RoadVitals

1999 Audi A6 Interior & seats Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Interior & seats reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
14
Latest Feb 6, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
6%
of 217 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
8
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Audi A6 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming interior

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Interior & seats
Filed Feb 6, 2010
Fire reported

THE SEATS HAVE THE OPTION TO BE HEATED. THE HEAT GOT SO HOT IT BURNED SEAT, AND A PILLOW THAT WAS ON THE SEAT, DESTROYING BOTH THE PILLOW AND THE SEAT FILLING THE CAR WITH A SMOKEY FILM. THE SMELL WAS SO BAD IT FILLED THE CAR AND GARAGE. *CN

NHTSA ID
10307084
Incident
Jan 14, 2010
Mileage
150,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Jul 26, 2008

1. NORMAL USE OF THE CAR NOTHING SPECIAL WORK AND BACK. SLOWLY DEVELOPED A ROCK BACK AND FORTH. 2. THE DRIVERS SEAT HAS DEVELOPED A ROCK BACK AND FORTH THAT MOVES THE SEAT ABOUT 1" FORWARD WHEN ACCELERATING AND 1" BACK WHEN BREAKING. MY SISTER WHO DRIVES THE CAR IS A PETITE GIRL AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE SEAT IS A HUGE DEAL SINCE THE SEAT IS ALREADY ADJUSTED FAR FORWARD. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. 3. TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO QUOTED A BIG AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPLACE A FAULTY SEAT FRAME. BUT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10235876
Incident
Jun 15, 2008
Mileage
111,789 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Dec 18, 2007
Fire reported

DECEMBER 13, 2007 AUDI OF ROCHESTER HILLS 45441 DEQUINDRE ROAD ROCHESTER HILLS, MICHIGAN 48307 ATTENTION: SERVICE MANAGER SUBJECT: SAFETY CONCERN 1999 AUDI A6 AVANT TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: THIS EVENING, SHORTLY AFTER TURNING ON THE SEAT HEATER (WHICH AUTOMATICALLY TURNS ON THE STEERING WHEEL HEATER) I NOTICED A STRONG ODOR (BURNING PLASTIC) & SMOKE BEING EMITTED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM BEHIND THE HORN/AIRBAG MODULE. I TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER, BUT THAT DID NOT STOP THE STEERING WHEEL FROM CONTINUING TO HEAT-UP AND EMIT SMOKE. I HAD TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS AND OPEN THE SUNROOF (VERY ENJOYABLE IN 30 DEGREE TEMPERATURE!) IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO VENTILATE THE CABIN & BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. AFTER ARRIVING HOME, I LOCATED THE FUSE RELATED TO THE STEERING WHEEL HEATER AND REMOVED IT SO THAT I COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO YOUR SHOP. (THE FUSE IS IN THE CENTER CONSOLE.) THIS OBVIOUSLY POSES THE FOLLOWING SAFETY RISKS: FIRE HAZARD EMISSION OF TOXIC FUMES IN THE CABIN RISK OF INADVERTENT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT PLEASE HAVE THE PROBLEM INVESTIGATED AND CONTACT ME WITH THE FINDINGS, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SINCERELY, KEN GUITY *TR

NHTSA ID
10212201
Incident
Dec 13, 2007
Mileage
95,750 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Apr 19, 2007
Fire reported

I WAS POURING WINDSHIELD FLUID INTO MY AUDI A6 ONE DAY. I SAT DOWN IN THE CAR TO MOVE IT ONTO THE STREET BECAUSE I WANTED TO WASH IT, I TURNED THE IGNITION ON, AS I GOT IN I SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC. I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT SO I DROVE IT TO THE STREET. SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF THE VENTS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CABIN. I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS AND THE SUNROOF BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE AIR-CONDITIONING OR HEATER WAS HAVING A PROBLEM. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND GOT OUT AND WATCHED THE SMOKE FOR A MINUTE. THE SMOKE THEN TURNED A BLACK-DARK GREY COLOR. THEN CAME FLAMES POURING OUT OF THE VENT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. JUST THEN I HEAR THIS PIERCING SCREECH AND POP, THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY RUINED INSIDE AND SOOT SPEWED EVERYWHERE AROUND THE CAR I THEN TURNED THE HOSE ON WHICH I ALREADY HAD OUT FROM WHEN I WAS GOING TO WASH MY CAR. I PUT A MAJORITY OF THE FIRE OUT, SO I WALKED OVER TO MY GARAGE AND GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND SPRAYED IT ALL OVER TO MAKE SURE IT WAS OUT. I HOSED MY CAR OUT AND AROUND, SURPRISINGLY THE INTERIOR WAS STILL INTACT BUT JUST A TAD BIT DIRTY, SO I TOOK IT TO MY FRIEND WHO OWNS A DEALER/BODY SHOP AND HE GOT THE CAR FIXED AND ITS JUST LIKE NEW AGAIN. HE WAS SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT WIRING AND HEADLIGHTS BUT I WAS JUST HAPPY THAT MY CAR WAS BACK. PLEASE FIX THIS AUDI BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO SEE SOMEONE GET HURT OVER THIS PROBLEM AND BE LESS FORTUNATE THAN I WAS. OUT OF THE WHOLE MESS I HAD TO GET A NEW DASHBOARD, STEERING WHEEL, WINDSHIELD AND WIRING ALSO A PAINT KIT. THE CAR LOOKS STUNNING I ALSO HAD TO GET IT DETAILED AFTER SO THE TOTAL COST TO REPAIR WAS $1967.34 I LOVE THIS CAR OTHERWISE AND I HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10188303
Incident
Feb 6, 2007
Mileage
91,223 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Jan 13, 2006

DRIVERS SEAT ROCKS WHEN BRAKING HARD AFTER ROUND 47-80K MILES. THIS IS COMMON IN AUDI'S AS I HAVE SEARCHED AUDI FORUMS AND MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. PROBLEM CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO EASILY BROKEN WELDS IN SEAT FRAME. WWW.AUDIWORLD.COM/SEARCH "DRIVER SEAT ROCKING". *JB

NHTSA ID
10147715
Incident
Mar 1, 2005
Mileage
65,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Apr 4, 2005
Fire reported

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS FIRE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10117329
Incident
Apr 1, 2005
Mileage
84,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Aug 3, 2004
Fire reported

WHILE TRAVELING HOME ON THE ATLANTIC CITY EXPRESSWAY, MY WIFE AND I NOTICED A PECULIAR SMELL COMING FROM THE VENTS. AS THE ODOR GOT STRONGER, WE DECIDED TO PULL OVER AND CHECK UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. WHEN I LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, I SAW NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. A FEW SECONDS LATER, I HEARD MY WIFE EXITING THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CABIN BEGAN TO FILL WITH SMOKE. UPON CLOSER REVIEW, I SAW A SMALL FLAME INSIDE THE DRIVERS SIDE VENT. WE WORKED FRANTICALLY TO PUT THE SMALL FLAME OUT HOWEVER, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THE FLAME WAS MUCH MORE INTENSE THAN WHAT WAS VISIBLE. SECONDS LATER, THE ENTIRE DASH WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE. DUE TO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, IT TOOK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 22 MINUTES TO REACH THE FIRE CONSEQUENTLY; THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED. AFTER SPENDING AN HOUR OR SO GIVING THE STATE POLICE THE DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED, WE FINALLY REALIZED THAT OUR CELL PHONE, HOUSE KEYS AND OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS WERE LOST IN THE FIRE. WE HAD TO WALK HOME- (3 MILES) AND WAIT FOR MY PARENTS TO BRING OUR SPARE KEY SO WE COULD GET INTO OUR HOUSE. IT TOOK US MORE THAN A WEEK TO GET ALL OF THE PAPERWORK SUBMITTED TO HAVE OUR DRIVERS LICENSE, SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, ETC. REPLACED. MY PERSONAL COMPUTER THAT HAD MORE THAN 100 SENSITIVE WORK-RELATED DOCUMENTS  (WORTH MORE THAN THE PC) WAS LOST. THESE DOCUMENTS ARE COMPLETELY UNRECOVERABLE AND I HAVENT BEGUN TO EVALUATE THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT WILL TAKE TO REPLICATE THEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
10086068
Incident
Jul 19, 2004
Mileage
93,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Aug 3, 2004
Fire reported

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING OUR 1999 AUDI A-6 SEDAN ON A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY, WE NOTICED AN ACRID SMELL IN THE CAR. SUDDENLY SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT THE AC VENTS THEN FLAMES BEGAN COMING OUT THE VENTS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. *AK I CALLED THE AUDIOF AMERICA HELP LINE ON THE 16TH OF JULY, GAVE A REPORT AND ON JULY 19, SPOKE TO ANETTE JOHNSON WHO TOOK A FULL FEELING VERY UNSATISFIED BY MS. JOHNSONS UNHELPFUL, THOUGH SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE, I DID A WEB SEARCH USING THE TERMS AUDI, FIRE, DASHBOARD AND DISCOVERED THAT ON MARCH 23, 2004 IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT AUDI WAS RECALLING 172,888 VEHICLES BECAUSE A WIRING PROBLEM COULD CAUSE A FIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO US! I THEN WENT TO THE SITE WWW.INTELLICHOICE.COM/REPORTS/VEHICLEREPORT.EFM/VEHICLE_NMB/11642/SECTION/RECALLS THERE I DISCOVERED THAT THEY DISIPLAY ALL CURRENT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE NHTSA IN THEIR RECALL DATABASE AND YOU HAD NOTED THAT 22 REPORTS HAD BEEN FILED ON FIRES ON THIS VEHICLE. ARE WE THE 23RD OR THE 85TH? I CALLED MS. JOHNSON BACK AND ASKED HER WHY, WHEN I DESCRIBED EXACTLY WHAT AUDI WAS RECALLING CARS FOR SHE HAD NOT TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECALL AND OFFERED TO REPAIR OUR CAR SINCE IT FELL UNDER THAT PROBLEM. SHE SAID THAT AUDI HAS NOT RELEASED THIS IFORMATION THAT IT WAS PENDING. YET I TOLD HER YOU HAD ASSIGNED A RECALL NUMBER TO IT (ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE SITE). THAT NUMBER IS 04V133000. I AM APPALLED THAT NEWS OF THIS PROBLEM HIT THE MEDIA ON MARCH 24, 2004 AND WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. A FIRE JUST LIKE THE ONES DESCRIBED IN INTELLICHOICES SITE OCCURRED TO US AND WE CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. YET, THE AUDI REPRESENTATIVE TOLD US THAT OWNERS STILL HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. MY HUSBAND AND I STILL ARE HAVING HORRIFIC FLASHBACKS TO THAT TERRIFYING MOMENT WHEN FLAMES LEPT INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO MAKE AUDI NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF CARS LIKE OURS IMMEDIATELY.

NHTSA ID
10086063
Incident
Jul 14, 2004
Mileage
72,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Jun 22, 2004

CENTER DISPLAY FADED OUT AT 55000 MILES AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $900. *AK

NHTSA ID
10078604
Incident
Mar 9, 2003
Mileage
54,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Jun 22, 2004

DRIVER'S DOOR HAS SHORTED OUT ON THE LIGHTING AND LOCKING SYSTEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
10078603
Incident
Feb 20, 2004
Mileage
70,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Mar 18, 2004
Fire reported

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 45-50 MPH CONSUMER TURNED THE HEATER ON AND A DISTINCT SMELL CAME FROM THE DASHBOARD, FOLLOWED BY CONDENSATION SMOKE; FIRST BEING GRAY SMOKE, THEN TURNING TO BLACK SMOKE. CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE JUST BEFORE THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *AK

NHTSA ID
10063449
Interior & seats
Filed Nov 30, 2003
Fire reported

I OWN A 1999 AUDI A-6 SEDAN. TODAY IT HAD A FIRE IN THE DASHBOARD NEAR THE DRIVER'S SIDE. FORTUNATELY IT OCCURRED WHILE IT WAS AT HOME WHERE I HAD ACCESS TO FIR EXTINGUISHERS AND TOOLS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. IT TOOK 3 EXTINGUISHERS TO PUT OUT THE BLAZE. JUST MOMENTS EARLIER, MY WIFE AND 5 YEAR OLD SON RETURNED HOME FROM CHURCH COMPLAINING OF A TOXIC SMELL IN THE CAR! WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THE SITUATION WAS NOT WORSE!*AK

NHTSA ID
10048913
Incident
Nov 30, 2003
Mileage
44,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Feb 7, 2000

DRIVER SEAT FRAME FAILED CAUSING THE SEAT TO ROCK BACK RESULTING IN MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL. YH

NHTSA ID
550746
Incident
Jun 21, 1999
Interior & seats
Filed Jan 24, 2000

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE DRIVERS SEAT FRAME FAILED, CAUSING SEAT TO ROCK BACK. I MOMENTARY LOST CONTROL OF CAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
717824
Incident
Jun 21, 1999

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Data on this page last refreshed .