MajorCommonTransmission

Audi A6: Multitronic CVT judder and failure (front-wheel-drive A6)

Multitronic CVT judder and failure (front-wheel-drive A6) is a common transmission fault on the Audi A6 on the 2000–2015 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $800 to $6,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 34 documented faults on the Audi A6.

Vehicle: Audi A6
Years: 2000–2015
Gearbox: cvt
System: Transmission

This page covers the Audi A6 as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Audi A6 faults34 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Clutch yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

Front-wheel-drive A6s across the C5, C6 and early C7 generations use the Multitronic CVT, which is one of the model's defining reliability weak points. The link-plate chain and clutch pack wear and the control module can cook, giving judder, revs flaring without acceleration, and eventually limp mode - commonly between 100,000-180,000 km, worst on cars never given a fluid change. Quattro A6s use a conventional automatic and are not affected.

What you would notice

Juddering at 30-60 km/h
RPM flaring without matching speed
Flashing 'PRNDS' lights
Jerky take-up / limp mode

How to check it

Where to look. CVT gearbox, front of car

First establish whether the car is FWD (Multitronic) or quattro. On the drive, accelerate gently through town speeds and feel for shudder or rev flare. Ask when the CVT fluid was last changed - 'lifetime / never' is a warning sign.

Parts involved: Clutch.

What it costs to put right

$800 to $6,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Is it front-wheel-drive or quattro?”
“When was the Multitronic fluid last serviced?”

Now check the Audi A6 you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Audi-Sport.net Multitronic problems threads
ECU Testing Audi Multitronic TCM page
Team-BHP A6 CVT rebuild write-up

Audi A6 buyer questions

Is multitronic cvt judder and failure (front-wheel-drive a6) serious on a Audi A6?

We rate it major and common on the Audi A6. Front-wheel-drive A6s across the C5, C6 and early C7 generations use the Multitronic CVT, which is one of the model's defining reliability weak points. The link-plate chain and clutch pack wear and the control module can cook, giving judder, revs flaring without acceleration, and eventually limp mode - commonly between 100,000-180,000 km, worst on cars never given a fluid change. Quattro A6s use a conventional automatic and are not affected.

How much does it cost to fix on a Audi A6?

$800 to $6,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Audi A6 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2000–2015 Audi A6. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.