Reliable Auto DB

2018 Audi S6 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Audi S6 over 9 years — 1 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 1 recall on file, including Occupant classification.

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

4

Per year

1

Recalls

1

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (2 of 4), then Electrical system (1) and Service brakes (1).

Next to 2017 and 2020

The 2017 S6 has 5 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2020 has 2 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

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 2018 Audi S6. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

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 (4 total)

Steering
2
Electrical system
1
Service brakes
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12017120181202112023
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "First off let me start by saying the vehicle has 45k miles on it. There were no fault codes or system errors prior to the issue that developed. I was driving to a meeting in heavy rain, no issues or suspicion of issues…"
    Steering, Electrical system · filed 2023-12-10
  • "I OWN A 2018 AUDI S6 WHICH I BEGAN DRIVING IN MARCH 2018. SINCE THEN THE WINDSHIELD HAS SHATTERED THREE TIMES, DUE TO ONLY MINOR IMPACTS OF ROCKS OR ROAD DEBRIS EACH TIME. THIS HAPPENED MOST RECENTLY A FEW WEEKS AGO…"
    Visibility and wipers · filed 2021-04-22
  • "EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST ON WHEELS AND ROTORS AFFECTING STOPPING DISTANCE"
    Service brakes · filed 2018-04-09
  • "I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 11/18/2017; ON 11/21/2017 A DEAD BATTERY CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO START. ON THE 11/22/2017 AFTER CHARGING THE VEHICLE BATTERY OVER 20 HOURS THE VEHICLE STARTED; HOWEVER THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED…"
    Steering · filed 2017-12-04

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 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 16 24 18 MPG $4450

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 2017 Audi S6 Next year 2020 Audi S6 See every Audi S6 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Audi S6 reliable?

Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Audi S6 over 9 years — 1 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 1 recall on file, including Occupant classification.

What are common problems with a 2018 Audi S6?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (2 of 4), then Electrical system (1) and Service brakes (1).

Is the 2018 Audi S6 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 S6 has 5 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2020 has 2 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

Has the 2018 Audi S6 been recalled?

The 2018 Audi S6 has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Audi S6?

Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2018 Audi S6 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Audi S6 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Audi S6 is 18 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.