Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 1999 Audi A6
NHTSA data on file today
The 1999 Audi A6 has 9 NHTSA recall campaigns and 217 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #20V056000 Air Bag Inflators May Underinflate Bag NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #06V198000 CROSSMEMBER COVER/DRIVERS SIDE DASH FIRE NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #04V495000 VW/THROTTLE ICING NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #04V133000 VW/DRIVERS SIDE DASH FIRE NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #01V157000 VW/FUEL SENDING UNITS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #00V414000 VW/TIE RODS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #99V248000 VW/TIE RODS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #99V131001 VW/BRAKE BOOSTER NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #99V058000 VW/FUEL SPILLAGE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Electrical System 37 complaints
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic 31 complaints
- Fuel System, Gasoline 25 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 24 complaints
- Steering 19 complaints
- Engine and Engine Cooling 17 complaints
Of the 217 complaints on file, 12 report a crash and 23 a fire; across all 217 complaints, owners report 15 injuries and 2 deaths (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $5,000–$9,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 1999 Audi A6 is rated below-average due to significant electrical system and brake complaints alongside multiple recall campaigns. With 217 complaints filed and nine recalls, the vehicle shows vulnerability in several important systems. Notably, high frequencies of issues in the electrical, brake, and fuel systems indicate potential reliability problems. However, detailed failure data is limited, suggesting that issues might be less widespread than they appear.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | Unknown | $400–$1,500 | common |
| Brakes | Unknown | $300–$1,000 | common |
| Fuel system | Unknown | $200–$800 | occasional |
| Steering system | Unknown | $250–$900 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter change
- Brake fluid replacement
- Timing belt replacement
- Tire rotations
- Spark plug replacement
- Coolant flush
- Transmission fluid change
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Electric shorts
- Brake pedal sponginess
- Fuel gauge inaccuracies
- Throttle freezing
- Steering play
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 1999 Audi A6 at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.