How reliable are these cars?

[audispeed08]

ok so this might be the biggest noob question ever but whatever. I have always wanted a get a B5 S4, but haven't really had the chance to get one until now. So I was wondering how reliable are these cars? If I get a 2002 S4 thats in pretty good shape with 74,000 miles on it and I just want to keep it stock, maybe chip it, but thats it. Would I be dumping tons of money into it? I'm 19 and in college so I can spend some but I don't want to be putting in thousands a year. So what do you guys think?

Thanks

[StuntManMike]

it could go either way. I haven't had any problems with mine "knocks on wood furiously"

some people have never ending problems. really if you can't afford a couple grand a year in maint. don't buy it. I am not saying that all take a couple grand hell mine as only been a couple hundred but still the risk is there. just do your research.

good luck whatever you decide. to me the car is worth it.

[mholme]

ok so this might be the biggest noob question ever but whatever. I have always wanted a get a B5 S4, but haven't really had the chance to get one until now. So I was wondering how reliable are these cars? If I get a 2002 S4 thats in pretty good shape with 74,000 miles on it and I just want to keep it stock, maybe chip it, but thats it. Would I be dumping tons of money into it? I'm 19 and in college so I can spend some but I don't want to be putting in thousands a year. So what do you guys think?

Thanks

I'd be looking at something easier/cheaper to maintain if I were you. These cars are expensive to keep up, especially if you start modding. It might nickle and dime you or it might rob you in one fell swoop, but either way...

[Big Boost]

I purchased my S4 last November so I have firsthand experience with this question. The first thing you should do after purchase is to have the timing service performed (timing belt, serpentine belt, tensioners, water pump, etc.) for preventative maintenance. Expect about $1000 in parts and labor for that service, less if you are mechanically inclined. How is the clutch? I spent $1700 on the clutch service. Replace the mounts while you at it. How are the engine mounts? See if the axles boots are torn. I could go on and on, but here's a head's up, when something goes wrong (like the factory turbos), expect to spend over $4000 to swap them if they are not under warranty. Here's a good rule of thumb, when something breaks or needs service, you need to have at least a $1000 ready to spend. This is the honest truth.

[Rated S]

It might nickle and dime you or it might rob you in one fell swoop, but either way...

I believe the correct answer is...
both.

[audispeed08]

The problem with getting another car is that nothing else fits my needs. I am going to college in Denver, so the AWD is a must. I don't know of anything else that is comparable that is also more reliable. Any ideas? The S4 I'm looking at now is stock and has a extended warranty that goes till 2010 or 100K. haha would you still say no? I really like these cars. Should I try and go for one with lower miles?

[mholme]

The problem with getting another car is that nothing else fits my needs. I am going to college in Denver, so the AWD is a must. I don't know of anything else that is comparable that is also more reliable. Any ideas? The S4 I'm looking at now is stock and has a extended warranty that goes till 2010 or 100K. haha would you still say no? I really like these cars. Should I try and go for one with lower miles?

What kind of warranty? What's covered? There's another thread floating around here about getting his after market warranty claim denied...Read it carefully...

BTW, old school quattros are fun and reliable too if you need AWD..4000's 80/90's coupes..And those I5 engines are super reliable..

[S4_NE]

in 3 year mine has only needed one part a coolant temp sensor that broke, and my center diff and right axel seal are starting to leak, that is the only problems out side of mod issues , BUT I have spent a lot of $ moding the car to the stg 3 and them some level, they are good cars if you leave it stock and just drive it and maintain it you will enjoy it, but if you mod it you will love to spank her like a good girl lol and drive it hard and then things will wear more and break good luck :) and buy it

[xx_s4quattro_xx]

The problem with getting another car is that nothing else fits my needs. I am going to college in Denver, so the AWD is a must. I don't know of anything else that is comparable that is also more reliable. Any ideas? The S4 I'm looking at now is stock and has a extended warranty that goes till 2010 or 100K. haha would you still say no? I really like these cars. Should I try and go for one with lower miles?

I say bite the bullet and buy it. Its fun every morning when you fire her up and let the turbos warm up and smash to school or work. Its a nice and fun car and expensive to maintain but i say fuk it you got 2 turbos woo hoo.

[edwardabodnar]

as long as you baby the car daily driving then you should be fine....just make sure you check your potential purchase from head to toe...I feel like you should be looking a little newer and at be looking at a 1.8T

[jstrat812]

He is talking about buying an 02' which is a B6. The B6 V8 is a very reliable engine. It does not have the potential like the B5 does, but you won't have nearly as much hassle with it. Def a gas gussler though

[M.S4]

He is talking about buying an 02' which is a B6. The B6 V8 is a very reliable engine. It does not have the potential like the B5 does, but you won't have nearly as much hassle with it. Def a gas gussler though

The 02 S4 isn't a B6... It's still the b5.

[AMC]

you will neer keep it chiped,it becomes an addiction. to let you know how reliable they are: i just had to pull my motor after 850 miles of driving it with the k04's and new clutch setup. looks like my transmissins input shaft seal is leaking, my southbend clutch is fused to my flywheel (only launched once), my fully rebuilt k04 needs to be rebuilt cause its leaking oil (properly primmed and everything) ause the seal i guess wasnt holding up so its leaking an oil/coolant mixture to the intercooler, my brand new (850 mile) 034 motor mounts are broken (top of motormount popped off). so hope this lets you know how reliable s4's are.

you need alot of patience with these car and neeeed money in the bank! i am broke and pissed.

[xx_s4quattro_xx]

The 02 S4 isn't a B6... It's still the b5.

yessir 00-02 is a b5 only for the s4.

[AMC]

He is talking about buying an 02' which is a B6. The B6 V8 is a very reliable engine. It does not have the potential like the B5 does, but you won't have nearly as much hassle with it. Def a gas gussler though

LMFAO! hmmm k

[saucys4]

He is talking about buying an 02' which is a B6. The B6 V8 is a very reliable engine. It does not have the potential like the B5 does, but you won't have nearly as much hassle with it. Def a gas gussler though

Looks like we have a hot shot...oh wait bhahhaha

[GramCracker]

He is talking about buying an 02' which is a B6. The B6 V8 is a very reliable engine. It does not have the potential like the B5 does, but you won't have nearly as much hassle with it. Def a gas gussler though

What the hell planet did you come from?

[audimeister]

If I were broke and in college, I'd seriously consider an A4 1.8tq. With bigger wheels and tires, chicks can't tell the difference, but your bank account can. I know, I've had both.

If anything expensive goes on the A4, there's only one of it. On the S4, there's two. If you fry your turbos (likely with higher miles and stress from a chip) the whole engine has to come out to change them. S4's can have trans probs that A4's don't.

I went to school at DU. Your discretionary funds in college should be spent on beer, skiing/snowboarding, and girls. Not some crazy car nobody else gets.

You do need a car with a turbo. I've done the 4kq and 90q without turbo, and they can't get out of their own way in the mountains.

I budget between $2-4k per year in maintenance to keep my S4 perfect. If you stall maintenance, things get ugly really quickly. Especially if you're racking up 20k+ per year in mountain trips.

If you do decide to get the S4, welcome to the sickness, and start saving...

[mholme]

Your discretionary funds in college should be spent on beer, skiing/snowboarding, and girls.

In that order?

[Jung]

umm yeah ddue. older audis work very nicely. I5s are bulletproof.
A4s are great cars, a6.. choose your poison

ever heard of subaru? great turbo awd cars taht are less expensive to maintain.
Evo? theyre coming down in price. about what an 02 s4 would be if you can find one.

[Dimcorner]

you can always just get a subie.

[jesterekim]

Prepare to spend some money.

[FrimmelNoJerz]

lol?

[stamps]

I second the subaru motion, although they are becoming more common they are bullet proof (esp the sti) and easy to wrench on, not to mention cheep. I bought an s4 after my sti was totaled and would take it back any day of the week.

[dennisS4]

when something breaks or needs service, you need to have at least a $1000 ready to spend. This is the honest truth.

Have at least this all the time ready to fork over for something.

[JMTx86]

I second the subaru motion, although they are becoming more common they are bullet proof (esp the sti) and easy to wrench on, not to mention cheep. I bought an s4 after my sti was totaled and would take it back any day of the week.

lol STI bullet proof, how about the 07 1rst/2nd gear gremlin, or the way the stock fuel fail starved cyl 4, or when you change your rear dif fluid all the cool shiny metal that you find. Yea they are ez to wrench one but he is talk reliable, Ever change a set off plugs on a subaru?

And "esp the sti" Well the WRX are complete GARBAGE don't even get me started on them.

[dennisS4]

He is talking about buying an 02' which is a B6. The B6 V8 is a very reliable engine. It does not have the potential like the B5 does, but you won't have nearly as much hassle with it. Def a gas gussler though

HAHAHA

[audimeister]

In that order?

That was mine, but hey, to each their own...

Those are definitely the top 3 priorities.

[Boris]

I think the simple answer is the car is ok reliable, its not a real good example of a reliable car..but its ok..

the real question is, how reliably can you get it to run RIGHT!? LIke pefect!? With no problems at all...now that is what I have been battling, there are many little problems that need taking car of, lots of sensors seem to die past 80k and leaks, ...etc

but to just move reliably, I mean the car will take you where you need to go pretty well...maybe with a check engine light on, but hey it still drives. ; P

although in the last few years I have seen some cars that have just straight up died while driving for diff reasons! engine speed sensor, cam position sensor, and clutch issues ( engine works but cant engage anything), dead slave cylinder...

[Videlov]

I'm also 19 and in college. Bought my car in July and this is what I've done so far.

ECU upgrade (Stage 1) - Got it for pretty cheap (PM me)
AWE Cent Vent Boost Gauge - $250
034 TBB - $60
710Ns - $90, found out I already had them on the car after purchase
JHM CV Joints x2 - $270
EBC RedStuff (rear)- $55
Couple of tickets - $200+

Also waiting on all-weather mats to arrive - $110
and a few other things here and there.

All in all if you take care of her, she'll take care of you.

You have to realize that you are getting a fast car, so I'm pretty sure you'll be pushing her. Just have a credit card ready if something were to go wrong.

I've spent over $1000 since then, which is not a lot, but I don't regret it. I love this car and would be spending a lot more if I wasn't saving up for Europe for next summer.

As some other people mentioned, you'd be better off with a Subaru if you are tight on cash. They are good cars, all-wheel drive, and tuned for less.

[lostinnd]

I have had mine for about four months and all I have had to do is change the control arms/tie rods which go out commonly around 100k give or take. It drives like a new car now. I would look at a newer B6 A4 with the V6 if you don't think you can afford a B5 S4

[Scott Long]

I have an 02 w/ 78k on it. I've had it since 59k and it needed a torque convertor but the dealer ate the cost on that. Lucky me. It also needed a coolant temp sensor. Again warranty took care of that. So for me, I've changed the oil a few times, that costs me like $55-60 and I do it myself. I'm getting ready to do the t-belt job and then new tires. It will probably need shocks soon (they make a squish sound when going slow over bumps) but that'll be the excuse to my wife for new bilsteins and h&r springs. Mine is stock. Only thing I've done is get the windows tinted. I am wanting a chip for the ECU and eventually a turbo back exhaust. I would really like to have it paid off before my turbos die so then I can go RS6 turbos.... maybe.

Another small annoyance of my S4 is the secondary air pump makes a high pitched whirring sound for like a minute or two on cold starts but it still works. If I unplug it, the car sounds fine but the check engine light comes on after the 2nd startup. I'll get around to replacing it eventually or maybe getting the S.A.P. tuned out of the computer.

I had a 93 100 CS quattro 5-speed back in 2001 and that car never gave me a problem other than the alternator went out. Drove great, cold ac, but it couldn't move out of its own way. I think if I would have gotten a urS4 instead of the 100, I might still have that and either it would accompany my B5 S4, or I might not have picked up the b5?

[///M3 TO S4]

lol STI bullet proof, how about the 07 1rst/2nd gear gremlin, or the way the stock fuel fail starved cyl 4, or when you change your rear dif fluid all the cool shiny metal that you find. Yea they are ez to wrench one but he is talk reliable, Ever change a set off plugs on a subaru?

And "esp the sti" Well the WRX are complete GARBAGE don't even get me started on them.

any modded car driven hard is going to have problems. You leave an sti stock, you can beat on it all day, and it will run forever. I have a buddy with a 550whp, built motor sti who has NO problems with his tranny/rearend. He beats the car harder than marc does to his S4. You get a bad couple cars every once in a while. Think about S4's, sometimes you hear of some that are nightmares (frimmel), and then you hear of some that have almost no probs (the guy on here who has OVER 200K on his stock turbos/tranny/ect). But with S4's more than likely, shit's going to go wrong.

[SLC_S4]

I've had mine since it's had 21k miles on it. I now have 90k on it, and it's been fairly reliable. Most of the problems I've had with it have been due to modifications that I've done. If you increase the power, be sure to do all supporting mods, preferably at the same time to decrease long term costs.

[Tfreestyle]

I second the subaru motion, although they are becoming more common they are bullet proof (esp the sti) and easy to wrench on, not to mention cheep. I bought an s4 after my sti was totaled and would take it back any day of the week.

ya I dont know about that, I hang out at subie/evo shops all the time and mostly I see subies getting the new motors and the evos are there for the dyno haha.

p.s. s4= money pit. you wont stay just chipped for long. within 1 year I was full stage 3 from my original "im just going to chip it and drive it" idea when I first got it and now that im k04 stage 3 I really want to go GT haha.

[audinoobs4]

I was 20 last year when i bought my car now im 21. bought 01.5 with 64K miles for about 15K(a year ago remember). Things that have gone wrong are:

2 rear wheel bearings(partially under my warranty) total was about 150

Driver side ballast(got from an az member) 150

Camseal leak (not under warranty) 2300

Full 60K mile service 1100

Timing belt with apr snub 950

Oil changes 200


Total cost ive spent in repairs WITHIN 1 year. 7800 holy crap.

Glad I graduate college this sunday and i have some jobs lined up for me. I owe lots of money.

[Whitseml]

I read a good quote in here the other day that pretty much sums it up. Audi's are like hookers, you have to throw money at them to get them to work.

[Layza]

lol STI bullet proof, how about the 07 1rst/2nd gear gremlin, or the way the stock fuel fail starved cyl 4, or when you change your rear dif fluid all the cool shiny metal that you find. Yea they are ez to wrench one but he is talk reliable, Ever change a set off plugs on a subaru?

And "esp the sti" Well the WRX are complete GARBAGE don't even get me started on them.

Ahh; You really have no clue what you’re talking about do you?? First the STi transmission is bullet proof. Second that “fuel starves” problem is not true, but 07 STi do have a factory tune that has a tendency to run lean”some cases”. Most 07 STi owners’s get a reflash from the dealer or get a pro-tune. Funny that you mention plugs, that the only thing that’s kind of hard “boxer motor”. WOW, so 2 things’ only!! Think of something else??


I’ve been Stage 2 now for over 2 years now and have my STi for 3 years. I have yet to invest a dime in my car. I pulled 300whp and 345tq, with only a TBE+tune = 12.7 in the 1/4, I can easily hit a 12.5 with this weather .Don’t forget about the brake’s, they are unreal and the handling “sigh” s4 has no chance,. Oh, and I don’t drive my car easy and she love’s it ;)……


Any way not here to pick a fight, just clearing false info up!! After 3 years, I’m selling my car for a stage 3 b5 s4, I love Audi’s and the power but OP like every one said, they can be reliable, but you still need 2-4k a year for maintenance. But in my opinion the beauty/style/interior/ride is well worth it, can’t forget about the awesome power of the ko4’s…..

[stamps]

lol STI bullet proof, how about the 07 1rst/2nd gear gremlin, or the way the stock fuel fail starved cyl 4, or when you change your rear dif fluid all the cool shiny metal that you find. Yea they are ez to wrench one but he is talk reliable, Ever change a set off plugs on a subaru?

And "esp the sti" Well the WRX are complete GARBAGE don't even get me started on them.

i hate getting into pissing matches, but here we go. First off, I'm am unfamiliar with the 07's "gremlin" as I had an 05 until 15 months ago. Second I don't think the 07 would apply as he is looking to purchase a s4, we're talking $15 in price difference, let me explain before you try to rip me apart, s4: $10k-$15k 07 STi:$25k-$30k. Soooo... we're probly talking 04-05 sti a little closer to the price range (admittedly the 04's are inferior to the rest of the line). As said in another post any car you mod will sometimes disagree with you, however the reason you see so many blown sti motors is that with $3k, a monkey, and a pod cast you can bolt on a turbo that will smoke a good portion of the s4's out there, when its that easy most kids don't bother to support their mods. As also stated the breaks come with the car, as do the BBS' not bbs reps. As for the WRX, the tranny is garbage but not any more than the s4's (again it's how you treat it), as for the rest of the car, thumbs up. that being said go big (sti) or go home. sorry for playing swords on your thread but I hate seeing people trash the sti when I believe it and its counter part (evo) are the best buy power/money, excluding the srt4 because its fwd, and well its still neon. srt4 = man-gina.

/thread jack

[WMi_S4]

i hate getting into pissing matches, but here we go. First off, I'm am unfamiliar with the 07's "gremlin" as I had an 05 until 15 months ago. Second I don't think the 07 would apply as he is looking to purchase a s4, we're talking $15 in price difference, let me explain before you try to rip me apart, s4: $10k-$15k 07 STi:$25k-$30k. Soooo... we're probly talking 04-05 sti a little closer to the price range (admittedly the 04's are inferior to the rest of the line). As said in another post any car you mod will sometimes disagree with you, however the reason you see so many blown sti motors is that with $3k, a monkey, and a pod cast you can bolt on a turbo that will smoke a good portion of the s4's out there, when its that easy most kids don't bother to support their mods. As also stated the breaks come with the car, as do the BBS' not bbs reps. As for the WRX, the tranny is garbage but not any more than the s4's (again it's how you treat it), as for the rest of the car, thumbs up. that being said go big (sti) or go home. sorry for playing swords on your thread but I hate seeing people trash the sti when I believe it and its counter part (evo) are the best buy power/money, excluding the srt4 because its fwd, and well its still neon. srt4 = man-gina.

/thread jack

lol WOW