2013 Audi S7 Owner Complaints

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)

NHTSA ID

11671127

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

Mileage

223,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11502847

Incident

Dec 1, 2020

Mileage

61,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11490519

Incident

Oct 4, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11488813

Incident

Oct 10, 2022

Mileage

80,970 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11452111

Incident

Jan 1, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11435619

Incident

Sep 23, 2021

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 ECM, non-compliance with service intervals, incorrectly fitted oil filter element, poor oil supply of turbocharger, and leaks in intake tract. The vehicle has been serviced regularly and meticulously by the same Audi dealership form which it was originally purchased since it was brand new. It has not had any performance modifications. I feel the factory oil strainer from Audi is deficient and led to the premature failure of the turbocharger and my unsafe experience on the highway. The service advisor stated the turbocharger should have lasted much longer and could not explain why it failed. The replacement cost is approximately $12,000.

NHTSA ID

11433925

Incident

Jul 27, 2021

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.

NHTSA ID

11413359

Incident

Dec 30, 2020

Mileage

73,131 mi

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-DIAGNOSED WHAT WE ALL KNOW NOW WAS A FAILURE OF THE PCV VALVE AND A CLOGGED OIL SCREEN. IT WAS ON A DRIVE WITH THEM AFTER NOT DIAGNOSING IT THAT THE TURBOS HAD A CRITICAL FAILURE AND TOOK OUT THE ENGINE. THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE HAD THEY PROPERLY DIAGNOSED THE FAILED PCV AND OIL SCREEN PROBLEM. THEY PRESSURED ME INTO SETTLING WITH THEIR PROPOSAL OR ELSE THEY THREATENED TO RETURN THE CAR TO ME AND DO NOTHING.

NHTSA ID

11406263

Incident

May 5, 2017

Mileage

45,900 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11403268

Incident

Aug 31, 2019

Mileage

71,074 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11318477

Incident

Feb 28, 2020

Mileage

69,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11268109

Incident

Sep 27, 2019

Mileage

68,033 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11230589

Incident

Feb 8, 2019

Mileage

82,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11229484

Incident

Apr 11, 2019

Mileage

72,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11209458

Incident

Apr 20, 2019

Mileage

81,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11209142

Incident

Jan 18, 2019

Mileage

92,000 mi