B8/B8.5 Buyer's Guide and "Looking to buy" Question Thread

[Theiceman]

What up?! Noob to the audi family. Have a potential purchase on my hands pending dealer ppi. 2012 A4 prestige w/ sline in and out for $19950. Dealer is willing to go lower. WAUMFAFL8CA111933 is the vin#.. let me know what yall think. Has ecs intake, fmic, sounds like a diverter valve, some type of exhaust, cuz it has some sound, suspension work(its lowered). I drove it and she shifts smooth and drives smooth. Im aware of the oil consumption and timing chain issue hence the dealer ppi, but based on a vin look up at the dealership there's all types of warranty in place. Water pump done last year and some other stuff I can't recall back in 2017. Any advice would be appreciated.

dont do anything without a full Audi Warranty in place that will specifically cover oil consumption. These things are drining a ton of oil and newer car ( 8.5) are starting to come up in droves with the issue. people are dumping them so be careful.

also you didnt say how many miles on it so price doesnt mean much . Seems very high though . id ask on the main tech forum as that gets 100 times more views than this.

[STIesFaster]

82353 miles has some warranties from audi already, but have to double check exactly what they are

[PhillipJFry]

Sounds real expensive to me, but I don’t know the market. You may be better off buying from an enthusiast than a dealer.


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[papadelogan]

2+ years ago I bought a 2013 A5 P+ cabriolet with 70k miles for $19k from a small dealer, not private sale. Even if it has incredibly low miles that price is ridiculous.

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[STIesFaster]

Price is kind of steep I agree, just saw another one for $16.5k private sale out in Arizona, with 30k miles!! I'm going to look into that as well...

[STIesFaster]

here's the vin# to a private sale I'm looking at WAUMFAFL4CN019114...2012 prestige s-line w/sport package 31k miles 16,500. two problems though its red and I gotta ship it. but pics seem clean

[fafaforza]

Are you replacing the STI with the Audi? I have an Evo X, can't decide if I wanna make the switch... really want a manual VW Alltrack wagon to complement the Evo...

[BG_AG]

Anyone buying a higher milage (+100k) b8.5 Allroads? Im finding lots of option with high miles... Anything besides all the regular things to watch put for? Obviously maintenance history and such but really wondering if anything allroad specific I can be looking for when checking out cars?

[STIesFaster]

Nah keeping the sti for track duty and weekend warrior stuff.

[RichyM]

[QUOTE=Project Quattro;11250339]Long overdue, but I think that it's way past time that we compiled purchase advice into one single thread which hopefully we can get stickied. If anyone has additional specifics to add, post it below and I'll work to integrate as much as possible into this initial post. Anyone with questions about a purchase they are considering can feel free to post here for advice and feedback.

For anyone looking to buy a used or CPO B8 (2009 through 2012) or a B8.5 (2013-2016), they're great cars and generally very reliable. This thread will hopefully answer some common questions about the cars, and provide some specific things to consider and watch out for when purchasing. If you are looking at an older or higher-mileage car, please see the bottom of this post for maintenance to be aware of.

- 2009 was the first year the B8 platform was sold in the US. It was also the only year that the 3.2 V6 was available. Most 2.0T motors from this year, a decent percentage of '10s, and some '11MY cars were affected by severe oil consumption, requiring a PCV replacement (stage 1) and usually a full engine rebuild for new pistons and rings (stage 2). These repairs were almost exclusively done by Audi dealerships. If you call a dealership with the VIN of the car(s) you're looking at, they'll be able to tell you if stages 1 and/or 2 of the consumption fix were completed. If stages 1 and 2 completed, you're in the clear. If they weren't, or if only stage 1 was done, run; you don't want to pay for that $4-6k repair out of pocket. On a car with an unmodified motor, Audi extended the warranty for this car to 80,000 miles. Some people have had the repairs covered with modified cars, and some have also been covered until slightly over 100,000 miles. YMMV on both of these. The other early-build issues were intake manifolds cracking, control arms which caused a vibration at high speed, usually above 65 MPH and a power steering hose that would cause the wheel to shudder during slow-speed parking lot maneuvers. These were covered by Audi under service bulletins. If a seller has proof that they were resolved or Audi confirms that the repairs were done, you'll probably be fine. A lot of 2009 and a small percentage of 2010 cars also have a manufacturing defect which causes the turbo to fail prematurely. The wastegate was made of an insufficiently strong metal, causing it to bend over time and bleed boost. It isn't serviceable and requires a turbo replacement. A dealer should be able to confirm whether a given car was affected and whether or not the turbo was replaced.

- 2010 cars have significantly fewer issues than 2009s. A much smaller percentage were affected by the intake manifold, oil consumption and turbo issues, and the control arms and steering shudder were resolved.

- 2011 cars were yet better; the oil consumption issue was almost completely resolved by mid-year production and the issues with the faulty turbo are no longer present. 2011 also marked the switch to the 8-speed automatic transmission (8AT) from the 6-speed (6AT) auto used in 2009 and 10 models. 2011 and '12 Premium trim level cars no longer have heated seats as standard equipment. Prem+ and Prestige do still include them.

- 2012 cars had no significant issues, however a very small percentage still suffered from high oil consumption.

- 2013 was the switch to the B8.5, which is mostly just a facelift. The Avant was also discontinued in the US and replaced with the Allroad, which has a higher ride height and additional body cladding. The engines and transmissions carried over, although some automatics with Quattro can run E85. The major mechanical change was the switch to electric power steering from the B8's hydraulic system. There is a noticeable difference in feel, and if you're debating between a 2012 and 2013 definitely drive both. Some early 2013 Allroads had defective electric steering racks. Audi replaced them under warranty.

- 2014 through 2016 cars didn't change much aside from slight variations in equipment, and a slight power bump. 2014 had larger shift paddles on the S-line steering wheel with the automatic transmission, and also included the S-line exterior (see below) and push button start as standard equipment with the Premium Plus trim level.

General minor issues that exist regardless of model year are wheel bearings, coil packs (updated versions of the coil pack largely eliminated this one), PCVs, and door lock solenoids as they age. The CVT transmission is also not known for smooth operation or longevity. Timing chain tensioners should be replaced around 100,000 miles as a preventative maintenance item. Any time the engine is apart, or around the same 100k mark, a carbon clean out can't hurt.

I won't even try to go through all of the variations of equipment and trim level, but I'll run through the basics.


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Hi everyone,

I see a lot of useful information laid out in this thread, but I need a little more specific advice if someone has the time.

My parents and I are currently Volvo owners, wishing to make the change to a 2012 and up A4 sedan (for me) and wagon (for them) in 2.0 TFSI (with mechanical warranty).

I've been trying to do all my due diligence, and ensure we lower the risk of buying a massive oil guzzler or a dodgy timing chain. From what I can tell, all of the 2012 to 2015 A4s available to us seem to have no newer than the Gen 2 EA888 motor. None of them appear to have the Gen 3 based on oil filler location??
Is there a way to investigate whether the timing chain tensioner etc have been dealt with prior to purchasing? The cars are mostly at the 80,000 kilometre mark.

Our reason for swapping from Volvo to Audi is mainly due to parts availability and serviceability of the electronics. Volvo parts and VIDA equipped techs are very limited where we live, however we do have 2 excellent Euro specialists with a fondness for Audi/VW at our disposal.

Any help much appreciated, as I am just getting muddled trying to compare pictures of cars for sale with engine bay shots currently.

Many thanks in advance!

[1BadB6Avant]

Hi All,
I'm in the market to purchase a 2013 - 2015 Allroad that has under 90k miles under 18k, and has had the oil consumption issue addressed, along with the tensioner, guides and chain changed.
Might be a long shot but figure I'd ask here.
I found a nice 2013 Allroad with 82k, but doesn't look like those issue's were addressed on the Carfax.
Willing to travel 200 miles from the Los Angeles area

[19birel]

Hi All,
I'm in the market to purchase a 2013 - 2015 Allroad that has under 90k miles under 18k, and has had the oil consumption issue addressed, along with the tensioner, guides and chain changed.
Might be a long shot but figure I'd ask here.
I found a nice 2013 Allroad with 82k, but doesn't look like those issue's were addressed on the Carfax.
Willing to travel 200 miles from the Los Angeles area

2013-2015 model year cars were never covered under the class action suit for oil consumption, you will not find one that was fixed by Audi unless the car suffered some sort failure. While oil consumption is still possible in this cars, it is far less likely.

As far as timing tensioners and guides, that is not a scheduled item and a car with 90k miles might not need the timing service completed. Remember, 2013+ cars have the updated tensioner so they're not a ticking time bomb like the older cars. If you're concerned, get OBD Eleven or VCDS and check the cam phase adaption of the cars you test drive to determine whether or not the timing system is good.

[1BadB6Avant]

Wtb: oem hood bra for my b8.5 allroad.

Did audi ever make a OEM hood bra for our cars, I cant seem to source one.


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[mecalder]

Hey that's a great resource for sure

Looking at a 2009 A4 2 0T Quattro auto with about 150 thou kilometers. Seller says "possibly needs a turbo". Car is Deep Sea Blue with beige interior, looks to be in decent condition. Was just inspected in October.

Asking 2500CDN. seems to be a pretty good deal.evwn if I have to replace the turbo. I will likely have to do the timing, cam follower and the maintenance listed above which I will do myself as well as install the turbo.

Wondering what you all think?

Thanks in advance

[Tre']

I'm in the market for a B8 S Line Avant. I've seen a few with the S Line exterior package, but none with the alcantara seats and door panel inserts. What years and packages should I be looking for?

[theycallmesike]

Couple questions:

1) about the Allroads. Are those allroad fenders plastic? I've seen some come with the "full paint package" so those fenders match the body color but do they look like plastic even with the paint? Are there aftermarket bumpers/fenders/side skirts for the allroads or can you swap the b8 bumpers / sideskirts to the b8.5? I love the styling of the b8 avant, but don't want to deal with the headaches of the 2.0T engine, so was thinking of the 2013+ allroads instead. Any insights would be super helpful

2) Can you replace the suspension on the allroads with no issues to lets say coilovers?

3) What is covered under the oil consumption class action / warranty and what is the timeline/mileage on a b8? Is that class action still valid? If I found a 2.0T engine with under the warranty mileage, would I be able to get it covered?

[Mcf06fsu]

Hey Guys,

Looking into buying a B8 Avant but have some major questions.

It is supposedly bone stock. Problem is it has options that I haven’t seen on any US Spec cars but I have seen on a Euro spec (only one). It was purchased in Germany and driven there for several years before being imported to the US.

Basically I’m trying to figure out if this thing is a unicorn or another B8 Avant. Oh yeah… it’s also Aruba Blue. I have the VIN if needed.

[beatsageo]

It sounds like you already know the answer, its a Euro spec car ... which was imported. Not a unicorn, color is somewhat rare.

[Hayabusa02]

I'm looking to buy my son his first car. I have a good deal on a 2015 Audi A4 with Sline package. It has 122k miles, which is way more than I wanted to get. Has clean CarFax and is only $13k. Seems like a good deal. I couldn;t tell from the service history if the Spark plugs, Fuel Filter, transmission fluid, Timing belts/pulleys were replaced. At that mileage...I would expect they need it. ANything I am missing or you'd recommend I pay attention to? Is this a dumb idea to get him the car?

[JLAllroad]

I'm looking to buy my son his first car. I have a good deal on a 2015 Audi A4 with Sline package. It has 122k miles, which is way more than I wanted to get. Has clean CarFax and is only $13k. Seems like a good deal. I couldn;t tell from the service history if the Spark plugs, Fuel Filter, transmission fluid, Timing belts/pulleys were replaced. At that mileage...I would expect they need it. ANything I am missing or you'd recommend I pay attention to? Is this a dumb idea to get him the car?

You’re probably looking at at least 3-4K in differed maintenance and that’s only if it’s not consuming oil, which many/most that follow Audi’s OCI will do, and that requires an engine out rebuild.


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[A4Qwattro]

Is it actually possible to get one of these (B8.5) that doesn't burn oil and will not burn oil? Or is every last one that rolled off the production line doomed to burn oil excessively? How is that not a class action lawsuit?

[eljay]

Is it actually possible to get one of these (B8.5) that doesn't burn oil and will not burn oil? Or is every last one that rolled off the production line doomed to burn oil excessively? How is that not a class action lawsuit?

It's possible, but it's a lottery. They all have the flawed ring design.

[lhlan]

Is it actually possible to get one of these (B8.5) that doesn't burn oil and will not burn oil? Or is every last one that rolled off the production line doomed to burn oil excessively? How is that not a class action lawsuit?

You can import one from Germany. Just make sure the engine is EA888 Gen 3. Then the probability of ducking oil consumption is way higher.

Or you can buy one that has gone through the engine rebuild process to address the oil consumption issue.

[A4Qwattro]

You can import one from Germany. Just make sure the engine is EA888 Gen 3. Then the probability of ducking oil consumption is way higher.

The problem is that the people who fixed them, are keeping them! Only the burners are for sale

[A4Qwattro]

I was taking a real hard look at a '14 MY, 6MT, but I passed because I can't believe Audi never fixed the oil consumption and won't stand behind their product. The B8.5 is a beautiful car and I'm gutted that it has such a massive design flaw in the engine. I don't have a setup to do the engine work on my own right now. I will keep my B5 running for a bit longer.

[911Syncro]

Just a hearty thank you to "Project Quattro" for originating the maintaining this thread, and others who added details. It was very helpful to sort through all of the various options and trim levels. I ended up buying a 2010 Avant, with the Sport Package, a nice color, the walnut trim, came with owners manuals and the window sticker, and great service history. It had the rings repaired in 2014 and PCV valve a couple of times, regular XXXX mile services, and drive belt tensioner replaced 2021. I had been eyeing the Avants for some years, this one popped on the market and I went for it very quickly. So yeah, it had to be an Avant, lowered with the Sport Package is perfect, and I wasn't leaning to the Allroad. Really lovin' the car, I didn't know how good they really are. Have a 3 car garage, one was my Dad/fun "workshop" and I even cleared it out to bring in the new Avant.

[a=m/s2]

My experience over 140k with 2015, 140k-mile SQ5. This will be a novella.

Have been questing to build out an “RS”Q5 for over 2 years. 2015 B8.5. So far….
- APR Stage 1 (“nice”, but a bit laggy below 3500 in my opinion). Replaced with…..
- 034 Stage 2+ 93 ECU tune (have to add 30 point Lucas booster to each tank in Idaho, but such solid low RPM grunt with this tune/mod). And naturally….
- 207mm pulley, again 034, that runs at a 3.1 ratio. Which leaves the engine wanting to use max power potential shift points so for Christmas bought it….
-The quite compelling 034 TCU tune with the handy “easily set ‘pick your launch RPM’ option”. Anything above 3600,I get spin, but you can take the setting as high as you want. To maximize boost and take full advantage of both tune’s power potential, I installed at same time as 2+ tune…...
- The usual APR carbon fiber mounted open-air K&N cone filter (which doesn’t wash, as advertised by K&N - no big deal). Need to handle at speed in rough terrain so….
- Coil overs
-And living in Idaho where we see 45-60 days each summer peaking at +100F, an 034 PHX to limit heat soak. Of course, the car needs to stop at times, so….
-Carbon ceramic pads (no other brake mods - I have zero fade (more on that in a minute)), solid stopping, and predictable/repeatable stops on asphalt and gravel/dirt.

Where I live, I have the luxury of off-road drifting on a few million acres (!) of uninhabited BLM land - desert flats and tight cliff roads. (Saw a YouTube video of Group B racing and just had to mod the car as close to those days as possible. Admitted dopamine junky - pass the Adderall, please.) This car sees triple digits on gravel, I drift hairpin 180s at speed, and bounce the spring potholes on dirt /gravel before the off-roads are graded each spring. Manual is always engaging for sport. And I BEAT on the brakes without fade. THIS CAR IS MAD FUN - road or no road.

And, of course: It is a blast to play the “sleeper” at a light when some clown in a new MDX or non-M BMW wants to do a pull. :) - bad ego, bad.

Someone asked about reliability. I’ve had the aggressive package mentioned above for the last 40k. No electro-mechanical issues. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. Car has not had one issue. Just started soft-coding PCV (all B8.5s, for the new folks, lose the PCV, typically earlier than mine).

I dearly love this car. Her name is Ilse (German - pronounced ‘ill-sa’). And plan to keep it until the frame snaps. So…..

This week: PCV replace; breather element replace; thermostat replace; supercharger oil change (because it is high RPM with the mod pulley v OEM); walnut shell carbon blast (interested to see “before and after pics” as I’ve always run top-tier Shell gas) for valves, pistons, etc.; front diff, rear diff and tyranny oil change including filters - I know Audi says the diff/diff/tranny/supercharger oil will last the life of the car, but, as enthusiasts, we DRIVE our cars, not just ride in them so we give them the needed TLC. BTW: thermostat was my idea - being this far into the motor, no reason not to knock it all out at once, especially considering many of the $$$ are disassembly/assembly labor. Don’t want to incur redundant charges for labor.

First time for all of this work - motivation is that I don’t want to think about these items for another 50k-75k. $3900 total which, having shopped hard this exact work against the dealer and other local/other city foreign specialty shops, is a real deal. As I said, I plan on a long-term marriage, not a broken engagement. Been +3 years and I couldn’t be more satisfied.

Just FYI: I only use Shell’s highest available octane gas; oil has always been Mobil 1 5W-40 Euro-spec, from 80k miles, which meets the VW/Audi/Porsche standards; oil change at 7k substituting one quart of Lucas Oil for one quart of Mobil.

Can’t say these are “the best” products that cause/affected the car to the “no issue” experience I’ve had, but they are working so I am not changing.

Short summary: the 2015 SQ5 B8.5 has been and remains a reliable, completely modifiable, and thoroughly enjoyable, well-mannered beast that, like the old Timex commercials attest: It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

Cliff Notes available upon request.

Cheers, all, and thanks for all the posts. Super-informative and inspiring.

a=m/s2

[Ringsby4]

About to buy my son a 2015 b8.5 in the land down under ( for your benefit only,nobody over here ever calls our country that lol- we don't consider our country under...anything ! )
It will be the third A4 in the family.We currently own Heidi ,sig below.She's now at 135 K Km ,84,000miles.No big issues in the last 45,000 Km since we bought it.Not an oil burner since I pulled the rip off the Ebay *genuine* PCV valve ! Timing chain check happening soon,but I hope as last time,will be within safe parameters.
She's a keeper for now,we love her.
Audi A4's are thick on the ground here with many to choose from considering we only have 26 mill population,and,no one wants them or any sedan for that matter.It's all about SUV's ,dual cab utes ( pickups to you ) and a huge EV uptake.
So,a 2015 B8.5 S-line quattro with low mileage,read about 45k miles can be had for about $A18k.If that sounds high keep in mid our dollar might as well be pesos compared to your USD.It's not a lot of money for a car that 8 years ago had a price of $70k MSRP.A Mazda 6 Gt or atenza,maybe a bit younger would be in the high twenties and Lexus's,forget it waay to much for our budget.B9's are low 30's at best.
So,that's the way we're rolling.Any concerns ? Not really,I know my way around the model and will do my due diligence and haggle hard !
I work on my own cars,have a hoist,totally tooled up and....have Audizine ! haha-the do-it yourselfa's best friend !
I have VCDS ,and will check camshaft adaption phase of course and DTC's.
I'm only looking at cars that have full Audi service as any oil burning issues will be disclosed although by 2015,chances are small .Also if that car is nearing 100k Kms,checking that the DSG service has been done in the past.
For those considering diving in,due diligence is so necessary,consider the above and all the usual stuff-accident history,upcoming maintenance-tires,services needed etc
I totally recommend them as a great ride for the money.

[IdahoJOAT]

Where you at in the 208 bruv?

Are you on Audi Club Idaho?

[SzeBen]

Hey guys, I'm planning to buy a b8 or b8.5 in Europe. I would like to jump from B5 1.9PDTDI. I loved that car, and that was full extra, I sold it 1 month ago but still don't know why. So I'm looking for something similar in terms of reliability and thinking about buying a 2.0 Diesel FWD/Quattro. Maybe I missed but didn't find information about engine codes, which one should be avoided etc. And more detailed problems with the diesel engines. Can somebody help me out?

Thank you, and really great thread!

[audrobotic]

Hey guys, I'm planning to buy a b8 or b8.5 in Europe. I would like to jump from B5 1.9PDTDI. I loved that car, and that was full extra, I sold it 1 month ago but still don't know why. So I'm looking for something similar in terms of reliability and thinking about buying a 2.0 Diesel FWD/Quattro. Maybe I missed but didn't find information about engine codes, which one should be avoided etc. And more detailed problems with the diesel engines. Can somebody help me out?

Thank you, and really great thread!

Audizine is heavily biased towards US/Canada - and there's no diesel version here, so you might not get a whole lot of input on that engine. The Quattro (with ZF automatic) is highly regarded, and the FWD/CVT is not highly regarded.