What 113 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Audi A6

My 2019 Audi A6 was diagnosed with catastrophic internal engine failure on May 9, 2026 at Audi of Newton, Newton, NJ, at 93,645 miles. The vehicle required a full engine rebuild performed by REV Auto NJ at a cost of $12,000. The failure involved metal debris found in the engine oil, consistent with the documented EA839 3.0L V6 TFSI rocker arm needle bearing failure or piston skirt failure affecting this engine family. The EA839 engine used in this vehicle has a documented history of design defects: (1) Rocker arm needle bearings in early production engines were undersized and prone to disintegration, releasing metal debris into the oil supply and destroying camshaft lobes, balance shafts, and pistons. Audi silently revised the rocker arm part number three times (06M109417H -> 06M109417L -> 0P2109417), with the final revision featuring bearings twice the size of the originals - evidence of a known design defect. No recall was issued. (2) Audi of America issued a Piston Skirt Limited Warranty Extension in 2025 to 8 years/80,000 miles for EA839 piston failures. Independent engineering analysis by 034Motorsport, backed by laboratory testing, confirms that the EA839 piston design creates failure paths even under stock, unmodified conditions. Audi of America has not issued a safety recall for this engine failure pattern despite multiple documented failures across the A6, A7, A8, S4, S5, SQ5, Q7, and Q8 platforms sharing this engine. The failure mode - metal debris circulating through the lubrication system - poses a risk of sudden, complete engine loss while driving at highway speeds, creating an unreasonable safety risk to vehicle occupants and other motorists. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the EA839 3.0T engine for a potential safety-related defect and consider whether a recall is warranted across the affected model population. I have incurred $12,000 in repair costs for a defect that evidence strongly suggests is a design flaw, not a maintenance issue.

NHTSA ODI 11749217

I recently brought my 2019 A6 to Nyack Audi for an unrelated repair, after performing their complimentary inspection the service advisor told me my water pump was leaking coolant into the vacuum hose system; and the pump, PCV valve, sensors, solenoids and vacuum hose system need to be replaced, costing $6,186. My A6 was out of warranty at that point, so Audi would not pay for the $6,186 in repairs. Engine coolant purportedly leaks into the vacuum system and other electrical components, causing contamination of the vacuum system. Leaking coolant will cause an overheated engine and possible FAILURE of the (EA839)engine and even the turbocharger . Today I did some online research line research and discovered a class action lawsuit involving their 1.8 & 2.0 engine water pumps which failed prematurely for the same reason. A major class-action settlement (Zhao v. Volkswagen Group of America) was approved covering certain 2014–2021 Audi vehicles equipped with 1.8L and 2.0L engines. And now, there is a class action involving the 2.9 & 3.0 V6 engines; “the lawsuit alleges the water pumps are defective in Audi's 2.9-liter and 3.0-liter EA839 V-6s; these engines were available in nearly every Audi model on sale from the 2018 to 2024 model years. The lawsuit—Larr, et al., v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., et al. —has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey”. Apparently, Audi has know about this issue since at least 2018 and done nothing to try and resolve it. Please put the pressure of the federal government on Audi to settle the lawsuit, DO THE RIGHT THING and cover the cost of repairs. Also find a solution to prevent this from happening to other Audi owners. I can’t afford $6,186 for a repair, nor go purchase a different vehicle…..Rock & a hard place. Please help. Thank you .

NHTSA ODI 11744302

Every single EA839 Audi Engine has piston skirt and cylinder scoring.

NHTSA ODI 11735503

Complete shut down of all electrical associated components while driving on highway Loss of power steering loss of braking loss of ability to accelerate transmission failure loss of lane detection, loss of car detection. Diagnosed as , faulty alternator recall repaired and continuation of same electrical failures despite six additional repairs Multiple failures of all electrical components on highway road and side roads

NHTSA ODI 11732943

My 2019 Audi A6 sedan displays warnings for the Start/Stop system malfunction indicated in Audi's document: "Emissions Service Action Code: 27BQ" [XXX] I'm still waiting to hear if this has been elevated to Recall status. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11712442

My water pump failed at 49,000 miles. I have been advised by Audi that it is not covered by the extended warranty for some similar cars.

NHTSA ODI 11682050

Yellow battery indicator light came on while driving car in 35 degree weather after a week of sitting in garage (holidays). I pulled over, read the manual and it said this could cause battery light to illuminate. I called the dealership service to ask them, they said possible reason. I decided to drive across city to dealership, 25 minutes away. On HOV lane, red warning lights flashing to pull over then 5 seconds later everything went black. No electrical, no engine, car died. VERY DANGEROUS!! Read later that this has been happening on Audi A6 (& other models) for 2+ years. Towed to dealership and they have had 1.5 weeks and still not fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11636241

The car gave me electrical malfunction warning while driving on the highway, then all the screens turned black, and the car completely shut down while driving. The steering was still working, although heavier than usual, and the breaking also worked. The car slow down to a complete stop at the shoulder of the highway. This was very concerning, and thankfully happened close on exit with a shoulder at the side in which I was able to park the car.

NHTSA ODI 11568315

Electrical fault dash warnings (steering, transmission, braking and many other things too numerous to mention came on while driving the car and it went into limp mode and forced the car to stop and would not restart. The car had to be towed to the dealership where they diagnosed the problem to be the "alternator" which is more accurately what is known as the "belt starter generator" BSG. The BSG runs the start stop feature of the car and charges the mild hybrid 48v battery system that runs many of the critical features of the vehicle. They do not have the part in stock and do not know how long it will take to get in. I understand that there is NOT an upgraded part available that will fix this issue, only the same part that they are continuing to put on all of the V6 engine models since 2019 to today. The A6,7 and A8 and Q5,7 and Q8 models in particular are being affected. This is an extremely dangerous problem that has not been remedied by Audi/VW to this point and the NHTSA should issue a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11559844

Car shut down while driving due to the electrical system malfunction; had to get the car towed; ended up being a known issue by Audi with no recall related to the alternator; replaced with new alternator

NHTSA ODI 11554395

The Alternator had failed along with the battery and shut off the car, rendering it useless on the road. The vehicle is still under the New Car Warranty. It was a hazard as it could not be put into neutral and was stuck in park. The dealer had confirmed it was a manufacturer-wide problem with waits of up to 3-6 months for the part. The tow truck had difficulty towing it up as the car was not able to roll. Before the car shut off immediately it had given the warning "Electrical System: Malfunction! Please Contact Service, as well as Auto Start Stop System: Malfunction!".

NHTSA ODI 11551281

This is my SECOND entry/complaint regarding the same EXTREMELY DANGEROUS steering malfunction. While driving my 2019 A6 (this time alone) in heavy rain the same warning message was displayed. The warning stated: steering malfunction, please stop the vehicle!. At which point the power steering locked-up & the engine powered down. As a result, I was unable to steer the vehicle. One again I was able to exit the highway safely. Being close to home with only a few turns, I was able to “limp” the car home, parked in my driveway and contacted Audi. Currently it’s at Nyack Audi awaiting service on Monday 9/11. This is a huge safety issue and needs to be addressed. Doing a bit of online research & reading countless Audi blogs, I found out this to be a common issue with other Audis while driving in the rain. Fist time this occurred was 6/16/22, driving a 2016 S6. Tracking # for that entry is 11543563

NHTSA ODI 11543573

1 / 2 · Purchased 2019 Audi A6 Prestige sedan in August 19, 2023 Issue #1: Transmission Issue · Day after purchase, transmission error appeared on dashboard during highway driving · Car acted up a little, so quickly got off highway and drove home. Emotionally scared · Called tow company to haul to dealership the next day · In the shop for few days and didn’t have a replacement vehicle. · Also got some message about air bags · I have email communication about these issues with Audi Issue #2: Three safety recalls and periodic electrical warnings between 2019-2022 including... · Inaccurate fuel level indicator o 6-7 months between recall notice and fix o Consistently thinking about range #3: Issue Alternator · 6/22: Warning message appeared on dashboard indicating battery issue, take for service · Friday, 6/23: Took to an widely recognized car shop (specializing in imported vehicles) close by to check it. Mechanic summarized that the alternator voltage output is low. Battery test good. · Recommendation was to replace alternator. Car shop couldn’t get replacement due to supply backlog. o 1:00 PM: On the drive back on highway, frequent warning messages appeared on dash and the car suddenly started accelerated/decelerating. Immediately pulled onto the breakdown lane. o 2:30 PM: After 1.5 hours, Tow truck came to pickup vehicle and take it home o 2:30 – 4: Struggled to get car started to pull off trailer. Completely drained battery packs and kept reengaging the parking brake to prevent the car going in neutral (even manually). It took oil and shaking the car to slide it back onto the driveway. o Scheduled service appointment for Tuesday 6/27 · Saturday, 6/24: Called tow company to haul vehicle to the dealership. Estimated time for tow truck haul, roundtrip to dealership was 2.5 hours of morning. I had complained audi and they have informed me that they cannot do anything or reimburse for expenses. I have spent over $700 and put my life at risk.

NHTSA ODI 11535209

Starter warning followed by electrical system malfunction, these were followed by Multiple warning lights (Lane departure, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, etc) then 1 minute later transmission failure and engine failure imminent.... pull over immediately and contact dealer. I turned into a road off main highway within a minute of the last two warnings and as I turned, my center MMI went blank then my electronic dash went blank, transmission went into neutral and the engine died all within a few seconds. Fortunately I was able to coast to a stop.

NHTSA ODI 11523939

While driving the vehicle states that there was an electrical fault and to contact a service center. This was associated with a loss of drive power that made handling more difficult. A dealer advised me this morning that this is a common issue.

NHTSA ODI 11523237

Two miles from home all sorts of electrical malfunction warning ️ lights appear. Too many to list here. Then car completely stops and all electricals shut down. This happened in the middle of a very busy three lane 45mph main artery. Stuck in gear, unable to push off side of road. After ten minutes or so of cars zooming around us, it started enough to get off road to safe place. Waited 4 hours in freezing cold for tow truck. Very scary incident for my wife and me, as we are in our 70s. Towed to my local Audi dealer. The problem seems to be with the “Starter Alternator” and is a national problem with 1000s of affected owners. Was told 29 vehicles are ahead of mine for replacement and that it could be weeks before parts are available. One car family and no loaners available and there talking weeks / months to repair.

NHTSA ODI 11509711

The car displayed a warning that the electrical system had a fault and to contact service. I then contacted service and they said to drive it to the dealer as it sounded like a known issue with the generator/starter and 48V system. On the way to the dealership, the warnings continued and then various systems began shutting down, including the steering and the transmission. I was going at a relatively slow speed on a side street at the time, which was fortunate, as the car locked up all four wheels and had no steering and the engine quit. Thankfully it was a side street. If this was a major street or highway, it quite likely could have caused a serious accident or injury. In contacting Audi USA, they do not have parts available to fix this issue, and the dealership confirmed that they are unable to fix the car at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11505390

-Total electrical system failure (dealer confirmed starter generator). -After a short time of cautions followed by warnings, engine and all electrical components quit working. (no hazard lights). no way to warn other drivers on the road or highway to a malfunctioning vehicle -dealer confirmed starter generator needs replacement. waiting on part (60+ days and counting) -caution and warnings started appearing about 15 miles before the car became completely underivable. (every electrical system caution began appearing followed by warnings of impending engine shutdown)

NHTSA ODI 11504910

While driving my 2019 Audi A6 Premium Plus I received error messages: "electrical system malfunction contact service", then "start stop system malfunction contact service", then "electrical system malfunction stop vehicle safely". I went on an Audi owner internet forum and read about others with the same errors. Reports from others indicated that in about 40 miles from the first message appearing, all systems will completely shut down including the engine while you are driving. This could leave you stranded in the roadway if you are not able to pull over in time and requires a tow; the vehicle cannot be relied upon to get you to a service center at that point. My vehicle was in a parking lot at the time for a few hours. I was able to start the vehicle. It presented the first two messages immediately. I was able to drive another 10 minutes to arrive at home safely. On my way home the check engine light came on and as I got to my driveway "electrical system malfunction stop vehicle safely" appeared again. Two days have passed (where I did not operating the vehicle anymore) and I've now had the vehicle towed to my Audi dealer / service center. My service advisor called me back this afternoon saying that they confirmed starter / generator / alternator needs to be replaced. The alternator (only) is now on order for me with no ETA. He said the last one they fixed with this issue took 42 days. He said he has 6 vehicles on the lot with the same issue. This issue appears to be popping up for all early builds that has the Audi 48v MHEV (mild hybrid battery system). Other owners report they needed their 48v and sometimes 12v batteries replaced. As I mentioned earlier they only ordered the alternator at this point; I'm worried that my batteries cannot be trusted after this issue as apparently the cells in the 48v become unstable after entering this state.

NHTSA ODI 11499045

A warning message appeared that there is an electrical system problem. I arranged to bring to dealer for service the next day. While driving to dealer, multiple malfunction messages appeared on dashboard. Eventually all displays went black and shortly thereafter the engine stopped. I rolled to a stop. Car was dead. Audi stated it needs a replacement starter/generator. Very dangerous as it happened to me on an interstate. My research shows that this is a not uncommon problem.

NHTSA ODI 11496855

While driving on an interstate highway, an electrical fault warning appeared. 5 minutes later, a series of warnings appeared pertaining to a whole host of Audi systems, and I suddenly lost power to the car. I coasted off the highway to the shoulder, where the car died. I was told by the dealership that the issue is a generator, and that it's a common issue affecting A6s. It was truly disconcerting to lose power, without much warning, when driving.

NHTSA ODI 11496381

The electrical system failed while driving at highway speeds on the interstate. Car lost power, all safety systems shutdown and I had to navigate the car while coasting off the road. Car would no longer start and left me stranded on the side of the interstate for 2hrs. I have since learned from the audi service department that the 48V generator had failed and caused this situation.

NHTSA ODI 11496271

While out of town the car gave an electrical system fault with a yellow warning saying find a dealr soon. Then shortly after the warning went red and while driving all systems in the car started to shut down. Steering, transmission, throttle, dash, everything went crazy. Need to to cross 2 lanes of traffic to get off main road where there was no shoulder to pull onto a side road, very scary without power steering and the transmission putting itself into neutral. Easily could have caused an accident with my wife and 2 kids in yhe car. At that point the car was dead.

NHTSA ODI 11495939

Multiple warnings indicating to contact dealer (Lane departure, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, etc) then 1 minute later transmission failure and engine failure imminent.... pull over immediately and contact dealer. I turned into a road off main highway within a minute of the last two warnings and as I turned, my center MMI went blank then my electronic dash went blank, transmission went into neutral and the engine died all within a few seconds. Fortunately I was able to coast to a stop in the parking lot. Flatbed towed to dealer who stated most likely the generator between the lithium battery bank and gas engine failed. They have seen several in this year for A6 and A7's with mild hybrid engines. I'm lucky to be in low volume traffic as there was no power to indicate to drivers around me that my engine quit and not even turn signals worked.

NHTSA ODI 11494080

THIS VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM A SOMETIMES DANGEROUS ACCELERATION LAG. THE TIME IT TAKE BETWEEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND THE TIME THE CAR STARTS TO MOVE IS EXCESSIVE AND IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS, DANGEROUS. IT'S ESPECIALLY EVIDENT IN CONDITIONS WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A LOW RPM SPEED (SLOW TRAFFIC, "CALIFORNIA" STOP, ETC) TO JOIN FASTER TRAFFIC OR MERGE IN. A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS TRYING TO GO FROM A SLOW MOVING HIGHWAY LANE TO A FASTER ONE. YOU PICK YOUR SPOT, THEN GO FOR IT. THE CAR SITS FOR 1-2 SECONDS...THEN IT GOES. THE FIRST FEW TIMES IT HAPPENED IT WAS DANGEROUS. I HAVE HAD TO ADJUST MY DRIVING TO MAKE SURE I DO NOT END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE A STANDARD THROTTLE RESPONSE WOULD BE REQUIRED. ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE LAG CAN CAUSE THE DRIVER TO INADVERTENTLY ENTER INTO AN UNSAFE SITUATION: -TURNING LEFT ACROSS TRAFFIC - IN-TOWN MERGE OR LANE CHANGE - TURNING RIGHT TO JOIN FASTER TRAFFIC

NHTSA ODI 11351469