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Audi S6

Model years 1992–2025 in the US safety record. No model year stands out in owner complaints. Fewest complaints: 1996, 1997, 1998.

141owner complaints
21recall campaigns
10,257service bulletins
34model years on record

Complaints by model year

Each bar is one model year. The most recent years are still collecting complaints.

’92’95’98’01’04’07’10’13’16’19’22’25’92’95’98’01’04’07’10’13’16’19’22’25

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026

New York safety inspections

Share of first inspections failed on safety, by model year. Older cars fail more as miles build up, so compare each year with the average car of the same year. Best against its own year: 2016.

0.0%0.9%1.7%’95’07’13’15’16’17’20’22’250.6%0.0%0.9%1.7%’95’08’15’16’18’22’250.6%

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections, initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Year by year

Model yearComplaintsRecallsBulletinsCrashes · fires
2025 S6312020 · 0
2024 S6014390 · 0
2023 S6015530 · 0
2022 S6446850 · 0
2021 S60108440 · 0
2020 S6268070 · 0
2019 S6002080 · 0
2018 S6414500 · 0
2017 S6524770 · 0
2016 S61925580 · 1
2015 S6526111 · 0
2014 S62036910 · 0
2013 S64237511 · 0
2012002140 · 0
2011024530 · 0
2010124580 · 0
2009033990 · 0
2008223390 · 0
2007122650 · 0
2006001530 · 0
2005001200 · 0
200401990 · 0
200322890 · 0
2002 S672800 · 0
200111690 · 0
2000 S601670 · 0
1999 S601410 · 0
1998 S611370 · 0
199710340 · 0
199611160 · 0
1995 S6202260 · 1
1994 S602100 · 0
19930160 · 0
19920160 · 0

A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections

Most common problems

  • Engine70
  • Fuel system, gasoline21
  • Electrical system17
  • Power train16
  • Fuel/propulsion system12
  • Unknown or other10
  • Suspension7
  • Steering7

NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years

Crash-test ratings by year

NHTSA 5-star results for 9 model-year variants; 5 of 5 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

YearVariantOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
20212021 Audi S6 4 DR AWD———★★★★★8.9 %
20202020 Audi S6 4 DR AWD———★★★★★8.9 %
20182018 Audi S6 4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★9.0 %
20172017 Audi S6 4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★9.0 %
20162016 Audi S6 4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★9.0 %
20152015 Audi S6 4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★9.0 %
20142014 Audi S6 4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★9.0 %
20132013 Audi S6 4 DR AWD————0.0 %
20112011 Audi S6 4 DR AWD————0.0 %

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain

Fuel consumption by year

Official Canadian test results for 22 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 10.7–16.0 L/100 km.

YearVariantEngineTransmissionCityHighwayCombinedCO₂ g/km
2025S6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline2.9 L, 6 cyl.AS812.48.910.8254
2024S6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline2.9 L, 6 cyl.AS812.38.810.7252
2023S6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline2.9 L, 6 cyl.AS812.39.010.8254
2022S6 Sedan quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline2.9 L, 6 cyl.AS812.88.510.9254
2021S6 Sedan quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline2.9 L, 6 cyl.AS812.98.510.9255
2020S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline2.9 L, 6 cyl.AS812.98.510.9255
2018S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AM715.010.012.8298
2017S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AM713.38.811.3263
2016S6 quattro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AM713.38.811.3263
2015S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AM714.08.711.7269
2014S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.A714.29.712.2281
2013S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.0 L, 8 cyl.AM714.18.711.7274
2011S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline5.2 L, 10 cyl.AS616.912.214.8340
2010S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline5.2 L, 10 cyl.AS616.912.214.8340
2009S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline5.2 L, 10 cyl.AS616.912.214.8340
2008S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline5.2 L, 10 cyl.AS616.912.214.8340
2007S6 · Mid-size · Premium gasoline5.2 L, 10 cyl.AS616.912.214.8340
2003S6 Avant · Station wagon: Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.2 L, 8 cyl.AS517.812.115.2350
2002S6 Avant quattro · Station wagon: Mid-size · Premium gasoline4.2 L, 8 cyl.AS519.012.316.0368
1997S6 · Compact · Premium gasoline2.2 L, 5 cyl.M514.911.013.1301
1996S6 · Compact · Premium gasoline2.2 L, 5 cyl.M514.911.013.1301
1995S6 · Compact · Premium gasoline2.2 L, 5 cyl.M514.911.013.1301

Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada

In New Zealand

317 S6 cars are on the New Zealand register; 39% arrived as used imports.

Model yearRegisteredSold new in NZUsed imports
2021101
2018404
2017504
2016241212
201517125
2014311516
2013633030
2012331912
2010202
2009707
20081255
2007371917
2006231110
2004110
2003540
200213130
200117150
2000760
1996650
1995660
1994320

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0

In the Netherlands

1,083 S6 cars are on Dutch roads; 78% arrived later as imports, and 196 still have a recall open. Open a year for APK defects, odometer checks and colours.

First registeredOn the roadImportedMedian list price
20262917%€104,975
202511512%€111,725
20242040%€129,786
202125100%€134,180
20205890%€135,863
20198496%€132,826
20182396%€153,904
20173591%€151,077
201650100%€146,123
20156394%€139,341
20145693%€133,607
20139191%€125,812
20128894%€127,424
20083379%€141,376
20079477%€131,992
200610188%€133,237
20022568%€97,330
20013583%€99,589
20005874%€102,223

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles (CC0) · list price is the manufacturer's catalogue price when new

In Finland

103 S6 cars were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026: 35% petrol, 6% diesel, 59% electric; 6% of all are hybrids. Mileage is the odometer reading at the last inspection.

First registeredIn useAverage mileage
202612—
20254911,000 km
20206137,000 km
20145180,000 km
20138178,000 km
20125204,000 km
20085236,000 km
200613217,000 km

Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use, 30 Jun 2026 · CC BY 4.0

In the United Kingdom

1,787 S6 cars were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, by year of manufacture.

BuiltLicensedOff the road (SORN)
202525111
20241052
202345—
202281—
2021541
202087—
20191082
20181883
20171614
20161183
2015982
2014765
20138112
2012575
20111—
2010273
2009174
20082616
20076434
20064457
200414
20031010
20022028
20011533
20002446
199901
199801
1997417
19961543
1995628

Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124) · Open Government Licence v3.0

MOT test results in Great Britain

107 S6 cars took their annual MOT test in 2023; 91% passed first time, against 86% for all cars of the same ages. Older cars fail more often, so compare a year with the same year of other cars.

First registeredTestsPassed first timeAll cars that yearAverage mileage
201910791%86%39,000 mi

Why they fail

Share of all first tests that ended in a fail because of each part of the car (one test can fail on several).

AreaS6All cars, same ages
Tyres7.5%4.8%
Visibility0.9%3.6%
Suspension0.9%0.9%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems0.9%0.4%

DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests of cars only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail

New registrations in Europe

17,483 new Audi S6 cars registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland between 2010 and 2022, from the European Environment Agency's CO₂ monitoring of every new car. In 2022 the largest markets were Germany (1,520), Italy (108), Austria (91).

YearNew carsLargest marketsMass kgCO₂ g/kmPower kW
20221,955Germany, Italy, Austria2,086190 (WLTP)253
20212,226Germany, Italy, Austria2,087191 (WLTP)253
20203,620Germany, Italy, Austria2,087208 (WLTP)257
20193,667Germany, France, Italy2,087209 (WLTP)257
20181,114Germany, United Kingdom, Italy2,027222 (NEDC)331
20171,176Germany, United Kingdom, Austria2,021221 (NEDC)331
2016928Germany, United Kingdom, Italy2,021—331
2015765Germany, United Kingdom, Italy2,020—329
2014700Germany, United Kingdom, Czechia2,014—315
2013885Germany, United Kingdom, Italy2,014—309
2012232United Kingdom, Italy, France2,005—309
201116Germany, Poland, United Kingdom2,019—320
2010199Germany, United Kingdom, Italy2,021——

Averages are weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value (NEDC until the WLTP switch). European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · re-use permitted with acknowledgement

Real-world fuel consumption

2,855 Audi S6 cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2024 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Diesel hybrid versions average 8.8 l/100 km on the road, against 7.2 l/100 km in the official WLTP test — 21% more.

FuelCarsOn the roadWLTPDifferenceAverage distance so far
Diesel hybrid2,8558.87.2+21%46,000 km

Litres per 100 km: total fuel used divided by total distance driven, from the car's own fuel consumption meter (OBFCM), collected in 2024 by the manufacturers, mostly remotely, and by national authorities. WLTP figures are the type-approval CO₂ values converted to litres. Hybrids, including mild hybrids, do not plug in; plug-in hybrid figures include the distance driven on electricity. European Environment Agency, Real-world CO₂ emissions from cars and vans · CC BY 4.0

What it costs in fuel

On real-world figures the Audi S6 uses 8.8 litres per 100 km, so 15,000 km a year takes about 1,310 litres: €2,978 at this week's average price in Germany, its largest market in Europe.

CountryDiesel hybridPetrol per litreDiesel per litre
Germany€2,978€2.18€2.27
United Kingdom£2,619£1.75£1.99
Italy€2,949€2.02€2.24
Austria€2,801€1.82€2.13
France€3,082€2.23€2.35
United States$2,179$1.13$1.66

Fuel for 15,000 km (9,300 miles) a year at real-world consumption. Pump prices with taxes, week of 19 October 2026: European Commission Weekly Oil Bulletin, UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, US Energy Information Administration. Non-euro EU prices are in euros as the Bulletin publishes them.

Work it out for your driving

Compare running costs of other models

EU safety alerts

Safety Gate, the European Union's rapid alert system, names the S6 in 2 alerts. European versions can differ from the North American car.

A12/00788/23 · Injuries14 Apr 2023 · A4, S4, A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, RS4, RS4 Cabriolet, A6, S6, A6 Allroad Quattro, RS6

The airbag may deteriorate over time and if deployed, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to burst and metal fragments could pass through the cushion material causing injury to occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on t…

A12/1468/13 · Burns, Fire, Injuries1 Nov 2013 · S6, RS6 and S7

In isolated cases the fuel line may become damaged over time due to manufacturing problems. In 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.

Safety Gate (European Commission) · CC0

Recalls

21 campaigns cover the S6; the latest 12 are below.

25V900000 · Back over prevention19 Dec 2025 · 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

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."

25V201000 · Electrical system31 Mar 2025 · 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 SQ8, A6 SEDAN, A7, A8, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S6 SEDAN, S7, S8, A6 Allroad, and SQ7 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail.

23V601000 · Service brakes, hydraulic25 Aug 2023 · 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi S7, S6 Sedan, RS7, RS6 Avant, A6 Allroad, 2019-2021 A7, and A6 Sedan vehicles. An incorrectly labeled brake fluid cap may have been installed, which can result in the use of the wrong type of brake fluid.

22V861000 · Electrical system21 Nov 2022 · 2020, 2021, 2022

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.

22V806000 · Equipment26 Oct 2022 · 2022

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."

22V742000 · Back over prevention5 Oct 2022 · 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8, RS7, RS6 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, Q8, Q7, Q5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, Q5, A7, A6, A6 Allroad, A5 Sportback, A5 Coupe, A5 Cabrioleet, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, SQ7, S5 Cabriolet, E-Tron Quattro, SQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ5, S8, S7, S6 Sedan, S5 Sportback, S5 Coupe, 2022 E-Tron GT, and 2021-2022 RSQ8 vehicles. Due to a software issue, a blank or black screen may be displayed instead of the rearview camera image when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

22V178000 · Engine and engine cooling23 Mar 2022 · 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

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.

22V155000 · Electrical system14 Mar 2022 · 2020, 2021, 2022

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.

22V034000 · Tires26 Jan 2022 · 2020, 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, and SQ8 vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-295 (42L1) were performed.

21V606000 · Seat belts5 Aug 2021 · 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

21V295000 · Suspension26 Apr 2021 · 2020, 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, RS5 Sportback vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.

21V159000 · Air bags10 Mar 2021 · 2020, 2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi RS6 Avant, RS7, 2020-2021 A6 Allroad, S6 Sedan, S7, 2019-2021 A6 Sedan, and A7 vehicles. The score line on the passenger air bag may not have been manufactured correctly.

NHTSA recalls