AUDI S6 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

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 THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE WIDE-SPREAD BASED ON DISCUSSIONS AVAILABLE ON ONLINE FORUMS. AUDI IS AWARE OF THESE FAILURES AND HAS ISSUED TSB'S THAT IDENTIFY THE TURBO OIL STRAINER AS THE CULPRIT BUT THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN VARIOUS REVISED VERSIONS OF THIS OIL STRAINER OVER TIME, EACH ONE BEING LESS RESTRICTIVE THAN THE PRIOR. $10K+ REPAIR EVERY 30-50K MILES IS UNREASONABLE DUE TO FACT THAT OIL STRAINER HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED TO BE DEFECTIVE AND UPDATED SEVERAL TIMES BY AUDI.

The front passenger-side 6-piston Brembo caliper's (Part No. 20.A989.63) external steel crossover tube failed due to corrosion, specifically where the tubing was covered by a protective rubber sleeve, which trapped moisture and road salt. This led to a catastrophic loss of brake fluid and braking capability. This appears to be a systemic corrosion defect.

Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Defective Arnott Front Air Strut To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally report a significant safety concern regarding a defective Arnott FL front air strut purchased via RockAuto for my 2016 Audi S6 (VIN: [XXX] ). The air strut failed within five days of professional installation. This failure compromised the safety and functionality of my vehicle's suspension system, potentially risking further damage and endangering passengers. I was forced to drive the vehicle briefly in this compromised state to arrange for reinstallation, creating an additional safety hazard. Details of the issue: Product: Arnott FL Front Air Strut (purchased via RockAuto). Professional Installation Dates: October 25, 2024, and reinstallation due to failure on November 27, 2024. Failure Description: The air strut lost functionality within five days of installation, causing a significant drop in vehicle height and inability to maintain proper suspension. This defect demonstrates a failure of Arnott’s quality control and has left me concerned about the safety of their products, particularly when they play a critical role in vehicle performance and passenger safety. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this matter to ensure no systemic issues with Arnott's products compromise the safety of other drivers. I have attached supporting documentation, including invoices for installation, reinstallation, and further details on the defective part. Thank you for your attention to this urgent safety matter. I look forward to your acknowledgment and any updates regarding this investigation. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

We, a group of Audi S6 owners with vehicles from the 2013-2017 model years, are experiencing premature mechatronic issues. These problems manifest as jerking when coming to a stop, which can lead to accidents, and intermittent power loss that can be life-threatening. These issues began around 40,000 miles and have progressively worsened, despite our vehicles having only approximately 70,000 miles on them. Given the early onset and severity of these problems, we strongly urge a recall. The current mechatronic design appears to be flawed and fails prematurely, posing significant safety risks.

Hi - The Crankcase Ventilation Valve Extended Warranty [XXX] covers only ten years or 120k miles. My car has close to 160k miles. According to NHTSA or Audi, “Audi has determined that, in some vehicles, it is possible for the crankcase ventilation valve to malfunction, causing a whistling noise in the engine compartment and the MIL to illuminate due to the presence of specific fault codes caused by this component. This condition may impact the vehicle tailpipe emissions, and the presence of a MIL-on condition may cause the vehicle to fail an IM (smog) test.” This is causing the engine to rev on its own, foul odor, consume more oil and gas, MIL-on, and potentially cause the IM (smog) test to fail regardless of years or miles and a safety issue. Please add this matter to recall rather than extended warranty and is likely related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V178000 which is causing oil separator and coolant pipe issues that need to be covered. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving with my wife and kids, on the highway, in the rain a warning message was displayed. The warning stated: steering malfunction, please stop the vehicle!. At which point the power steering locked-up & the engine powered down. As a result, I was unable to steer the vehicle. Thankfully, I was able to “muscle” the car off the highway and onto a secondary roadway. Vehicle was towed. With the power steering locking-up and not being able to effectively steer the vehicle this is a HUGE safety issue and needs to be addressed with Audi. This could have ended tragically if it were to happen to a driver who was unable to “muscle” the vehicle to safety.

The contact owns a 2016 Audi S6. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V178000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the repair had been previously completed by an independent mechanic, a year prior to receiving the recall letter. The contact filed paperwork to be reimbursed after receiving the recall letter. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer, and the dealer stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The dealer had not performed the recall repair, stating that the vehicle had been modified. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect.

I was driving my car and it stalled out in the middle of an intersection which was totally unsafe and it would barely start. I was able to limp it to safety but it would not run or idle correctly. I had it towed to the local Audi dealership and they diagnosed the issue as being the turbos. The turbos failed and need to be replaced. The obvious known issue with the oil screen starving the turbos and causing collateral damage is well documented hence Audi issued an extended warranty on turbos and the recall on the oil screen however the dealer is refusing to do any repair and has had the vehicle for over a week.

I am having a transmission malfunction warning light on the dashboard that comes on. The car will not shift gears which is dangerous when driving in streets/highway. This is a known issue with the Audi S6 and related models and a class action lawsuit is in process. Audi is trying to charge few thousands dollars $8000-$12,000 to replace the mechatronic and clutch transmission system which is very prone to failure. Thank you

Loss of power on freeway, due to known turbo issue on these cars. Filter for turbo oil clogs, and burns the turbo's without warning causing loss of power. Not to mention it often sends metal into your engines oil and the repair for that is more than the car is worth.

The Passenger Side Turbo failed. Yes it’s available for inspection. I was driving and I felt a pop, like a backfire from under the hood. The car lost power instantly and was any under power anymore on the road. It could have been a lot worse if I was on a busy highway but luckily was on a street with do one behind me. It was confirmed it was the turbo failure and the turbo has been inspected. No warning lamps or any prior symptoms before hand. Once it happened it started throwing warning lights for pretty much everything. Limited slip diff, air bags, EPC, TPMS, check engine light and traction control warning lights all went off one after the other.

ON 09APR2021 I WAS DRIVING ON MY WAY TO PICK UP MY DOGS FROM DAYCARE. DURING MY RIDE THE CAR SEEMED HESITANT WITH POWER. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE DAYCARE AND PARKED THE CAR ESSENTIALLY SEEMED LIKE IT WAS CHOKING AND AT ONE POINT COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ON IT'S OWN. AFTER I PICKED UP MY DOG I TRIED STARTING THE CAR AND IT TOOK 3 ATTEMPTS FOR IT TO START. ON THE WAY HOME I HAD TO TRY AND KEEP THE CAR IN MOTION IN ORDER TO KEEP THE ENGINE ON, SO EVERY RED LIGHT WAS A GAME. MOVING THOUGH RUSH OUR IN THE CITY WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND THE CARE NEARLY DIED 3 TIMES. I MADE IT HOME AND THE CAR TURNED OFF ON IT'S OWN, WHEN I PARKED. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH AUDI AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN THE NEXT MORNING - ON THE WAY IN THE CAR DIED ON WHILE IN MOTION APPROACHING A RED LIGHT ON A CITY STREET. IT INADVERTENTLY STOPPED TRAFFIC UNTIL I COULD PUT THE CAR BACK IN PARK, AND ATTEMPT TO START THE ENGINE TWICE, BEFORE IT STARTED AGAIN AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED IT AS BLOWN TURBOS.

OIL SCREEN INTERIOR OF ENGINE (NON-SERVICEABLE) CLOGGED WHICH PREVENTED TURBO CHARGERS FROM RECEIVING OIL. BOTH TURBO CHARGERS FAILED WHICH CAUSES ENGINE TO STALL. WAS DRIVING AT 25 MPH ON TWO LANE CITY STREET. ENGINE DIED, POWER WAS LOST, AND STEERED VEHICLE TO AVOID COLLISION WITH BRICK MAILBOX. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO A STOP IN ROADWAY (NO SHOULDER) BUT WAS BLOCKING TRAFFIC. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. TOWED VEHICLE TO AUDI DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED TURBO FAILURE FROM CLOGGED OIL SCREEN AND PRESENTED A $12,732.74 QUOTE FOR LABOR AND REPLACEMENT TURBO CHARGERS. DEALERSHIP NOTED THAT THIS IS COMMON FAILURE WITH STOCK AND TURNED CARS AND THEY PERFORM THIS REPLACEMENT MULTIPLE TIMES A MONTH PER AUDI TSB. TUNED VEHICLES ARE IMMEDIATELY DENIED WARRANTY DESPITE THERE MORE THAN 131 REPORTED CASES ON ONE OWNERS GROUP/VOLUNTEER WEBSITE (HTTPS://WWW.AUDIZINE.COM/FORUM/POLL.PHP?POLLID=4500&DO=SHOWRESULTS). MY VEHICLE RECEIVED OIL CHANGE AND 40K SERVICE FROM AUDI DEALERSHIP LESS THAN 5,000 MILES PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE. OIL SCREEN REPLACEMENT REQUIRES 20 HOURS OF LABOR TO TEAR THE ENGINE DOWN TO GET TO THE PART (NON-SERVICEABLE) - TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 2044640/9 (REVISED 3 TIMES OVER 3 YEARS TO REPLACE OIL SCREEN WITH UPGRADED SCREEN - REV G). HAVE VISITED WITH MULTIPLE AUDI DEALERSHIPS TO OBTAIN COMPETITIVE QUOTES AND LEARNED THAT IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 4.0 V8 ENGINE WITH FAILURES NORMALLY OCCURRING AT 65K - 85K MILES IN A8, S4, S6, S7 MODELS AND THAT THE REPAIR IS NORMALLY $11-12K PER INCIDENT.

I WAS ACCELERATING WITH TRAFFIC WHILE ON AN ON RAMP AND MERGING INTO BUSY TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE, WHEN SUDDENLY I LOST POWER AND MY CAR BEGAN TO DECELERATE AT A RAPID PACE. THERE WAS NO THROTTLE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS BEING PRESSED. SECONDS AFTER THAT I LOST POWER TO THE CAR. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY HAZARDS AND COAST THROUGH 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER. DURING WHICH TIME, I HAD NO POWER STEERING AND HAD TO FIGHT TO MOVE THE WHEEL. I HAD THE CAR BROUGHT TO MY AUDI MECHANIC WHO SAID IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR TURBOS BLEW AND THAT WAS INDEED THE CASE. HE SAID HE SEES IT ALL THE TIME ON THE 4.0 TT ENGINES BECAUSE OF AUDIS POOR OIL SCREEN DESIGN THAT STARVES THE TURBOS OF OIL AND LEADS TO THE SEIZING UP AND BREAKING.