Audi A6 Maintenance and Repair

marleybarr · October 2002

Did you lease this car from new or did it have some miles on the odometer when the lease was signed?

ermmg · October 2002

After reviewing the repair notes on the 3 disc/rotor replacements in less than 22,000 miles, it appears there is a manufacturing defect with the discs/rotors being put into the car. Audi appears to be using a bad batch of parts (rusted, warped), but has done nothing to ensure that these parts are no longer used. My latest problem has yet to be fixed because they found "no problems" in diagnostics; they "test drove" the car less that 1 mile. It doesn't sound like Audi corporate is of much help ... they must be aware of these problems. I would like to keep the car if it is merely a parts issue, but Audi's inability to fix the problem may force me get rid of it (through the lemon laws).

zueslewis · October 2002

it's not an Audi problem - all manufacturers are dealing with this - it's an EPA issue. The only way around the warped rotors is to replace them with thicker aftermarket rotors. Also, metal rusts, and they can't make rotors out of aluminum or stainless. Don't believe me, though, I'm just an automotive engineer.

gold49 · October 2002

I have a 2001 A6, and have knocked the bumper off four times in a little over a year. The first time, the dealership replaced it free with the warning that the next time it would be in the ballpark of $1000.

Well, three months later we happened to have the unfortunate driving experience of coming to the end of a steep hill, and the bumper scratched and came off again. Then, since this is a 4-wheel drive vehicle, we thought we could drive a day after a 6 inch snowstorm. Wrong. Bumper got knocked off by a one-day old snow drift that my son could knock over....

So, the second time we brought it to the dealership I demanded they fix it for free. They claimed it was not under warranty. However, EVERY Audi dealer knows this is a problem with this car and fails to disclose or even recognize it. My brother had an A8 with 70K miles, and loved the thing (which is what steered me towards the A6 in the first place). I quietly walked back into the showroom and informed the salesman we worked with that he was about to lose an $70,000+ sale because his service department didn't want to fix a bumper that is a defect to the car's construction to begin with....

Suffice it to say, we haven't paid for a new bumper yet. I know- some people have never had this problem. But those who have realize it is not poor driving- these things are horribly attached, with a horrendous amount of clearance for a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

zueslewis · October 2002

200 A-6 lemon law cases I've worked on. Seems like "damage" and "insurance", not "warranty".

Personal friend has both a 2000 and a 2002 A-6 - he's never heard of it in his driver groups.

JBaumgart · October 2002

Next time consider purchasing an allroad - you can raise the suspension up to 8.2 inches and will be less likely to damage the front end.

ermmg · October 2002

Why haven't the EPA regulations impacted the rotors on any of my other cars? Why has the problem come back 3 times?

zueslewis · October 2002

daily and weekly basis. All manufacturers pull this same scam on the rotors and consumers deal with it.

On your other cars, it could be you drove them more conservatively. This is also a relatively new issue; last 6-8 years on most cars, a little longer on Ford products.

rlenguyen · October 2002

Well, I took my 2003 A6 3.0 in for reprogramming the auto locking system and to do a diagnostic on the CVT tranny. The programming of the auto lock was successful, but they couldn't explain why it stopped in the first place. They inspected the computer system and test drove the vehicle and said the CVT was operating according to manufactures specs. Again, the problem I was having was in reverse mode and on occassion the tranny would slip and jerk the vehicle a few times before settling into reverse. I figured that it would be impossible for them to replicate the situation since it happened only intermittenly, but I was hoping. Anyhoo, took my beautiful black A6 on it's first long trip to Vegas and it performed flawlessly. The mpg increased from 19 on the highway when I first took delivery to about 29 during this last trip. It's got 2600 miles and I've had it for exactly 1 month now. Damn, it's a beaut and sure turns heads. We'll keep our fingers crossed on avoiding any further mechanical problems. Fun and safe driving to everybody!!!

kchan3 · October 2002

IN RESPONSE. My 2001 A-6 2.8 was leased new. It has almost been a week since and I have not heard from back from any AUDI advocate regarding my brake problems. I will contact AUDI of America tomorrow and escalate the issue. EPA issue or not! No owner should experience what i have experienced! you figure a $40,000 dollar car will give you better reliability/quality than a Honda.

bft · November 2002

Continuing problems with warped brake rotors on my '01 2.7T. Rotors replaced multiple times, now with just over 18,000 miles on the car. I've never had this problem with any other car I've ever owned, and have started lemon law proceedings against Audi. Spoke with Audi customer relations, and they are useless. I believe this is a design flaw, and I am requesting a buy-back from Audi. On the surface, Audi seems to make a great car, but they are a mechanical nightmare to own, in my opinion.

marleybarr · November 2002

Does the 2.7T "shimmy" as you apply pressure on the brake pedal or does the vehicle just not stop very well?

wmonarch4 · November 2002

I'm trying to determine if this is another item in the long list of problems with my A6 or the fault of the Service Station where my wife bought gas. To make a long story short, the gas tank was overfilled by the local service station (41 gallons put into tank), car died shortly after, towed to Audi dealer who replaced carbon cannister and evaporative purge valve in the gas tank to get it running again. Dealer says gas pump was faulty and didn't shutoff resulting in overfilling. Station owner says car is faulty since he's not had this problem with any other vehicle. Meanwhile I'm out $560! Can anyone provide any insight? Can an Audi tank take 41 gallons? Anyone heard of this being an Audi problem before? Thanks.

zueslewis · November 2002

No, fuel will not cause the carbon canister and purge valve to fail because neither are related to fuel tank level and can't be damaged by fuel. They are both outside the tank.

Dealer doesn't understand what happened, but it looks like you simply have a coincidental failure. Did it cost you $560 because you're out of warranty, or the dealer was trying to blame someone else?

The fuel tank situation DID NOT cause the problem - if you're still in warranty, reapproach the service manager.

On an aside, your manners will dictate whether you get your money back or not.

wmonarch4 · November 2002

Dealer told me the carbon cannister and purge valve are inside the gas tank on my '99 A6, above the level of the fuel, and overfilling the tank caused the cannister to become saturated. If the tank is incapable of holding 41 gallons, then that says something about the pump reading. Car is out of warranty by 2 weeks, hence the charge.

Thanks for the advice about keeping a cool head.

zueslewis · November 2002

so while it is part of the tank assembly, it's not really inside.

I still don't see how extra fuel would cause these items to fail. Normal sloshing about from driving would have caused this damage a long time ago if that were the case.

Talk to the service manager and dealership GM - it's certainly worth it.

marleybarr · November 2002

How in the world could you get 41 gallons in a 18 gallon fuel tank? I don't think any Audi holds more than 21 gallons (maybe the A8)! That would be about 20 gallons of gas gushing out the fuel opening, down the side of the car, and on the floor of the gas station! Somebody has the story wrong there! The station "overfilled" your Audi by over 20 gallons of gas-better check with the station again!

zueslewis · November 2002

but the other 23 were on the ground because the attendant was taking a smoke break and the owner was in the store getting a soda pop.

lngtonge18 · November 2002

Did you keep the receipt showing 41 gallons? If you did, I sure as hell would fight over the 25 or so gallons they overcharged you for. As far as I've heard, the reason newer cars warn against topping off your tank is to keep from damaging the purge valve and charcoal canister. I have heard of these failing before due to saturation. I think the gas station caused your expensive repair. Good luck!

lberry1957 · November 2002

I have a 2000 A6 and have ripped my bumper off twice on perfectly normal cement parking guides. The first time I made the mistake of filing an insurance claim. The company called it an "at-fault" accident and raised my premium by $300, so by now, I have more than paid for the $600 repair, with no sign that my premium will go back down anytime soon. The second time I paid for it, plus the expense of a rental car. So I'm averaging $700 a year in bumpers. I have tried to develop the habit of back-in parking, but sometimes this is not possible. The bumper is just plain not designed for normal driving. I am considering going to Audi and asking that they reimburse these expenses, which seem unreasonable to me. I did not buy a low-rider Civic, after all. Has anyone had success with Audi in similar circumstances?

zueslewis · November 2002

as such, and I see lots of A6 lemon law cases, but your admittance that you, even slightly, scrubbed it on a parking curb relieves Audi of any responsibility.

In their written express warranty, they do not cover any damage to the vehicle, no matter how slight the initial incident. It's grouped into the column with paint scratches, rock chips and windshield cracks.

I understand your frustration - the bumper shouldn't come off that easily, but Audi is in the clear, no matter how that feels to you or I.

jzack24 · November 2002

I have a 2001 4.2 and am very frustrated by a handful of minor but recurring problems. The most irritating problem is with the rear sunshade. It has been repaired by the dealer 17 (yes, seventeen) times, but still never works for more than a few days. I also have recurring problems with other items--including the stereo, navigation, sunroof controls, headlights and turn signals. The car also has more squeaks and rattles that my eleven year old coupe quattro (with 185K).

The car is two years old. In total, it has spent over four months at the dealer. It has become painfully obvious that the problems are never going to be fully resolved. They are all relatively minor, but over time have compounded into serious frustration.

I have thirteen months left on my lease, but am not sure I can tolerate this car for that long. I have spoken with both the owner of the dealership and with Audi Customer Care. I could write a whole book about the frustration of dealing with these supposed "Customer Advocates," but I'll refrain. I'll sum it up with the latest communication from them--a phone call a few days ago telling me I obviously don't understand how to operate the sunshade properly. The "Customer Advocate" told the dealer he thinks I'm a deadbeat trying to get out of my lease. I have never been so insulted in my life.

To date, nobody (the dealer or Audi Customer Care) has done anything to resolve my issues. They keep telling me the only solution is to keep taking it back to the dealer for repair. In the meantime, I am getting more and more frustrated with the vehicle (and with what I'm paying to drive their loaner--a Kia minivan).

I spoke with the dealer about trading it in, but since it's leased and they are aware of its issues, there's a significant gap between payoff and trade-in value ($7-10K).

I am 29 years old and this is my fifth Audi. I would consider myself somewhat of a fanatic, but am becoming convinced this will be my last one if I have to live through another 13 months with this car.

Any suggestions on what I should do or try--either to get the problems finally resolved or to get out of the car?

I would certainly appreciate any feedback or advice that you may have.

rlenguyen · November 2002

I sure can appreciate the problems jzack24 is experiencing. How did you find out exactly what the Audi Advocate said about you to the dealership? The couple of times that I've spoken with an Audi Advocate, I've received prompt and courteous service. As for little annoyances, I've taken my vehicle in approximately 4 times in the month and half I've owned it. Again, I have a 2003 A6 3.0 and have repaired the rear windows twice and the Auto Locking 3 times. The service dept will be installing a new motor for both the driver's window and left rear passenger window the day after Thanksgiving. I live in cold weather country so the windows will creep up 3/4 of the way and the pinch sensors will kick it back down. Hopefully, new and stronger motors will remedy that problem. Now, the Auto Locking feature will work for a few days and then stop, so the module won't hold the programming. On the third visit to the dealership, the svc manager decided to install a new module...still a few days later now, it stopped working. Called the svc mgr this morning and he has suggested that the program that they've been using is good only for the 2002 models and that they have not received the codes for 2003 models from Audi yet. They don't know when they will be receiving this "new code." Is this a possibility? I would imagine that Audi would be on the ball and have everything available for new models at the time they sell them to the dealerships. Any ideas would be appreciated.

rcasey2 · November 2002

Ownership of my now 21/2 year old A6 2.8 has been,let's say a let down. Consistent problems ranging from a constant rubbing noise that I apparently only hear from left hand turns coming from the front end. The other, a sound from the engine during soft or hard excelaration that sounds like no oil is in the engine(ticking)or possibly a lifter problem. Complaints made at originating dealer and another(advised by Audi Advocate)were to no avail. Nobody seems able to duplicate the problems except myself. Last oil change was yesterday 11/20. The advisor told me once again that it was low on oil, wrong!!!! I do know how to pull the dipstick out & check & also the car was brought in early. Getting stupid answers from advisors & oddly enough useless help by Audi Customer relations results in the quick sale of my problem A6!! Thanks for letting me ramble. Comments helpfull.

jpgolf55 · November 2002

I have a 2001 A6. From day 1 the front, rear & sometimes the side windows have tended to fog up. This happens when the windows are closed in the fall & winter. Putting on the front defroster clears up the front, but not the rear. Is the car too air tight? I never had this problem before on any car I've owned. Does anyone else have this problem?

gylhome · December 2002

Hello Everyone,

I've about had it - I have a '98 A6 Sedan Quattro (65K miles) and it seems to spend more time in the shop than out. I wanted to find out if the problems I'm experiencing are "normal" and it's just that my expectations are out of line. In the last 3 years, and mostly since the warranty has ended, I've had the following problems:
- Xenon light problems (brought in 3 times)
- Water Pump replacement (2 visits)
- CV Boots replaced
- Belts Replaced
- All Brakes done (plus rotors on front)
- "minor electrical" (back window problems)
- Recall notices (which is to be expected)
- Alignment problems
- Air Mass Sensor
- Purge Cylinder
And my A6 is in the shop as I type with an unknown problem! The service person said, "I need to wait for my head technician to arrive in the morning to better diagnose the problem."

Please tell me if this is a similar experience that people are having or if this is completely out of the ordinary. And, if so, what is my best tactic to "discuss" with Audi.

Anything would be helpful.

zueslewis · December 2002

although your list appears long.

Other than the water pump, Mass air, purge solenoid, and rear window, you've got normal maintenance items like brakes, belts, CV boots (they get cut by rocks) and alignment (yes, they are a maintenance item, not a "problem").

4 service visits on a 5 year old car is not bad at all. Recalls don't count.

gylhome · December 2002

Thanks Zueslewis for the information - perhaps my expectations were a bit high in terms of minimal service (excluding maintenance items) needs.

If anyone can recommend a good service mechanic/shop in the SF Bay Area (East Bay preferably), that would be helpful.

bondguy1 · December 2002

Has anybody seen or bought the new accessory "Chrome Grill". It is a factory part that turns the black slats on a new Audi to a high polished chrome. I've seen one on a car in my travels here and it looks great. I was wondering if anyone has used this, if it is easy to install and does it stay on well?

marleybarr · December 2002

Bondguy 1,
I saw the chrome grill option in the Audi accessory book that I just received in the mail. I don't have any other experience with it, and have never seen it on any Audis up to this point.

carbuyerm · December 2002

I am looking for a new car for my mom, 64 years old. She loved the A6 Quattro 3.0 but not the price. The main thing she worries about is the bad repair record. How bad is it? Are the problems fixed for 2003? Are the problems major or minor? She won't get a navigation system so those problems are mute. We also drove the Volvo S80, Lexus ES300 and Acura TL. None of these cars comes close in comparison to the Audi as far as ride, comfort, handling and style. But there's always the Lexus/Toyota quality.

zueslewis · December 2002

The Audi A6 is one of their "most popular" cars. Avoid.

gold49 · December 2002

I own a 2001 A6 2.8. Twice we've ripped the bumper off, and twice we've had it repaired AT NO COST by our Audi dealership.

The first time I was pulling into a parking space and heard a major grinding noise- and found that a normal sized cement parking block had ripped off most of the front bumper. I took it in the next day to the dealership, and asked how often they repaired the bumpers.

The response I received was not what I was expecting. The service manager admitted that this was a design fault in the car- that the front bumper clearance was a few inches lower than it really should be on the 2001 A6. He repaired it at no cost, but with a warning to be careful.

Well, a few months later my wife had a similar experience. We very nicely went back to the dealer and asked for a replacement again. After several minutes of cordial disagreement, the service manager again agreed to fix the problem at no cost. Now....whether it matters that a family member purchases an A8 from the dealership whenever he hits his 50,000 end of warranty, I'm not sure. But this is a problem that is not uncommon, and if you are under warranty I'd demand they fix it.

kirby2010 · December 2002

Twice since in two years the fuel pump failed to shut off while filing my car - both times at full serve stations. My local station told me later that this had happened before and after afterwards they had their pump handles replaced. No problems since. (They only charged me for the amount I typically purchase - not the amount on the pump. Their idea - not mine.)

When I picked up the car in February '01 ('01 2.7T w/6-speed) the salesman cautioned me about the low front end. In New England we have granite curbing in many places so most are careful anyway. I've had no problem.

Question - lately when I start my car there is a loud whining coming from under the hood - turbo or turbo fan? Doesn't happen every time. Not always noticeable while driving but sometimes. Any ideas??? Should I call the service manager?

luvinmylex · December 2002

I no longer own my A6, but occasionally I still check the message boards to reinforce my decision to trade it in. Up until 9/02, I owned a sweet 2002 A6 4.2, which was an exquisite car inside and out. Put on 10,000 miles in 8 mos. and loved every mile. I never experienced one problem, although the brakes consistently squealed. The service advisor said that was common in humid climates, but now that I've read about all the brake replacements I'm not sure he was telling the truth.

Even though the car was wonderful, I simply couldn't put up with paying $50k for a car and receiving "economy car" service. With even routine maintenance, Audi just couldn't get it together. When I got a nail in a tire, a new one had to be ordered from Germany. When I took the car in to have the tire replaced, the Parts Department had lost the new one. Even a routine oil change took 3 hours!

The service I received was so poor, the Service Manager gave me a free 4-hour detailing, and in true Audi form, they detailed the car beautifully, then rotated the tires afterward and left the wheels filthy!

Even Audi of America was incompetent. They called me to follow up on service visits I never had and when they followed up on actual visits they referred to my "A4"!

The Service Advisor told me one time that the Germans (Audi) introduce the new technology and the Japanese (Lexus) perfect it. Well, why then wouldn't I rather have something that has been perfected rather than in the experimental stages? The "old" technology is fine with me as long as it works.

So I've come full circle... I traded a '99 Lexus SC300 for the Audi. Now I've traded the Audi for an '03 SC430. Do I miss the teutonic feel, unbelievable handling, and growl of the A6 V-8? Absolutely. Do I need the aggravation and lack of support from their entire organization? Absolutely not.

Even when I called Audi of America (and faxed them) to let them know why I'd traded the car, no one ever followed up.

I see Audi advertising much more these days and selling more A6's (rightly so). They are also moving a lot more A4's. However, I don't see significant expansion in their service/support facilities. That makes me glad I traded mine in. They can't even handle the current service demands. I can only imagine what future owners will go through.

Thanks for letting me put in my 2 Cents!

zueslewis · December 2002

"When I got a nail in a tire, a new one had to be ordered from Germany. When I took the car in to have the tire replaced, the Parts Department had lost the new one"

Audi covered a tire under warranty that had been pierced by a nail? For free?? And you're complaining?

I don't know of another manufacturer that would do that.

luvinmylex · December 2002

No, the tire cost me $250.

zueslewis · December 2002

makes sense. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

OEM tires are junk, unfortunately, and aren't carried in regular shops.

Good luck with your Lexus. I work exclusively in lemon law and breach of warranty cases (no, I'm not a lawyer, I'm an automotive consultant) and I see LOTS of A6s.

marleybarr · December 2002

Luvinmylex,
I would be interested to know which dealer gave you such poor service that you decided to get rid of your A6 4.2. You can e-mail me at: phonemax1 @aol.com if you would rather not post on this medium. It sounds like you deserved better service for your $50,000 Audi "investment."

dreamcatcher · December 2002

Just this week I traveled from Montana to Oregon to buy a 1996 A6 Quattro wagon with 85k miles (my first Audi). What a fantastically better ride than my current 1999 Subaru (now sporting a new FOR SALE sign). The posts here seem to suggest that there are plenty of problems with the A6. I am hoping that this 1996 (having survived this long) may have fewer inherent problems than the newer ones...could this be true? The former owner had bought the car from an auction and could not help me with the two obvious problems: (1) the moon roof is not working, and (2) the heater only puts air out of the central section...no air goes to the feet or to the windshield. He said that the battery had gone dead a few days earlier and that most likely there might be some computer settings that had to be set again. Does this make sense? I was pleased to get 25 mpg on the return trip to Montana and really like the car. By the way, the seller had advertised the car as a "one-owner car"...but I learned through CARFAX that there were a couple of former title transfers...the seller was a little embarrassed. Through some detective work, I located the last owner (prior to his auction purchase). She worked for an Audi dealer in California and had bought the car from a former lease situation at 55k and had religiously cared for the oil changes every 3k miles, timing belt & water pump replacements, etc, during her 30k with the car. She suggested that the moonroof problem might just be a solenoid that needs replacing. Any suggestions from you readers is appreciated. At $12,000 I hope I made a good purchase. Can anyone here tell me why (I hope) a 96 might be better than the newer A6 years? Is there a "good year" in terms of fewer mechanical problems? I am 65 and retired and cannot afford to get into a really bad car repair situation. Thanks...and Happy New Year to you all.

vencar · December 2002

I am thinking of buying a 1999 A6 with 30000 miles. Any suggestions? What is a good price for this car? The car I am looking at has a Third Row seat. I heard that AUDI discontinued it due to safety issues. Is this true?

marleybarr · December 2002

You didn't give condition (1-5) or specific option list but assuming the Audi is in excellent condition, a selling price around $20,000 sounds like a pretty fair deal.

dreamcatcher · January 2003

Back on Dec 28 I posted a question asking if anyone might help me understand how the A6 models have changed in the years since the 1996 one I just bought...to learn whether there are "better years" or "worse years" in terms of repairs. No one has been on this board since Dec 31, so I am hoping with this second request that someone will share a little information with me. Since then I have learned that my sunroof only need a minor electrical connection repair...but that the central air heating module needs replacing (at about $730 for the part alone). Also, some dash lights that I thought only needed bulb replacement - actually required an electrical module replacement (another $250 for the part). It is starting to look like my investment in this Audi was not a good thing. But I still really like the car. Will anyone out there help me with information about other years and/or models...in case I sell this one and pick up a different one. I am also open to getting an older Audi V8 - since they can be purchased quite cheaply. Any thoughts? Thanks.

bradlake1 · January 2003

If you were to do a web search with the terms Audi and world, you might find a wealth of Audi info.

rikia1 · January 2003

I have brought my Audi in for the same defect, coil replacement, 3 times. My vehicle is a few weeks shy of one year old. The entire vehicle shakes above speeds of 45mph. Coils were supposedly replaced to amend this problem, but my car is still shaking and I have not been able to enjoy the vehicle, nor feel safe driving it. Has anyone else had this problem? According to the dealership, 40 cars were in the dealership for the same problem, although mainly A4 3.0 models, with a few A6 models, although it seems like mine is the only one that has been in for repairs 3 times! It is very frustrating!

jerome777 · January 2003

You have to understand that your 1996 A6 is a completely different car than the newer A6 models.
The 1996 was built on the previous Audi 100/200 platform, & it has a lot more in common with those cars. http://www.audiworld.com is a great resource to learn more. I have owned a bunch of older Audis & in fact I have a 1996 A6 right now which I recently bought. I paid $15k for a 30,000 original mile car. My only major concern with these cars is the transmission (I have the older 4 speed automatic, it's not the tiptronic). They are sort of delicate & I've had to replace one before. However, I feel it's a reasonable trade off for an engine that will give you 200,000 miles or more with no problem, & solid, luxurious, all weather mobility with quattro. As far as your sunroof & heater problems, yes, repairs are expensive. But also dealers seem to have an uncanny knack for finding the most complex & expensive solution to any given problem. I don't know where you took it, but I never use Audi dealers except as a last resort. There's really not much reason to with older cars. I recommend you try to find a good independent mechanic with some experience with Audis. Good luck

shnovak · January 2003

I just read all of the posts in the A-6 area. Unfortunately, you only hear from people with problems here. It would be interesting to see what the percentage of satisfied A-6 owners are.

Our 2000 A-6 2.7 (33,000 miles) has been plagued with problems since the day we picked it up. It started with the recall related to the fuel gauge (we bought it in February - the part arrived at the dealership in late August). The cluster has been replaced four times. $5,000 worth of warranty work on the front end. In seven times in the last six months for an EPC light that will not stay off for more than three days (it just came on again - I can't WAIT to see my buddies at the dealership). Leak in the cooling system. On and on and on.

I asked the dealership to print out our repair history. It is pages and pages long. While we like driving this car and it IS comfortable inside, no one should have to spend this much time driving to and from the dealership and in loaner cars. Funny about the guy complaining about Acura loaners. We get little Chevys, Fords, Mitsubishi Gallants and Dodge Intrepids. That's what I paid $40,000 for. This is a great country!

marleybarr · January 2003

I own the exact same vehicle-'00 A6 2.7T (41,000 miles) w/tip/xenon. I have only had a few little problems-i.e.-- the front window guides breaking, a little paint peeling, the air didn't blow cold enough once and was recharged, and of course, the infamous gas gauge recall.

All problems were fixed in a reasonable amount of time with not too much hassle dealing with loaner cars, etc.

No breakdowns, turbo failures, or warning lights coming on in the dash up to this point.

If you would like further, detailed info about this car, click "marleybarr" and I will be happy to e-mail back!

nquaye · January 2003

First time participant wanting to see if anyone has had the misfortune of sharing in a bad experience I had this past Friday:

I leased a 2000 A6 2.8 Quattro in March 2000, coming due in June of this year - 2003. I've loved my car for many reasons, and so was in the market to either go up to a 4.2 or even take a look at the new A8s.

Early last year, I experienced an odor of some sort in the car, that caused my eyes to water and my nose to burn. The problem was somewhat alleviated by opening the windows, but as I'm wont to, I ttok the car in - made it an early service trip. the dealer checked it out and found nothing, and indeed when I drove off, the smell wasn't there.

I attributed it to any number of things: leaking windshield wiper fluid, or as I'd washed the car before the incident, maybe some solvent or the other. I even ludicrously assumed it was the sun mixing with residue of wiper fluid! Long and short, had no clue and the dealer didn't find anything.

This past Friday, my fiancee and our 3 month old are in the car and I get a call. She starts to describe a smell which I finish for her - the odor was back. I told her I'd experienced the same thing and that I was going to schedule and appointment with the nearest dealer, which I did.

1 hour later, she calls me to tell me my car is on fire. black smoke came out of nthe air-conditioning vents, and then flames followed. Bottomline: traumatized passengers, totalled car, scared and royally pissed fiance.

Who can relate?

asiu28 · January 2003

Hi, rlenguyen
I bought my A6 in Sept. 2002 and I have about 1200 miles so far. I think my A6 also has the same CVT problems that you mentioned. Occasionally, when I put in the reverse (R), the car jerks a few times, and if I put in Park (P) then reverse, the jerking stops. Took to the dealership twice and nothing was done. The results were like yours: computer showed everything is OK. Do you still have that problems? Have not seen your posting lately. Besides this, it is a great car. Keep posting.

Audi A6 Maintenance and Repair

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