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2020 Audi A6 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
12%
4 of 33 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2020 Audi A6. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 12% of relevant complaints.

Better than 96% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2020 Audi A6 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 4 of 33 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi A6 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (12%). For comparison, the 2019 scores 35% and the 2021 scores 35%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
4
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
33
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
9
0 crashes · 1 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM23 · 70%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER6 · 18%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE6 · 18%
STRUCTURE4 · 12%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2 · 6%
BACK OVER PREVENTION2 · 6%

The years either side

2010
too few complaints
2011
too few complaints
2012
57%
28 of 59
2013
57%
20 of 52
2014
32%
11 of 41
2015
too few complaints
2016
59%
26 of 51
2017
too few complaints
2018
too few complaints
2019
35%
40 of 114
2020
12%
4 of 33
2021
35%
9 of 26
2022
too few complaints
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2020 compares with other Audi A6 years

Of the 7 Audi A6 years with enough complaints to score, the 2020 is the best on engine and transmission share (12%). The worst is the 2016 (59%). By volume, the 2020 drew 33 complaints (4 drivetrain), against 114 for the 2019 and 26 for the 2021.

Audi A6 years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2020 Audi A6

  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM02/17/2024
Audi issued a recall for our vehicle’s fuel level sender which reports the amount of fuel in the tank to our fuel gauge display in late 2022 or early 2023. The reason for the recall stems from a safety issue in which the car incorrectly can display that there is more fuel in the tank than what is actually there. Our l…

One of 4 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2020 Audi A6 fuel system recalls

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2020 Audi A6 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 9 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

electrical system: instrument panel: fuel gauge: fuel level float/sensor/sending unit22V155000 · Mar 2022

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RS6 Avant and RS7, 2020-2022 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, and S7, and 2019-2022 A6 Sedan and A7 vehicles. The fuel level sender may stick, causing an inaccurate fuel level reading to be displayed on the instrument cluster.

Risk: An inaccurate fuel reading may cause an engine stall due to lack of fuel, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will install a new sensor in the tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2023. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is…

8 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
back over prevention: sensing system: camera25V900000 · Dec 2025
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image…
service brakes, hydraulic: fluid23V601000 · Aug 2023
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, RS7, RS6 Avant, A6 Allroad, 2019-2021 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. An incorrectly labeled brake fluid cap may have…
electrical system22V861000 · Nov 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, A6 Allroad, 2021-2022 RS7, RS6 Avant, 2019-2022 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. Liquid spilled in the rear seat…
tires22V034000 · Jan 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad,…
suspension: rear: axle: non-powered axle assembly21V295000 · Apr 2021
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4…
air bags21V159000 · Mar 2021
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS6 Avant, RS7, 2020-2021 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, S7, 2019-2021 A6 Sedan, and A7 vehicles. The score line on the passenger air…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module20V274000 · May 2020
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Audi A6, A6 Allroad and A7 vehicles. The passenger air bag may not properly deploy through the instrument panel tear seam.
electrical system: starter assembly20V153000 · Mar 2020
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Audi A6 vehicles equipped with mild-hybrid technology and 2.0TFSI engines. Moisture may enter the starter generator and…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2020 Audi A6? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2020 Audi A6

Does the 2020 Audi A6 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 4 of 33 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi A6 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (12%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2020 Audi A6?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2020 Audi A6 is electrical system: 23 of 33 complaints (70%) name it, followed by forward collision avoidance (6) and structure (4). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 12% of the relevant total.

Is the 2020 Audi A6 reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 12% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 96% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 7 Audi A6 years we score, it ranks best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Audi A6?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2020 Audi A6 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 9 in total: 22V155000 (electrical system: instrument panel: fuel gauge: fuel level float/sensor/sending unit). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Audi A6 years are better?

The 2020 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Audi A6 years we track (12%). The other years run higher. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/audi-a6

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 3 body styles NHTSA files separately.