2019 Audi A6 Engine Problems

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 .

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.

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.

THIS ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AND THE AUTO STOP/START FEATURE HAS STOPPED THE ENGINE. MOST COMMONLY AT A STOP LIGHT AT A MAJOR CITY INTERSECTION, WHERE THE LIGHTS ARE LONGER. WHEN THE SYSTEM ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE, IT ROUGH IDLES AND THEN THE DRIVE SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN THE ENGINE, CAUSING YOU TOO LOSE ALL POWER. THIS LEAVES YOU STRANDED, AND RISKS CAUSING SOMEONE TO REAR-END YOUR VEHICLE IF THE LIGHT CHANGES. PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK, TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, AND THEN TURNING THE IGNITION BACK ON RESUMES ENGINE FUNCTION. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. SO FAR THE SERVICE CENTER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE.

I PURCHASED ANEW AUDI A6 ON SEP 11, 2019. IN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS, FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES, THE "START STOP SYSTEM" FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. I WOULD BE STOPPED AND WHEN I TRIED TO START AGAIN THE ENGINE WOULD DIE. IN ORDER TO START THE CAR BACK UP, I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART USING THE START BUTTON. THIS RESULTED IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. THE FIRST TIME, I WAS ON A STEEP INCLINE AND THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. ANOTHER TIME A FIRE TRUCK WAS TRYING TO GET THROUGH ON A TWO LANE ROAD AND I COULD NOT GET THE CAR STARTED BACK UP TO PULL FURTHER OVER ON THE ROAD. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO SERVICE TWICE. THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT KEPT AND DROVE THE CAR BUT THIS START STOP ISSUE DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR SOME FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM OCCUR AGAIN.

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