Audi · Compact Wagon

Audi RS

Every model year 2019–2027: recalls, owner complaints, NHTSA crash ratings and EPA efficiency side by side, each value traced to the file it came from.

9 Model years 2019–2027

35 Recalls NHTSA campaigns, all years

25 Complaints owner reports, all years

A Newest grade 2027 Safety Signal

2020 Best on record cleanest filed year

The 2027 RS →Which years to avoid Compare it

Audi RS7 — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Audi RS7 (2013 generation) · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Every Audi RS model year

Source: NHTSA · EPA · one row per year

Year	Powertrains	Safety	Recalls	Complaints	Crash	Best efficiency
2027	Gas	A	0	0	—	22 mpg
2026	Hybrid Gas	A	1	1	—	23 mpg
2025	Hybrid Gas	A	1	2	—	23 mpg
2024	Hybrid Gas	A	1	2	—	23 mpg
2023	Hybrid Gas	B	3	0	—	23 mpg
2022	Hybrid Gas	C	8	1	—	23 mpg
2021	Hybrid Gas	F	13	10	—	21 mpg
2020	Gas	A	1	1	—	23 mpg
2019	Gas	D	7	8	—	22 mpg

Which model year the record favours

Source: recalls and complaints per year on the road

Years to avoid, with the reasons →Best on the record 2020

On the filed record so far, the 2020 is the cleanest RS year we hold, and the 2021 the one to check hardest.

Both figures are divided by the number of years the car has been on sale, because otherwise the oldest year on the page loses every time simply for having been around longer. The current model year and any year under three on the road are left out: their records are not finished.

Year	Safety Signal	Recalls /yr	Complaints /yr
2020	A	0.2	0
2023	B	1	0
2019	D	1	1
2022	C	2	0
2021	F	2.6	2

Also on file Beside the Audi RS

Best year on file The 2027 RS Recalls Every Audi recall on file Compare The 2027 RS against anything

What changed year to year

Source: computed from the filed record

2027: dropped hybrid; best combined mpg 23 → 22; 3 → 1 EPA configurations
2026: 4 → 3 EPA configurations
2025: 5 → 4 EPA configurations
2022: best combined mpg 21 → 23; 4 → 5 EPA configurations
2021: added hybrid; best combined mpg 23 → 21; 1 → 4 EPA configurations
2020: best combined mpg 22 → 23; 3 → 1 EPA configurations

Compare

All RS head-to-heads →Which is better for you? →

Head-to-head	Verdict
2026 RS vs Toyota Crown Signia · Compact SUV	Crown Signia +23.4
2021 RS vs Mazda CX-3 · Compact Wagon	CX-3 +12.6

In the studies

Source: computed from the same record, method on each page

Same trim, next model year · 2025 → 2026 +5.0% at the median across 3 matched trims The manufacturer’s announced MSRP for the 2026 Audi RS against the same trim in 2025; the fleet moved +1.8% on 394 matched trims. Base trim $38,200 → $40,100. MSRP excludes destination; not a transaction price.

Common questions about the Audi RS

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Which Audi RS year is the best used buy?

On the recall record, the 2020 RS comes out top of the years before the current one: Safety Signal grade A (92/100), 1 recall and 1 owner complaint on file. That ranks paperwork, not condition — a specific car's history and service record still decide it.

What Audi RS years should I avoid?

2019, 2021 have the weakest recall records in this range. The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists yet. Every RS model year ranked, with the reasons.

How many recalls does the Audi RS have?

Across model years 2019–2027, NHTSA has posted 35 recall campaigns for the Audi RS. They are counted per model year in the table above, because a campaign almost never covers the whole run — it covers a build range.