2020 Audi S6 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2020 Audi S6 has 2 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most S6 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Camera, Electrical system, and Fuel level sensor.

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 Electrical system (2 of 2), then Engine (1) and Powertrain (1).

Next to 2018 and 2021

The 2018 S6 has 4 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2021 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2021.

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 2020 Audi S6. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (6)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2025-12-19 · NHTSA campaign 25V900000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Remedy Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 23, 2025.

Recall Electrical system 2022-11-21 · NHTSA campaign 22V861000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, A6 Allroad, 2021-2022 RS7, RS6 Avant, 2019-2022 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. Liquid spilled in the rear seat may penetrate and cause the gateway control module to shut down.

Remedy Dealers will install a protective cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 90V2.

Recall electrical system, instrument panel, fuel gauge, fuel level sensor 2022-03-14 · NHTSA campaign 22V155000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RS6 Avant and RS7, 2020-2022 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, and S7, and 2019-2022 A6 Sedan and A7 vehicles. The fuel level sender may stick, causing an inaccurate fuel level reading to be displayed on the instrument cluster.

Remedy Dealers will install a new sensor in the tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2023. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 20DN.

Recall Tires 2022-01-26 · NHTSA campaign 22V034000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

Remedy Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2022. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L5.

Recall Rear non-powered axle assembly 2021-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 21V295000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

Remedy Dealers will replace the lock nuts and, if necessary, the associated bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 42L1.

Recall Air bags 2021-03-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V159000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS6 Avant, RS7, 2020-2021 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, S7, 2019-2021 A6 Sedan, and A7 vehicles. The score line on the passenger air bag may not have been manufactured correctly.

Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the passenger air bag score line, and repair it as necessary, free of charge. The recall begin March 26, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 70i2.

Complaints by component (2 total)

Electrical system

Engine

Powertrain

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"While driving my 2020 Audi S6, the vehicle suddenly lost power and completely shut off in the middle of the road without warning. There were no warning lights or messages beforehand. I was unable to accelerate or steer…"
Powertrain, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2025-05-30
"My 2020 Audi S6 has been undriveable since September 27, 2024 due to a backordered recall part (Gateway Control Module). Audi has failed to provide a repair timeframe, making my car unusable for over five months. Audi…"
Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2025-03-02

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2020 Audi S6 4 DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	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	2.9L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	18	28	22 MPG	$3650

Specs and fitment

C8 S6, 2019–present

Body styles Sedan

Oil 0W-30 (confirm on cap)

Tire size 255/40R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 21V-159 covers certain 2020-2021 S6 Sedan vehicles (with A6, A7, S7, RS6 Avant, and RS7) whose passenger air-bag score line may have been manufactured incorrectly, risking improper deployment or plastic debris in a crash; dealers inspect and repair as needed. Recall 22V-155 covers certain 2020-2022 S6 Sedan vehicles (with A6, A7, S7, RS6, and RS7) where a fuel-level sender may stick and show an inaccurate fuel reading that can lead to an unexpected stall; dealers install a new tank sensor. Recall 22V-861 covers certain 2020-2022 S6 Sedan vehicles (with A6, A7, S7, RS6, and RS7) where liquid spilled on the rear seat may shut down the gateway control module and suddenly reduce engine power; dealers install a protective cover. Shared unit totals span those models.

Compare

Previous year 2018 Audi S6 Next year 2021 Audi S6 See every Audi S6 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Audi S6 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2020 Audi S6?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (2 of 2), then Engine (1) and Powertrain (1).

Is the 2020 Audi S6 more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2020 Audi S6 been recalled?

The 2020 Audi S6 has 6 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 2020 Audi S6?

Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2020 Audi S6 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Audi S6 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Audi S6 is 22 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.