The 1998 Audi A6 has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 8 recurring issue clusters, led by “Fuel gauge and tank sender inaccurate readings.” Audi follows the VW Group Longlife service rhythm: oil and minor service every 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first, using oil that meets VW 502 00 / 504 00 (or 508 00 for newer 0W-20 engines) — generic synthetic does not qualify. S tronic dual-clutch gearboxes need fluid service every 40,000 miles despite 'lifetime fill' claims. Fully electric models (e-tron, e-tron GT) skip oil service entirely but keep brake-fluid, cabin-filter, and coolant-circuit intervals.
No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 1998 Audi A6.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
14 NHTSA complaints · 1999-02 → 2010-02
“GAS GAUGE IS INDICTATING THAT FUEL WAS AVAILABLE, BUT THERE WAS NO GAS IN TANK DUE TO DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK SENDER, CAUSING CONSUMER TO GET STRANDED”
“FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT LEVELS OF FUEL DUE TO DEFECTIVE SENSOR WITHIN THE GAS TANK”
“VEHICLE RAN OUT OF GAS - GAUGE SHOWED 3/4 TANK”
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
10 NHTSA complaints · 2004-11 → 2009-11
“THE ABS BRAKING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON”
“SEVERAL MONTHS AGO THE ABS CONTROL UNIT (BRAKES) FAILED”
“THE VEHICLE'S ABS CONTROLLER FAILED AFTER LESS THAN 70000 MILES”
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
6 NHTSA complaints · 1998-11 → 2004-08
“BACK PRESSURE DEVELOPS WHEN REFUELING WITH THE ENGINE AND IGNITION OFF”
“AIR PRESSURE BUILDS UP INSIDE THE GAS TANK CAUSING GASOLINE TO SPRAY OUT OF THE TANK ONTO THE CONSUMER, VEHICLE, AND GROUND, THE GAS WILL CONTINUE TO SPRAY OUT UNDER PRESSURE AFTER THE NOZZLE IS REMOVED FROM THE TANK FILLER NECK”
“WHILE TRYING TO FILL GAS TANK, GASOLINE SHOOTS OUT OF THE FILLER NECK, REPAIR ATTEMPT FAILED”
STEERING
7 NHTSA complaints · 1999-12 → 2006-06
“AFTER RECALL 99V248000 CONCERNING TIE ROD FAILURE”
“TIE RODS ARE LOOSE AND WORN OUT, ALLOWING DUST TO ENTER INTO MECHANISM”
“RECALL 99V248000, NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE TO CORRECT THE RECALL PROBLEM”
SUSPENSION
8 NHTSA complaints · 2003-05 → 2012-03
“CONTROL ARMS WEAR OUT PREMATURELY CAUSING WORN TIRES”
“LOWER LEFT CONTROL ARM BOLTS BROKE FREE FROM SUBFRAME, DAMAGING BOTH FRONT AXLES, BENDING SUBFRAME AND FLATTENING THE FRONT LEFT TIRE”
“WHILE TRAVELING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY DROPPED TO THE GROUND”
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
16 NHTSA complaints · 2002-04 → 2007-03
“THE THROTTLE STICKS IN COLD WEATHER CAUSIG THE AUDI A6 WEHICLE TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN WITHOUT PRESSING THE GAS”
“CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW 0 ACCELERATOR STUCK”
“WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY COMING TO THE EXIT RAMP FOR M Y HOME THE CAR WOULDNT STOP”
STEERING
5 NHTSA complaints · 2000-03 → 2003-09
“WHILE DRIVING 55MPH STEERING WHEEL HEAT SENSORS CAUGHT ON FIRE”
“THE HEATED STEERING WHEEL HAD MELTED, AND THE CONSUMER'S CHILD WAS BURNED”
“THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL WOULD HEAT UP”
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4 NHTSA complaints · 2004-02 → 2014-03
“WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH SMOKE STARTED TO APPEAR INSIDE THE VEHICLE THAT CAME OUT FROM THE DASHBOARD”
“THEN, SMOKE CAME FROM AIR VENTS, AND SMOKE GOT WORSE”
“SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT OF THE SHIFTER AND DASHBOARD”
Issues on other model years
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.
We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.
Critical for safety and preventing major damage
Replace oil and filter every 10,000 miles or 12 months with VW 502 00 / 504 00 / 508 00 spec oil. S and RS models driven hard: many owners shorten to 5,000-7,500 miles. Wrong-spec oil is the leading cause of TFSI timing-chain tensioner and PCV problems.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$120–$160
Shop
~$85–$115
DIY
~$25–$55
Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.
Rotate every 10,000 miles with the oil service. quattro models: keep all four tires within 4/32" of each other — mismatched wear stresses the center differential.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.
Inspect pads, rotors, and wear sensors every 10,000 miles. Audi uses electronic pad-wear sensors on most models — replace the sensor with the pads.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.
Replace DOT 4 brake fluid every 2 years regardless of mileage — Audi's published schedule is time-based because the fluid absorbs moisture.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$180–$200
Shop
~$125–$140
DIY
~$10–$25
DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.
S tronic (DSG) gearboxes on A3/S3/RS 3, Q3, TT, and many A5/Q5 models: replace fluid and filter every 40,000 miles with the VW Group-spec fluid for your gearbox code. Skipping this service is the most common cause of mechatronic failure.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$470–$640
Shop
~$330–$450
DIY
Pro only
VW/Audi DSG service needs a fluid-fill procedure at a specific temperature — shop equipment territory.
Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently
A3/S3/RS 3, Q3, and TT use a Haldex-style rear coupling: replace its fluid roughly every 40,000 miles (some model years specify sooner — check your manual). Longitudinal quattro (A5-A8, Q5, Q8) has no coupling service; see differential fluid instead.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$220–$290
Shop
~$155–$205
DIY
~$40–$90
VW/Audi/Volvo AWD coupling — specific fluid required. Filter usually swapped at the same time.
TFSI turbo engines: new plugs every 40,000 miles. RS models with the 2.5 TFSI five-cylinder: consider 30,000 miles under track or hard street use.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$390
Shop
~$200–$275
DIY
~$25–$100
Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.
Replace every 40,000 miles; inspect at 20,000 on turbocharged engines — a clogged filter shows up as sluggish boost response first.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.
2.0 TFSI (EA888) engines before roughly 2013 had timing-chain tensioner failures — have the tensioner revision checked by 80,000 miles on earlier cars. Later engines carry the updated design with no scheduled service.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Pro only
Timing chains are normally lifetime. Listen for rattle on cold start — that's the actionable signal. Replacement is major work, quote separately.
Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort
Q5, Q8, and A5-A8 quattro: independent Audi specialists recommend front/rear differential fluid service around 60,000 miles even where Audi lists it as lifetime fill.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$150–$195
Shop
~$105–$135
DIY
~$20–$50
Drain plug + fill plug — straightforward DIY. AWD vehicles have two; budget for both.
Replace the cabin air filter every 20,000 miles or 2 years. Audi specifies an activated-carbon filter on most models.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.
Audi coolant is labeled lifetime fill. Independent VW/Audi specialists recommend a refresh around 5 years or 100,000 miles to protect the water pump and thermostat housing — and only with the correct pink/lilac VW Group coolant.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$330
Shop
~$200–$235
DIY
~$25–$60
Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.
Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)
17 crashes 1990–2024
How the 17 occupant deaths break down
10
driver deaths
7
passenger deaths
17
occupant deaths
Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 1999 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number
FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.
Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.
Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.
IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.
Owner-reported problem signals
Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.
7
complaints mentioning a crash
7
complaints mentioning a fire
Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.
How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.
This maintenance schedule for the 1998 Audi A6 reflects Audi's published service intervals and the Audi Service Interval Display system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.