Tl* the contact owns a 1998 audi a6. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the dashboard wires had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage and VIN was not available.
1998 Audi A6: fire, smoke or burning smell
8 of the 130 complaints about the 1998 Audi A6 describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 5 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
I purchased a used 98 audi a6 pn 4/28/07. When I purchased the car, the only issues with the car were this gassy smell inside the car when you turn on the heat, and a smoke coming from the some pipe. My mechanic told me that the breather was cut, and it had to be replaced . After fixing the problem which I had to pay for. The check engine light went on. Could not do the inspection because of that problem. A few days later I started while driving I hear this beeping sound. The fuel needle immediately went down to empty, and back up again showing that I had half a tank of gas. I went to check it again. The mechanic could not see anything. So I decided to make an appointment with the dealer. In the mean time, I decided to fill up my gas tank. That's when I realized a gas smell coming from outside the car. Took the vehicle to another mechanic on my way home, to find out that my gas tank was leaking because there is a crack and I could not drive the car under such conditions because the car can set on fire while I am driving it.
On february 4, 2006 I was driving northbound on interstate 95, between exits 15 and 16 in norwalk, connecticut. I was the only occupant of the car, and I was driving in the middle lane at approximately 60 miles per hour. The time was approximately 12:30 pm. Smoke and flames suddenly started pouring out of the vents on the dashboard. There was no prior warning that something was wrong with the car, so there was no opportunity to slow down or pull over to the side of the road. The interior of the car quickly filled with black smoke and the dashboard was covered with fire. The steering wheel locked up and it wouldn't turn at all. Although I could not steer, the car drifted to the right lane. While smoke and flames were pouring out of the dashboard, and the car was still moving, I opened the passenger side door and jumped out of the car. My back hit the guardrail on the right side of the highway and I fell to the ground. Within a minute the car was engulfed in smoke and flames. The interior of the car and all of its contents were completely destroyed by fire. I suffered numerous injuries including smoke inhalation, a concussion, injuries to my neck, back, ribs, legs and pelvis, post traumatic stress disorder, and other injuries.
Dt: on may 31 2005 while driving smelled a burning odor. Then, smoke came from air vents, and smoke got worse. While speaking w/ 911 flames began to come from the air vents. Fire appeared to come from the air vents. Vehicle was operating normally before the fire broke out. There was no warning or codes to owner's knowledge. It was unknown what caused the fire. Owner believed it was an electrical fire. The fire department had a hard time extinguishing the fire, and were unsure as to the cause of the fire. A police report filed. Car was serviced regularly and records were available. The car was moved to a storage facility behind a gas station. The insurance company took possession of the vehicle, and considered it a total loss. Audi contacted the owner about an investigation. There were other recalls but nothing about this vehicle.
While driving 50-55 MPH consumer noticed smoke coming out of driver's air bag. Consumer immediately pulled over, turned the engine off and out, and within two minutes vehicle was on fire.
While driving engine started missing. Smoke began to come out of the shifter and dashboard. The dashboard caught on fire. The vehicle was totaled.
After starting vehicle smoke came out of a hole at the base of the steering wheel, consumer believes the steering wheel heater caught fire. Nlm
While driving 55mph steering wheel heat sensors caught on fire. Flames shot out towards driver's face. There was no prior warning. The flames were extinguished by driver's hands. Managed to pull vehicle over. Contacted audi dealership. Turned heat sensors off on steering wheel. Took vehicle to dealership & mechanic replaced steering wheel without the heat sensors.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This communication is issued to inform dealers of updated shipping regulations related to lithium ion...
- Subject regarding instrument cluster, driver's information display fades
- Subject on open condtion at fuse S14
- Subject on electrical wiring diagrams, troubleshooting & component locations technical bulleting no
Related recalls
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with halogen low beam headlights, certain connector pins in the headlight switch connector come into contact with each other causing a short circuit. Note: vehicles with xenon low beam headlights are not affected because the circuit in these vehicles contains a fuse, which precludes excessive current flow in the case of a short circuit. Audi s6 and s6 avant vehicles are all equipped with xenon low beam headlights and, therefore, are not longer affected by this recall.
- Risk
- This condition could lead to overheating or fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reroute the wiring harness by installing a jumper wiring harness. The recall began on december 16, 2006. Owners may contact audi at 1‑800‑822‑2834.
Recall number 06V198000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, if a driver's knees push against the knee bolster (crash element) located under the dashboard, it can contact the headlight switch wiring harness, and an electrical short could occur.
- Risk
- A fire could originate in the left dashboard area.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a protective covering on the knee bolster (crash element). In addition, the wiring harness as well as the felt protector on the left side of the dashboard carrier will be checked, and replaced if necessary. The recall began on july 26, 2004. Owners should contact audi at 1‑800‑822‑2834.
Recall number 04V133000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1998 Audi A6 fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 1998 Audi A6?
8 of 130 owner complaints about the 1998 Audi A6 (6%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 1999.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 Audi A6?
There are 2 recalls and 5 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1998 Audi A6
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1998 Audi A6?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history