2016 Audi S3, reliable?

[Audihead12]

Hi Guys,

I am looking to purchase a 2016 Audi s3(pre facelift) and I just wondering,

are these newer audi's and I guess newer european cars still susceptible to excessive oil consumption? my old 335i used to drink oil like crazy.

also are Audi s3's generally pretty reliable? I heard the early models had turbo failures, did they fix that from 2016 ?

I ask because I want to do abit of road tripping in the future and I guess you could say I am a bit traumatised by my old 335i being so unreliable and drinking so much bloody oil that I had to keep a litre in the boot incase i got into trouble.

are newer european cars kind of getting a bit more reliable ?

Thanks in advance.

[twopointohtee]

My ‘16 has 72k now. Original owner, zero issues. Been stage 2 Apr since 20k. Just get to know the platform and keep up on the maintenance. Mine does not burn any oil between changes (5k), which seems to be a bit out of the ordinary for these, my old e90 drank a ton of oil lol.


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[MikTip]

Hi Guys,

I am looking to purchase a 2016 Audi s3(pre facelift) and I just wondering,

are these newer audi's and I guess newer european cars still susceptible to excessive oil consumption? my old 335i used to drink oil like crazy.

also are Audi s3's generally pretty reliable? I heard the early models had turbo failures, did they fix that from 2016 ?

I ask because I want to do abit of road tripping in the future and I guess you could say I am a bit traumatised by my old 335i being so unreliable and drinking so much bloody oil that I had to keep a litre in the boot incase i got into trouble.

are newer european cars kind of getting a bit more reliable ?

Thanks in advance.

Reliable...My 2004 Audi A4 1.8t was reliable! Well over 100,000 miles with zero issues.

The S3 is a different animal....a VW? MQB platform. An expensive Volkswagen...

The gearbox needs its oil changed every 40,000 miles. Unless you have the newer 7-speed which oil gets changed every 80,000.

The rear Haldex needs its oil changed every 3 years...reguard less of miles. Use to be every 40,000...but VW changed it...

The engine has allot of plastic parts...water pump...thermostat housing...radiator...intercooler...

The fuel injectors have been updated by VW/Audi over a dozen times...as have allot of other parts.

The plastic PVC directs oil fumes back into the engine and they stick onto the intake valves...so the engine needs carbon cleaning...say every 50,000 miles...

Theres a PODS/Airbag recall that to this day Audi has not fixed....

Reliable....compared to what? My last Audi...No.

Compared to other cars of similar build???

Plus your in Australia...so these cars can differ from country to country.

Here in the USA ours do not have the second set of injectors(port) in the intake manifold...which helps reduce the carbon build up.

Mine uses oil. I suspect its the turbo hot side bearing and seal wear...

I bought new replacement turbo...

The very expensive electronic shocks dont last...mainly the fronts.

The oil pan is plastic....

The Bevel box holds 1 quart of oil...and makes noise after many miles..

[will13k7]

Keeping it past 10years/100k miles could need regular shop visits, but before that, mostly just regular maintenance visits, with an occasional issue if you are unlucky.

[yakev724]

I bought my 15 S3 with 105k miles and have in the past couple years taken it on multiple road trips, tracked it several weekends, and went stage 3 at 115k. Did have to replace the rear diff as soon as I bought it but $400 + 1 weekend of work in the garage and all good.

If you ask on these boards you're going to get biased responses. It's basically a Golf R so the mk7 golf boards are a good resource to supplement with. If you're slightly mechanically inclined and understand the need for preventative maintenance (and maybe have plans to get more performance out of the car) the platform is second to none for value.

[hev702]

Mine had water pump and haldex at 30k miles. Since then, no other issues. Following the maintenance plan and oil changes every 5k. A bit over 50k now, 20k of it has been tuned.

[Spinnetti]

Mine is close to 90K. Doesn't burn oil, no issues to speak of so far but there's a clunk somewhere in the front end and the vent air director not working right. Other than that, just regular maintenance, and I'm running quite a few mods. No complaints, though my old A4 did 145k at stage III with no issues and looked new inside and out when I sold it 14 years later....

[S3_Miles]

Mine is close to 90K. Doesn't burn oil, no issues to speak of so far but there's a clunk somewhere in the front end and the vent air director not working right. Other than that, just regular maintenance, and I'm running quite a few mods. No complaints, though my old A4 did 145k at stage III with no issues and looked new inside and out when I sold it 14 years later....

Wonder if that clunk is what my S3 had. Ever replace the control arms? The S3 Control arms have a gap in the bushing to allow a little more compliance in ride and movement...bit they wear out and then clunk/squeak/clunk. I replaced mine with RS3 arms and all the better now.

OP - I have 51k on my 2015, mild chip tune, uprated coils and plugs but otherwise stock set up on the drivetrain. No oil consumption. Oil changes every 7500 I do myself. Swapped all fluids in that mileage at some point at least once (Haldex, DSG, etc). Like the others said - just do regular maintenance

[Spinnetti]

Wonder if that clunk is what my S3 had. Ever replace the control arms? The S3 Control arms have a gap in the bushing to allow a little more compliance in ride and movement...bit they wear out and then clunk/squeak/clunk. I replaced mine with RS3 arms and all the better now.

OP - I have 51k on my 2015, mild chip tune, uprated coils and plugs but otherwise stock set up on the drivetrain. No oil consumption. Oil changes every 7500 I do myself. Swapped all fluids in that mileage at some point at least once (Haldex, DSG, etc). Like the others said - just do regular maintenance

Yeah, last things on my list to check are the control arms and tie rods. It tracks straight and true at any speed I care to go (hands off wheel), so putting it off for now. Eventually will replace the control arm bushings with the RS3 bushings but not in a hurry. Its not a good a car as my old B6 but its mighty quick.

[DumpsterRatz]

I still have a 2016 S3 and it has 140k miles. it has been a roadtrip car and it is such a good car. no problems besides the damn PODS.

I bought a RS3 recently because a good deal popped up and I couldn't not buy it , but I was content with my S3. I like driving the Rs3 more except if im going somewhere w bad roads. The S3 though is still special, and I don't want to sell it. It's such a good car and is interesting in it's own way different than the more serious rs3.

[jvanase]

I've got a 2018 and it has spent more time in the shop than all of my other cars in my entire life combined. Had to replace the turbo and intercooler at 48k, front wheel bearings around 40k, new front seat assembly (open/active recall), pre-sense required a full recalibration, and also a software flash on the transmission control module. It currently has 49k on it.

Also as others have mentioned the maintenance schedule is aggressive, especially compared to my F150 where things like fluids are good for 120k.

[noseyp]

I have 2015 S3 with 75k miles that I've owned since new. I had the following issues none of which caused me to regret owning the car:

1. Timing chain cover starting leaking and required replacement. I had a CPO and this was replaced under warranty (~60k miles)
2. 3 of the 4 wheel speed sensors failed around 70k miles. One under CPO. The other two after warranty. When the third failed I also replaced the fourth. ABS and TCS require wheel speed info to work so when one of these fails your entire dash lights up with issues.
3. My rpms hunts / moves up and down at cold start idle so will replace the OEM ignition coil packs shortly.

My car was stock through 70k miles and now it is stage 2. Audicare through 70k miles of service.

[Benji00]

I have an APR stage2 2016 with 122k on it. I've proactively changed fluids at or before the recommended intervals. New plugs often. No carbon cleaning. The sunroof rattles a little. It's been an amazing car.

[whites3NJ]

I'll chime in as I have 130,000 miles - this car has not been easy/cheap to maintain. I have done a ton of stuff to keep up with it. I have listed it out previously. I love the car but acknowledge it needs a lot of time and effort to maintain...coming from a Honda..

other than brakes/rotors/oil changes/tires/dsg fluid/spark plugs

Steering rack - $2,000 part, $500 labor
all 4 electronic struts $2,500 parts, $600 labor
all 4 wheel hubs $300 parts, $500 labor
control arms...twice $250 parts, $250 labor
wiring harness in trunk (common issue) $1,200 parts and labor
3 (!!!) door lock actuators $150 parts, $750 labor
2 water pumps (common issue) $200 part, $700 labor
timing seal cover $300 parts, $300 labor

Thats $10,500 for OUT of warranty stuff ....it would be close to $20,000 at dealership. This does not include all of the fun stuff I still have to do soon...add in maintenance and we are close to $15,000

and a ton of little odds and ends (shift knob - common, window trim gasket seal, speaker cover)

Now my prices are with my mechanic and buying parts. My mechanic is very cheap. Any normal euro mechanic or dealership will be double the price.

Again...this is me being honest. It's a pain to maintain but I do love the car. My wallet does not.

[ryan_sn]

2016 S3 with 150,000kms
Have been Stage 2 for about 2 years now.

Only major issue i've had is the water pump failure with subsequent coolant leak. Fixed for $800. My car does also burn through a lot of oil, but it's likely a combination of spirited driving and my tune. Other than that it's been rock solid.

[whites3NJ]

2016 S3 with 150,000kms
Have been Stage 2 for about 2 years now.

Only major issue i've had is the water pump failure with subsequent coolant leak. Fixed for $800. My car does also burn through a lot of oil, but it's likely a combination of spirited driving and my tune. Other than that it's been rock solid.

Good to know. My also burns a hell of a lot. 1 quart every 1,000 miles - 1,500 miles. Are you going to do anything about it?

Are you going to replace your timing chain out of maintenance. I’ve heard these 2.0s although updated still can have that issue.