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2016 Audi S6

Gas

Midsize Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

84 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns2

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA19

Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA21 mpg

2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 Audi S6 is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car. The most efficient version, the S6, is EPA-rated at 21 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 19 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
S6	Gas	AWD	4.0L 8-cyl turbo	18	27	21	$3,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36132.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

21H7

26,093 vehicles

ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskWorn 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.FixDealers 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.

NHTSA campaign 22V178000reported Mar 23, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

▲high

Air Bags

74D5

139,249 vehicles

ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskIf the PODS module malfunctions, the front passenger air bag may not deploy properly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.FixVolkswagen 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.

NHTSA campaign 18V370000reported Jun 4, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA defect investigations

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Oil/Lubrication:Filter/Screen — Engine Stall - Turbo Failure closed

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 li

Opened Apr 4, 2022 · closed May 26, 2023 · action EA22001

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Oil/Lubrication:Filter/Screen — Engine Stall - Turbo Failure closed

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

Opened Mar 29, 2021 · closed May 27, 2022 · action PE21009

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

19complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2015: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 1

Most-cited components

Engine13

Unspecified4

Power Train3

Electrical System2

Forward Collision Avoidance2

Vehicle Speed Control1

What owners describe

“The front passenger-side 6-piston Brembo caliper's (Part No. 20.A989.63) external steel crossover tube failed due to corrosion, specifically where the tubing was covered by a protective rubber sleeve, which trapped moisture and road salt. This led to a catastrophic loss of brake fluid and braking capability. This appea…”Nov 27, 2025 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report

“Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Defective Arnott Front Air Strut To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally report a significant safety concern regarding a defective Arnott FL front air strut purchased via RockAuto for my 2016 Audi S6 (VIN: [XXX] ). The air strut failed within five days of professional instal…”Dec 17, 2024 · Suspension · NHTSA owner report

“We, a group of Audi S6 owners with vehicles from the 2013-2017 model years, are experiencing premature mechatronic issues. These problems manifest as jerking when coming to a stop, which can lead to accidents, and intermittent power loss that can be life-threatening. These issues began around 40,000 miles and have prog…”Jun 27, 2024 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR AWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	9%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other S6 model years

2025 Audi S6

1 recalls · 2 complaints

2024 Audi S6

1 recalls · 0 complaints

2023 Audi S6

1 recalls · 0 complaints

2022 Audi S6

4 recalls · 4 complaints

2021 Audi S6

10 recalls · 0 complaints

2020 Audi S6

6 recalls · 2 complaints

2018 Audi S6

1 recalls · 4 complaints

2017 Audi S6

2 recalls · 5 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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