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
The worst 2013 Audi S6 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine34
- Transmission8
- Electrical3
- Fuel system3
- Airbags2
- Suspension2
- Acceleration1
- Seats1
- Steering1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2013 Audi S6
Recalls 3
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 22V178000 · Recall details
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 18V370000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 13V450000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2013 Audi S6
Defect investigations
Engine Stall - Turbo Failure
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE 21-009) after the agency received 58 reports alleging engine stalling in 2013-2016MY Audi vehicle models A8, S6, S7, S8 & RS7 equipped with the 4.0L, twin-turbocharged engine. Complainants reported the vehicles would stall with no warning while driving at highway or city traffic speeds. Several of the complainants alleged an inability to restart. The complaints alleged the major contributing factor to the engine stalling was the failure of the turbochargers. The complaints cited the turbocharger failure was a result of oil starvation due to a clogged oil strainer in the turbocharger oil supply line.The location of the oil strainer in the turbocharger oil supply line is in the inner valley of the engine. It is not easily accessible, making servicing the component difficult. The oil strainer removes particles and carbon deposits from the oil before lubricating the turbochargers. Over time, if the debris is not removed from the oil strainer, it becomes clogged and prevents oil from flowing to the turbochargers. This causes the turbine bushings to run dry and overheat resulting in turbine shaft failure due to thermal stress.On April 04, 2022, PE21-009 was upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA22-001) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the alleged defect. Volkswagen filed recall 22V‑178 to replace the 30?m mesh oil strainer with a 90?m mesh oil strainer in the subject vehicles. VW introduced the larger mesh oil strainer into production in March of 2017 effecting the 2017-2018MY vehicles.ODI reviewed information from VW for vehicles that had the larger mesh installed in production. The data received showed, since the new oil strainer size of 90?m went into production for the 2017-2018MY, there has not been any reported incidents of turbocharger failures due to oil starvation or other failures that could be related to the larger screen mesh. In view of the recall being conducted by VW and lack of any detrimental side effect to the turbocharger caused by the larger mesh, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.11502847,11506565,11494663,11488813,11486393,11480926,11479882,11476289,11466761 11464663,11463254,11460580,11460496,11458973,11458804,11457556,11454753,11452668 11452589,11452584,11452383,11452175,11452111,11451724,11451724,11450995,11450988 11449661,11447092,11443657,11442867,11440536,11440052,11439959,11438691,11436461 11435619,11433925,11433733,11432336,11431661,11431421,11429704,11429584,11428128 11426929,11424203,11423603,11423337,11422431,11421084,11420626,11420342,11419693 11418884,11418437,11418433,11418135,11417635,11417351,11416095,11414578,11414235 11414064,11413359,11413285,11413214,11407510,11407450,11406897,11406821,11406637 11406460,11406416,11406291,11406287,11406277,11406273,11406263,11406256,11406251 11406229,11406222,11406208,11406204,11406197,11406182,11406015,11404665,11404426 11404348,11403823,11403430,11403268,11402684,11399435,11397821,11396241,11394763 11391037
EA22001
Engine Stall - Turbo Failure
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 21-009 after the agency received 58 reports alleging engine stalling in 2013-2016MY Audi vehicle models A8, S6, S7, S8 & RS7. The subject vehicles are equipped with 4.0L, twin-turbocharged engine. Complainants reported that the vehicles stall suddenly with no warning while driving on the highway or in city traffic. Several of the complainants alleged an inability to restart. The complaints allege the major contributing factor to the engine stalling is the failure of the turbochargers. The complaints further allege the turbocharger failure is a result of oil starvation due to a clogged oil strainer.The location of the oil strainer in the turbocharger oil supply line is in the inner valley of the engine. It is not easily accessible, making regular service difficult. The oil strainer removes dirty particles and carbon deposits from the oil before flowing to lubricate the Turbochargers. Overtime if the debris are not removed from the oil strainer, it clogs the strainer and prevents free flow of oil to the turbochargers and makes the turbine bushings to run dry and overheat which causes the turbine shaft to break due to thermal stress. In VW's response to ODI's Information Request letter, VW provided approximately 611 warranty claims with unique VINs, 70 Field Reports and 45 Consumer complaints. These reports allege engine stalling due to turbocharger failure similar to the federal safety agency reports described above. To date, the federal safety agency has received approximately 98 allegations of stall due to turbocharger failures. The total of 824 reports shown in the table above eliminates duplicate reports received by both ODI and the manufacturer.This Preliminary Evaluation is being upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the alleged defect of engine stalling due to turbocharger failureThe ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at under the following ODI identification numbers:11452589, 11452584, 11452383, 11450995, 11450988, 11449661, 11447092, 11442867 11440536, 11440052, 11439959, 11438691, 11436461, 11435619, 11431661, 11429704 11429584, 11426929, 11424203, 11423603, 11423337, 11421084, 11420626, 11420342 11418884, 11418437, 11418433, 11417635, 11417351, 11416095, 11414235, 11413359 11413214, 11413285, 11413133, 11407510, 11407450, 11407289, 11406821, 11406416 11406291, 11406277, 11406273, 11406256, 11406251, 11406229, 11406222, 11406204 11406197, 11406182, 11404665, 11404426, 11404348, 11403430, 11403268, 11399435 11397821, 11396241, 11394763, 11391037, 11388662, 11387166, 11377446, 11363283 11354107, 11344193, 11342497, 11342360, 11340302, 11325065, 11324163, 11322168, 11321144, 11318477, 11306754, 11279429, 11268109, 11256706, 11252723, 11246579 11234853, 11234714, 11231582, 11231013, 11230589, 11229484, 11222281, 11218822 11218749, 11217604, 11209168, 11209142, 11197149, 11191243, 11175842, 11170776 11164032, 11152418.
PE21009
Technical service bulletins for the 2013 Audi S6 840
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Speed S-tronic, leaks from transmission
- This bulletin provides informaiton on the use of the PICO-NVH tool (VAS 611 015).
- This bulletin provides information to aid in diagnosing the vehicle locking system.
- This bulletin provides information when the engine is not runing smoothly; all gas engines.
- This bulletin provides information on VIN plates, Safety Certification labels, and ordering procedures.
- This bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
- This bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has...
- This bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
- This bulletin provides information when the license plate mounting bracket threded inserts are stripped.
- This TSB describes a corrosion issue due to outside influence and the prohibition of warranty in these cases.
2013 Audi S6 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 8‑cyl | AWD | 17 | 27 | 20 |
What 2013 Audi S6 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 $8,000 Not sure why they failed I have amazing service records on my car. This needs to be a recall.
the 2013 Audi 4.0T generation have a massive issue where the engine start leaking from the bottom of the crankcase where the block connects to it and to fix all these issues audi is asking a rebuild of the entire engine this issue is very common on the 2013 2014 2015 S6 S7 S8 with the 4.0T worldwide problem
All 2013 Audi S have a transmission issues where it cause the transmission to stop shifting or skips gears or clutch slips and Audi has not done anything about them This repair is expensive and millions of people experience this problem and Audi still won’t fix it
I noticed my car wouldn’t engage in reverse when shifted so I took it in for a transmission flush and it was performed and 2 days later I got a light on dash saying transmission overheating . And the car completely lost power while on freeway and went from 60 to 20 miles per hour and will not shift past first gear . So I took it back in to dealer paid diagnostic fee and then was told my transmission was bad and had to be replaced and was quoted a price of 15683$
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 the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V178000 (Engine And Engine Cooling) which he associated with the failure. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact submitted a claim for reimbursement as the vehicle had been repaired prior to the safety recall but the manufacturer denied the claim. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
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. The vehicle only had 42,040 miles at the time of the turbo 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 this is a common occurrence in these models with the turbo. Numerous online forums are dedicated to discuss the common occurrence when researching this particular issue going back a few years, mostly astounding a recall hasn't been issued. There was no warning lamp for the issue to warn us of the impending failure.
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 this happened on a rural highway and not the big city freeway system we had recently driven through. Cause of the problem was a total engine failure, later discovered to be failure of the turbocharging system. Checking online reveals that it likely due to a defect in an oil strainer. Sudden catastrophic engine failure at only 73K miles in a dealer-maintained vehicle is a safety hazard, to the occupants of the vehicle as well as to surrounding cars that have to navigate around a suddenly powerless car.
Turbocharged failed while driving in afternoon traffic, leaving car stranded at heavy traffic stoplight until tow could be arranged. Failure occurred while idling at the stop light. Failed turbochargers are available for inspection. Failure was initially diagnosed / confirmed by dealership (Audi Chantilly) but due to extreme cost of repair quoted by dealer, car was transported to an independent garage for the repair. Failed turbocharger was inspected at dealership using micro-camera for diagnosis of the problem. There were no warnings, check engine lights, strange noises, loss of power, etc..; failure was total and instantaneous. Additional information: This is a totally stock vehicle, no modifications or tuning performed. It has never been raced or abused. The 'launch mode' built into the car's design (for fast acceleration from stop) has never been used on this vehicle. Put simply, this vehicle was 'babied'. For the initial life of the car, all maintenance was performed at dealership (Audi Chantilly) under service contact. Upon expiration of service contract (~65K miles) all service was performed by owner. Knowing of the turbocharger oil feed defect present in this model Audi's design, owner increased oil change service frequency to (unsuccessfully) try preventing turbocharger failure. All owner supplied oil change materials (oil and filters) were consistent with Audi factory requirements.
Compare the 2013 Audi S6
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Questions about the 2013 Audi S6
Is the 2013 Audi S6 reliable?
Owners have filed 42 complaints about the 2013 Audi S6, 10.5 times a typical S6 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Audi S6?
Engine and cooling, with 34 complaints, typically around 60,000 miles. Next is transmission (8).
How many recalls does the 2013 Audi S6 have?
3 recalls, covering engine and engine cooling, air bags and fuel system, gasoline.
What gas mileage does the 2013 Audi S6 get?
Official estimates for the 2013 Audi S6 range from 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.0L 8-cyl, AWD) gets 17 city and 27 highway.
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