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Audi A6 2.0 5V Pro Line common faults.

2001–2004, estate, petrol, 130 HP.

The fault list covers: ALT engine, 01N, ZF5HP transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

3 fault write-ups. 1 important. 1 recalls.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

1 important faults

expensive1

The front suspension of the longitudinal engine Audis (and the Seat Exeo derived from them) works with four control arms per side: two above, two below. That gives excellent steering when new, but it also means four ball joints and eight bushes per side: sixteen wear points at the front in total.

Show the rest

The first complaints appear at around 100,000 to 120,000 km: knocking over bumps, squeaking, vague steering, vibration through the wheel at higher speed, and uneven tyre wear from the disturbed suspension geometry.

Replacing a single arm is not expensive, but it rarely stops at one, and the work also needs a wheel alignment afterwards. Workshops therefore offer a full arm kit, which is a serious item, and an excellent bargaining point, because you can hear it on the test drive and see it on the tyres.

between 100,000 and 120,000 km

What to check

  • On an uneven road at 30 to 50 km/h listen for dull knocking and squeaking from the front
  • Standing still with the engine running, turn the wheel back and forth: there should be no clicking or rattling
  • Look at the inner and outer edges of all four tyres: uneven wear is the surest sign
2 more steps in the write-up

comfort2

The G62 sensor tells the engine control unit how hot the coolant is. If it is faulty, the control unit thinks a warm engine is cold, and runs it rich: hard warm or cold starting, a rough idle, markedly increased fuel consumption, and a dash temperature gauge that jumps around or never reaches its usual reading. The part is cheap and can be replaced in half an hour: the trouble is that many people do not recognise it and replace an injector or a lambda sensor instead. If the fault persists, the rich mixture can destroy the catalytic converter too.

What to check

  • Warm it up and watch the dash temperature gauge: the needle should sit steadily at the middle reading, not jump around
  • Watch a cold start, then a warm start after twenty minutes standing
  • With a code reader look for the 17664 / P1256 code in the engine control unit
2 more steps in the write-up

From the late nineties to around 2006, petrol engines used a secondary air pump to blow fresh air into the exhaust on a cold start, so the catalytic converter reaches operating temperature faster. The impeller of the pump rusts or its bearing seizes, soot clogs the combination valve (N112), and the rubber hoses crack. The control unit then stores the `P0411` code. It barely affects driving, but the engine warning light is on, and the emissions test can fail because of it, and the roadworthiness test with it.

What to check

  • After a cold start watch for 30 to 60 seconds: can you hear the pump droning from the engine bay
  • Check whether the engine warning light is on, and have it read out: P0411 (VAG code 16795) points to this system
  • Ask when the last emissions test was, and whether it passed first time
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Audi A6 2.0 5V Pro Line

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Official recall1 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

A12/01891/20Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The Takata gas generator housing could burst when the passenger airbag is deployed. This may cause small metal parts to become detached from the housing, posing a risk of injury to the occupants.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

1 engines · 2 transmissions

ALT · 2.0

96 kW (131 HP) · petrol

01N · 4-speed automatic, longitudinal

automatic · 4 speed

Torque limit280 Nm
MakerVW/Audi

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it. More than one transmission is possible. 4 gears = 01N, 5 gears = ZF5HP.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
5V Pro Line
Body
estate
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
1984 cc
Power
96 kW (131 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2001–2004

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years
  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years
  • Engine oil and oil filter

    • LongLife30,000 km or 2 years(valid only with LongLife-approved oil)
    • 15,000 km or 1 year
  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)
  • Coolant (antifreeze) change

    • first: 193,000 km or 10 years, then 97,000 km or 5 years(G13 / G12++: first change at 120,000 miles or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles or 5 years)
  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms