Audi S6 Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability
Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.
Own a Audi S6? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.
Audi S6 — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison
| Year | Verdict | Recalls | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths | Top Issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Best | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2025 | Excellent | — | 3 | — | — | — | Forward Collision Avoidance | Full report → |
| 2024 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2023 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2022 | Good | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2021 | Caution | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2020 | Caution | 4 | 5 | — | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2019 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2018 | Good | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2017 | Good | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2016 | Avoid | 1 | 25 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2015 | Good | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2014 | Avoid | 2 | 14 | — | 4 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2013Worst | Avoid | 2 | 32 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2012 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2011 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2010 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2009 | Excellent | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2008 | Good | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | Seat Belts | Full report → |
| 2007 | Good | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2006 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2005 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2004 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2003 | Excellent | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2002 | Excellent | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
25 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.
Most Common Audi S6 Problems
Based on 89 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.
Recent Safety Recalls — Audi S6 (2022–2026)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021-2022 AUDI A8, A6 Allroad, E-TRON Quattro, 2022 S3, RSQ8, RS7, RS6 Avant, Q8, Q7, Q3, E-TRON Sportback Quattro, S5 Cabriolet, E-TRON GT, S5 Sportback, A7, A6, A5 Sportback, A5 Cabriolet, A4, A4 Allroad, A3, S8, SQ7, SQ8, S6, and S4 vehicles. The infotainment main unit may become damaged internally when the vehicle is shut off, resulting in an inoperative rearview camera display the next time the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the infotainment main unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 91Ei.
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.
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.
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.
Showing 4 recalls from 2022–2026 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.
S6 Years to Avoid
Best S6 Years to Buy
Audi S6 Problems by Year
Frequently Asked Questions — Audi S6 Reliability
What year S6 has the most problems?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2013 Audi S6 had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 32 complaints and 2 safety recalls. See the full 2013 report for specific defects.
Is the Audi S6 reliable?
The Audi S6 has accumulated 89 owner-filed complaints and 27 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. The 2026 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used S6.
What are the most common S6 problems?
The most frequently cited problem areas are: Engine (46 reports), Power Train (8 reports), Electrical System (6 reports), Fuel/Propulsion System (6 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.
How do I check if my S6 has an open recall?
Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Check a Specific Audi S6 VIN
Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Run a Free Audi S6 VIN Report →No account required · Instant results · Updated daily