Getting Ready to Purchase 13-14 S6 - Have reliability questions. Please Advise

[mdloops]

Hello!

I am coming from a 2014 BMW 335i xDrive. Test drove a S6 and I am in love. Due to cost I am looking to buy one used, possibly a 2013 or 2014.*

I have searched the forum for the past hour and am looking to educate myself on the following:

1. Other than coolant leaks from the turbocharger what are some common issues that I should know about?
2. How reliable has your S6 been? How much money in repairs have you had to spend?
3. Based on the first two questions, how strongly would you recommend an aftermarket warranty? If you have purchased on please let me know which one and the cost

I plan on going to an Audi dealer and asking for the service history before purchasing a S6 as well as looking at Carfax. According to consumer reports Audi is one of top 3 reliable brands in the world, but I still have doubts based on my brother's 2005 Audi A4 and my friends similar age A4. They both have had constant problems with things breaking.

Thanks!

[Gonzoe11]

I was BMW all way until an extremely disappointing 2006 x5 and total lemon 2007 328xi and switched to Audi. I haven't looked back since. Totally reliable and loving these cars. I've had 08 (C6) S6, S5, RS5, Q5 and an S7 (current ride). Like any any brand I guess, there will be some bad apples but if you do your homework, you'll be ok.
I picked up my '14 S7 5 months ago and haven't had any issues.
If your budget can get you into a '14 S6, then find the lowest mileage best condition example you can. The '14 should still have some factory warranty left and try and find one with Audi Care.
Good luck.

[sonjh81]

My 2013 s6 has 45k miles with zero issue.

[mdloops]

My 2013 s6 has 45k miles with zero issue.

[mdloops]

Thank you to everybody that has replied thus far! Keep them coming. I am feeling great and love the feedback.

Will definitely look into the 2014/CPO

[fatherdeath]

i wouldnt be worried untill around 80k, and you can still buy another warranty

[zcd2.7t]

...
3. Based on the first two questions, how strongly would you recommend an aftermarket warranty?...

I'm a fan of having a warranty on any German car - as great as they are to drive, they can also be greatly expensive to own if you happen to get a bad one.

My suggestion is to buy CPO if possible, and if not, buy an extended warranty.

[Roadwarrior]

This....CPO or no go.(for my risk threshold) I have had things go wrong in expensive german cars and the repairs can be breathtaking. The other thing I like about a CPO is that it gives you time to tease out any issues and to determine if you need to sell or a reasonably safe to keep.

[AntonioS6]

My CPO warranty has already paid for itself (although my S6 seems like a special case with the service advisor telling me he has never seen so many issues on one car)

[IceyTys]

Hello!

I am coming from a 2014 BMW 335i xDrive. Test drove a S6 and I am in love. Due to cost I am looking to buy one used, possibly a 2013 or 2014.*

I have searched the forum for the past hour and am looking to educate myself on the following:

1. Other than coolant leaks from the turbocharger what are some common issues that I should know about?
2. How reliable has your S6 been? How much money in repairs have you had to spend?
3. Based on the first two questions, how strongly would you recommend an aftermarket warranty? If you have purchased on please let me know which one and the cost

I plan on going to an Audi dealer and asking for the service history before purchasing a S6 as well as looking at Carfax. According to consumer reports Audi is one of top 3 reliable brands in the world, but I still have doubts based on my brother's 2005 Audi A4 and my friends similar age A4. They both have had constant problems with things breaking.

Thanks!

If you can get one at the end of its warranty do it, just to make sure you don't have any issues. My 2013 just hit 50k, and only issue I had thus far was the coolant turbo leak issue. Fixed under warranty! 👍 Other than that, I've been trouble free.

[highPSI-S4]

I wouldn't have bought mine without it being CPO (purchased with 36k miles) unless it was super low mileage (Not my Daily driver).

All the moving, electronic parts this car has I sure wanted a warranty. Mainly for the Airbags. So far I'm happy with the car.

[goliath1]

Minor issues encountered. Window switch replaced, tranny flash to address lag, all fixed under warranty. No major issues. Was purchased with 20k miles as CPO and was major selling point for me. Peace of mind.

Traded it in and have a 2016 now. I say go for it.

[Aadel@E1motorsports]

My 2013 S6 has been solid except for on fuel pressure switch and a leaky motor mount. Both items were fixed under warranty. I have 49k miles on it now and I am purchasing an aftermarket warranty through Warranty Direct tomorrow. It will cover the car for another 4 years or a total of 100k miles on the odometer. My car has been tuned since 15k miles and has been a beast. You can't go wrong with the size and comfort of the C7/7.5 platform.

[mdloops]

My 2013 S6 has been solid except for on fuel pressure switch and a leaky motor mount. Both items were fixed under warranty. I have 49k miles on it now and I am purchasing an aftermarket warranty through Warranty Direct tomorrow. It will cover the car for another 4 years or a total of 100k miles on the odometer. My car has been tuned since 15k miles and has been a beast. You can't go wrong with the size and comfort of the C7/7.5 platform.

Would you mind telling me how much the warranty costs? Not sure if you got multiple quotes, but I would be looking for a 1-2 year warranty only

[Aadel@E1motorsports]

This was 4300.00 but it literally covers almost everything except for airbags and sealed beam headlights and tail lights. It also has emission coverage for things like PCV failure (which I have seen happen on these cars).

[mdloops]

This was 4300.00 but it literally covers almost everything except for airbags and sealed beam headlights and tail lights. It also has emission coverage for things like PCV failure (which I have seen happen on these cars).

Thanks for sharing. That is definitely a big investment, but it does provide you with great insurance.

[schaNYC]

My 2013 S6 has been solid except for on fuel pressure switch and a leaky motor mount. Both items were fixed under warranty. I have 49k miles on it now and I am purchasing an aftermarket warranty through Warranty Direct tomorrow. It will cover the car for another 4 years or a total of 100k miles on the odometer. My car has been tuned since 15k miles and has been a beast. You can't go wrong with the size and comfort of the C7/7.5 platform.

Do you need to worry about TD1s for after market warranties as well?

[schaNYC]

I bought CPO with 24k miles.. at 27k miles now. I avg 6k/yr (weekend driver). First real issue with car this past weekend. Got a EPC and CEL light and msg to keep under 4k rpm. Turns out my intake manifold(s) threw a code and dealer ordering new parts to fix. Seems minor and doesn't appear to be a common issue reported on AZ.

[Dguth]

Do you need to worry about TD1s for after market warranties as well?

I've got same question. Anyone have experience with this? I may look into getting an after market warranty just in case.


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[mdloops]

This was 4300.00 but it literally covers almost everything except for airbags and sealed beam headlights and tail lights. It also has emission coverage for things like PCV failure (which I have seen happen on these cars).

Not too shabby.

[Aadel@E1motorsports]

I've got same question. Anyone have experience with this? I may look into getting an after market warranty just in case.


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Audi Central Houston service department told us that they do not do spec actual scans for software on aftermarket warranties, but they do on Audi Factory and CPO warranty.

[Aadel@E1motorsports]

Thanks for sharing. That is definitely a big investment, but it does provide you with great insurance.

Exactly.

I coincidentally had a fuel pressure switch go out today! It's being taken care of under manufacturers warranty but at the same time Audi "TAC" (I think this is upper echelon Audi support for Audi Techs) told my service tech to go ahead and replace both HPFP. I can only imagine that the bill would have been astronomical if it was out of warranty.

OP, just so you are aware my car has APR stage 2 software, APR DSG software, APR downpipes, lowering module, HRE wheels and Roc Euro intakes.

I just flash my ECU to stock before warranty repair or service while it has been under warranty and have never had an issue with warranty work.

[mdloops]

So, been looking around and it seems that there is a wide range of prices and I am having trouble finding a search engine (cars,com as well as aggregators like autolist) that aren't missing a lot of cars in dealer inventories.

Basically, if I go to each Audi dealer website in my state I find cars not listed on the top search sites.

Does anybody have advise to somebody looking to find a great deal? Prices vary widely with most lower priced (no accident, 2013) models starting at $42k and going up to $52k

[Aadel@E1motorsports]

One of our customers is selling his stage 2 S6 in Houston for a great price.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...&modelCode1=S6

[mdloops]

One of our customers is selling his stage 2 S6 in Houston for a great price.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...&modelCode1=S6

Sorry. A modified car is not the best fit for somebody worried about reliability :). I am sure it is a great car. Good luck

[ericw.]

Sorry. A modified car is not the best fit for somebody worried about reliability :). I am sure it is a great car. Good luck

Stage 2 is only down pipes (a non moving part) and software. Shouldn't have any effect on reliability.

[mdloops]

Stage 2 is only down pipes (a non moving part) and software. Shouldn't have any effect on reliability.

Not to be passive aggressive, but I would like to get the discussion headed back to what will assist me in making a decision.

Are there any sites outside of the obvious (cars.com, autolist, etc) that are good tools for finding the S6 I am looking for?

[IceyTys]

Not to be passive aggressive, but I would like to get the discussion headed back to what will assist me in making a decision.

Are there any sites outside of the obvious (cars.com, autolist, etc) that are good tools for finding the S6 I am looking for?

I used Autotrader for my search, they have been around forever, and 99% of dealers use them. Then when you narrow your search to a few cars, you can go direct to the seller.

As for an extended warranty, check out Factory Discount Warranty. They quoted my $1400-$2200 per year depending on which level I chose. My understand is Audi dealers use this same company for their extended warranty provider.


GLWTS

[Dguth]

I used Autotrader for my search, they have been around forever, and 99% of dealers use them. Then when you narrow your search to a few cars, you can go direct to the seller.

As for an extended warranty, check out Factory Discount Warranty. They quoted my $1400-$2200 per year depending on which level I chose. My understand is Audi dealers use this same company for their extended warranty provider.


GLWTS

If I go the factory discount warranty way, given it appears to be an Audi based extended warranty, would the TD1 issue apply versus finding a different 3rd party extended warranty?


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[zcd2.7t]

If I go the factory discount warranty way, given it appears to be an Audi based extended warranty, would the TD1 issue apply versus finding a different 3rd party extended warranty?...

IMO, the best answer to this question was posted above:

Audi Central Houston service department told us that they do not do spec actual scans for software on aftermarket warranties, but they do on Audi Factory and CPO warranty.

[mdloops]

Good news. I picked up my S6 yesterday (2013 CPO w/51k miles). Time to start looking at new tires and a chip...

Car has summer tires....

[Packy]

my '13 S6 had a transmission leak first year causing it to shift VERY hard and delayed. I had the fuel door release actuator fail at 3 years. That's about it. Anything else the dealer would have fixed without me knowing.

Last month my radiator overflow was about empty but I'm not sure if that's from time or it's got a small leak (turbo issue).

Heck, I still have original brakes at 47K miles. Amazing considering the outer wear lip on the rotor is VERY deep.

Warantee is up in 5 months. Considering an extension, who are you all going with?

[mdloops]

It is CPO so the warranty is through Audi. Only thing I have noticed is that the exhaust smells weird. Not sure if that is normal or not, but definitely smells different than my BMW

[skooternb]

mdloops Congrats on that pick up! I love the Lunar interior but fear what my 3 year old would do to it. Let me know how it fares.

Great advice in this thread!

[Bassler]

mdloops Congrats on that pick up! I love the Lunar interior but fear what my 3 year old would do to it. Let me know how it fares.

Great advice in this thread!

I had mine coated and put a full seat cover meant for dogs on it (under child seats). Zero issues. I absolutely love how bright the interior is.



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[skooternb]

I had mine coated and put a full seat cover meant for dogs on it (under child seats). Zero issues. I absolutely love how bright the interior is.



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Good to know. What did you do for a coating? My brother also mentioned jeans possibly staining over the years.


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[Bassler]

Good to know. What did you do for a coating? My brother also mentioned jeans possibly staining over the years.


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My detailer has spent the last few years developing his own line of ceramic coatings which, after some initial skepticism, i stand by 100% and have it on all of my cars inside and out. http://qcarcare.com/q-complex-coatings/ I've spilled an entire venti latte in the front passenger seat and wiped it up with a microfiber and a little water from an old water bottle in the back. That is what really convinced me the value of it...

I can absolutely see how jeans would do that. My car had 36k on it when i bought it and you can see some slight blue discoloring but nothing all that noticable unless you're really looking for it. I have not noticed any change in that in the last 9 months.

Here is the seat cover. It fits well considering it is universal and the color actually matches the lunar silver fairly well too. At some point i'll either take it to an upholsterer or get out the sewing machine and trim up and put a finish edge on the bottom so that it can tuck under the seat and be super clean. For anyone with kids, i'd highly recommend this route.

[TheAudiLife]

It is CPO so the warranty is through Audi. Only thing I have noticed is that the exhaust smells weird. Not sure if that is normal or not, but definitely smells different than my BMW

We had one come in to the dealership where I worked because the exhaust smelled a little different. We didn't believe him at first but we're glad he brought it in because it ended up being a bad camshaft position sensor. Took us a while to figure it out but you might want to have the dealer check it out. Sounds funny but some good mechanics at dealers that know their stuff will do a "sniff test" if you ask them to. It can't hurt as long as you purchased the warranty.

[skooternb]

My detailer has spent the last few years developing his own line of ceramic coatings which, after some initial skepticism, i stand by 100% and have it on all of my cars inside and out. http://qcarcare.com/q-complex-coatings/ I've spilled an entire venti latte in the front passenger seat and wiped it up with a microfiber and a little water from an old water bottle in the back. That is what really convinced me the value of it...

I can absolutely see how jeans would do that. My car had 36k on it when i bought it and you can see some slight blue discoloring but nothing all that noticable unless you're really looking for it. I have not noticed any change in that in the last 9 months.

Here is the seat cover. It fits well considering it is universal and the color actually matches the lunar silver fairly well too. At some point i'll either take it to an upholsterer or get out the sewing machine and trim up and put a finish edge on the bottom so that it can tuck under the seat and be super clean. For anyone with kids, i'd highly recommend this route.

Thanks for all this info. Definitely making me reconsider.


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[mdloops]

Will do. Would I have to pay the $85 CPO deductible just for showing up at the dealer and asking service to take a look at the vehicle?