"How reliable is the 1997 Audi A6?"

"Based on 26 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Audi A6 has a median complaint mileage of 100000 miles. The most common issue is Switch."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Audi A6?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Audi A6 is Switch, accounting for a significant portion of the 26 total complaints filed."

1997 Audi A6: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 26 complaints

Total Complaints

100,000mi

Median Mileage

Switch

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

90,000 25th Percentile

100,000 Median Mileage

105,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Switch

12V/24V/48V Battery

Electrical System

Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Air Conditioner

Front Underhood

Headlights

Automatic Transmission

Ignition

Exterior

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"LOW BEAM DESIGN CAUSES THE HEADLIGHTS TO BE VERY DIM WHICH MAY CAUSE VISUAL DIFFICULTY, AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK"

"NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL FAILURES AND MALFUNCTIONS INCLUDING REPLACEMENT OF IGNITION SWITCH, 2 BATTERIES, 2 ALTERNATORS, A/C FAN RELAYS AND FANS, NUMEROUS WIRING "REROUTES"; PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. CAR LOOSES ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. CANNOT BE RESTARTED."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

FL: 5 NY: 2 CA: 2 MD: 2 CO: 2 CT: 1 UT: 1 MO: 1 TX: 1 ND: 1

Who Files Complaints?

26.9%

Original Owners

73.1%

Second+ Owners

Audi A6 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1995	22	118,000	Switch	1
1996	71	100,000	Switch	1
1998	158	79,000	Tank Assembly	12
1999	276	80,000	Tank Assembly	14
2000	201	73,000	Electrical System	5
2001	148	70,500	Automatic Transmission	17
2002	113	68,000	Vehicle Speed Control	10
2003	85	82,000	Fuel System, Gasoline	1
2004	44	72,000	Fuel System, Gasoline	3
2005	119	91,725	Air Bags	1
2006	83	82,500	Air Bags	3
2007	62	88,500	Air Bags	5
2008	78	44,000	Air Bags	1
2009	22	81,000	Air Bags	0
2010	23	64,000	Air Bags	5
2011	23	57,000	Air Bags	1
2012	86	72,000	Air Bags	0
2013	79	54,500	Air Bags	5
2014	47	40,000	Steering	1
2015	28	61,500	Engine	1
2016	75	26,205	Engine	0
2017	23	-	Air Bags	0
2019	185	760	Electrical System	5
2020	39	-	Electrical System	0

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28