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2009 Audi A6: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2009 Audi A6, most recently filed June 2018. Owners have filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Caution Fewer than 50 complaints filed. With this few reports, patterns may not be meaningful.
Compare

Recalls (4)

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2009 Audi A6. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2009 Audi A6. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 18V427000 Filed Jun 22, 2018

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

Air bags · frontal · passenger side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
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.
42.3% repairedof 237,947 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 18V427000
Listed for 2009 Audi A6. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 18V004000 Filed Jan 4, 2018

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode

Air bags · frontal · passenger side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
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.
Repair progress not yet reported10,166 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 18V004000
Listed for 2009 Audi A6. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 17V032000 Filed Jan 11, 2017

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture

Air bags · frontal · passenger side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the 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 2005-2008 Audi A4 Avant, A4 Sedan, A6 Sedan, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan vehicles, 2007-2008 A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Sedan, S4 Cabriolet and S6 Sedan vehicles, and 2006-2008 A6 Avant and 2008 RS4 Cabriolet vehicles originally sold, or ever 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 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.
Consequence
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. The recall began March 30, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Note: This recall has been superseded by recall number 18V427.
Repair progress not yet reported33,421 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 17V032000
Listed for 2009 Audi A6. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 16V382000 Filed Jun 1, 2016

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture

Air bags · frontal · passenger side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
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.
33.1% repairedof 194,453 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V382000

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Owner complaints (21)

21 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The air bags is mentioned most often.

0involved a crash
0involved a fire
0injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Audi A6, by component (top 6). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 21.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 2009 compares with other A6 years

Best and worst A6 years →
2005200620072008200920102011201220132014
This year (2009)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Fuel economy: up to 21 mpg combined

21
mpg combined
18
city
26
highway
EPA annual fuel cost
$3,900
CO₂ tailpipe
423 g/mi
EPA class
Midsize Cars

What it costs you to run

$3,110per year
$259per month
714gallons a year

Miles ÷ 21 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.

EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.

Specs by configuration

2009 Audi A6 configurations with EPA data
Engine · transmissionDriveCity / Hwy / CombEPA $/yrCO₂ g/mi
3 L 6-cyl · 6-speed automaticAll-Wheel Drive18 / 26 / 21$3,900423
3 L 6-cyl · 6-speed automaticAll-Wheel Drive18 / 26 / 21$3,900423
3.1 L 6-cyl · CVTFront-Wheel Drive18 / 27 / 21$3,900423
4.2 L 8-cyl · 6-speed automatic4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive16 / 23 / 18$4,550494

Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2009 A6 for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All A6 years

Where to next

2009 Audi A6 FAQ

How many recalls does the 2009 Audi A6 have?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns: 18V427000 (air bag), 18V004000 (air bag), 17V032000 (air bag), 16V382000 (air bag). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 2009 Audi A6 problems?

Owners filed 21 complaints with NHTSA. Air bags (17), Electrical system (1), Electronic stability control (1) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

What mpg does the 2009 Audi A6 get?

EPA rates the 3 L 6-cyl · 6-speed automatic version at 18 city, 26 highway and 21 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.

How does the 2009 A6 compare with other years?

Among the 2005–2014 Audi A6 model years at least five years old, the 2010 drew the fewest complaints (17) and the 2005 the most (91). The 2009 drew 21. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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