U.S. public vehicle records

2008 Audi A6 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

71 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

44,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 21 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 49 of 71 complaints (69.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	5	7.0%
Braking behavior	5	7.0%
Engine operation	4	5.6%
Electrical and battery issues	3	4.2%
Steering behavior	1	1.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Electrical System

Exterior Lighting

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Fuel System, Gasoline

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Seat Belts

Air Bags: 49; Electrical System: 6; Exterior Lighting: 6; Engine: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Fuel System, Gasoline: 2; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 2; Seat Belts: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 5; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (8). 50 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2008

2009

2010

2011

2013

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2022

2025

2026

2008: 2; 2009: 2; 2010: 6; 2011: 2; 2013: 4; 2015: 1; 2016: 14; 2017: 25; 2018: 9; 2019: 3; 2022: 1; 2025: 1; 2026: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 5 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10273754 · 2009-06-14 (June 14, 2009)

2008 AUDI A6 SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH CVT TRANSMISSION (MULTITRONIC)- VEHICLE SHUDDERS AND DOES VERY ODD MOVEMENTS SETTING AT LOW SPEEDS AND HESITATES WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL. IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD HAVE TO STEP DEEP ON THE GAS MEDAL AND HAVE TO DRIVE AT RATHER HIGH VELOCITY IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD MAKING IT DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING OUT OF MY HOME DRIVEWAY IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. CAR WILL PERIODICALLY DO JERKING MOVEMENTS AND FEELS DANGEROUS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 4,272 miles reported. Look up ODI 10273754 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10308697 · 2010-02-11 (February 11, 2010)

I HAVE 2008 AUDI A6 CVT (8000 MILES) WITH 2 MAJOR ISSUES. ONE OF THEM BEING CARBON DEPOSIT BUILD-UP ON INTAKE VALVE CAUSING ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT TO COME UP. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS CAUSED BY DIRECT FUEL INJECTION OF THEIR ENGINE AND IS COMMON WITH EVERY FSI ENGINE AS I WAS TOLD. NO FIX FOR THIS AND THEY WILL BE CHARGING ABOUT 1500 TO CLEAN AND FIX THE PROBLEM TEMPORARY WHEN THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. SECOND ISSUE IS WITH MULTITRONIC CVT. THIS IS ALSO THEIR DESIGN FLAW WHERE THE TRANSMISSION HAVE DIFFICULTIES ENGAGING CAUSING SEVERE SHUD…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10308697 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10397712 · 2011-04-20 (April 20, 2011)

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSED BY DRIVER'S LOOSE FLOOR MAT. STARTED CAR IN GARAGE. IN PARK, ENGINE RAN AT 4,000 RPM FROM START. TRIED TO KICK DOWN GAS PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES, NO CHANGE. IGNITION ON AND OFF THREE TIMES, NO CHANGE. PRESSED FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, SHIFTED TO REVERSE. I KNEW IT WOULD LURCH. GOT OUT OF GARAGE, PRESSING FIRMLY. RPMS DROPPED TO NORMAL 1,000 RANGE. SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, CAR RPM INCREASED TO 4,000 RPM AND LURCHED. SAT THERE FOR FIVE MINUTES THINKING IT WOULD SETTLE DOWN. NOTHING. I THEN DECIDED TO CHECK THE FLOOR MAT.…

Owner-reported narrative. 95,111 miles reported. Look up ODI 10397712 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10494519 · 2013-01-23 (January 23, 2013)

MULTIPLE ISSUES ON THIS CAR THAT ALL CAME ON ABOUT THE SAME TIME. THE AMB/PARKING BRAKE MODULE/ESP WARNING LIT UP, AND A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR WAS NOT SHIFTING INTO GEAR ON STARTUP, AND WHEN IT DID SHIFT INTO GEAR IT SHIFTED ERRATICALLY AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL ON OCCASION. THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, ABS SENSORS BOTH WENT BAD ON THE CAR AND THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE CAR SAT AT AUDI LEN STOLER IN OWINGS MILLS, MD FOR 2 WEEKS FOR PROBLEM TO BE DIAGNOSED. THEY SAID IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND THE ABS SENSOR THAT…

Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10494519 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10314269 · 2010-02-25 (February 25, 2010)

2008 AUDI A6. CONSUMER STATES WHEN RESUMING ACCELERATION THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY HAS A FUEL SHUT-OFF CAUSING A SUDDEN AND SHARP DECELERATION AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER TRANSFER DURING ACCELERATION.*TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE MOTOR CONTINUED TO RUN, BUT THERE WAS NO POWER TRANSFER FROM THE THROTTLE TO THE DRIVE-LINE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10314269 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10372041 · 2010-12-22 (December 22, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 AUDI A6. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN AS IF THE GEAR WAS IN NEUTRAL. AFTER CONTINUALLY APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE SOFTWARE PATCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED. …

Owner-reported narrative. 21,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10372041 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10224396 · 2008-04-14 (April 14, 2008)

DRIVING CAR ON CROSS BRONX EXPRESSWAY IN NYC IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. SUDDENLY, THE CAR SHUT DOWN AT VERY LOW SPEED. I CALLED AUDI DEALER AND BROUGHT IT IN FOR REPAIR. PARTS WERE ORDERED FROM AUDI - PROBLEMS WITH CENTRAL COMPUTER - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10224396 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10298187 · 2010-01-04 (January 4, 2010)

MY 2008 AUDI A6 AVANT HAS HAD AN AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT APPEAR 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS. EACH TIME IT GIVES ERROR CODES FOR IT'S CENTER, REAR SEAT BELT. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS MEANS THAT THE RESTRAINT MAY NOT WORK EFFECTIVELY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH OR ABRUPT STOP. IT HAS HAPPENED AT 12,983 MILES, AT 29,000 MILES AND NOW AT 39,000 MILES. NOBODY SHOULD USE IT UNTIL IT IS FIXED. 1ST TIME AUDI DID GFF TEST STEPS AND CLEARED CODE, SECOND TIME THEY REPLACED THE SEAT BELT ITSELF. NOW THEY BELIEVE IT TO BE AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ISSUE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 12,938 miles reported. Look up ODI 10298187 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11755588 · 2026-08-08 (August 8, 2026)

On August 3, 2026, a 2008 Audi A6 was traveling on the George Washington Parkway in Virginia when the driver encountered a large tree branch in the roadway and swerved to avoid it. The vehicle struck a curb, became airborne, rolled, and went down an embankment before coming to rest. The driver was wearing a seat belt. The driver’s frontal airbag in the steering wheel deployed, but none of the side or curtain airbags deployed during the crash. Given the severity and multiple-impact sequence of the accident, I am reporting the non-deployment so N…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11755588 at NHTSA ↗