So whats the Verdict? My review of the B6 S4 after 6 months...

[RPMtech147]

Hey guys;

I've 'Finished' the Audi a couple weeks ago and just wanted to put down a couple comments about this 10 year old S4.

I'll just cut straight through the bullsh*t and get down to it for anyone that may not already know; I would tell 99% of the people considering a B6/B7 S4 to buy something else. They will be heartbroken, broke, and more then likely walking.

Now for the 1% of people that SHOULD buy this car will fall into one of two categories.

#1)You have $1000's of extra dollars just lying around

Or

#2)You are VERY mechanically inclined or are in fact a professional mechanic AND you have a 'SPARE' car at all times.

I've put about 4,000 miles on the car in 6 months and if I didn't fall under category number 2 id be in tears. Let's review what failed on the car before I could even do it's first oil change.

Ill post 'Retail estimates' as well for each item to get an Idea what it would cost if you can't turn your own wrenches....

1.)Day 2 after purchase. Complete AC compressor failure. Car was down for about a week while I fixed it in my spare time after work but I also had to drive my beater for weeks because the heat in Houston is unbearable untill I could find parts that we're priced reasonably. Retail Cost to repair ~ $3000 if it failed in such a way that it didn't contaminate the cores. If there's lots of the compressor in the cores it's much more.
2.)Window Washer Motor Failure...Retail Cost to repair ~ $200-$300 and a day at the shop
3.)Passenger Window Motor. Retail Cost to repair ~ $500 and a day at the shop
4.)Clutch Failure. Car was down for weeks while I sourced the parts and took an entire weekend of my life sweating like a pig to get it done. Retail ~ $3000
5.)Timing Component overhaul : Not done yet. Retails in the neighborhood of $8000

So grand total for a person who has to let the shop do the work would be in the neighborhood of $15,000, well over the cost of the car.

That's everything that has failed on the car right around 90,000 miles and I still have to round up parts for the chains which total will set me back around $500, and that's just doing all plastic guides only and reusing tensioners and cam phasers and the car will be down close to two weeks if I take my time. I can do it in two days if I hustle but I hate working at that kind of pace.

Oh, and I don't know if it's just the summer gas but ah, I'm averaging about 11mpg. I only live 6 miles from work so i don't really notice now but when I lived 30 miles from work it was expensive.

With that being said. ..

I absolutely love this car! Bar-none this is the funnest, damn near one of the best looking, and for lack of a better word, 'coolest' cars I've ever owned. You simply can not have this much fun with your clothes on driving anything else short of an Arial Atom, I know. I just drove one Friday. Once the maintenance is done and you've replaced your AC this car is reliable in every way except for the window regulators. The drive-train itself is super beefy and should not have any issues being driven hard well past 200,000 miles. It's subtle in it's aggressiveness, sounds like f*cking beast and will blow the doors off most folks that'll try and pick on a 'little a4' at the stop light. This car dig's in. People spend BIG money in sticky tires just to hope for 1.8 60' and the S4 will rip a 1.7 second 60' all day on little ol 235's on the street.

There you have it.

And the Before and After

[0396]

Thanks for the write up. Well pointed discussion. Unfortunately I fall in category 1 with limited funds. I can do some " simple" repairs bug other than that....

[SpoolBus]

Very well put,
I've dumped about 8k in maintenance in 12 months and I get about 13mpg and do commute 35 miles each way.
Luckily Audi gives you a loaner =]

Oh and I fall into the warranty company and some reduction in Audi service.

[cheetah993]

Category 2 for me luckily...

[Tjtalan]

It's definitely a plus having both the ability and the facilities to repair my car. If it wasn't what I did for a living, having access to wholesale prices and already having the tools, I couldn't afford this car. Your car looks great by the way.

[Slow4]

Wheres the "i just like the sound of the euro V8 but didn't realize this thing was the same hassle or more than my B5" category?

[s4ski]

Excellent write-up. This sounds like ghost from christmas future for me. I am in neither category but I don't have that many miles yet. By your classification I should probably dump and run, but I wouldn't think of selling it. I just know I need to budget for repair work. This car has been reliable so far. But it is costly, even for basic maintenance. Thanks for the repair work estimates, very useful.

I wonder how many of these cars will end up in the parts bin once their value falls below the cost of a timing chain job?

New look is awesome by the way.

[mistral cytz]

When things go wrong with S4s they have more expensive parts and the labor is higher than the average car but many have had good solid cars that have done thousands of reliable miles with just basic maintenance.

Budget for the timing job around 100k, warm up the car thoroughly before driving hard, change the oil often and be ready for the odd common problems to these cars like blown power steering lines, bad AC compressors and starters, the rest can be just regular maintenance like brakes, spark plugs, coil packs and changing fluids as preventative maintenance etc..

Remember, forums generally contain the horror stories or people with problems, hence why they came to the forum in the first place to find out more info about their car trouble. I have previously been a frequent member on a global Saab and Mitsubishi forum and I can say the same kind of posts pop up there just the same. "Stay far away from the Lancer Evolution" or "Saabs are unreliable money pits"

The S4 is a unique car with special requirements but it's still just a bunch of metal and plastic like any other car. I met a guy last month who has over 160k miles on his B6 S4 with no major problems, hope most of us are as lucky as him..

[Cargo an]

At first I thought this was going to be one of those this car sucks because I bought a ten year old high milage car and did not do my research posts. Then I read on and realized that the OP is spot on. I have to agree. When I shopped around for my S4 I kept running into cars in my price range that were at that point where the engine just might jump out and bite my ass at any moment. I finally got lucky and found a low milage one with a practically brand new motor, clutch and A/C. So this puts me slightly in both categories. I do not have a shit load of cash lying around, but enough in savings to cover some major repairs......new engine should keep that day at bay for some time. I have enough mechanical skill to do the smaller stuff..fluids and filters..sensors, brakes rotors etc. The OP's conclusion is something that has always perplexed me. With all the potential problems this car can present why do so many people want and own one? Like he said, it is indeed one of the funnest, best looking and coolest cars around. I would add rare as well. At least in my area I feel I am driving something that you don't see at every stop light. With these cars it comes down to a simple formula......the reward is worth the risk.

[Bootleg25Q]

2006 25Quattro, 135K+. Regular maintenance: ignition coils (recall), spark plugs, fuel/air filters, regular oil changes (M1 0w40), brakes & rotors, fluid flushes, PCV valve, etc. (All very simple DIY)

Occasional chain rattle, once every 1-2 weeks for a split second. (Getting ready to do timing components within a couple weeks)

Runs strong, 0 major mechanical issues/failures.

I suppose it is luck of the draw maybe, but as mistral cytz mentioned... forums are generally filled with the horror stories.

[Quadfreak]

I suppose it is luck of the draw maybe, but as mistral cytz mentioned... forums are generally filled with the horror stories.

Sometimes I feel like that is the case with the B6's

I bought mine just about 1 year ago. I do have cold chain rattle, but I have put about 25k miles on it this year (currently at 108k) with zero hiccups other than oil changes and washing it and a few mods. After I get past the cringe of starting it in the morning/after work, the car puts a smile on my face everytime.

[harrisonk8]

I just picked up a b6 s4 with 129k. The car is mint, inside and out. It had a cold start rattle when I first test drove it. I changed the oil, spark plugs, air filter and brake light switch since then. It usually comes out on the weekends. I haven't heard the rattle since I changed the oil (5w-40 castrol US formula). Keeping fingers crossed!

[elwigglero]

Same case could be made for any high-mileage enthusiast car, but you're definitely right about either wrenching yourself or handing the mechanic a few thousand a year.

[Mr. Corey]

This thread is true S4 are expensive but worth every penny. Only major issues Ive had in 8 years of ownership are flywheel fail. OP at least now she should be good for a long time and like you said always a blast to drive!

[Davect06607]

Very well said

[demark]

Thanks for the write up. I purchased an 04 S4 Avant 6MT with 25K on the clock and owned it for over 5 years before I sold it last February with around 90K miles. People said I was crazy for selling it (replaced it with a CPO 2011 E91 6MT). While not catastrophic by any means, and outside of wear and tear items such as brakes/rotors, I spent roughly 3K each year on various repairs. I averaged 16 MPG overall in mixed driving.

These are great cars and I do miss mine, but constantly worrying about what was going to break next (with the very real potential for big money items such a chain guides, etc.) became unsettling later in my ownership. Unless you're a DIM, which many of us are not, you'll need to have 2-3K put aside at all times just in case.

[d.v.]

going on 7 months of ownership, just broke the 100k milestone recently, and she's been pretty much trouble-free aside from timing chain rattle and torsen shudder. a little quirks here and there but nothing affecting the way the car drives. i'm pretty sure my car was well-cared for from the overall shape, clealiness, and mechanical shape of the car. i would fall under #2 where i like to do my own work because first $500 i spent on my S4 was a ross-tech cable and a bentley manual.

[gaben2racin]

Hey it's a love hate relationship. She is high maint. at times. But when you rub her the right way she will give you a smile with happy ending.

[tadhgbrosnan]

I loved my B6 and aside from a failed brake light switch, it was fantastic. Never had a major problem. Bought the car with 31k miles and sold it three years later with 72k miles. Mostly around town driving, too. Great car and a blast to drive.

[blai76]

Very few lifers... Everyone seems to have a story of how they bought and sold their B6/B7's. Where's the guy who bought his new in 2004 and immaculately maintained it until now, and plans to never let it go? ;)

[cheetah993]

I bought my 04 3 years ago now and have put about 15k in it for timing, maintenance, and of course performance parts and I do not intend on letting it go anytime soon. It is about to roll over 100k miles too.

[metalslug]

It's going to be 2yrs now with my 07' Avant 6MT. I bough it with 79k but had a good Carfax record to go long with it. It currently has 88k. No major issues aside from a bad power steering line. Keeping up with regular maintenance and oil changes. Random chain rattle at start up for 1 second or so. I get complements by other Audi owners who don't much about cars. I make sure to tell them that it's not an A4 Avant but S4 V8 Avant.

A LandRover dealership from the car group I bought my car from really want it's according to the email I keep getting.

"Your Audi S4 is an amazing vehicle. In fact, it has become so popular that we are having a hard time meeting consumer demand. That is why we would like to add your vehicle to our pre-owned inventory.

If you are thinking about changing vehicles, please consider selling your Audi S4 to us"

Ego boost

[d.v.]

It's going to be 2yrs now with my 07' Avant 6MT. I bough it with 79k but had a good Carfax record to go long with it. It currently has 88k. No major issues aside from a bad power steering line. Keeping up with regular maintenance and oil changes. Random chain rattle at start up for 1 second or so. I get complements by other Audi owners who don't much about cars. I make sure to tell them that it's not an A4 Avant but S4 V8 Avant.

A LandRover dealership from the car group I bought my car from really want it's according to the email I keep getting.

"Your Audi S4 is an amazing vehicle. In fact, it has become so popular that we are having a hard time meeting consumer demand. That is why we would like to add your vehicle to our pre-owned inventory.

If you are thinking about changing vehicles, please consider selling your Audi S4 to us"

Ego boost

i get the same thing with my wife's town and country.

[Concavitor]

That would be me.

Several years ago I got a commuter car and only drive the S4 on weekends mostly. The S4 has 64K on it. I'm so attached to it. I still worry about where I park it and such like when it was new. I guess I'm living in the past, but I've been lucky to have a garage all this time and that has made a HUGE difference.

I don't plan to let it go, but I am bracing for a big repair surprise I'm sure is coming. Something like that will force my hand, but the S4 and I live one day at a time now.

[Concavitor]

Very few lifers... Everyone seems to have a story of how they bought and sold their B6/B7's. Where's the guy who bought his new in 2004 and immaculately maintained it until now, and plans to never let it go? ;)

That would be me.

Several years ago I got a commuter car and only drive the S4 on weekends mostly. The S4 has 64K on it. I'm so attached to it. I still worry about where I park it and such like when it was new. I guess I'm living in the past, but I've been lucky to have a garage all this time and that has made a HUGE difference.

I don't plan to let it go, but I am bracing for a big repair surprise I'm sure is coming. Something like that will force my hand, but the S4 and I live one day at a time now.

[Denker]

i get the same thing with my wife's town and country.

Yep, It's just a sales tactic to get you to come in.

The form letter goes out to everyone in their database so don't let it go to your head metalslug.

[d.v.]

Yep, It's just a sales tactic to get you to come in.

The form letter goes out to everyone in their database so don't let it go to your head metalslug.

Of course, the idea is to get you in to buy a newer car, plus there may be another buyer who is actually looking for what you have so the dealer is trying to kill two birds with one stone. My wife won't let her minivan go.

Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk HD

[gaben2racin]

04 s4 i'm on 3 yrs. bought her for 10k n with 118k miles. Speed forward and she is still going strong with 177k hoping to make it to 200k+. I really don't know if the motor has ever been replaced. but when she does go it will be then.