I've been eyeing the audis lately and have seem some mixed reviews on their dependability. My budget is more in the range of the 2012 model that still had the V8 or possibly leasing a newer model. However, it's not worth it to me if I am always having to take it to the shop. Also, there is no audi dealership where I live and would have to take it out of town to be serviced.

Just wanting to hear if anyone had any experiences.

I had an Audi A6 with the 4.2L V8. That engine sounds great and the car was pretty dang quick. Be aware that the 4.2L V8s from about 2004 on have timing chains on THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. The timing chain tensioners can and do break over time. I have heard of problems with them as soon as 70K miles and other cars that have 140+K miles with no problem. I sold my car with around 70K and it was running fine.

The reason I am bringing this up is if you need the timing chain tensioners replaced it is an $11K to $14K job. It's a shame because otherwise that V8 is awesome.

German is a Latin word roughly meaning "lolnoreliabilitywhatsoeverrunawayandbuyacamryalready".

Roughly.

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I had an Audi A6 with the 4.2L V8. That engine sounds great and the car was pretty dang quick. Be aware that the 4.2L V8s from about 2004 on have timing chains on THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. The timing chain tensioners can and do break over time. I have heard of problems with them as soon as 70K miles and other cars that have 140+K miles with no problem. I sold my car with around 70K and it was running fine.

The reason I am bringing this up is if you need the timing chain tensioners replaced it is an $11K to $14K job. It's a shame because otherwise that V8 is awesome.

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No joke? Well that alone seals it for me. I'll probably stay away then. It sucks cause I've been looking at those and the ats but I still like the Audi look better. Oh well appreciate the info.

2.0T and very happy. 40,000 miles, no hiccups. Time for new tires though. Drive a little on the aggressive side...damn sport mode.

The s5 today has a supercharged v6. It may not have a timing chain in the same location.

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The s5 today has a supercharged v6. It may not have a timing chain in the same location.

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It in fact does not. Timing chain problems ended around 2008/09ish.

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The s5 today has a supercharged v6. It may not have a timing chain in the same location.

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It in fact does not. Timing chain problems ended around 2008/09ish.

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Ok. That helps some. What other issues have been common?

Only problem I had with mine was it went too fast. Especially after the new pulley and tune.

But seriously, if maintenance cost is something you need to factor in on a car purchase, a $60k German car probably isn't for you.

LOL "Maintenance Costs" do not concern me. It's the dependability factor that does. Timing chain changes prematurely with timely servicing should not be considered. No one buys a car going in already factoring in 11-14K more to invest in a vehicle just to keep it running. Even for a 60K car.

Actually, timing chain aside, $10K to keep a $60K running over 10-12 years might very well be accurate.

Have you seen the prices the dealers charge for service? You'll go through at least 2-3 brake jobs, one pair of rotors, accessory belts, probably a set of spark plugs, maybe a coil or two, some sensors, maybe a valve cover gasket, an accessory issue, 2 batteries, coolant flush. Of course, most of that will be right after the new car warranty expires.

I guess it depends on how long you keep your vehicle. I think there is a 120K-200K range that the costs start to increase before tapering back down to small amount.

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The s5 today has a supercharged v6. It may not have a timing chain in the same location.

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It in fact does not. Timing chain problems ended around 2008/09ish.

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Sloan: Specifically did the timing chain issue end around 2008-2009 for the 4.2L V8 as in they fixed something in the design/materials of the guides etc? If so, heck I might try to find one of that vintage or newer.

Evan Aggie: Yes the maintenence on Audis Mercedes, etc is not cheap. I used to think that people with lots of money bought high end German cars and traded them after three years because they didn't want to look like a LOL poor with a three year old car. While I still think that is part of it, I think at least as much of a reason they trade them in is that the warranty expired and they want nothing to so with the car with no warranty.

That is why for instance you can buy a $100K E63 AMG for $35K after it is six years old with 60K miles.

I bought a used 2006 S4 in April 2011 that had the 4.2 V8 and had no mechanical issues but did have xenon headlight failure that was pricey. Bought it with about 30k miles and sold it with about 70k miles 3 years later. Was a fun ride.

I sold my 2006 S4 at 100k miles with no timing chain rattle, but the "little" repairs were starting to mount up. In the world of Audi, a leaking power steering line ($350 part) turns in to an expensive job.

I couldn't justify daily driving the car past 100k.

Here's some decent info about the timing chain issue:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/414598-B6-B7-S4-Timing-Chain-FAQ-Information-Discussion-Thread

My advice:

If you like the S5, check out the RS5. The engine is based on the 5.0L V10 engine, and it doesn't have the same issues as the S-line 4.2L V8 despite having the same displacement.

Here's a badass one in Austin:

http://tiny.cc/6srj7x

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LOL "Maintenance Costs" do not concern me. It's the dependability factor that does. Timing chain changes prematurely with timely servicing should not be considered. No one buys a car going in already factoring in 11-14K more to invest in a vehicle just to keep it running. Even for a 60K car.

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If you plan to buy a used Audi and keep it for a while, then you should probably put away a few thousand per year for fixing things, especially an S, which will have been driven hard before and after you get it.

I don't think German cars inherently have more issues than other cars, it's just that a $250 problem on a Toyota can be a $1500 problem on an Audi.

Could buy a like-new 2013 GT500 for close to $50k.