1996 Audi a6 tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1996 Audi A6, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 195/65R15 OEM | R15 | 5x112 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
1996 Audi a6 wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x112 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | M14x1.5 |
| Center bore | 57.1 mm |
| Source | bolt-pattern.com |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
all-season touring, UTQG 800, 80,000-mi warranty
Best budget
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 820
Best quiet
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
68 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
Dedicated winter (premium compound); ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Audi A6, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Audi A6 →
Compatible alternative sizes for 195/65R15
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
225/45R17 |
-0.03% | plus 2 | Safe |
215/65R14 |
0.09% | alternative | Safe |
175/65R16 |
-0.09% | plus 1 | Safe |
185/55R17 |
0.13% | plus 2 | Safe |
175/80R14 |
0.17% | winter narrower | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 195/65R15 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 195/65R15 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 175/65R16; one rim size up, -0.09% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 225/45R17; two rim sizes up, -0.03% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1996 audi a6 sedan
The 1996 Audi A6 Sedan ships from the factory on 195/65R15 tires mounted on R15 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Audi A6 comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1996 Audi A6 Sedan owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1996 Audi A6 Sedan, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1996 audi a6
Top issue category: Tread / Belt
Reported across: 1996 – 1996 (1 year)
What owners described
Sidewall failure appears in 27% of these reports; about 1.8× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 37 reports covering every model year of the Audi A6 that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidewall failure | 27% | 15% | 1.8× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 19% | 20% | 0.9× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 16% | 9% | 1.7× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 14% | 6% | 2.3× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 8% | 8% | 1.0× |
| Tread or belt separation | 3% | 13% | 0.2× |
Mileage at failure
23 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 16,700 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 5,000 and 50,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Audi A6. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
The contact owns a 2013 Audi A6 equipped with Kumho Tires, Tire Line: Solus Majesty, Tire Size: 245/45/VR18, DOT Number: 127W2YCJ9. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken for maintenance and the independent mechanic observed that the driver's and passenger's side front tires tread was separating from the tire. The contact stated that all four tires had been replaced 3 months prior. The contact was informed by the independent mechanic that the rear tires were also showing signs of tread separation. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate vehicle failure mileage was 115,000. The tire failure mileage was 5,000.
I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR ONLY SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 6 MONTHS, AND HAVE HAD NO COLLISIONS OR OTHER UNUSUAL IMPACTS TO TIRES. AFTER ONLY 800 MILES OF SERVICE, MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE DEVELOPED A BULGING KNOT IN THE SIDEWALL. DEALER INSPECTED THE TIRE AND COULD FIND NO INDICATION OF "IMPACT" INJURY SO TIRE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, AS VEHICLE WAS ONLY 2 WEEKS OLD. NOW I HAVE DISCOVERED 3 MORE OF THE TIRES (LF, RF & RR) HAVE DEVELOPED SIMILAR BULGING KNOTS IN THE SIDEWALL, ONE OF WHICH IS THE TIRE THAT WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT 800 MILES. I DRIVE ONLY ON PAVED CITY STREETS, AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED TIRE FAILURES OF THIS TYPE ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT I HAVE OWNED, SO I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS CONDITION IS DUE TO DRIVING CONDITIONS.*AK( DOT NUMBER: DMCE22D TIRE SIZE: 255/40ZR17 )
TIRES ARE CUPPING, RESULTING IN HEAVY WEAR, NOISE AND VIBRATION. CAUSE IS IMPROPER ALIGNMENT OR SUSPENSION WEAR. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO REQUEST FOR CORRECTION. (TIRESIZE: P20555R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P20555R16 )
VIBRATION OR CHUCKLE FELT BETWEEN 45MPH AND 75MPH IN FLOOR NEAR THROTTLE AND IN SEAT OF PASS, ALSO FELT WHEN CLIMBING /DECLINING ON HIGHWAY,AT HIGHWAY SPEED. STARTED AT DAY ONE OF BUYING THIS $52,000 VEHICLE. 12 VISITS TO DEALER FOR SAME REPAIR,10 TIRES REPLACED AND OTHER PARTS.. AUDI NO HELP!
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1996 Audi A6?
What is the bolt pattern of a 1996 Audi A6?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1996 Audi A6?
Where can I buy tires for my 1996 Audi A6?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1996 Audi A6?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1996 Audi A6?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1996 Audi A6?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Audi A6 is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1996 Audi A6.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.