKE AND FLAMES SUDDENLY STARTED POURING OUT OF THE VENTS ON THE DASHBOARD. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR, SO THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY TO SLOW DOWN OR PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR QUICKLY FILLED WITH BLACK SMOKE AND THE DASHBOARD WAS COVERED WITH FIRE. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND IT WOULDN'T TURN AT ALL. ALTHOUGH I COULD NOT STEER, THE CAR DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT LANE. WHILE SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE POURING OUT OF THE DASHBOARD, AND THE CAR WAS STILL MOVING, I OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. MY BACK HIT THE GUARDRAIL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND I FELL TO THE GROUND. WITHIN A MINUTE THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN SMOKE AND FLAMES.

Mileage: 104,000

20051206SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

1998 AUDI A6 WITH 130,000 MILES; ABS/BRAKE LIGHTS ON DASH ILLUMINATE WITH PIERCING TONES, FIRST INTERMITTENTLY, NOW UPON STARTUP AND DRIVE OFF. MANUAL STATES THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, AND DRIVER COULD POSSIBLY LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER STATES REPAIRS $1500.00+ FOR COMPLETE ABS REPLACEMENT...AUDI OWNER FORUMS INCLUDE MANY OTHERS WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEMS...NO OTHER REPAIR OPTIONS WERE OFFERED BY THE DEALER. *JB

Mileage: 125,000

20051017FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

(1) PURCHASED AUTO 10/7/05. PICK-UP IN MIAMI. AUTO HAS ALWAYS BEEN OPERATED IN FLORIDA CLIMATE. DROVE CAR TO PENNSYLVANIA ARRIVING ON 10/9/05. ON 10/13/05 DETECTED A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IMMEDIATELY AFTER REFUELING AND PARKING IN GARAGE. (THIS WAS FIRST TIME CAR WAS REFUELED IN PENNSYLVANIA AND PARKED IN GARAGE). (2) PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS A LEAK IN A SEAM OF THE PLASTIC GAS TANK OF THE AUDI A6. HAS CAUSED NO INJURIES AS YET. OBVIOUS CONSEQUENCE IS FOUL ODOR AND , MORE IMPORTANTLY, A HAZARD TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. CARFAX VEHICLE HISTORY SHOWS NO RECORD OF THE CAR BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, NOT HAVE I EXPERIENCED ONE SINCE PURCHASING. (3) LICENSED REPAIR SHOP IS CURRENTLY SEARCHING FOR REPLACEMENT GAS TANK AND DETERMINING THE APPROXIMATE LABOR COST TO REPLACE. *NM

Mileage: 80,500

Compare 1998AUDIA6 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 AUDI A6 have?
The 1998 AUDI A6 has 158 NHTSA complaints, 12 crashes, 7 fires, 12 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 AUDI A6?
The most-complained component for the 1998 AUDI A6 is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY with 18 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1998 AUDI A6 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.