— An Audi turbocharger oil strainer recall involves more than 26,000 of these vehicles.
- 2013-2017 Audi A8
- 2013-2017 Audi S6 Sedan
- 2013-2017 Audi S7
- 2013-2017 Audi S8
- 2014-2017 Audi RS7
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation at the end of March 2021 after 58 complaints about Audi vehicles that suddenly stalled without warning while driving.
The vehicles are equipped with 4-liter twin-turbocharged engines, and several Audi owners complained the turbochargers failed and caused the stalled engines. Several complaints indicated the vehicles couldn't be restarted once they stalled.
The Audi turbochargers failed because they were starved of oil due to oil and carbon deposits contained in the engine oil which clogged the oil strainers located in the turbocharger oil supply lines in the engines. According to NHTSA, working on the vehicles is very difficult due to the location of the oil strainers.
Audi has issued multiple versions of technical service bulletin (TSB) 2044640 which instructs technicians how to replace the turbocharger once it has failed or is about to fail.
Audi says a blocked turbocharger oil strainer leads to a lack of lubrication of the turbocharger bearings and causes wear on the bearings. This can cause the turbine wheel of the turbocharger to contact the housing or may cause the turbocharger shaft to break.
Although Audi received at least 1,889 claims and 47 field reports in the U.S. related to turbocharger oil strainer replacements, the automaker says it didn't find much evidence of stalled engines. Tests showed turbo failures caused the engine to run rough, idle poorly and suffer long cranking times.
Audi also says a driver may see illuminated warning lights and the vehicle will store certain diagnostic trouble codes.
Audi initiated a warranty extension for 10 years/120,000 miles in February, but government safety concerns convinced Audi to announce a recall.
Audi is expected to mail recall notices May 20, 2022, and dealers will replace the oil strainers and change the oil.
Audi owners may contact the automaker at 800-253-2834 and use recall number 21H7.
