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Before you buy a used Audi A6 (C8).

2018–2025 · Petrol / Diesel / Plug-in hybrid · 6 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Audi A6 (C8), real photo of this generation
Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 6 of its engines.

  • A/C not cooling: N280 valveClimate control
    Period mentioned
    2006–2026
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with the air conditioning system described.

2.0 TFSI

Petrol

2.0 TDI (EA288)

Diesel

  • Cracked EGR coolerCooling / EGR
    Period mentioned
    Approx. 2010–2020
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

3.0 TDI V6 · S6 (3.0 TDI V6)

Diesel

2.0 TFSI e

Plug-in hybrid

These also apply, described above: EA888 gen 3 water pump and thermostat

RS6 (4.0 TFSI V8)

Petrol

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Audi A6 (C8)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
2.0 TFSIPetrol21 with conditions0
2.0 TDI (EA288)Diesel21 with conditions0
3.0 TDI V6Diesel21 with conditions0
2.0 TFSI ePlug-in hybrid31 with conditions0
S6 (3.0 TDI V6)Diesel21 with conditions0
RS6 (4.0 TFSI V8)PetrolFewest documented11 with conditions1

According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the RS6 (4.0 TFSI V8) (Petrol).

By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Petrol.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Audi dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Rearview camera image absent due to softwareVisibility / electronics

Engines: RS6 (4.0 TFSI V8) (Petrol)

How to check it: Verify model, market, equipment and version; update software specified in the applicable document.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 5 checked

Cooling

  • Look out for: Slow coolant loss, sweet smell, low-coolant warning and coolant residue under the intake manifold. Overheating is rare unless the level drops a lot.

    Ask them to check: Look for coolant residue where the module meets the block and between pump and thermostat, check the level and pressure-test the system.

Cooling / EGR

  • Look out for: Coolant level drops with no visible leak, white smoke with a sweet smell, rising temperature or engine light. In severe cases the engine hydrolocks.

    Ask them to check: Cooling system pressure test and check for coolant in the intake or manifold.

Timing / intake / leaks

  • Look out for: Chain rattle for the first seconds after a cold start; power loss or limp mode from the intake flaps; coolant or oil loss in the engine V; EGR faults with rough idle.

    Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start (a rattle lasting more than 2–3 seconds is a bad sign), check flap operation with a diagnostic tool, look for leaks in the engine V and check the oil change history.

High-voltage system

  • Look out for: Usually none. In rare cases, overheating or fire in the engine bay or battery.

    Ask them to check: Confirm by VIN at the dealer that the high-voltage system recalls have been done.

Climate control

  • Look out for: The air does not cool or cools intermittently (for example only at motorway speed), and sometimes the compressor rattles with the A/C on. Codes 01232 (N280 valve), P2612 or 00898.

    Ask them to check: Read the codes and N280 control current with VCDS or ODIS, measure its resistance (about 10 ohms) and check the connector and wiring before replacing parts. If the valve or compressor is replaced, the whole circuit must be flushed.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

01232P261200898

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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