2013 Audi S6 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Audi S6 holds 42 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 0 per year. That is more complaints per year than most S6 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Turbocharger, Occupant classification, and Hoses and fittings.

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (33 of 42), then Powertrain (8) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2014

The 2014 S6 has 20 complaints, 0 per year. The 2013 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Audi S6. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall engine and cooling, engine, gasoline, turbocharger 2022-03-23 · NHTSA campaign 22V178000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2013-2017 A8, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, and 2014-2017 RS7 vehicles. The turbocharger oil supply strainer can become blocked, causing wear to the bearings due to lack of lubrication.

Remedy Dealers will replace the oil strainer and perform an oil change, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 21H7.

Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2018-06-04 · NHTSA campaign 18V370000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Audi S6 and S7, 2012-2018 A7 and A6 Sedan, and 2014-2018 RS7 vehicles equipped with basic seats (with or without heating). Stress or wear of the body-sensing mat within the front passenger seat may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) control module to malfunction.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a PODS system repair kit, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74D5.

Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2013-09-23 · NHTSA campaign 13V450000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Audi S6 and S7 vehicles equipped with 4.0L engines. Due to manufacturing tolerance issues, a fuel line may leak fuel.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line, free of charge. The safety recall is planned to begin in late October 2013. Owners may contact Audi of America at 1-800-822-2834. Volkswagen's number for this campaign is 20U6/L8.

Complaints by component (42 total)

Engine

Powertrain

Electrical system

Fuel and propulsion system

Air bags

Suspension

Child seat

Engine and engine cooling

Seats

Speed control

Steering

Show 3 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I was driving my Audi when I got transmission malfunction light on along with suspension fault and epc light and check engine light all together and the car wouldn’t go faster than 20 mph. Causing someone to rear end me…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-02-04
"Was just driving down the highway at normal speed and my car lost all power, every like came up on the dash and disabled my power steering causing me to almost crash. Took it to the shop mechanic tells me the turbos…"
Powertrain, Engine · filed 2025-03-01
"the 2013 Audi 4.0T generation have a massive issue where the engine start leaking from the bottom of the crankcase where the block connects to it and to fix all these issues audi is asking a rebuild of the entire engine…"
Engine · filed 2024-10-15
"All 2013 Audi S have a transmission issues where it cause the transmission to stop shifting or skips gears or clutch slips and Audi has not done anything about them This repair is expensive and millions of people…"
Powertrain · filed 2023-07-04
"I noticed my car wouldn’t engage in reverse when shifted so I took it in for a transmission flush and it was performed and 2 days later I got a light on dash saying transmission overheating . And the car completely lost…"
Powertrain · filed 2022-11-23

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Audi S6 4 DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
S6	4L, 8-cyl	Automatic (AM-S7)	All-wheel drive	17	27	20 MPG	$4000

Specs and fitment

C7 S6, 2013–2018

Body styles Sedan

Oil 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30, or 5W-40 (engine dependent; confirm on cap)

Tire size 255/40R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 18V-370 covers certain 2013-2018 S6 and S7 vehicles (with A6 Sedan, A7, and RS7 equipped with basic seats) where wear of the front-passenger seat body-sensing mat may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) to malfunction so the passenger air bag may not deploy properly; dealers install a PODS repair kit. Recall 22V-178 covers certain 2013-2017 S6 Sedan vehicles (with A8, S7, S8, and RS7) whose turbocharger oil-supply strainer can become blocked, risking turbo bearing wear and an engine stall; dealers replace the strainer and change the oil. Both campaigns’ unit totals include the other Audi models named in NHTSA’s summaries.

Compare

Next year 2014 Audi S6 See every Audi S6 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Audi S6 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Audi S6?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (33 of 42), then Powertrain (8) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2013 Audi S6 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 S6 has 20 complaints, 0 per year. The 2013 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014.

Has the 2013 Audi S6 been recalled?

The 2013 Audi S6 has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Audi S6?

Owners have filed 42 complaints about the 2013 Audi S6 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Audi S6 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Audi S6 is 20 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What S6 generations does this site track?

C7 (2013-2018) and C8 (2019-on).

What does recall 18V-370 cover on C7 S6?

Certain 2013-2018 S6 and S7 vehicles (with A6 Sedan, A7, and RS7 with basic seats): wear of the front-passenger seat body-sensing mat may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System to malfunction so the passenger air bag may not deploy correctly.

Is oil specified on this S6 record yet?

Not yet with a sourced US fill — confirm Audi oil spec from the filler cap and owner’s manual.