"How reliable is the 1998 Audi A6?"

"Based on 158 NHTSA complaints, the 1998 Audi A6 has a median complaint mileage of 79000 miles. The most common issue is Tank Assembly."

"What are common problems with the 1998 Audi A6?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1998 Audi A6 is Tank Assembly, accounting for a significant portion of the 158 total complaints filed."

1998 Audi A6: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 158 complaints

158

Total Complaints

79,000mi

Median Mileage

Tank Assembly

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

52,000 25th Percentile

79,000 Median Mileage

98,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Tank Assembly

Vehicle Speed Control

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Control Arm

Tie Rod Assembly

Bumpers

Control Unit/Module

Accelerator Pedal

Filler Pipe And Cap

Unknown Or Other

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IN THE RAIN,THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE NOT OPERATING WITH THE HIGHEST SPEED, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK *SLC"

"FRONT BUMPER BECAME GROSSLY DAMAGED BY A PREFORMED CONCRETE PARKING BARRIER. DRIVER HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE BUMPER IS BEING DAMAGED BECAUSE THE BUMPER NEVER TOUCHES THE BARRIER."

"HAD RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE (#98V134000) & CALLED DEALER FOR APPOINTMENT. ON APPOINTED DAY TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. AFTER ARRIVING, WAS INFORMED NO WORK WOULD BE DONE ON VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS NOT BROUGHT AT BINNER DEALER. SERVICE MANAGER TOLD OWNER "TO LEAVE & DO NOT COME BACK". MANUFACTURER SAID "NOT..."

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

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Vehicle Speed Control 11 complaints

25th: 88,000 mi Median: 92,000 mi 75th: 103,500 mi

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 7 complaints

Median: 103,000 mi

Control Arm 7 complaints

Median: 81,000 mi

Tie Rod Assembly 6 complaints

25th: 74,500 mi Median: 82,000 mi 75th: 86,250 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NY: 24 CA: 21 PA: 13 MA: 11 NJ: 10 FL: 9 CT: 8 IL: 8 OH: 5 VT: 5

Who Files Complaints?

36.1%

Original Owners

63.9%

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
1997	26	100,000	Switch	0
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