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2013 Audi S6 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2013 Audi S6 has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 3safety recalls
- 42owner complaints
- 1crash report
- 0fire reports
- 0injuries reported
The most complained-about Audi S6 year on file: 42 complaints, against an average of 7 for the other 8 model years.
Every Audi S6 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2013 Audi S6?
The components named most often in the 42 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2013 Audi S6 owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 42 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2013 Audi S6 been recalled?
3 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Gasoline: Turbo/Supercharger 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.
Risk: Worn bearings can cause the turbine wheel to contact the turbocharger housing or cause the shaft to break, causing an engine stall and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags: Sensor: Occupant Classification 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.
Risk: If the PODS module malfunctions, the front passenger air bag may not deploy properly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline: Delivery: Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings 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.
Risk: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, may result in a fire.
Fix: 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.
Is the 2013 Audi S6 recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSAFuel line may have become damage and could cause a fuel leak
Risk: Due to manufacturing tolerance the fuel line may become damaged in individual cases and within a specific manufacturing period. In the worst case this can cause leakage.
Fix: Recall the affected vehicles within the range quoted and replace the fuel line
EU Safety GateIn isolated cases the fuel line may become damaged over time due to manufacturing problems.Years estimatedIn the worst case this could cause fuel leakage and pose a potential risk of fire, which could cause burns or an accident with serious injuries.
What do 2013 Audi S6 owners report?
12 of the 42 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
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 and them fleeing . So not only was my car hit because of this but I had no driver to hold responsible for the damage
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 failed due to oil screen and it will cost me $8,000 Not sure why they failed I have amazing service records on my car. This needs to be a recall.
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 this issue is very common on the 2013 2014 2015 S6 S7 S8 with the 4.0T worldwide problem
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 experience this problem and Audi still won’t fix it
The contact owns a 2013 Audi S6. The contact stated upon test driving the vehicle after an oil change, the independent mechanic diagnosed that the oil strainer was clogged and the turbine wheel was desegregated. The oil strainer and gasket, the PCV head gasket, and two turbochargers were replaced. Additionally, three consecutive oil changes were completed in order to flush the metal fragments from the turbocharger oil strainer. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V178000 (Engine And Engine Cooling) which he associated with the failure…
Recently learned that my car broke down on my spouse in an extremely unsafe location due to turbo failure(s) probably caused by the turbo oil inlet screen. She was on a busy street when the car shut off on her putting her in an extremely unsafe situation to move the car and wait for tow truck service. The car is still with the Audi dealership for repairs but has been confirmed that this is the likely incident and fixing it will likely prevent further issues. This car has only been to Audi certified technicians at dealerships for the entire time I've owned the car and I was never notified that…
WITH ONLY 53,000 MILES ON MY 2013 AUDI S6 BOTH TURBO CHARGES FAILED AND AUDI IS NOW CHARGING ME $9,000 TO REPLACE BOTH TURBO CHARGES WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST 100,000 TO 125,000 MILES. THIS ISSUE OCCURED WHILE ON THE ROAD IDLING AT A LIGHT AND CAUSED THE CAR NOT TO BE ABLE TO START AND TO SHAKE THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A GRACO CHILD SAFETY SEAT, MODEL NUMBER: 2013866, MODEL TYPE: TURBO BOOSTER, MANUFACTURED DATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2019. THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT WAS BEING UTILIZED IN A 2013 AUDI S6. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SECURE CHILD IN THE SAFETY SEAT, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A HOOK DEFECT UNDERNEATH THE SAFETY SEAT NOT ALLOWING IT TO BE SECURED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SECURE THE SAFETY SEAT. THE CHILD WAS NOT INSIDE THE SAFETY SEAT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. ## VIN FAILED ## GRACO…
SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS WORN OUT CAUSING SQUEAKING AND UNEXPECTED VEHICLE PATH DURING ACCELERATION IN ALL SITUATIONS. OIL FILTER UNDER PVC VALVE CLOGGED AND STARVED TURBOCHARGER OF OIL CAUSING FAILURE.
TRANSMISSION COOLANT VALVE FAILURE. AUDI HAS ISSUED TSB FOR SEVERAL MODELS RELATED TO SAME FAILURE MODE. COOLANT SPRAYS FROM COOLANT VALVE ONTO ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS INTERNAL TO TRANSMISSION CAUSING CORROSION WITHIN THE CONNECTORS. TWO FAULT MODES. 1. VEHICLE FAILS TO START AS VEHICLE DOESN'T KNOW TRANSMISSION CONDITION (NEUTRAL, PARK OR OTHERWISE). 2. IF YOU CAN GET IT TO START - VEHICLE IS IN LIMP MODE SERVICE 2WKS TO REPLACE FAILED VALVE AND REPAIR CORRODED ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS WITHIN TRANSMISSION
AIRBAG LIGHT ON PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR NOT WORKING PROPERLY
OEM TURBOS FAIL DUE TO OIL STARVATION , CAUSED BY OEM OIL STRAINER AND PVC VALVE ( SEVERAL REVISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE CARS WAS PRODUCED ) ALSO NUMEROUS OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES
2013 Audi S6: questions owners ask
Is the 2013 Audi S6 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Audi S6; the most common categories were engine (33, 78.6%), power train (8, 19%), electrical system (3, 7.1%). There are 3 safety recalls. 1 complaint mentions a crash.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Audi S6?
Across 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are engine (78.6% of complaints), power train (19% of complaints), electrical system (7.1% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (7.1% of complaints), air bags (4.8% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2013 Audi S6 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2013 Audi S6; the most recent (campaign 22V178000, 2022-03-23) concerns Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Gasoline: Turbo/Supercharger. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does my 2013 Audi S6 stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
16 of the 42 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi S6 (38.1%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "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." (NHTSA complaint 11645758, March 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Does the 2013 Audi S6 have turbo problems?
11 of the 42 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi S6 (26.2%) describe turbocharger failure or turbo noise. One owner wrote: "The Mfg defrayed some of the cost of replacing the two turbos but I was charged $5,607.06 on the repair on 9/24/20. The cause of the repair was do the mfg defect and they should pay 100% of the repair." (NHTSA complaint 11458804, March 2022). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2013 Audi S6 idle rough, misfire or hesitate?
5 of the 42 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi S6 (11.9%) describe rough idling, misfires or hesitation when accelerating. One owner wrote: "While driving on the highway vehicle lost power. upon exiting the highway, i noticed a rough idle. next morning vehicle failed to start normally (push to start) on multiple occasions. needed to press the gas pedal significantly." (NHTSA complaint 11406897, April 2021). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why won't my 2013 Audi S6 start?
3 of the 42 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Audi S6 (7.1%) describe the car failing to start. One owner wrote: "While driving on the highway vehicle lost power. upon exiting the highway, i noticed a rough idle. next morning vehicle failed to start normally (push to start) on multiple occasions. needed to press the gas pedal significantly." (NHTSA complaint 11406897, April 2021). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own S6
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2013 only.