AUDI S7 · model year

2013 AUDI S7

19 NHTSA complaints, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2013AUDIS7 carries 19 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 S7 is engine with 14 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (1) and engine and engine cooling (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2013 S7. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

19
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

19 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE14
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
SUSPENSION1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER1

Recalls (3)

13V45000023/09/2013

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

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.

22V17800023/03/2022

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

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.

18V37000004/06/2018

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

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 Occ

Recent Complaints

20250703ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2013 Audi S7. The contact purchased the vehicle from a private seller on [XXX]. The contact stated that the seller's advertisement and the odometer indicated that the mileage was 115,000. The Carfax report indicated that the odometer mileage was 220,000. The vehicle was serviced at an Audi of Charlotte in Mathew, NC on 02/27/2025, and the odometer reported 220,897. In addition, in April 2025, the Charlotte, NC Department of Motor Vehicles reported that the odometer mileage was 223,000. The seller was contacted, but declined to communicate with the contact. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Mileage: 223,000

20230120ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

The contact owns a 2017 Audi S7. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the turbocharger; however, the failure recurred with the engine seizing. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V178000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

Mileage: 61,000

20230120ENGINE

The contact owns a 2017 Audi S7. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the turbocharger; however, the failure recurred with the engine seizing. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V178000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

Mileage: 61,000

20221024SUSPENSION

J197 module is always falling the car is 26,000 and the suspension goes bad need readapt few times They need to check that module

20221011ENGINE

The contact owns a 2013 Audi S7. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to be serviced for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V178000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) where the turbochargers needed to be replaced from wear and tear from the consequences mentioned in the recall. The dealer diagnosed that the turbocharger itself needed to be replaced, however, it was not covered under the recall. The turbochargers had not been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,970.

Mileage: 80,970

20221011ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2013 Audi S7. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to be serviced for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V178000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) where the turbochargers needed to be replaced from wear and tear from the consequences mentioned in the recall. The dealer diagnosed that the turbocharger itself needed to be replaced, however, it was not covered under the recall. The turbochargers had not been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,970.

Mileage: 80,970

20220215ENGINE

Both stock 2013 S7 turbos were blown/damaged at 38k miles due to being starved of oil lubrication from a faulty blocked screen. This is a known issue and has occurred in many Audi S7 and S6 vehicles with the 4.0 twin turbo engine. Audi has upgraded and changed the oil screen design and location in these models due to this problem, however Audi owners suffering this known issue have to pay for repairs on their own dime if the car is past warranty. Repairs were $13k.

20211005ENGINE

Due to this oil sceen being clogged, the turbos were starved for oil and subsequently failed. There was no warning for this and oil was changed regularly per the service manual. I was stranded 80 miles from home. The car began running poorly and then would not run at all. There is a service bulletin on the problem but Audi of America has not yet done anything about my repairs.

20210922ENGINE

While traveling home on the interstate from the airport, my vehicle suddenly started to run very rough and the engine felt like it was going to stall at low idle. I had decreased acceleration capability. No warning lamps illuminated, but it was obvious something was wrong. I limped the car to my local Audi dealership and left it there for an inspection the following morning. I was contacted by a service advisor the next day, who told me one of my turbochargers failed (specifically, he stated the impeller fin had too much play and was rubbing against the walls of the housing) and the other turbocharger would likely fail soon as well. I was shown a video by the technician confirming this was the issue. The service advisor told me there was a technical service bulletin produced by Audi referencing this issue, TSB 2044640/2. That bulletin states "Damage to the turbocharger is rarely directly the result of turbocharger failure." Known causes listed include performance increases by tuned E

20210422ENGINE

INITIALLY I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE (I-95) AND COULD FEEL THE CAR RUNNING ROUGH OR MISSING. AFTER I EXITED THE INTERSTATE AND MERGED ONTO THE HIGHWAY (SR405) THE CAR STALLED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WOULDN'T START AT FIRST AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT FINALLY STARTED BUT WAS RUNNING REALLY ROUGH. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY A MILE FROM THE HOUSE AND WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY AND LIMP HOME ON SOME BACK ROADS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AUDI THE NEXT DAY AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE TO BE A FAILURE OF THE TURBOS. REPAIR TOOK 21 DAYS AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TURBOS AND THE OIL SCREENS.

Mileage: 73,131

20210403ENGINE

I HEARD A POP SOUND WHEN ACCELERATING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOSS A LOT OF POWER. I CALLED THE AUDI DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT IN. I LEFT IT WITH THEN AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS. I WENT TO PICK IT UP AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. I WENT BACK AND GRABBED A SERVICE TECH AND WE DROVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK TOGETHER. HE ASKED THAT I ACCELERATE AT WHICH POINT WHITE SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF THE BACK. WE DROVE IT BACK. THEY DIAGNOSED IT LATER AS BEING A BLOWN TURBO. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A DIFFERENT SHOP TO REPLACE THE TURBOS AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED AND ALL CYLINDERS WERE MARKED. I TOWED IT BACK TO AUDI AND THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE IT HAD AFTERMARKET PARTS THEY WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE. THEY AGREED TO FLUSH THE OIL SEVERAL TIMES AND SELL IT AT AUCTION AS IS WHICH COST ME TO LOSE NEARLY $30,000. THEY WERE LIABLE FOR THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAD THE CAR BEFORE THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THEY MISS-DIAGNOSE

Mileage: 45,900

20210403FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I HEARD A POP SOUND WHEN ACCELERATING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOSS A LOT OF POWER. I CALLED THE AUDI DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT IN. I LEFT IT WITH THEN AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS. I WENT TO PICK IT UP AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. I WENT BACK AND GRABBED A SERVICE TECH AND WE DROVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK TOGETHER. HE ASKED THAT I ACCELERATE AT WHICH POINT WHITE SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF THE BACK. WE DROVE IT BACK. THEY DIAGNOSED IT LATER AS BEING A BLOWN TURBO. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A DIFFERENT SHOP TO REPLACE THE TURBOS AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED AND ALL CYLINDERS WERE MARKED. I TOWED IT BACK TO AUDI AND THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE IT HAD AFTERMARKET PARTS THEY WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE. THEY AGREED TO FLUSH THE OIL SEVERAL TIMES AND SELL IT AT AUCTION AS IS WHICH COST ME TO LOSE NEARLY $30,000. THEY WERE LIABLE FOR THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAD THE CAR BEFORE THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THEY MISS-DIAGNOSE

Mileage: 45,900

20210316ENGINE

THE TURBOS BLEW AT 71074 MILES, RENDERING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE NEARLY 500 MILES FROM HOME.

Mileage: 71,074

20200317ENGINE

I EXITED THE HIGHWAY, MERGED ONTO A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, AND MOVED TO THE CENTER LANE TO TURN LEFT. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WHEN RESTARTING WOULD SHUT OFF AGAIN AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS. THIS MADE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN LEFT OFF THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE MULTIPLE VEHICLES APPROACHING AT 50 MPH. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TURBOS FAILED AT 69,000 MILES. I CHECKED ONLINE AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME 4.0 TWIN TURBO ENGINE HAD THIS FAILURE. MY OPINION IS THIS FAILURE IS PREMATURE, DANGEROUS, AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.

Mileage: 69,000

20191012ENGINE

WITH 68033 MILES ON MY AUDI S7 THE TURBOS FAILED AND REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED. THE FIRST INDICATION OF THE PROBLEM WAS WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN IN TRAFFIC AND I HAD A HARD TIME STARTING IT WHILE STOPPED IN A BUSY CITY TRAFFIC LANE. IT TOOK 3 ATTEMPTS TO GET THE ENGINE STARTED BUT IT IDLED VERY ROUGHLY ALMOST QUIT RUNNING AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP THE CAR HOME, BUT WAS NOT SURE OF THE ENGINE WOULD QUIT AGAIN IF I LET IT IDLE.

Mileage: 68,033

20190709ENGINE

TURBOS FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 82,000 MILES DUE TO A CLOGGED OIL FEED SCREEN. TURBOS WERE STARVED OF OIL CAUSING ONE COMPRESSOR SHAFT TO BREAK IN HALF AND THE OTHER TO HAVE EXCESSIVE SHAFT PLAY. THIS CAUSED A NO-RUN ISSUE AND RESULTED IN BOTH TURBOS HAVING TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE OIL SCREEN. THE VEHICLE BEGAN RUNNING POORLY AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND WHEN IT CAME TO A STOP, STALLED AT A BUSY FREEWAY INTERCHANGE. AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, THE CAR WAS ABLE TO START AND LIMP OFF THE ROAD WHERE IT WAS TOWED FROM AND DIAGNOSED AT A MECHANIC

Mileage: 82,000

20190704ENGINE

BLOWN TURBOS RESULTED IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. I HAD TO PAY LABOR OF $10,500 AND WARRANTY PAID FOR NEW ENGINE. HAPPENED AT APPROXIMATELY 72,000 MILES. VEHICLE IN GEAR WITH FOOT ON BRAKE AT A FAST FOOD DRIVE THROUGH.

Mileage: 72,000

20190523ENGINE

BOUGHT MY CAR WITH 77,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN I REACHED 81,000 MILES MY TURBO CHARGER FAILED. THIS SEEMS TO BE COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR VEHICLE, SO COMMON IN FACT, THAT THERE'S BELIEF THERE MAY BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CAR. BELOW IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE ISSUE. WHILE GOING COMING BACK FROM THE GROCERY STORE (DRIVING NORMALLY ON A SATURDAY) I NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. THE CAR CONTINUED TO DRIVE OK SO I WENT AHEAD AND DROVE HOME AND PARKED IT. THE FOLLOWING MONDAY I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER WHILE ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP, I STARTED HEARING A SPORADIC KNOCKING NOISE WHENEVER I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR, AS WELL AND ENGINE HESITATION. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE DEALERSHIP I REQUESTED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BUT CHECKED AND ALSO THE NEW NOISE I WAS HEARING THAT MORNING. I GOT A CALL BACK FROM THE DEALER THAT THE DRIVER SIDE TURBO FAN WAS KNOCKING AGAINST THE INNER HOUSING CAUSING THE NOISE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TURBO WAS GOING BAD AND NEEDED REPLACING.

Mileage: 81,000

20190521ENGINE

FAILURE OF BOTH TURBOS WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A RURAL SECTION OF TOWN. VERY ROUGH IDLE AND SUBSEQUENT STALL OF ENGINE WHILE IN TRAFFIC. UNABLE TO RE-START OR DRIVE WITHOUT KEEPING THE GAS PEDAL DEPRESSED MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO REGULATE SPEED AND NEGOTIATE TRAFFIC. LATER FOUND OUT THE TURBO FAILURE IS DUE TO DEFECTIVE OIL FEED DESIGN FROM THE MANUFACTURER.

Mileage: 92,000

Compare 2013AUDIS7 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 AUDI S7 have?
The 2013 AUDI S7 has 19 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2013 AUDI S7?
The 2013 AUDI S7 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2013 AUDI S7?
Yes, the 2013 AUDI S7 has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 AUDI S7?
The most-complained component for the 2013 AUDI S7 is ENGINE with 14 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 2013 AUDI S7 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2013 AUDI S7 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.