Audi A6
Every model year 2016–2027: recalls, owner complaints, NHTSA crash ratings and EPA efficiency side by side, each value traced to the file it came from.
Every Audi A6 model year
Source: NHTSA · EPA · one row per year| Year | Powertrains | Safety | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | Best efficiency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Gas | A | 0 | 0 | — | — | |
| 2026 | Hybrid Gas | A | 1 | 9 | ★★★★★ | 24 mpg | |
| 2025 | Hybrid | B | 2 | 7 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | |
| 2024 | Hybrid | A | 1 | 3 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | |
| 2023 | Hybrid | A | 1 | 3 | ★★★★★ | 27 mpg | |
| 2022 | Hybrid | C | 5 | 4 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | |
| 2021 | Hybrid | D | 12 | 27 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | |
| 2020 | Hybrid | F | 9 | 34 | ★★★★★ | 27 mpg | |
| 2019 | Hybrid | D | 7 | 114 | ★★★★★ | 27 mpg | |
| 2018 | Gas | B | 2 | 11 | ★★★★★ | 28 mpg | |
| 2017 | Gas | C | 3 | 20 | ★★★★★ | 28 mpg | |
| 2016 | Gas Diesel | C | 3 | 51 | ★★★★★ | 30 mpg |
Which model year the record favours
Source: recalls and complaints per year on the roadOn the filed record so far, the 2018 is the cleanest A6 year we hold, and the 2020 the one to check hardest.
Both figures are divided by the number of years the car has been on sale, because otherwise the oldest year on the page loses every time simply for having been around longer. The current model year and any year under three on the road are left out: their records are not finished.
What owners filed about the Audi A6, by system
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsEvery system, every year →The systems the federal record is deep on for this nameplate: the complaints per model year, the mileage owners reported them at, and every recall, investigation and manufacturer bulletin filed under the heading — each one linked, none a failure rate.
What changed year to year
Source: computed from the filed record- 2027: dropped hybrid; 2 → 0 EPA configurations
- 2026: added gas; best combined mpg 26 → 24; 3 → 2 EPA configurations
- 2024: best combined mpg 27 → 26
- 2023: best combined mpg 26 → 27
- 2021: best combined mpg 27 → 26
- 2020: 2 → 3 EPA configurations
- 2019: added hybrid; dropped gas; best combined mpg 28 → 27; 3 → 2 EPA configurations
- 2017: dropped diesel; best combined mpg 30 → 28; 4 → 3 EPA configurations
Common questions about the Audi A6
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich Audi A6 year is the best used buy?
On the recall record, the 2018 A6 comes out top of the years before the current one: Safety Signal grade B (85/100), 2 recalls and 11 owner complaints on file. That ranks paperwork, not condition — a specific car's history and service record still decide it.
What Audi A6 years should I avoid?
2019, 2020, 2021 have the weakest recall records in this range. The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists yet. Every A6 model year ranked, with the reasons.
How many recalls does the Audi A6 have?
Across model years 2016–2027, NHTSA has posted 46 recall campaigns for the Audi A6. They are counted per model year in the table above, because a campaign almost never covers the whole run — it covers a build range.