The gas tank or components of the tank are leaking gas when more than a small amount of gas is put into the tank. Gas leaks all over the ground from the tank and the cabin fills with gas fumes. My 18 son has been driving this car and I will not allow him or anyone else to drive the car now. After reading online that many people have this same problem, I am shocked that this is not a recall when it could be potentially life threatening and that audi wants to charge 3k to lower the tank and repair.
The worst 2003 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.
- Fuel system21
- Electrical14
- Transmission10
- Brakes6
- Engine6
- Tires6
- Visibility3
- Acceleration2
- Body2
- Driver assistance2
- Lights2
- Steering2
- Suspension2
- Airbags1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Audi A6
Recalls 7
Fuel system, other: storage: tank assembly
- 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 assembly
- 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
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles equipped with 1.8l turbo, 2.8l v6, or 3.0l engines, a change in the electrical motor components in the fuel pump can lead to an inoperative fuel pump and, ultimately, stoppage of fuel supply to the engine causing it to stall.
- Risk
- If fuel flow to the engine is interrupted, the vehicle could stall without warning and thus present a potential risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install new fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on september 28, 20007. Owners may contact vw at 1‑800‑222‑8987 or audi at 1‑800‑822‑2834. This recall is a supplement to a previous campaign (please see 06v017).
Recall number 07V375000 · Recall details
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
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles produced from september 2002 - march 2003, equipped with 1.8l turbo, 2.8l v6, or 3.0l engines, a change in the electrical motor components in the fuel pump can lead to an inoperative fuel pump and, ultimately, stoppage of fuel supply to the engine causing it to stall.
- Risk
- If fuel flow to the engine is interrupted, the vehicle could stall without warning and thus present a potential risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install new fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on april 10, 2006. Owners may contact vw at 1‑800‑222‑8987 or audi at 1‑800‑822‑2834.
Recall number 06V017000 · 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
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3-spoke sport steering wheels, it is possible that the igniter for the driver's side air bag may not have been properly assembled.
- Risk
- An improperly positioned igniter will not activate the air bag in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the air bags. Owner notification began november 18, 2002. Owners should contact audi at 1‑800‑822‑2834.
Recall number 02V275000 · Recall details
See all 7 recalls for the 2003 Audi A6
Defect investigations
Fuel tank leak
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 2003 Audi A6 138
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin provides information on the additional reporting requirements for safety related inquiries.
- This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
- This informational bulletin explains how to order replacement VIN plates, Safety Certification Labels, etc.
- This information bulletin contains instructions for technicans on how to ensure their TAC call goes smoothly.
- 00 Software Version Management (SVM), operating instructions
- This communication is issued to inform dealers of updated shipping regulations related to lithium ion...
- This communication is issued to remind dealers of the repair validation process for repair group 19....
- This bulletin contains instructions for additional reporting requirements for safety related inquiries...
- This informational bulletin contains technical information for when there is condensation visible on the...
- This special notice is to inform dealers to return all part numbers listed in the document and order the...
2003 Audi A6 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 25 | 21 |
| 2.7L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 16 | 24 | 19 |
| 4.2L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 15 | 23 | 18 |
What 2003 Audi A6 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 audi a6. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the failure occurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer and the crankshaft sensor was replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not taken back to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was contacted, but was unable to assist. The failure mileage was 149,000.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 audi a6. The contact stated while driving at various speeds on the highway, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 149,000. The VIN was not available.
Check engine light on, vehicle will not pass emissions testing. Audi determined that it was due to a fuel leak from a crack in the passenger side rear rollover valve. Vehicle had been recalled in past for similar issue (performed). Tank has 4 rollover valves, only one (front driver) included in prior recall. Initial quoted $3,300 to replace tank. Audi offered to pay for replacement tank with the exception of ~$600 (repair order attached). Repair completed on 2/23/2017, car passes state inspection. As you can see by the "staining" in the attached photo, the leak was significant dealer then calls to say that car needs to be returned to perform prior recall on the newly installed tank. Recall to be performed on only the one rollover valve (driver front) that can be accessed with out removing fuel tank. Not the valve that was leaking and necessitated the replacement. I requested that audi perform recall on all 4 rollover valves as they installed a knowingly defective part and the risk of another crack/leak exists. Dealer says audi refuses. I have made several calls to both dealer and audi with no response from audi beyond a conversation with customer service. Check engine light back on 5/08/2017. Emailed dealer on 5/11/2017 (attached pdf) with my request (again), and have received no contact from audi. Returning car to dealer for recall on the one rollover valve on 7/12/17. Audi is putting this car back on the road with the strong potential of a fuel leak.
I was driving in light rain and saw a small puddle of water ahead so I slowed down and went through it at 10mph, all of the sudden my steering wheel locks up and is stuck going right, grinding noise came from the front drivers wheel. I somehow managed to get the vehical to a fire station and park it there after 30m and only going 20ft then all of a sudden while I'm pressing the gas peddle the horrible grinding noise comes back and the car goes no where in drive or reverse.
Sunroof exploded while traveling on the freeway.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 audi a6. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a puddle of fuel in the driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rollover valve had a crack, causing the fuel tank to leak. The vehicle was repaired per a recall, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired again. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The recall information was not provided. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
I have 2003 audi a6 quattro 4.2 l. I had in shop for rear brakes and mechanic noted fuel leaking/dripping from front drivers side of plastic fuel tank. I did internet search and found recall campaign 11v267000 and many complaints regarding similar leaks. I verified manufacture date 4/3/(2002 or 2003?) from vehicle which falls in window covered by recall of units manufactured between june 19, 2001 through june 8, 2004. I contacted audi america and eventually spoke with xxxx at [xxx]. She assured me that my car was either not subject to the recall or had been fixed. I told her I was the owner of the car at the time of the recall ( may 2011) and my car had not been fixed. She robotically repeated that my car had either been fixed or not part of the recall. I asked her to verify that it had been fixed and she said they have no records to show that. She said I could contact the dealer that originally sold the car. I said why would a dealer in wisconsin who sold the car in 2003 have any records regarding a recall issued in 20011 when I owned the car? She was silent. I asked for a list of all vins in the recall. She said she could not give me that. She agreed to send me a "range" of affected VIN's. She said they might be able to help me out but I need to have and evaluation done at my expense at an audi dealer to determine what is wrong. I said I know what is wring, it is leaking gas from the rollover valve connection on the tank and reported all over the internet in audi forums etc. I have made an appointment with audi for 31 october min 1 hr labor at $110/hr to evaluate my leak. This recall needs to be enforced and audi needs to be held accountable for their evasive responses. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Failed ct emissions test. Check engine light illuminated. Confirmed code to be p0741. Informed by authorized technician that the torque converter requires replacement.
At times when driving the car the acceleration becomes slow and it stalls with a jerk like it's going to just stop also, when the car is put in reverse gear it will not move. I am stuck. The prnd flashing on the dashboard. I become afraid because this can cause serious accidents.
Compare the 2003 Audi A6
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Questions about the 2003 Audi A6
Is the 2003 Audi A6 reliable?
Owners have filed 66 complaints about the 2003 Audi A6, 1.6 times a typical A6 model year.
What is the 2003 Audi A6 year score?
The 2003 Audi A6 scores 53 out of 100 (below average). 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 2003 Audi A6?
Fuel and propulsion system, with 21 complaints, typically around 84,600 miles. Next is electrical (14).
How many recalls does the 2003 Audi A6 have?
7 recalls, covering fuel system, other, fuel system, gasoline and electrical system.
What gas mileage does the 2003 Audi A6 get?
Official estimates for the 2003 Audi A6 range from 18 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 25 highway.
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