NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Audi A6. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
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)
Incident Summary for NHTSA Complaint Component Involved: Electrical System: Alternator / Charging System Vehicle State: In motion (City street/Highway) Speed at Failure: Approximately [Insert Speed] MPH Narrative Description: The vehicle suffered a catastrophic electrical failure while in motion, resulting in an immediate and total engine stall in live traffic. This failure occurred without sufficient warning to safely maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder, creating an immediate safety hazard and risk of collision. This is a recurring safety defect: Repeat Failure: This is the second time this specific VIN has suffered a mid-traffic alternator failure. An Audi-certified replacement was installed by an authorized dealer (Audi Arlington) in 2022 following an identical incident. That replacement part has now failed. Failure of "Service Action" (27BQ): Despite an active Service Action for this component, the vehicle was not repaired during multiple prior service visits at authorized dealerships. The manufacturer failed to proactively address the defect, leading to this second roadside emergency. Cascading Electrical Instability: This VIN has a documented history of systemic electrical and safety system failures, including a gasket failure that compromised safety electronics and a total fuel system replacement due to sensor failure. The manufacturer (Audi) has classified this sudden loss of power in traffic as "non-critical," despite the clear risk of high-speed collision and physical injury. I am requesting a formal investigation into the recurring failure of the 27BQ component and the adequacy of the manufacturer's current service remedy.
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.
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
The rear electronic child safety lock on my 2019 Audi A6 does not function as intended. When activated, the lock does not reliably engage or disengage, allowing the rear door to be opened from the inside when it should be locked. We only began using the child safety lock after having a baby, at which time the malfunction was discovered. This creates a potential child safety risk, as the rear door may be opened from the inside when the child safety lock is expected to prevent this. The vehicle has not been modified, and the issue occurs under normal operating conditions. The dealer inspected the vehicle and advised that the repair would require replacement of the rear door latch/actuator but declined coverage due to the vehicle being out of warranty.
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.
255/40/R20 Tires thread separated Tires were purchased 10/14/2021 At Audi of Fort Myers
Audi is aware of the starter-alternator issue which is documented in Audi's Emissions Service Action Code: 27BQ dated 4/30/24. Audi didn't communicate this to the effective users until October 2024. I personally experienced the defect in my starter-alternator on 10/21/24 and proceeded to have my car repaired.
The car was purchased in 2019, brand new from Audi dealership. Last service showed a serious issue: REPLACE WATER PUMP VACUUM LINES WITH SOLENOIDS AND VACUUM RESERVOIR. Dealership claims out of warranty and wants to charge $5000. VW settled class action lawsuit with consumers due to faulty water pump, and there is a Technical service bulletin dated 11/21/2023 that states the water pump leaks coolant and needs to be repaired. Consumer should have been made aware that vehicle was at risk of faulty water pump that could have been replaced at time of bulletin issue because it would have been under the 4 year mark.
Side marker light in headlight stopped working
After heavy down pour, the car was driven while the streets were still very wet. The car was driven through a 2 - 3 inch puddle of water that lasted less than 1 second, which caused a splash to the passenger side of the car, (the middle of the street did not have an accumulation of water) and within 30 secs caused the power steering warning light came on. This was not a flooded street, just the normal accumulation of water on the side of a residential curbed street. The steering immediately started to stiffen up and required increased effort to turn the steering wheel. The first warning lamp was yellow and stated that continued driving was still allowed, but after about 3 min the lamp turned red, and the message indicated "Steering malfunction, Do not drive vehicle". This occurred on a street where the speed limit was 30 mph, so safety at that time was not a big issue, but if this had happened on street where increased speed and more turning was required, safety could be a big issue if this happened suddenly. I was able to get the car to a nearby shop within 5 min, and the next day moved the car to the Audi West Houston. Audi has identified the power steering rack as faulty is in the process of replacing the electric power steering rack assembly. This car is a 2019 AUDI A6 with only 41k miles.
Electrical malfunction warning. Steering wheel got tight. Transmission failure warning. Then the the car began to stop. all types of various warnings were popping up on the heads up display. It is in the process of getting taken to the nearest dealer.
When backing up the car the cameras don't turn on and often times the collision sensors go off randomly. On the highway the emergency brakes go off randomly when a car passes by on the right-hand side of the vehicle.
Car flashed several warning signs, electrical system malfunction, steering malfunction, lane assist malfunction, and finally powertrain system malfunction where car was barely driveable at very slow speed, died and I luckily was able to pull over and coast into a parking spot.
Car slowed down and shut off in the middle of the road.
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.
Warning light came on for electrical malfunction and many other malfunction lights car then shut down.
The car couldn't start and stopped abruptly on the way through bunches of errors on the dashboard with check engine light and steering was firm and could not lock the Car or open the door Here are the warning list for 2019 Audi A6: Electrical system malfunction Electrical system malfunction Parking aid malfunction Transmission malfunction Rear spoiler malfunction Drive system: malfunction Traction control malfunction Tire pressure monitoring system malfunction Parking brake malfunction Automatic start/stop system malfunction Start/stop system malfunction
A yellow warning light went on stating"electrical system malfunction" start/stop is not working. Within 5 miles a red warning light went on that stated pull over when safe then within 100 yds multiple warnings went off and i lost power steering, power brakes etc. I was able to get stopped but the car would not start nor was I able to even put it in neutral to have it towed. I researched the issue and it seems to be a well known issue with the alternator. There has been several state lawsuits in regards to the issue. But no recalls or information sent to owners.
The car gave me a written error message on the dashboard that there was an electrical system malfunction. I thought to myself, "Gotta get that checked out. Let's see if it goes away." I drove a short distance home and parked. The next day I began to drive to work. I got the electrical system malfunction message again. I decided to pull into a parking lot and make an appointment to get it fixed by the dealer. Then, I began to drive back home (didn't want to risk driving to work). The car then gave me a new message that the electrical system was not working and to pull over safely. I drove for 30 or so more seconds as all the systems began to shut down. The car completely stopped within a minute or 2 of the error message, stranding me in the middle of the road. It was impossible to shift it into neutral to safely move it. If I had been driving on the highway, it would have been REALLY bad! There was almost no time to get the car to a safe spot and no chance to put it into neutral to move it. The car has since been diagnosed with a faulty generator that needs to be replaced.
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.
Sunroof glass spontaneously and randomly cracked and exploded.
First sign of the vehicle is shaking and making noise while driving over 65mph. A few days later, the tire pressure warning was on. The next day, electric system malfunction light was on, advising me to contact service center. At the same day, steering function light was on and it was stiff to drive the vehicle. A few miles down the road, engine shuts off, and was unable to restart.
Vehicle stopped and is not operational. Dealer stated that the generator went out. Part is not available due to this problem occuring on so many vehicles. Vehicle has been in the shop since late, October it is now November 28th and still no ETA on part arrival or repair completion.
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!".
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
Received a message for "Electrical System Failure" and drove ok at first but began receiving failure messages for various systems including but not limited to Start/Stop system, transmission, power steering, and crash avoidance systems. Soon after the entertainment and comfort system screens went blank followed by the dash screen and the car eventually just turned off as I was trying to find a safe place to pull over. Safety was put a risk as I was stranded on a busy road with no shoulder and because the battery was impacted my hazard lights only lasted a short time which left me and my vehicle exposed on the side of the road. The car was towed to the dealer (Audi of Albany) who inspected determined the failure was related to a faulty ignition generator. The car is currently at Audi of Albany and will be for at least 2 weeks so I am assuming it would be available for inspection. Many different warning lights appeared in the short time leading to total shutdown of the car. I recall a start/stop failure message, batter charge low, transmission failure light, power steering failure warning, adaptive cruise control, frontal collision avoidance among others. As stated above all screens in the car eventually turned off and the car fully failed on a main road and required a tow to the dealer.
Red start/stop malfunction light, then Electical System yellow light malfunction, then Red light Electical System safely stop vehicle all with 2-3 min while driving in normal city conditions
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
On my way to work, my car alerted me to an electrical malfunction and told me to call for service. When I called my Audi dealership, they told me to bring it in for service the following week. After asking if the car was safe to drive, they told me they wouldn't know unless they looked at the car. After pleading with them, they agreed to an appointment that day. On my way to the dealership - about 10 minutes into the trip on a highway, driving at highway speed, all electrical systems in the car started shutting down, and quickly - air conditioning, all safety features like lane keep assist, collision avoidance, etc. The steering became very heavy, the brakes were underperforming. After slowing down safely, the car shut down and was completely immobile and inoperable.
Car started by saying auto start /stop function malfunction, than Electrical Malfunction. after reading an Audi forum on Audi World there is thousand of customers complaining of the same issue. apparently its a known issue with their 48v mild hybrid system and their alternator. multiple dealerships blaming a faulty alternator. this issue has left people stranded and myself the vehicle A/C system stopped working and now parked at home until I can take to dealership. this issue is not a small one or impacting a small amount of consumers and more investigating should be done by your agency to be a Recall on this. Thx
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.
After I come to a complete stop with the vehicle in drive, the vehicle will roll backwards and with such speed that the read camera will come on. The transmission is in drive the entire time.
The rear backup camera frequently does not come on when the car is in reverse and backing up.
Was driving and car gave me an Electrical System Malfunction, shortly after all lights (abs, esc, power steering, brakes) came on and vehicle died right after. I was traveling at 25-30mph and was unable to control my vehicle. I had to have the vehicle towed to a shop because it would not start after. After some research, it seems to be a problem with the 48V mild Hybrid system. Thousands of known cases this should be a recall! Extremely unsafe.
I went thru a puddle of water and the car steering wheel lock up
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.
Rearview camera (or various combinations of between 1 and 4 of the surround view cameras -- no rhyme or reason to which camera(s) fail in a given incident) frequently fails and displays a black screen instead of rearward facing view. This happens roughly one of every ten times I start my car, and is resolved only after I turn my car off, lock it, and leave it alone for several minutes. This has been the case since the car was new to me (I am the second owner of the vehicle, having purchased it 8 months and 10k miles after the original owner). This severely compromises rearward visibility and is in direct violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111. Without the mandated backup camera, I am unable to see immediately behind my vehicle, increasing the risk of a collision with a pedestrian, another vehicle, or an animal/other object. The problem has been reproduced by two separate Audi dealers (Audi Marin and Audi Palo Alto), but they have been unable to resolve the issue upon repeated inspection of my vehicle. There are no warning lamps or errors prior to the failure. The only indication of failure is when I shift into reverse and see a black screen. This issue is consistent with other owners' experiences (see [XXX] ) who own vehicles on the same infotainment infrastructure (2019-2020 Audi A6/A7/A8/Q7/Q8). Similarly, it is consistent with the issue underpinning Compliance Recall 91DZ, affecting the same vehicles of the 2021 model year onward. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
Massive safety liability here. My 2019 Audi A6 was on the highway traveling at 75mph on 4/25/2023 at noon when with no prior warning, all of the electrical systems started failing rapidly. In the course of 90 seconds, there was an electrical malfunction warning, quickly followed by malfunction warnings for steering, brakes, and cascading shutdowns of all systems like the transmission, ABS, Collision Warning, Lane Departure, lights, hazard warning lights, instrument screens/clusters, HVAC, windows- literally everything. A complete failure of every component and safety system while driving highspeed is extremely dangerous. Had this happened at night, I would have been bricked in the middle of the road without headlights, hazard lights, airbags, etc. The car had to be towed away to the dealership and is available for inspection. The dealer is aware of this issue and called it a 48 volt starter/ alternator issue which is apparently systemic/ widespread with 2019-21 Audi 48 volt architectures; parts are generally backordered for months. Please take note: There is an extremely high risk that someone will be killed and seriously injured as a result of this defect. The vehicle is awaiting inspection and repair at an Audi dealership. It is under extended manufacturers warranty at 50,700 miles. No other diagnostics/ inspections/ or reports have taken place yet.
Message for "electrical system malfunction", then "start stop system malfunction", then "electrical system malfunction stop vehicle safely". Car was immobilized. Was driving on highway.
ALTERNATOR FAILIURE (48V)
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.
I had a failure with the vehicle electrical system malfunction. I had multiple warnings from ABS, Power steering, Adaptive cruise control. I was on the highway doing about 70 when this happened. After about 5 mins of driving, everything powered down in the vehicle. From the dashboard to the center instrument panel. Then after that, the car cut off. Lucky I was in the right lane to pull over to the shoulder. Car never started back up. Nervous about what the dealership is going to tell me.
I suffered a complete failure of the vehicle's electrical system. First, I received a warning that the electrical system malfunctioned. This warning went away after two power cycles. Two days later the warning came back and a warning that the battery level was low. I was driving the vehicle approximately 1 mile on the highway when the warning became progressively dire. First the Adaptive cruise control systems became failing one by one, adaptive lane keep, lane departure etc. Then I got yellow warnings about failures in the transmission and the engine. Finally those errors became dire that I must stop the vehicle. I next lost all electrical screens within 2-3 minutes of the cascading dire warnings just as I was pulling off the highway onto side streets. Within 30 seconds I lost power steering and most braking force. I was able to pull over into a bus stop, but with difficulty. I lost all hazard lights, all vehicle lights. I lost the ability to unlock the doors temporarily but this recovered. I could not turn the car back on, I could just hear the started struggling to turn over. None of the screens in the vehicle worked. No lights or horn worked. Thankfully this happened in the late afternoon while the sun was still out. The extreme danger posed by not having emergency lights, power steering and minimal braking capability made this an extremely scary situation. I was advised by Audi Queens that this was confirmed alternator/generator failure.
Electrical System Malfunction w/yellow battery icon...stop/start system unavailable. Vehicle deemed unsafe to drive. Towed to dealership, part on worldwide B/O...estimate several month wait for starter/alternator
The contact owns a 2019 Audi A6. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 22V155000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
It appears that the 48v hybrid alternator failed. The vehicle completely shut down/lost all power while driving 50 mph on busy road. Almost rear ended while trying to coast to a stop. Low battery light came on the day before. The day it failed I was driving it to the dealership.
Vehicle's on board system reads "Electrical Malfunction: START/STOP system malfunction. Call service". THEN this triggers a complete shutdown of the vehicle: transmission, steering, distance, and braking sensors, etc all got affected.
While I was driving, the vehicle gave an electrical system malfunction warning. When I stopped and restarted the vehicle, the car reluctantly started with delays and a check engine light. I had to tow the car to the dealership. Upon inspection, they determined it is a generator issue, much like many other owners of 2019+ model year of Audi's. They do not have an ETA on the replacement part, and thus the car will be out of commission for weeks to months. I am lucky, as many other people who have experienced this problem have had their car completely die on them in the middle of driving. This is a potentially dangerous safety hazard, and an enormous inconvenience, as any Audi owner with this generator issue will not have their car for weeks to months.