YearToAvoid

2010 Audi A6 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

33/100

#11 most-complained of 16 A6 years

The 2010 Audi A6 has 17 NHTSA complaints and 3 recalls, with a complaint index of 33, ranking 11th among 16 model years. Compared to other A6 years, it's rated Good, though Takata airbag recall issues stand out.

Complaints
17
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
2 / 1
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
21
18 city / 26 hwy

Top 2010 Audi A6 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags11 (65%)
  2. Engine3 (18%)
  3. Seat Belts3 (18%)
  4. Electrical System2 (12%)
  5. Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (12%)

What owners report

  • Owners report airbags failing to deploy in low-speed crashes, sometimes with the driver's seat belt unlatching on its own.
  • Some describe a blinking headlight that dealers declined to repair for free, calling it a safety hazard.
  • Several report sudden loss of engine coolant, with steam or hot liquid spraying from the engine, sometimes traced to a failed water pump.
  • Multiple owners noticed bubbles in tire sidewalls, in some cases leading to blowouts on more than one tire.
  • A number of owners with the Takata airbag recall said replacement parts were unavailable for longer than expected.
2010 Audi A6 complaints: complaints filed per month2Mar 2010Dec 2010Jul 2016Jan 2017May 2017Jul 2017Oct 2017Oct 2018
21 complaints filed with NHTSA from Mar 2010 to Oct 2018; peak Oct 2010 (2).

2010 Audi A6 recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 18V427000Jun 22, 2018Airbags237,947 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag with an alternate remedy part, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R7. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V382, 17V032 and 18V004 and includes vehicles that may have had their air bag previously replaced under one of those campaigns.

  2. NHTSA 18V004000Jan 4, 2018Airbags10,166 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Audi A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles, ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet vehicles, and 2009-2011 Audi A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Audi mailed an interim owner notification March 02, 2018. When parts to perform the recall repair become available, Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in June 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69U1. Note: This recall has been superseded by 18V427.

  3. NHTSA 16V382000Jun 1, 2016Airbags194,453 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2011 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2004-2008 Audi A4, and 2005-2008 Audi A6 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling model year 2004 Audi A4 vehicles originally sold, or registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834.

2010 Audi A6 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
18 MPG
Highway
26 MPG
Combined
21 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other A6 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Good3317321
2011Good4721321
2012Avoid8059825

All Audi A6 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Audi A6 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2010 A6 has a complaint index of 33 and ranks 11th out of 16 model years, earning a Good verdict relative to other A6 years.
What is the top problem area for the 2010 Audi A6?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 65% of complaints, followed by engine issues and seat belt problems each at 18%.
Does the 2010 Audi A6 have a recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2010 A6, all related to airbags, including the Takata inflator recall and a passenger frontal air bag replacement.
How does the 2010 Audi A6 compare to other years?
The 2010 model's complaint index of 33 is lower than years like 2019 (100) and 2013 (93), which are rated Avoid, making 2010 one of the better years for the A6.
What mileage do problems typically show up at on the 2010 Audi A6?
NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 64,000 miles across reported issues on the 2010 A6.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.