Volkswagen Group of America, Inc
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.
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Light NHTSA footprint — 42 owner complaints and 3 active recall campaigns. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2013 Audi S6 has 42 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is engine at 28 complaints, typically surfacing around 66,228 miles (~$3,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 S6 | 1 | 2 |
| 2011 S6 | 0 | 2 |
| 2013 S6 (this page) | 42 | 3 |
| 2014 S6 | 20 | 3 |
| 2015 S6 | 5 | 2 |
| 2016 S6 | 19 | 2 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: powertrain is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 43,000 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 3 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.6/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →I noticed my car wouldn’t engage in reverse when shifted so I took it in for a transmission flush and it was performed and 2 days later I got a light on dash saying transmission overheating . And the car completely lost power while on freeway and went from 60 to 20 miles per…
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…
There have been numerous recalls for my 2013 Audi s6 pertaining to the turbocharged engine. Most recently, over the last 2 weeks I noticed decreasing gas mileage and increasing turbo lag but the car still ran "normally" overall. Then, 1 day ago it made intermittent metallic…
Vehicle has had all recommended maintenance performed on schedule at the Audi dealer. Driving down a highway at about 73k miles, engine stopped running with no warning. Electronic systems appeared as though engine was running, but it was dead. We were extremely fortunate that…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
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.
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.
A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, may result in a fire.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.6 out of 10 based on 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Audi S6 is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2013 Audi S6 is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.6/10 — above the segment average; 3 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the engine first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 28 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 66,228 miles. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.6 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 42 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is engine. Typical failure occurs around 66,228 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is engine, with 28 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 66,228 miles. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop.
The engine is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 66,228 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 42 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $3,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.