How expensive is the rs4 to own MPGs aside?

[jerobean]

someone has an rs4 for sale near me. The price is right, with around 145k on the odometer.

I know no one can tell me the future, but on average how does this care rate for operating costs?

what are the major service issues to be aware of like on my B5 with timing belts/oil sludge?

sorry if these seem like silly questions, but I honestly didn't expect rs4s to be under 20k.

[DOCEVG]

Brakes are a big cost item, as is a periodic carbon clean. Others on this forum will point you to other regular maintenance items.
Other than brakes, my experience is that RS4 ownership is not materially more expensive than that of other Audi models. And, on equivalent largely highway driving, RS4 mpgs are within two mpg of my S4s. City driving? Thats a different matter.

[jerobean]

Brakes are a big cost item, as is a periodic carbon clean. Others on this forum will point you to other regular maintenance items.
Other than brakes, my experience is that RS4 ownership is not materially more expensive than that of other Audi models. And, on equivalent largely highway driving, RS4 mpgs are within two mpg of my S4s. City driving? Thats a different matter.

DIY what's a brake job ballpark with rotors/pads?

[WinterRunner]

12-1400$ in parts.

[Peter1.8t]

Brakes are pricy for these cars. Oxygen sensors probably need to be replaced if they haven't, thats another few hundred, they are starting to go out on many of these cars now that we are at that age. Clutch issues are common with the pedal being stuck halfway, and probably needs to be replaced if theres some miles on the car. Carbon cleaning will need to be done periodically, many of us replaced the injectors at this time as well.

Some RS4's eat some oil, as in some guys have reported a quart ever 1000 miles, some don't eat any at all. Mine does about a quart ever 3-5k miles which is about the time I change my oil anyways. There was a valve cover gasket update as well as a breather system update that can be expensive. Generally a limited production car means parts are a bit more.

Other than that theres the usually Audi BS with axles, wheel bearings, random sensors, etc

[travish325]

Its hit or miss on high dollar maintenance items. That really depends on service history and how the car has been cared for.

-Brakes, as mentioned above, are not cheap.
-Carbon clean. Not too pricey but is part of normal maintenance
-Clutch job
-Injectors at some point

Most expensive part of owning this car is the labor prices. My RS4 had to have the cam seals replaced which turned into a 17 hour engine out job at the dealer which was $2500 in labor alone.

Having said that, I didn't pay a cent for any of the work since I bought an extended warranty. Paid $3200 and they ended up paying out over $9000 between AC repairs, cam seals, starter, axles and boots, motor and trans mounts, and some other things. I would have done all the work myself if not for that warranty. Best part was I sold the car after a year and got $2100 back from the warranty lol

Don't let this scare you, as my car was not the best maintained prior to my purchase. These are very robust cars and very reliable from my experience, as mine never left me stranded. Look for a well documented maintained one and jump on it.

[jerobean]

thanks for the input guys. much appreciated.

[musanoadsaba]

As Travish mentioned, depends on previous owner's anal level. You mentioned timing belts in first post, these cars have chains and there isn't a sludge problem.
One other item that is common is oil cooler replacement due to lines corroding at insertion point.

[87vr6]

I bought a very well maintained 08.. Had records, an outstanding independent PPI (sourced by myself), and has been rock solid for me. I bought it with like 86k on the clock in December of 2015, fast forward to now, with 109k and it's been flawless. The carbon cleaning was done shortly before I bought it. See what others have mentioned. Do preventative maintenance, and you'll catch small things before they snowball into bigger things.

[stanglife]

There are some high mileage RS4s out there. 140k+ is getting up there - probably top percentage of miles - so starting to be unknown territory for maintenance at that point.

Under $20k - you answered your own question. 140k miles.

[Fourplay]

I averaged about $220/mo on maintenance and $165/mo on gas. Car was driven about 800 miles per month, so a ~$0.50 per mile operating cost (not including insurance).

Obviously a higher mileage car or one with more deferred maintenance will cost you more, and I also performed all of my own maintenance.

Maintenance items included:
New front brake pads
Carbon cleaning
4x new tires with alignment (MPSS)
2x oil changes
New PCV valve
Complete fluid flush
JHM Intake Spacers
034 Torque Mount
Various small parts (solenoids, A/C servo, brake light bulb, etc.)

Brake job or clutch job will be big cost drivers, as will injector replacements. If you do your own labor, it won't be too terrible, but still pricey. Part costs are $1400 for full brake job and $500 for injectors - the actual clutch is really cheap - $25, but labor isn't.

[MugelloB7RS4]

Im at 154K on mine and still going strong.

I've come across some issues that nobody has mentioned yet.

-I'm on my 3rd set of high pressure pumps (at ~$350 each)
-alot of guys have issues with oil cooler leaks, that is close to~$2000
-DRC suspension if it hasn't failed yet, it will. Then you're looking at replacing it with the same stuff or getting coil overs. Both will be in the ~2000-3000 Range
-Like some guys have mentioned, injectors. I have my 3rd set ready to install.
-Like others have said brakes are expensive.
-Carbon cleans are necessary.

So there are things that go wrong and when it's stuff that specific to the RS4 it blows. Some stuff can carry over from A4/S4 but some can't.

[Fourplay]

Im at 154K on mine and still going strong.

I've come across some issues that nobody has mentioned yet.

-I'm on my 3rd set of high pressure pumps (at ~$350 each)

Whoa. I've never really heard of those being problematic on the RS4. I know the 2.0T guys have had a lot of issues with the cam follower causing failures.

I have heard that when replacing the fuel filter, it's essential to prime the lift pump to prevent air bubbles from grenading the HPFPs (since they are lubricated/cooled with fuel). Would be interested to hear more about your issues.

[MugelloB7RS4]

Mine has always been issues with the solenoid that controls the pressure, not the mechanical parts. Having said that, I've always replaced the whole pump because I can't buy the solenoid separately, but thinking about it I'm glad I went that route because I don't know if it's the solenoid only causing the problem or if the solenoid can cause issues with the internals of the pump.

The problem makes itself known with the codes for the high pressure pumps (N276 valve I think it is) as well as the car seeming to run out of fuel at higher rpms. It stumbles and falls on it's face a bit.

Whoa. I've never really heard of those being problematic on the RS4. I know the 2.0T guys have had a lot of issues with the cam follower causing failures.

I have heard that when replacing the fuel filter, it's essential to prime the lift pump to prevent air bubbles from grenading the HPFPs (since they are lubricated/cooled with fuel). Would be interested to hear more about your issues.

[Fourplay]

Mine has always been issues with the solenoid that controls the pressure, not the mechanical parts. Having said that, I've always replaced the whole pump because I can't buy the solenoid separately, but thinking about it I'm glad I went that route because I don't know if it's the solenoid only causing the problem or if the solenoid can cause issues with the internals of the pump.

The problem makes itself known with the codes for the high pressure pumps (N276 valve I think it is) as well as the car seeming to run out of fuel at higher rpms. It stumbles and falls on it's face a bit.

Ah, I have heard of issues with the solenoid. Too bad no one rebuilds and sells them aftermarket.