2012 Audi A6

● Typical for this model
2012 Audi A6
RENDERED 2026-08-02T13:00:11.569Z

This year's complaint volume is within 30% of this model's typical year.

This verdict reflects complaint volume compared to this model's typical year. Recalls and safety issues below apply regardless of the verdict — always check them.

How is this computed?

COMPLAINTS PER YEAR

Complaints per year, Audi A6 Bar chart of distinct NHTSA complaints filed per model year, 2012 highlighted. 1994: 2 complaints 1994 1995: 16 complaints 1996: 51 complaints 1997: 20 complaints 1998: 130 complaints 1999: 217 complaints 1999 2000: 148 complaints 2001: 113 complaints 2002: 88 complaints 2003: 66 complaints 2004: 35 complaints 2004 2005: 91 complaints 2006: 67 complaints 2007: 53 complaints 2008: 70 complaints 2009: 21 complaints 2009 2010: 17 complaints 2011: 21 complaints 2012: 59 complaints 2012 2013: 52 complaints 2014: 40 complaints 2014 2015: 21 complaints 2016: 51 complaints 2017: 20 complaints 2018: 11 complaints 2019: 113 complaints 2019 2020: 24 complaints 2021: 15 complaints 2022: 2 complaints 2023: 1 complaints 2024: 0 complaints 2024 2025: 4 complaints 2026: 4 complaints 2026
2012: 59 complaints
View as data table
YearComplaints
19942
199516
199651
199720
1998130
1999217
2000148
2001113
200288
200366
200435
200591
200667
200753
200870
200921
201017
201121
201259
201352
201440
201521
201651
201720
201811
2019113
202024
202115
20222
20231
20240
20254
20264

KNOWN PROBLEM AREAS

AIR BAGS 24%

24% of complaints: air bags — 14 distinct reports on file.

Show complaint excerpts

REFERENCE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 15V823000, MY 2012 AUDI A6 FALLS WITHIN THE MODEL YEAR AS WELL AS THE AS BUILD DATE. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY MY LOCAL DEALER I NEED THE NEW PODS (PASSENGER OCCUPANCY DETECTION SYSTEM) INSTALLED SINCE MINE IS BAD.

NHTSA ODI report, 20180117

AIR BAG FAULT LIGHT IS ON WITH FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS IN THE SEAT AND WHEN NOT IN THE SEAT WHILE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION.

NHTSA ODI report, 20180107

ENGINE 22%

22% of complaints: engine — 13 distinct reports on file.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 19%

19% of complaints: electrical system — 11 distinct reports on file.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 15%

15% of complaints: fuel/propulsion system — 9 distinct reports on file.

Show complaint excerpts

Good morning, For the past couple of weeks, I've been getting the run around on whether the issue I'm having with my vehicle is an active recall.

NHTSA ODI report, 20231230

POWER TRAIN 14%

14% of complaints: power train — 8 distinct reports on file.

SAFETY TIMELINE

R 20111216 — air bags

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2012 AUDI A6 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 8, 2011, THROUGH MAY 26, 2011. DUE TO A PROBLEM IN THE STITCHING PROCESS OF THE CURTAIN AIR BAG, THE SEAM OF THE AI

Remedy: VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOTIFY ALL OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND/OR RIGHT CURTAIN AIR BAG FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOL

Campaign 11V580000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20150317 — fuel system, gasoline

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails and corresponding seals, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015.

Campaign 15V019000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20160205 — air bags

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Audi A6 vehicles manufactured March 28, 2011, to March 25, 2013, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles manufactured January 25, 2011, to March 19, 2013.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and Audi dealers will install a PODS system repair kit, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74D1.

Campaign 15V823000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20161102 — fuel system, gasoline

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Audi A6 and Audi A7 vehicles. The affected vehicles have a fuel hose in the engine compartment that may degrade and leak fuel.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the under hood fuel pump and fuel hose, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BZ.

Campaign 16V646000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20170303 — engine and engine cooling

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 vehicles, 2013-2016 Audi Allroad and Audi A4 vehicles and 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the software so that the power supply to the coolant pump is deactivated if the pump becomes blocked with debris, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 20, 2017.

Campaign 17V002000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20180205 — fuel system, gasoline

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Audi A6 and A7 vehicles. The fuel line has a compression point that can weaken, potentially resulting in a fuel leak.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-888-237-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AR.

Campaign 17V781000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20180914 — engine and engine cooling

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Audi A5 Cabriolet, A5 Sedan and Audi Q5 vehicles, 2012-2015 Audi A6 vehicles and 2013-2016 Audi A4 Sedan and A4 allroad vehicles.

Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the pumps, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number's for this recall is 19N3/19N4.

Campaign 18V229000 — check if this car was fixed

R 20181129 — air bags

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S6 and S7, 2012-2018 A7 and A6 Sedan, and 2014-2018 RS7 vehicles equipped with basic seats (with or without heating).

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a PODS system repair kit, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74D5.

Campaign 18V370000 — check if this car was fixed

BUY-SMART CHECKLIST

2012 Audi A6 — pre-purchase inspection

  • Test/inspect for air bags issues (14 reports on file for this year).
  • Test/inspect for engine issues (13 reports on file for this year).
  • Test/inspect for electrical system issues (11 reports on file for this year).
  • Verify recall 11V580000 (air bags) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 15V019000 (fuel system, gasoline) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 15V823000 (air bags) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 16V646000 (fuel system, gasoline) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 17V002000 (engine and engine cooling) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 17V781000 (fuel system, gasoline) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 18V229000 (engine and engine cooling) has been completed.
  • Verify recall 18V370000 (air bags) has been completed.

OTHER YEARS OF THIS MODEL

BEST YEARS

▲ 2004 ▲ 2014 ● 1996

WORST YEARS

■ 1999 ■ 2000 ◆ 1998

See all years ranked →

FAQ

Is the 2012 Audi A6 reliable?

Based on NHTSA complaint volume compared to this model's typical year, the 2012 Audi A6 is rated "typical".

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Audi A6?

The most-reported component is air bags, accounting for 24% of complaints on file.

How many recalls does the 2012 Audi A6 have?

8 recalls on file for this model year.

Data updated 2026-07-11 · Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA, not independently verified defects. Methodology.