2021 Audi A6

2021 Audi A6 recalls (11)

• SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

  Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).

• TIRES

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

  Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

• AIR BAGS

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS6 Avant, RS7, 2020-2021 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, S7, 2019-2021 A6 Sedan, and A7 vehicles. The score line on the passenger air bag may not have been manufactured correctly.

  Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the passenger air bag score line, and repair it as necessary, free of charge. The recall begin March 26, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 70i2.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A6 Allroad, Q7, RS6 and RS7 vehicles. The electrical connector can detach from the door crash sensor in either of the front doors.

  Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and as necessary, replace the crash sensors in both front doors, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2020. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BM.

• SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

  Remedy: Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:FUEL GAUGE:FUEL LEVEL FLOAT/SENSOR/SENDING UNIT

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RS6 Avant and RS7, 2020-2022 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, and S7, and 2019-2022 A6 Sedan and A7 vehicles. The fuel level sender may stick, causing an inaccurate fuel level reading to be displayed on the instrument cluster.

  Remedy: Dealers will install a new sensor in the tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2023. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DN.

• BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

  Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DZ.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, A6 Allroad, 2021-2022 RS7, RS6 Avant, 2019-2022 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. Liquid spilled in the rear seat may penetrate and cause the gateway control module to shut down.

  Remedy: Dealers will install a protective cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90V2.

• SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, RS7, RS6 Avant, A6 Allroad, 2019-2021 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. An incorrectly labeled brake fluid cap may have been installed, which can result in the use of the wrong type of brake fluid.

  Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake fluid reservoir cap and, if necessary, replace it, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47T9.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 SQ8, A6 SEDAN, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 SEDAN, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument panel module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90VC.

• BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

  Remedy: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.

2021 Audi A6 safety ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP ratings.

2021 Audi A6 owner complaints (15)

• UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  My 2021 Audi A6 produces a strong mold and mildew odor from the HVAC/air conditioning system. The smell occurs consistently after the air conditioning is turned off and persists when entering the vehicle. The issue appears to originate from mold growth on the evaporator coil or dampers, likely caused by moisture accumulation and inadequate condensate drainage in the HVAC system. The vehicle was inspected and treated at an authorized Audi dealership; however, the treatment did not resolve the issue and the odor returned. Online owner forums and communities document the same problem across multiple Audi models and model years, suggesting this is a systemic design or manufacturing issue rather than an isolated incident. A passenger in the vehicle — a minor child with a documented mold allergy — has experienced allergic reactions as a result of exposure to the vehicle's air conditioning output. This constitutes a health and safety concern. The mold contamination in the HVAC system poses a risk to vehicle occupants, particularly those with respiratory conditions or mold sensitivities. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether a defect exists in the HVAC/evaporator system design across Audi vehicles, and whether a safety recall or technical service bulletin is warranted.

• ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  The contact owns a 2021 Audi A6. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The engine overheating and the low coolant warning light illuminated. In addition, the engine seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and a failed coolant pump vacuum. The contact was informed that the coolant pump vacuum assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that the failure was a known failure of the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

• ENGINE

  Thermostat housing and oil cooler bracket leaking coolant with only 56k miles on the car

• POWER TRAIN

  I was driving my vehicle when the engine surged and then a transmission warning light came on and there was an immediate and complete loss of drive power. After the vehicle glided to a stop, there was no drive transmission in either forward or reverse. There was no pre-warning and no earlier incidence that led up to this issue. The vehicle is five years old with 39,834 miles and has had all routine maintenance and mileage interval services performed at the dealership, including its recent (Dec-25) 40,000-mile service. Thankfully this complete failure occurred when I was in my neighborhood and travelling 20mph; otherwise, the results could have been catastrophic had it occurred on a multilane highway at speeds of 65-70 MPH. The vehicle was towed to Audi of Indianapolis where the issue was identified as one broken bolt and two loose bolts for the transmission filter cap. This matches a known Audi Issue with a Technical Service Bulletin issued December 13, 2024, where they acknowledge a complete loss of power and a root cause of broken/loose bolts in the transmission filter. This is a known issue and is happening on low mileage well serviced vehicles. Because this issue is known and could result in a severe accident and/or loss of life under high-speed multi-lane highway conditions, it seems Audi of America should issue a recall versus just a TSB and/or extend the warranty for this issue up to 10 years or 100,000 miles which would, perhaps, be considered a normal lifespan for a part.

• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  My alternator was not working and it was a recall and I paid to fix it and they don’t wanna pay me back. I got a new part from audi and fix it at the shop and they don’t wanna pay anything just called and she said we don’t pay only if he’s done at the dealer. And I don’t believe that! Bc dealer told me they pay if I fix it any where to get done quick bc was out stock

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  While driving at normal speed, the entire digital instrument panel suddenly went black and a red warning triangle appeared. I lost all gauges, including speedometer, fuel level, and warning indicators. This created a serious safety risk because I was in active traffic and had no way to know my speed or see alerts. My VIN shows an open recall for this exact defect (instrument cluster blackout), but the failure has already happened during normal driving. I consider the vehicle unsafe to drive until repaired.

• FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  The Audi Pre-sense is activated by weather. I was driving during a thunderstorm and Audi Presence activated causing the car to come to a hard stop due to precipitation. It happened again backing out of my driveway the Audi Pre-sense was activated and the car came to a hard stop. I thought I had back into another vehicle. This is very dangerous.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  The car has had multiple issues with warning lights and malfunctioning systems. Including : 1.Child locks 2.Every single component of the ADAS 3. Emergency services being activated at least a few times a month - this is an SOS for emergency 911 service. The repeated, continuous and mostly false warning lights are a driving distraction that can easily cause an accident. I have photos of all warning lights coming on in the vehicle. The dealership has repeated stated that they couldn't reproduce the problem even though pictures were provided and the car is still under the original warranty period. The latest attempt to fix the vehicle was to replace the sensors on the front of the vehicle. This solution was only attempted after the 4th report of the problem to the dealership where the car was serviced under the original manufacturers warranty

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  Vehicle had electrical system malfunction. Vehicle provided an electrical system malfunction and vehicle starting system malfunction warning message a few days prior to the incident. Vehicle has approximately 20.5K miles on odometer. Before I was able to bring it to service, the electrical system malfunction message became more severe and turned from yellow to red. While driving, the vehicle progressively shut down ABS, lane departure, and other systems and gave a transmission warning message. Eventually, the car lost power and I was left stranded at the side of the road.

• STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  Car reported an engine restarter issue (with battery symbol) and recommended to contact the dealer. Car next shut down automatic restart system, and air conditioning stopped working. Within a short period of time (same day), the car listed a red battery symbol and advised to stop the car. After doing so and contacting the Audi roadside, the car was listing a series of issues on multiple symptoms while also saying in the warning message "still okay to drive". These systems included steering, braking, and what seemed to be other sensors the car powers. Finally (and within 5 minutes of the previous message of being okay to drive), the warnings were continuous and started including the transmission. The car stopped accelerating (we were on the expressway) and we thankfully got to the side of the road. This was an enormously dangerous situation as the car became fully disabled and we were subject to limited options of relief from a major traffic area. Within 30 minutes of being disabled, no electrical charge was present in the car, including emergency flashers, making the situation more dangerous as it was nighttime, so we had to abandon the car and walk down the expressway to find a hotel. Could not even put the car in neutral for the tow. Service is initially reporting a failure of the restart generator. This appears to be an alarmingly common issue with Audis.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The contact owns a 2021 Audi A6. The contact stated while his father was driving 45 MPH, the electrical system Malfunction warning light illuminated. The contact stated that several electronic components started to turn off until the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the starter generator to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts being on backorder. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The contact's wife owns a 2021 Audi A6. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V155000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted and was unable to confirm when parts would become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  Multiple warnings indicating to contact dealer (Lane departure, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, electrical system, start/stop, etc) then 1 minute later transmission failure and engine failure imminent. After a minute or two my center MMI went blank then my electronic dash went blank, transmission went into neutral and the engine died all within a few seconds. Fortunately I was able to coast to a stop in the center median of an expressway and contacted the dealer. Flatbed towed to dealer who stated most likely the generator between the lithium battery bank and gas engine failed. They have seen several in this year for A6 and A7's with mild hybrid engines. I was lucky to be in low volume traffic as there was no power to indicate to drivers around me that my engine quit and not even turn signals worked. After having car towed to Audi dealer, they proceeded to tell me it was the starter/generator and the part was on back order for two to three months.

• STRUCTURE

  Sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving. No other cars around when this occurred. Caused a very loud BANG. Was driving on the freeway when this occurred. Dealer would not confirm issue was spontaneous - felt something must have hit the car to cause this. No defined impact location on roof. Also, roof glass was pushed up in the middle instead of down like would be expected if something hit it from the outside. No warning before it occurred.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  Liquid spulked in the trunk and somehow was able to get to the control module that is located under the rear seat similar concerns as recalled Audi Q5. Vehicle malfunctioned in the middle of a busy intersection.