1999 Audi A6 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the ABS/anti-lock brake warning lights coming on and the associated control module, followed by sudden or uncommanded acceleration that many describe in cold weather, and electrical problems including smoke or fire from the dashboard area. Reports appear across a wide mileage range, from under 20,000 to over 180,000 miles, so a used example should be checked carefully regardless of odometer reading.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden or uncommanded acceleration, often in cold weather

   • 22 complaints (10%)
   • median 79,950 mi at 5.4 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2015

   Complaints describe the car accelerating or holding speed with the accelerator released, in some cases with cruise control switched off, and needing hard braking, neutral, or the ignition key to slow down. Several owners report this occurring in very cold temperatures on the highway, while others describe it at low speed such as pulling into a parking space. Where dealers inspected the car, owners say no fault was found or the throttle body was the area examined. Mostly at highway or parking-lot speeds in sub-freezing or very cold weather; odometer readings in the sample range from about 25,000 to 185,000 miles, so mileage alone does not predict it.

   Recall 04V4950002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body recall work and any throttle body replacement kit were performed, and have the throttle body and cruise control linkage inspected. Test the car from a cold start with the engine cold, and confirm the cruise control disengages when the brake is pressed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The throttle stuck on my '99 Audi A6 2.8 quattro at 70 MPH on interstate I-65 in indianapolis, in. It took both feet on the brake to stop the vehicle and still almost hit someone in the rear (scary). I put the car in park, it red-lined and I turned off the ignition. When I restarted the car the throttle had reset. Fortunately my wife was not driving.”

   NHTSA complaint #10062344, filed 2004-03, 75,900 miles

   “1999 Audi A6 quattro suddenly accelerated. I was pulling into a parking slot at maybe 5 MPH, my foot was lightly pressing on the brake pedal, as I was nearly in the parking stall. The engine was at idle speed. As I coasted into the parking stall with my foot on the brake pedal the engine suddenly and without any prior warning revved up to above 3000 RPM. The car lurched forward hitting the parking curb directly in front of me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10397211, filed 2011-04, 184,700 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   ABS and brake warning lights; ABS control module

   • 28 complaints (13%)
   • median 84,717 mi at 7.4 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2012

   Owners describe the amber ABS light and the red brake warning light coming on, sometimes accompanied by beeps, first intermittently and then steadily. Several say a dealer or independent shop diagnosed a failed ABS control module or controller, with repair quotes ranging from several hundred to around a thousand dollars. Some note that braking continues but without anti-lock function while the lights are on. Reported from roughly 35,000 to 127,000 miles, with most examples in the 60,000 to 100,000 mile range and during ordinary driving.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Scan for stored ABS module codes and confirm the ABS and brake lamps go out after start-up; a test drive on a loose or wet surface can show whether anti-lock engages. Ask whether the ABS module or controller has ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I was driving in the snow with my entire family at about 35 MPH I had to make a sudden stop. The ABS failed which caused the car to spin out of control. Luckily I was able to avoid a collision. I asked Audi of north america to correct this failure since my car was only 5 years old and had 83,000 miles, however, they declined.”

   NHTSA complaint #10062345, filed 2004-03, 83,000 miles

   “Two vehicles in front of my car on highway came to a stop; I applied brakes, pressing all the way to the floor of the car, and nothing happened - the car did not slow down and the ABS did not engage, despite there being loose sand and salt on the road surface. I rear-ended the vehicles resulting in substantial damage to my car (over $10,000 to repair) and the car I hit (unknown cost covered by my insurance company). My car spent 2 months in the shop having the accident damage repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10108426, filed 2005-02, 34,770 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Front control arm and tie rod noise and wear

   • 17 complaints (8%)
   • median 73,800 mi at 6.0 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • filed 2003–2007

   Complaints describe clunking or knocking from the front end and premature wear of front control arms, bushings and tie rod ends, sometimes replaced more than once. Some owners say the dealer found the tie rod seal or control arm bushings in poor condition and charged for the work because the car was not covered by the related campaign. Others had tie rods replaced again shortly after recall work. Reported from very low mileage up to about 120,000 miles, with several examples under 60,000 miles.

   Recall 00V414000Recall 99V2480001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Listen for clunks over bumps and have the front end lifted to check control arm bushings, ball joints and tie rod ends for play or torn boots. Ask for documentation of the tie rod seal recalls.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Front suspension failures. Audi A6 front control arms and tie rod ends seem to fail prematurely. I have had to replace first 3 of the left control arms and tie rod end, and then 2 months later 3 of the right control arms and tie rod end on my 1999 Audi A6 with 53,000 miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10041616, filed 2003-10, 50,000 miles

   “I recently brought our 1999 Audi a-6 in for a recall related to inspection of the front suspension lower control arms to see if the boots were degraded. One was and it was replaced. The surprise came when I was told they found another problem not covered by a recall or warranty - that is the left tie rod required replacement. Doing research I found that recalls 99v248000 and 00v414000 required inspection of the tie rod seals. For some reason, my car was not covered by the recall - this is what I was told. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10102673, filed 2004-12, 71,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Smoke or fire from the dashboard and vent area

   • 23 complaints (11%)
   • median 93,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 20 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2013

   Owners describe burning smells, smoke coming from the dash vents or the driver's side of the dashboard, and in several cases flames that damaged or destroyed the car. Some mention burned wiring behind the dash or a failed ignition switch affecting turn signals, wipers, horn and heater. Where the car was inspected, the cause was described as electrical. Reported from about 9,000 to 101,000 miles, including while driving at highway speed and shortly after start-up.

   Recall 06V198000Recall 04V133000

   What to check: Ask whether the headlight switch connector and knee bolster wiring recalls were completed, and inspect for any melted or repaired wiring under the dash and around the headlight switch. Any burning smell or prior smoke damage is worth walking away from.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While traveling home on the atlantic city expressway, my wife and I noticed a peculiar smell coming from the vents. As the odor got stronger, we decided to pull over and check underneath the hood. When I looked underneath the hood, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. A few seconds later, I heard my wife exiting the vehicle because the cabin began to fill with smoke. Upon closer review, I saw a small flame inside the drivers side vent. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10086068, filed 2004-08, 93,000 miles

   “My 1999 Audi A6 avant ignition switch failed causing the lack of turn signals, windshield wipers, heater and horn. The bernardsville Audi dealers claims it fried some wires which to me sounds like a safety and fire hazard.”

   NHTSA complaint #10146949, filed 2006-01, 127,600 miles

Buying note. This model year has a long list of well-documented owner complaints for its age, so a pre-purchase inspection by a shop familiar with the model is worthwhile. Prioritise confirming the open recalls were completed, checking ABS function and any dashboard wiring history, and having the front suspension and cold-start throttle behaviour looked at before agreeing a price.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.