2017 Audi S6 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2017 Audi S6 has 5 complaints with NHTSA after 10 years, or 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 2 recalls on file, including Turbocharger and Occupant classification.

2013 Audi S6 — Photo by Matti Blume, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (4 of 5) and Fuel and propulsion system (1).

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 S6 has 19 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2018 has 4 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 Audi S6. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

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.

Complaints by component (5 total)

Engine

Fuel and propulsion system

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I took the vehicle to west Covina Audi to get the recall repaired. Inv # 793279. They claimed the recall was repaired. I request photos of the work performed and old parts. I was told that since it was a recall they…"
Unknown or other · filed 2022-09-23
"I'm NOT sure if this would have developed to an safety issue, I'll let your team decide. At my scheduled 50,000 mile dealer service (50,219 miles) I was informed that both motor mounts had failed and needed replacement.…"
Engine · filed 2022-03-28
"TURBO POWER FEELS TO HAVE GRADUALLY DECLINED UPON APPROACHING 50K MILES. IT IS CAUSED BY CLOGGED TURBO OIL SCREENS. $3000+ REPAIR WITH NO HELP FROM AUDI BRAND AND DEALER FOR A WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE. ADDITIONALLY THE O2…"
Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2021-04-23
"AUDI S6 4.0 TT, THE CAR I OWN ARE NOTORIOUS IN OIL SCREEN PROBLEMS. THEY STARVE THE TURBOS WITH NO OIL AND CAUSE FAILURE TO THEM. I AM ONE OF THE PERSON THAT HAS TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE."
Engine · filed 2021-04-03
"OEM TURBOS FAIL ON AUDI 2013-2017 S6/S7/S8/RS6/RS7 DUE TO OIL STARVATION CAUSED BY CLOGGED OEM OIL STRAINER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE FAILURE HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING AND AS IT GENERALLY HAPPENS WHILE WHILE DRIVING…"
Engine · filed 2019-06-10

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2017 Audi S6 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars

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	18	27	21 MPG	$3800

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

Previous year 2016 Audi S6 Next year 2018 Audi S6 See every Audi S6 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Audi S6 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2017 Audi S6?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (4 of 5) and Fuel and propulsion system (1).

Is the 2017 Audi S6 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 S6 has 19 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2018 has 4 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Audi S6 been recalled?

The 2017 Audi S6 has 2 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 2017 Audi S6?

Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2017 Audi S6 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Audi S6 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Audi S6 is 21 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.