Audi A6: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Audi A6 has 15 model year(s) in the federal index and no scored complaint record yet, so this page carries the catalogue entry and the years we hold rather than a verdict.
Audi A6: which years to avoid
Across 11 scored model years the Audi A6 ranges from 60/100 in 2012 to 92/100 in 2023 — a 32-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Air Bags (14 of them).
Safest years: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023 — scored 70 or better.
Check carefully: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2021.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the A6 changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2012–2018
Mean score 76/100, about 3 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (60 complaints). 22 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2020–2021
Mean score 72/100, about 3 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (20 complaints). 8 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,580 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,670 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 92 | BUY | $3,760 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 60 | CAUTION | $4,435 | 25 | 8 |
| 2020 | 85 | BUY | $4,105 | 8 | 4 |
| 2019 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,420 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 88 | BUY | $4,414 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017 | 83 | BUY | $4,942 | 20 | 3 |
| 2016 | 67 | CAUTION | $5,036 | 51 | 3 |
| 2015 | 85 | BUY | $5,068 | 22 | 4 |
| 2014 | 78 | BUY | $5,834 | 41 | 4 |
| 2013 | 68 | CAUTION | $5,536 | 52 | 6 |
| 2012 | 60 | CAUTION | $5,930 | 59 | 8 |
| 2011 | 87 | BUY | $6,614 | 19 | 3 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the A6, through the years →
A6 sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the A6 on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Audi A6
Across every A6 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Air Bags70 complaints across all A6 years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Engine63 complaints across all A6 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System54 complaints across all A6 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System33 complaints across all A6 years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Steering27 complaints across all A6 years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Power Train19 complaints across all A6 years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Audi A6 years to buy?
2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2023 at 92/100, on 0 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Audi A6 problem?
70 of the complaints filed against the A6 across all its model years sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04