2008 Audi A6 Problems

What owners report

Complaints about this model year are dominated by the passenger-front airbag inflator recall: owners describe waiting months or years for parts and being told to keep the front passenger seat empty. A smaller but consistent group of complaints covers exterior lighting that fails or flickers, and a handful describe engine carbon buildup, stalling and transmission shudder at low mileage.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Passenger airbag recall parts unavailable

   • 42 complaints (59%)
   • median 102,000 mi at 8.9 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2016–2025

   Most complaints are about the passenger-front airbag inflator recall notices. Owners say the dealer confirmed the parts were not in stock and gave no date for the repair, sometimes after more than a year of repeat calls. Several describe being advised not to carry a front-seat passenger in the meantime, and some ask about loaner cars or alternative transport without success. A few reports concern side or curtain airbags that did not deploy in a crash. Reported across a wide range of mileage and vehicle age, mostly from 2016 onward as recall notices arrived.

   Recall 18V427000Recall 17V032000Recall 16V38200011 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the vehicle's VIN against the open airbag recalls and ask the seller for proof the inflator replacement was completed. If it was not, confirm with a dealer whether parts are now available before relying on the front passenger seat.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall we received notice date july 2016. Today is february 22, 2017 - waiting over 6 months for repair...no offer of a rental or compensation for a rental. Keep calling Audi who tells me that we are low risk and have been designated to wait until high risk are taken care of. One rep even said that they had not repaired any cars at the local Audi..dealership. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10956322, filed 2017-02

   “Takata airbag recall I received notice in march about this recall and it's now almost october and I have note received any information about a repair. I am extremely concerned about this life threatening problem and am unsure what else I can do. There is zero information about when a fix will be available for my car and Audi has not offered any type of alternative transportation until the car can be fixed.”

   NHTSA complaint #11030077, filed 2017-09
2. 2
   Exterior lighting

   Headlights and taillights failing or flickering

   • 8 complaints (11%)
   • median 63,500 mi at 5.1 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2010–2018

   Owners describe headlights that flicker, go out intermittently or fail on one side, and rear lamps that trigger bulb-out warnings at random. Several report the insulation on the wiring inside the headlight housing becoming brittle and cracking, with bare wire exposed; one complaint mentions smoke in the cabin and a melted brake light. In these reports the dealer replaced bulbs, the igniter or the whole lamp assembly, and one owner was quoted a full assembly replacement before finding a cheaper bulb-only fix. Described from roughly 13,000 to 134,000 miles, often after several years of use and in some cases in hot, dry climates.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: With the lights on, check that all front and rear lamps work and that no bulb-out warnings appear on the dash. If a lamp housing is opened for a bulb change, look at the wiring for cracked or missing insulation.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My wife and child were driving through the desert in arizona when our Audi's driver-side xenon headlight failed. Then again 2 months later, driving with my wife and child through california the passenger-side headlight failed. Both times I was told it was the bulb. But we couldn't simply buy a new bulb. Audi needs to order it and take off the bumper to replace them. About a month later, driving through the arizona desert with my family, the driver-side light went out again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10298193, filed 2010-01, 32,236 miles

   “The exterior lights go out while driving. This has occurred on all four sides of my vehicle and the passenger front side twice. This is a known problem. The voltage is too high/hot for the the cheap wires Audi used in the their assembly light housing that the wires protective coating is literally burned/melted off exposing the wires. This then leads to the lights and computer chips to go out, and fires to occur in vehicles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10747856, filed 2015-08, 44,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Stalling and sudden loss of power while driving

   • 6 complaints (8%)
   • median 11,500 mi at 3.7 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2017

   Several owners report the car shutting off completely while moving, in one case at highway speed, and in others at low speed in traffic. Related reports describe the engine continuing to run while the throttle sends no power to the driveline, and one vehicle needing a central computer and electrical parts replaced shortly after purchase. In another case the engine stalled repeatedly and was replaced twice before seizing. Reported from a few hundred miles up to about 70,000 miles, with several cases in the first few years of ownership.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for the service history for any electrical or computer replacement and stalling diagnoses, and take a test drive that includes stop-and-go traffic and a short highway stretch.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10224396, filed 2008-04, 1,700 miles

   “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. The consumer stated the motor continued to run, but there was no power transfer from the throttle to the drive-line.”

   NHTSA complaint #10314269, filed 2010-02
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Carbon buildup on intake valves

   • 6 complaints (8%)
   • median 11,415 mi at 2.0 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2026

   Complaints describe a check engine light and rough running traced to carbon deposits on the intake valves of the direct-injection engine, with the dealer sometimes adding a fuel additive as the remedy. Owners say the deposits return and expect a more involved cleaning once the vehicle is out of warranty. One owner reports the intake valves and carbon buildup being addressed three times within the first year. Reported from about 4,000 to 42,000 miles, in short-trip and city driving in particular.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the intake valves have been cleaned and whether the check engine light has come on for misfires. A service bulletin covers fuel additives for injector cleaning, so ask if that has been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2008 Audi A6 quattro which has 40k miles. Recently the check engine light came up and when I took it to the dealer they mentioned that the engine cylinder is misfiring because of carbon deposits. The dealer said that the car is not meant for nj driving, it is meant to be driven in the autobahn. Dealership provided a fuel additive and said that things should be fine. This is not acceptable for a car that is in warranty.”

   NHTSA complaint #10382764, filed 2011-02, 42,000 miles

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10308697, filed 2010-02, 7,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Multitronic CVT shudder and hesitation

   • 8 complaints (11%)
   • median 21,300 mi at 3.5 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2017

   Owners of the CVT-equipped car describe shuddering, jerking and hesitation from a stop, requiring heavy throttle to pull away, along with occasional erratic shifting or dropping into neutral. Complaints also describe transmission control module and ABS sensor failures that left the car unable to select a gear, with the vehicle at the dealer for diagnosis. Described at low mileage, from a few thousand miles up to around 70,000 miles.

   What to check: On a test drive, note any shudder or lag when pulling away from a stop and any delay or jolt when selecting drive or reverse. Ask whether the transmission fluid has been serviced and whether the control module has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10273754, filed 2009-06, 4,272 miles

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10494519, filed 2013-01, 70,000 miles

Buying note. Check the open airbag recalls first, since most owner complaints here are about parts availability for the passenger inflator rather than the car's mechanical condition. Beyond that, a thorough test drive and a service history will help show whether the lighting, CVT and carbon-buildup complaints apply to the specific car.

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.