What breaks most · 1995 to 2025 model years
Audi S6 problems by year
Owners have filed 140 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Audi S6 across model years 1995 to 2025. Three years stand out: 2013 for engine complaints, 1995 for fuel system complaints and 2014 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 1996, 1997 and 1998.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 1995, 2014
- Fewest complaints: 1996, 1997, 1998
- Complaints on file
- 1401995 to 2025, all trims
- Worst year
- 201342 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 22 fires · 2 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 61kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 39Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (17) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (1) | |
| 7 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | Fuel System, Other (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Air bags (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | Air bags (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Air bags (1) | |
| 42 | 1 | 3 | Engine (33) | |
| 20 | 0 | 3 | Engine (14) | |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | Engine (3) | |
| 19 | 0 | 2 | Engine (13) | |
| 5 | 0 | 2 | Engine (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Steering (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 6 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 4 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (1) |
What fails on the 2013 Audi S6
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 79% |
33 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Audi S6 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 19% |
8 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 7% |
3 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Audi S6 |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 7% |
3 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Audi S6 |
| Air bags | 5% |
2 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 5% |
2 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2013 Audi S6 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 2% |
1 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2013 Audi S6 |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 2% |
1 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
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
-
The metal fuel lines under car corrode due to design of retaining clamps. This has caused leaks in the fuel line. The car has had a fuel line recall performed already but, it was at a different section. This rusted section is not covered.
-
Too fine of an oil screen, causing turbo failure due to starvation of oil to the turbos. Now i need a very very costly repair. Several $1000's.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Audi S6 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 1995, 2014 carry the most filings on the Audi S6. The 2013 alone has 42 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Audi S6 problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 33 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Audi S6 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Audi S6 complaints that include mileage is about 61,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.