I've been looking at a 2004 Audi 2.7t S-Line, and besides it being gorgeous and in remarkable shape, I'm questioning the reliability. It is at a dealer, which does offer a bumper to bumper warranty (for $2000 of which I really don't have. ).

I've yet to actually see the car in person, but the CARFAX are clean, and I am not positive if they old many maintenance records of said car.

I'm really just asking of what I should look for when I go to see the car if it's solid or not, I know when I was looking at BMW's someone posted lists of things to do with the car, which could show known problems of if problems have been fixed. I was wondering if you guys had something similar.

And also, notorious problems and costs of those problems.

Thanks people.

More about the Car:

2004 Audi A6 2.7t S-Line
78k Miles
Brilliant Black
Simply beautiful, but looks can be deceiving.

I have read the sticky, just wondering if there was anything else.

 

It's an 8 year old car and they don't get traded unless there are problems or concerns about reliability. That said, ask the dealer for the service records. Take it out for a test drive and put 50-100 miles on it to force a CEL (if one is lurking). Make sure the tranny works well. You are also due for a TB somewhere between 70-90k, so factor that $1000 into the price. On the plus side, I have 206k on my A6 and while not problem free, it has not been unreliable given the mileage (alternator, cats, clutch/flywheel due to chipping; I am thinking it might be time for new shocks and a battery). If you have access to an indie shop that knows Audis, it may be worth $100 to inspect the car thoroughly. On your own, spend a lot of time in the cab and make sure every option and feature works - radio, windows, controls, A/C, heat, etc.

 

I have a 2004 A6 2.7T S-Line with about 123K on the odometer. Great car!! Audi supposedly improved the oiling to the turbos in '04, making that potential problem pretty rare. Not all cars get traded in because they have problems or are unreliable.

As noted above, you will be due for a timing belt soon if you buy the car. Make sure all the accessories work. Get some serious seat time in the car to make sure it drives well. Look very carefully at the bumper-to-bumper warranty. These are often just a way for the dealer to make more money. You may find that it only covers catastophic failures, not normal stuff that you might need to get repaired.