Rust on a 2001 S4 . Pictures included. Normal?

[shoteh]

I am planning to purchase a S4 which will be my first S4 however after noticing the amount of rust this particular car has I was wondering if it's normal. Of course the car is a northern car with salted winters but from the other S4's I've seen in the north, they seem a lot cleaner than this. Can anyone chime in who has owned a B5 series either S4 or A4 and compare their undercarriage? I've owned a B6 A4 and the underbody was dirty/dusty but no rust at all. Also the exhaust is the AWE Twin 2 Full Exhaust setup which I believe is SSteel but not quite sure. Can anyone confirm if their AWE exhaust has shown rust spots?

Another question, would AOA cover getting the rust fixed? I'm not too familiar with their policies. But if not what would the process be to get the rust off and rust proofed. Cost?

The car is 2001 with less than 80k miles. Any help or comments would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

[JDM EJ1 95]

AOA will not fix that.. they only have corrosion warranty on body panels and even then.. most 12 year old cars have paint work done to them at some poin tin their life so most claims will be denied.

but.. thats all suspension and has nothing to do with the body.. it looks like that car sat for some periods of time.. i wouldnt worry about it as long as the bushings look good.. even so itll probably be time for the bushings to be replaced soon.. and at that point you can spruce up the arms

[Don Supreme]

That car must have been through some brutal winters.

[aysix]

The A6 I currently own was originally from maine for 10 years of its life, it looked kind of like that under my vehicle up front so i got the subframe, tranny mounts, exhaust/downpipes, control arms. The new swaybars are coilovers are getting in soon and that will finish up the rusty bucket. From what I reccomend, replace the parts you can and think of it as an upgrade...

[S4 00 2.7]

+1 on checking your bushings. I agree it looks like it sat for a while.

[mr.awesome]

id just brush off what i can with a wire brush and cover it in some rustoleum or something thick. I've seen worse

[c0rrup]

Like JDM said, nothing to do with the body, as Audi's body's are double galvanized and immune to rust, but no doubt that car has seen some brutal winters.

[JDM EJ1 95]

Like JDM said, nothing to do with the body, as Audi's body's are double galvanized and immune to rust, but no doubt that car has seen some brutal winters.

they are not immune. mine developed rust under the lower door moldings.

[aysix]

they are not immune. mine developed rust under the lower door moldings.

Same here

[ElliottG]

Lol. Completely normal on a B5 from the east coast. I just bought an '01 A4 w/ 110k miles on it and it looks the same...maybe a bit less because it's been oiled.

[szr143]

Mine is completely clean with no rust and it has 160k

[shoteh]

Thanks guys for the replies and clarifications. As far as body goes the car has no rust except from a chip which I doubt AOA would cover.

My biggest worries lies in the brake components and then like some of you mentioned the bushing areas. Seems like some of the bolts are rusted badly and am scared that it wont turn and might brake if I put a little too much elbow grease to it. I probably won't be upgrading any suspension parts any time soon but even if I did it wouldn't be for the rust factor alone.

Aysix, your upgraded parts, before you put them in are you putting some kind of rust proof stuff of them first? I'd imagine they would rust as easily if they came in contact with your rusted frame anyway.

Mr awesome, after wire brushing, would you spray the bolts as well? I'd imagine not for the sake of being able to loosen them again in the future if needed. But the rust would still be on the bolts and screws.

I live in MN and have owned a 90 Toyota celica beater that has gone through rough winters with little rust because I wash my underbody religiously.

Really want to justify buying a nice, low mileage, s4 to keep for 8+ years without extra work other than the normal S4 maintenance.

[mjacksons4]

So buy one from the west coast? I made the mistake of buying my car from the midwest, zero rust on the body, but every bolt is a bitch to get out. I'd never make that error again.

[domantas]

yea that is really bad...

[RogueStatus]

AOA will fix body rust on a 12 year old car?

[mjacksons4]

No, AoA will not fix anything on a B5.....hell, some dealerships won't even service B5's anymore due to them being over 10 years old.

[Corrado]

Might be hard to visually see....but check the rear spring hats/perches. During a coilover installation on my 2000 (which otherwise has zero rust anythere), I had to replace both of these parts (1 per side). They run about $400 a piece new. Audi Part #8D0512341 and 8D0512342.


I've had an AWE Twin 2 for the past 5 years in Mid-Atlantic salt winters and it has a few minor surface rust stains here and there similar to your pics.

[Dutchsider]

Might be hard to visually see....but check the rear spring hats/perches. During a coilover installation on my 2000 (which otherwise has zero rust anythere), I had to replace both of these parts (1 per side). They run about $400 a piece new. Audi Part #8D0512341 and 8D0512342.

I was going to post this. I'd bet that those things are completely rusted out.

[shoteh]

Ooo that sounds expensive and I bet that's a surprise you got when you went to install the coilovers. I'm sure the parts you were talking about are rusted. The thing is that I can replace parts, but they will still rust because of the rust that is already there. I guess there is no sure way of keeping a car rust proof unless you don't drive in the winter or move south.

[Dutchsider]

You can likely find a used set of rear perches for relatively cheap. Please dont pay those prices on new ones.