How many recalls does the 2012 Audi A6 have?

NHTSA lists 8 recalls for this model year. They cover fuel leaks, the passenger air bag sensor, the coolant pump and a curtain air bag.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Audi A6?

Engine and air bags each have 15 of the 60 complaints, and the electrical system has 13. In a sample of complaints we read, owners describe passenger seat sensor faults and coolant or fluid leaks into wiring.

What MPG does the 2012 Audi A6 get?

The EPA rates the 2.0L turbo front-wheel drive at 28 MPG combined and the 3.0L all-wheel drive at 22 MPG combined.

Is the 2012 Audi A6 safe?

NHTSA 5-star ratings are not rated for this model year. None of the 60 complaints mention a crash, fire, injury or death.

Is 2012 a good year for the Audi A6?

Among 2011 to 2016, 2012 has the most complaints (60) and the most recalls (8), though 2019 has 114 complaints and 2021 has 12 recalls.

2012 Audi A6 Problems, Recalls and MPG

The 2012 Audi A6 has 60 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, and none of them mention a crash, fire or injury^[1]. It also has 8 recalls, so check that every one has been done before you buy^[2].

60owner complaints^[1]

8recalls^[2]

22–28MPG combined (EPA)^[3]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Owners filed 60 complaints with NHTSA, and none mention a crash, a fire, an injury or a death^[1]. These are unverified reports, and one complaint can name more than one part of the car. Here is how they split up:

Component group	Complaints
Engine^[4]	15
Air bags^[5]	15
Electrical system^[6]	13
Fuel/propulsion system^[7]	9
Power train^[8]	8
Steering^[9]	6
Brakes^[10]	3
Electronic stability control^[11]	3

The median mileage at failure was 80,000 for engine complaints^[4], 77,500 for air bags^[5] and 70,705 for the electrical system^[6].

We read a small sample of the complaint texts. This is only a sample, so treat it as a sketch and not as a measure of how common anything is.

Air bags. In 8 of the 12 air bag texts we read, owners describe a fault with the passenger seat sensor, a warning light or an air bag that was switched off^[5]. In 4 of the 12, owners say they were told their car was excluded from the related recall^[5].
Engine. In 6 of the 12 engine texts, owners describe a loss of power, stalling or warning lights, and some trace it to coolant or fluid leaking into wiring or a control unit^[4]., and some trace it to coolant or fluid leaking into wiring or a control unit^[4]. In 4 of the 12, owners say a dealer told them recall parts were not available^[4].
Electrical. In 6 of the 12 electrical texts, owners describe coolant or fluid getting into wiring or a control module, followed by warning lights or a loss of power^[6].
Fuel. In 6 of the 9 fuel texts, owners describe a fuel smell or a fuel leak^[7]. This lines up with the fuel recalls below.

We do not have a sample of texts for power train, steering, brakes or stability control, so we cannot say what owners describe there.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 8 recalls for this model year^[2]. Newest first:

Passenger seat sensor (18V370). A worn seat mat may make the sensor module malfunction, A worn seat mat may make the sensor module malfunction, which could keep the passenger air bag from working as intended in a crash.. It covers cars with basic seats. Dealers install a repair kit free of charge^[12].
Coolant pump, second recall (18V229). On cars with 2.0L Turbo FSI engines^[13], the electric coolant pump can clog with debris and overheat, or short-circuit from moisture. Either can raise the risk of a fire. Dealers replace the pump free of charge. The recall says it comes on top of the software update from 17V002^[13].
Fuel line (17V781). A fuel line has a point that can weaken and leak. A leak near an ignition source raises the risk of a fire. Dealers replace the fuel line free of charge^[14].
Coolant pump software (17V002). Same pump problem, on cars with 2.0L Turbo FSI engines^[15]. The fix was a software update that cuts power to a blocked pump, free of charge^[15].
Fuel hose (16V646). A fuel hose in the engine compartment can degrade and leak, which raises the risk of a fire. Dealers replace the fuel pump under the hood and the hose, free of charge^[16].
Passenger air bag sensor (15V823). On cars with heated and cooled seats, built in a set window, the sensor may fail and keep the passenger air bags from deploying. Dealers install a repair kit free of charge^[17].
Fuel rail (15V019). The fuel injection system may leak fuel, which raises the risk of a fire. Dealers replace the fuel rails and seals free of charge^[18].
Curtain air bag (11V580). A stitching problem on a small batch of 317 cars^[19] may stop the head curtain air bag from deploying. Dealers replace the curtain air bag free of charge^[19].

Some sampled owner complaints say the recall parts were not available when they called a dealer^[4]^[5]. Before you buy, ask a dealer to confirm every recall is done on that exact car.

Fuel economy

The EPA lists two ratings for this model year:

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	EPA annual fuel cost
2.0L 4-cylinder turbo, front-wheel drive^[3]	25 / 33 / 28	$2,950
3.0L 6-cylinder, all-wheel drive^[20]	19 / 28 / 22	$3,750

Both take premium fuel^[3]^[20]. The annual cost uses the EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new.

Safety ratings

NHTSA has not rated the 4-door all-wheel drive version^[21] or the 4-door front-wheel drive version^[22] in its 5-Star program. There is no star score to compare.

Engine and size

The EPA lists two engines for this model year:

2.0L 4-cylinder: 211 hp^[23]
3.0L 6-cylinder: 310 hp^[24]

Size comes from one variant, the 3.0 TFSI quattro, in Transport Canada specifications, so these are Canadian-market numbers and can differ slightly from US cars^[25].

Measure	Value
Length^[25]	194 in
Width^[25]	74 in
Height^[25]	57 in
Wheelbase^[25]	115 in
Curb weight^[25]	4,045 lb

How 2012 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each A6 model year. The 2012 is highlighted^[2].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
1995	16	2
1996	51	2
1997	20	2
1998	130	10
1999	217	9
2000	148	4
2001	113	7
2002	88	4
2003	66	7
2004	35	4
2005	91	3
2006	67	4
2007	53	4
2008	71	4
2009	21	4
2010	17	3
2011	21	3
2012	60	8
2013	52	6
2014	41	4
2015	22	4
2016	51	3
2017	20	3
2018	11	2
2019	114	7
2020	34	9
2021	27	12
2022	4	5
2023	3	1
2024	3	1
2025	9	3
2026	9	1

Among the model years from 2011 to 2016, 2012 has the most complaints and the most recalls^[2].

Year	Complaints	Recalls
2011^[2]	21	3
2012^[2]	60	8
2013^[2]	52	6
2014^[2]	41	4
2015^[2]	22	4
2016^[2]	51	3

All A6 years are not the same, though. 2019 has 114 complaints and 2021 has 12 recalls, both more than 2012^[2]. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so use them as a rough guide only.

Should you buy a used 2012 A6?

Merge the first two sentences and the last two sentences. NHTSA lists no crashes, fires, injuries or deaths in the 60 complaints^[1]. The weak spot is the recall list. Eight recalls is more than any other year from 2011 to 2016^[2]., and several involve fuel leaks, fire risk or the passenger air bag^[12]^[14]^[16]^[17]^[18]. Owners in our sample also describe coolant or fluid leaking into wiring and control units^[6]. If you are looking at one, get proof that all 8 recalls were done and ask which engine it has, since the two engines have different fuel economy^[3]^[20]. We cannot tell you what repairs cost or how reliable the car is overall, because our data does not cover that.

Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does the 2012 Audi A6 have?: NHTSA lists 8 recalls for this model year^[2]. They cover fuel leaks^[14]^[16]^[18], the passenger air bag sensor^[12]^[17], the coolant pump^[13]^[15] and a curtain air bag^[19].
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Audi A6?: Engine and air bags each have 15 of the 60 complaints, and the electrical system has 13^[1]^[4]^[5]^[6]. In a sample of complaints we read, owners describe passenger seat sensor faults and coolant or fluid leaks into wiring^[5]^[6].
What MPG does the 2012 Audi A6 get?: The EPA rates the 2.0L turbo front-wheel drive at 28 MPG combined^[3] and the 3.0L all-wheel drive at 22 MPG combined^[20].
Is the 2012 Audi A6 safe?: NHTSA 5-star ratings are not rated for this model year^[21]^[22]. None of the 60 complaints mention a crash, fire, injury or death^[1].
Is 2012 a good year for the Audi A6?: Among 2011 to 2016, 2012 has the most complaints (60) and the most recalls (8), though 2019 has 114 complaints and 2021 has 12 recalls^[2].

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 60 owner complaints on file for the 2012 Audi A6 (0 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Audi A6 model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for A6, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Premium, Front-Wheel Drive: 25 city / 33 highway / 28 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
15 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 80,000). NHTSA vehicle records
15 complaints name the air bags component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 77,500). NHTSA vehicle records
13 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 70,705). NHTSA vehicle records
9 complaints name the fuel/propulsion system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 83,000). NHTSA vehicle records
8 complaints name the power train component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 62,000). NHTSA vehicle records
6 complaints name the steering component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the brakes component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the electronic stability control (esc) component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 18V370, filed June 4, 2018: Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V229, filed April 11, 2018: Engine And Engine Cooling › Cooling System. NHTSA recall database
Recall 17V781, filed December 6, 2017: Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines / Piping, And Fittings. NHTSA recall database
Recall 17V002, filed January 3, 2017: Engine And Engine Cooling › Cooling System. NHTSA recall database
Recall 16V646, filed September 7, 2016: Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines / Piping, And Fittings. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V823, filed December 8, 2015: Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V019, filed January 20, 2015: Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System › Fuel Rail. NHTSA recall database
Recall 11V580, filed December 6, 2011: Air Bags › Side / Window. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for A6 quattro, 3.0L 6-cyl, Automatic (S8), Premium, All-Wheel Drive: 19 city / 28 highway / 22 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,750. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR AWD: not rated. NHTSA vehicle records
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD: not rated. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2012 Audi A6 with 2.0L 4-cylinder: rated 211 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2012 Audi A6 with 3.0L 6-cylinder: rated 310 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, A6 4DR SEDAN 3.0 TFSI QUATTRO PREMIUM/PREMIUM: length 194 in, width 74 in, height 57 in, wheelbase 115 in, curb weight 4,045 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2012 Audi A6: problems, recalls and fuel economy