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2002 Audi A6 problems

The most common problem on the 2002 Audi A6 is engine and cooling, typically around 99,370 miles. It has 2.1 times the complaints of a typical A6 model year.

Year to avoid2.1x the typical complaints
Year score
38/100
Owner complaints
88
Recalls
4
Service bulletins
129
Worst area
Engine
Fuel economy
18-19mpg

The worst 2002 Audi A6 problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Audi A6

Check engine light 7Fuel leak 7Fire or smoke 5

Recalls 4

Fuel system, other: storage: tank assemblyReported May 3, 2011 · 5,992 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 audi a6, model year 2002-2003 s6 and model year 2003 rs6 vehicles equipped with 4.2l engines and manufactured from june 19, 2001, through june 8, 2004. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
Risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could lead to a vehicle fire.
Remedy
Dealers will reinforce the nipple on the rollover valve to prevent leakage or repair the cracking at the nipple. The recall is expected to begin during june 2011. Owners may contact audi at 1‑800‑822‑2834.

Recall number 11V267000 · Recall details

Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assemblyReported April 8, 2008 · 68,240 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Volkswagen is recalling 68,240 my 2001-2004 audi a6 quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7l, 2.8l, or 3.0l engines and my 2001-2005 allroad quattro vehicles equipped with 2.7l or 4.2l engines. The aging of the plastic material in the fuel tank rollover valve combined with bending stress from the aluminum ventilation line to the rollover valve nipple may lead to cracking of the nipple. If this happens, a fuel leak may result.
Risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could lead to a vehicle fire.
Remedy
Dealers will reinforce the nipple on the rollover valve to prevent leakage or repair the cracking at the nipple. The recall began on june 27, 2008. Owners may contact audi at 1‑800‑822‑2834.

Recall number 08V157000 · Recall details

Electrical systemReported June 5, 2006 · 70,512 vehicles affected
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 systemReported March 18, 2004 · 172,866 vehicles affected
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

See all 4 recalls for the 2002 Audi A6

Defect investigations

Fuel tank leakOpened January 31, 2008, closed May 30, 2008

Volkswagen (vw) is recalling certain vw passat 4motion and audi a6 quattro and allroad quattro all-wheel drive passenger cars.vw vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from november 22, 2000 through may 31, 2005 and audi vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from june 2, 2001 to june 1, 2005.the federal safety agency recall number for the vw vehicles is 08v‑156 (vw also is correcting defects related to heat shield and fuel line hazards for these vehicles and for 1999-2000 passats in this recall action.)the federal safety agency recall number for the audi vehicles is 08v‑157.since 2006, odi has received 17 complaints of fuel leaking from the subject vehicles' fuel tanks.the 400 complaints shown above may include duplicate reports to odi and the manufacturer. While the consequence (fuel leaks from the top of the tank) is similar for both the passat and audi subject vehicles, differences in design and construction require a different remedy for each vehicle.on the passats, the ventilation line could have been installed improperly with tension and with an incorrectly positioned cable tie.the tension could cause cracked or broken nipples on the fuel tank rollover valve.on the audi vehicles, a material change (effective june 2, 2001) with different aging characteristics used for the rollover valve and the use of an inflexible aluminum ventilation line could cause cracking of the nipple on the rollover valve.vw is recalling all vehicles subject to these defects.it will inspect passats to ensure that the vent line is tension free and correct the installation if tension is found.if a crack or fuel leak is found, vw will replace the fuel tank.audi will repair all subject vehicles by reinforcing the fuel tank rollover valve with an epoxy adhesive.this investigation is closed.

PE08008

Technical service bulletins for the 2002 Audi A6 129

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 129 bulletins for the 2002 Audi A6

2002 Audi A6 fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
3.0L 6‑cylFWD172319
2.7L 6‑cyl4WD15-1622-2318
3.0L 6‑cyl4WD152318
4.2L 8‑cyl4WD152318

What 2002 Audi A6 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jun 12, 2021 · Engine, Fuel system · WA

When I first got the vehicle it would start with no issues and now it wont start an I cant figure out why and not sure if this is the reason I cant think of what else it could be it acts like its not getting any fuel or something to get started.

Filed Apr 1, 2021 · Airbags · 85,000 miles · MO · crash · 3 injuries

On february 11, 2021, mr. Travis was traveling on I-70 in vandalia illinois when he was rear ended at high speeds by mr. Free. Mr. Travis' 2002 audi a6 sustained serious damage but the airbags did not deploy. Mr. Travis sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash.

Filed Sep 10, 2020 · Electrical · 150,499 miles · IA

The headlights are shorting out and cracking and bare wires touching

Filed May 20, 2020 · Engine · 18,000 miles · CA

I parked my car to detail it and after I went to drive to the store and my car wasn't reaching above 4000 rpms and wouldn't go over 60 MPH ...its acting like there is a rev limiter and throw 2 new codes...never got engine bay wet jus outer body of vehicle ...diagnostic codes are p0322 and p0421 I believe one is for the engine ignition distributor no signal and also catalytic system below threshold bank 1 .....after I parked car again I tried to start and nothing happened ....I've bout new c.o.p's ....and still nothing I was driving my vehicle when this happened and also notice that the fuel filler just inside the port was all cracked and when I filled with fuel its leaked alot of my gas ...the

Filed Jan 9, 2020 · Fuel system · 145,000 miles · MD

Filled gas tank and noticed fuel leaking from top of the tank to the ground near the inside of the passenger side real wheel. Fuel stops leaking after it drops below 3/4 full. Took the car to the audi dealership thinking it was failure of the rollover/filler neck valve recall again (the federal safety agency recall #08v157000). Audi said the filler neck was dry, but there is a leak somewhere on top of fuel tank on the same side as the filler neck. They said they could not see where the leak was coming from without dropping the fuel tank from the car. Audi quoted the repair for completely replacing the fuel tank at ~$3400. A fuel tank should never leak, and this is an extreme safety concern, not only for the drivers and passengers of the car, but all others on the road. This is also a failure of an emissions component that audi needs to be responsible for since there is raw fuel leaking all over the road.

Filed Mar 6, 2018 · Electrical · WA · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 audi a6. While driving approximately 55 MPH, there was an odor of smoke. The contact observed smoke coming through the vents on the front driver's side. In addition, the vehicle caught fire under the hood. There were no injuries sustained. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing facility. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The VIN was not available. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was not available.

Filed Aug 24, 2013 · Acceleration · 125,690 miles · MT

I was driving at about 65 MPH. I went to pass another car in a passing zone so I accelerated full throttle. The gas pedal stuck and the car continued to accelerate. I braked and maneuvered the car to the side of the road and turned it off. After a while it released. I started the car again and continued home, not pushing the pedal down any farther than necessary. I will take it in to be fixed. There was nothing obscuring the pedal and the floor mat was clicked into place. I found no evidence of a recall, but many audi owners have reported similar experiences, so I am not sure why this isn't a recall issue.

Filed Jul 25, 2013 · Fuel system · 72,000 miles · UT

Fuel vapors and leaking fuel appears when the fuel tank is filled beyond 3/4 tank. This is unsafe for the car to be parked inside of the garage. The fumes make passengers feel ill. Audi service departments want to charge over $2500 to repair. A recall for the rollover valve has been performed; however the audi service techs say the leakage is coming from small cracks in the defective tank. Unable to have the repair done because of costs I have driven the car with less than1/2 tank of fuel for several years . The state of utah will no longer pass my vehicle inspection due to the emissions issue. My fear is the leaking fuel could be ignited by any number of sources including exhaust/heat from the vehicle. Passengers should never have to be subject to vapors inside of a vehicle. I have been to 3 different utah audi dealerships and 1 independent audi repair garage. I have also contacted audi customer relations @ 1‑800‑253‑2834. All of the audi representatives and technicians have played dumb regarding this issue; yet the issue can be found in a number of forums where others have dealt with the same issue. Audi refuses to take responsibility or even show real concern for this safety and environmental issue.

Filed May 2, 2013 · Transmission · 122,700 miles · CA

Transmission failure while driving on freeway. Fourth time in 3 years. Each time the transmission was replaced. Audi refuses to acknowledge the failure of the CVT transmission on that model. It is a danger to public safety.

Filed Feb 20, 2013 · Engine, Fuel system · 61,000 miles · WI

I recently bought my audi and throughout the summer it drove just fine, but once winter came around and the temperatures dropped, I noticed the smell of gas in my car as soon as it was started. I opened the hood and there was gas spraying from what looked like all six fuel injectors. So I took the car to a mechanic, where they replaced numerous things (fuel pressure regulator, o rings, valve system, and all 6 fuel injectors) all to no avail. Nobody can tell me what is wrong, nobody knows. I called audi and they told me I could take it to a dealership but that they couldn't promise they can fix the car. I can't drive the car, it is a safety hazard. I have looked on many forums and there have been a few other people with the same problem but nobody can figure out what is wrong. Is there a recall, or any information you can give as to how to fix this problem??

Used buying checklistWhat to check on a 2002 Audi A6 before you buy

Compare the 2002 Audi A6

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Questions about the 2002 Audi A6

Is the 2002 Audi A6 reliable?

Owners have filed 88 complaints about the 2002 Audi A6, 2.1 times a typical A6 model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.

What is the 2002 Audi A6 year score?

The 2002 Audi A6 scores 38 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Audi A6: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Audi A6?

Engine and cooling, with 20 complaints, typically around 99,370 miles. Next is electrical (15).

How many recalls does the 2002 Audi A6 have?

4 recalls, covering fuel system, other, fuel system, gasoline and electrical system.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Audi A6 get?

Official estimates for the 2002 Audi A6 range from 18 to 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 23 highway.

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