Generation-specific owner insights from 75+ substantive owner discussions, with US complaint and recall records.
Should I buy a 2006–2010 S6?3
US owner complaints (NHTSA), 2006–2010
4
recall campaigns
air bags
most-complained area
Our take, from owner reports
Owners of the 2006-2010 S6 describe it as a labor of love: a naturally aspirated 5.2L V10 that sounds and performs unlike anything else, wrapped in a car that is expensive and demanding to maintain.
18 problems reported (1 very frequent, 3 recurrent, 14 isolated) · high confidence
Insufficient owner data available to declare a consensus. Partial signal: owners note the V10 was essentially unchanged from 2007 to 2011, and one owner specifically praises the 2007 as their favorite and as a relatively trouble-free example.
Owners compare it most often with the Audi S4, Audi RS6, Audi S8, Audi A5 and Audi Q7.
Is a 2006–2010 S6 right for you?
Get an answer for your year, mileage and budget.
Owners of the 2006-2010 S6 describe it as a labor of love: a naturally aspirated 5.2L V10 that sounds and performs unlike anything else, wrapped in a car that is expensive and demanding to maintain. The dominant sentiment is that the driving experience and exhaust note are genuinely special, but that running costs, parts availability, and engine-out repair bills make ownership a serious financial commitment. Owners who are mechanically inclined or financially prepared tend to be enthusiastic; those who are not are warned away. There is no clear early-versus-late split in the discussions, though several owners note that the V10 was carried largely unchanged across the generation.
Owners position the S6 as a car you choose for the V10 sound, exclusivity, and character rather than for outright performance or value. Against the S4, owners say the S6 is more expensive to run and loses more money on resale, while the S4 performs better in most respects except exhaust note. Against the RS6, owners repeatedly clarify that the RS6 was the twin-turbocharged car and the S6 was the naturally aspirated V10. Against BMW alternatives, owners argue the S6 is less of a handling car and more of a straight-line, sound-focused machine. Against the Lexus GS300, owners advise keeping the Lexus if reliability is the priority.
Insufficient owner data available. Owners discuss the 5.2L V10 as the defining engine of this generation and note the RS6 twin-turbo variant was not the S6, but no trim or option consensus emerges from the discussions.
Owners recommend this generation only for buyers who can work on the car themselves or can comfortably absorb large repair bills, and several suggest budgeting for a second car as a daily driver. Multiple owners advise setting aside several thousand dollars at all times for maintenance, and one owner estimates roughly 3-4k per year in services excluding fuel. Buyers are urged to get a thorough pre-purchase inspection, verify service history and carbon cleaning, check intake manifold condition, and consider an exclusionary warranty. Owners suggest preferring a well-used, properly serviced high-mileage example over a low-mileage car that may have sat with unresolved problems, and warn that parts availability is becoming sparse.
Owners repeatedly invoke the idea that if you cannot afford two of these cars, you cannot afford one, reflecting the scale of potential maintenance costs. Several note the V10 was originally destined for mid-engine applications, making it cramped and difficult to work on in the S6 engine bay. One owner reports a bumper-to-bumper warranty covering the car to 100,000 miles and describes only two common failures: the OEM intake and carbon buildup. Another owner reports replacing camshaft solenoid O-rings for about $13 in parts and roughly two hours of labor to cure a significant oil leak. Owners also note the car draws attention for its sound and that the exhaust note is a major reason people keep them. Analysis based on approximately 75 substantive owner discussions about this generation.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 2 | air bags |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | air bags |
Source: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Higher-selling years naturally accumulate more complaints.
2010 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 18V427000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
2010 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 18V004000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Audi A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles, ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet vehicles, and 2009-2011 Audi A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
2008 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 18V427000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Sedan, A4 Avant, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan, 2007-2008 RS4 Sedan, 2004 RS4 Cabriolet, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2005-2011 A6 Sedan, 2006-2011 A6 Avant, and 2007-2011 S6 Sedan vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
2008 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 17V032000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet, S4 Cabriolet, A6 Avant, A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone B" above, Volkswagen is recalling certain 2005-2008 Audi A4 Avant, A4 Sedan, A6 Sedan, S4 Avant and S4 Sedan vehicles, 2007-2008 A4 Cabriolet, RS4 Sedan, S4 Cabriolet and S6 Sedan vehicles, and 2006-2008 A6 Avant and 2008 RS4 Cabriolet vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Owner insights summarize real ownership discussions for this generation only. Complaint and recall data is public NHTSA (US) information. Always verify recalls against your VIN at nhtsa.gov.