The 2002 Audi A6 has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 8 recurring issue clusters, led by “Fuel tank and rollover valve fuel leak.” 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 2002 Audi A6.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
9 NHTSA complaints · 2006-08 → 2020-01
“FUEL VAPORS AND LEAKING FUEL APPEARS WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FILLED BEYOND 3/4 TANK”
“WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FILLED UP MORE THAN 3/4 FULL THE GAS TANK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE LEAKS ALL OVER THE PLACE”
“THE RECALL NUMBER FOR THIS ISSUE IS 08V157000: FUEL TANK ROLLOVER VALVE MODIFICATION”
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
11 NHTSA complaints · 2002-12 → 2012-10
“THE IGNITION COILS HAVE FAILED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHICH IS NOT ONLY INCONVENIENT BUT DANGEROUS AS THE CAR LOSES POWER WITHOUT WARNING”
“THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME A COIL FAILED ON MY CAR; THE FIRST TIME WAS LAST SPRING”
“THE FAILURE LED TO DAMAGE TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE COIL”
STRUCTURE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
5 NHTSA complaints · 2005-10 → 2009-06
“THE TRANSMISSION MODULE WHICH IS LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDER THE PASSENGERS FEET HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE, BECAUSE OF THE FLOODING PROBLEM”
“WATER FROM AIR CONITIONING SYSTEM LEAKED INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND FLOODED AND DISABLED TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE”
“MECHANIC STATES THAT TCU UNIT WAS UNDER WATER”
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
6 NHTSA complaints · 2002-09 → 2004-06
“WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED THERE IS A MOMENT WHERE NOTHING HAPPENS THEN, A SECOND LATER THE CAR ACCELERATES VERY RAPIDLY”
“THE CAR'S THROTTLE APPEARS TO HAVE NO EFFECT FOR 2+ SECONDS, EVEN WHEN PRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR”
“AUTO TRANSMISSION LAGS UP TO 1 SECOND IN RESPONDING WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED”
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
4 NHTSA complaints · 2005-05 → 2005-11
“DURING SCHEDULED WARRANTY SERVICE, REAR BRAKE ROTORS WERE FOUND TO BE WARPED BEYOND MANUFACTURER'S ALLOWABLE LIMITS”
“OWNED THIS CAR FOR NEARLY 3 YEARS AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE PADS/ROTORS 5-6X”
“FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS PARTICULAR AUDI HAS NO REAR BRAKE PAD WEAR SENSOR”
TIRES
5 NHTSA complaints · 2002-05 → 2005-05
“WE HAVE HAD 2 SEPARATE SIDE WALL FAILURES ON THE FRONT TIRES”
“I HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED A 3RD SIDE WALL BUBBLE AND FAILURE”
“AT ABOUT 11000 MI I NOTICED SOME FEATHERING OF ALL 4 TIRES”
VISIBILITY
5 NHTSA complaints · 2002-05 → 2010-02
“BLADE DOES NOT REMOVE SNOW AND THUS FREEZES AND BECOMES A LAYER OF ICE”
“WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT CLEAR OFF THE SNOW ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD”
“FRONT WINDSHIELD IS BENT OR DISTORTED”
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
4 NHTSA complaints · 2002-06 → 2007-11
“WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING”
“VEHICLE WILL SLOW DOWN WITHOUT AND SHUT DOWN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING”
“WHEN MAKING RIGHT OR LEFT TURNS VEHICLE WILL SHUTOFF OR WILL START TO LOOSE POWER”
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)
16 crashes 1990–2024
How the 16 occupant deaths break down
14
driver deaths
2
passenger deaths
16
occupant deaths
Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 2007 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.
6
complaints mentioning a crash
3
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 2002 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.