Hi group,

I am thinking about buying a 2001 S8 with 150,000 miles on it. The interior and exterior appears to be in good cosmetic condition. I have not taken the car for a test drive yet.

I am a current owner of a C4 S6 and A6 and do my own routine maintenance such as oil, plugs, brakes, etc. but know nothing about the reliability, typical problem areas and things to look out for when purchasing an S8. I know parts and service for the S8 are expensive.

Can anybody who has had a 2001 S8 (or A8 since this is the A8 forum) for more than 150,000 miles please advise me what I should look out for when I do my own Pre-Purchase Inspection? Typical mechanical/electrical gremlins inherent to this model year S8 and/or general comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Jay, I have owned a 5000, a V8 Quattro, an A8, and I currently own an Allroad and a 2001 S8.

The S8 has easily been the most impressive car I ever owned. I have had the pleasure of driving most high-end performance cars and afterward I always smile when I get back in the S8. It is fast, handles well and feels very solid.

Mine has 170,000 miles on it. I had to rebuild the transmission at 140,000 and that costs about $3800.00. You will go through brakes and tires a lot faster, it is just too tempting not to drive it. I prefer the Michelin Pilot Sports, as they do not squeak when I pass Mercedes and BMW’s on the outside.

All in all, they age much better than the A8’s…the roof liner stays adhered better, and the Recaro’s seem to be made of better leather. Mine has Nav, heated seats, and the Solar Sunroof which vents the car and trunk with cool air if it sits in the sun. I am toying around with the idea of getting a W12, the only thing I can see following an S8 with. That’s what I was looking for when I saw your post.

If you want to contact me I can get Ingolstadt West to pull the repair records so you can get an idea what it costs to maintain an S8 in pretty much impeccable condition.
hcook@cookcommercial.com

 

Thanks 5000V8Q,

What were the symptoms that lead to the $3,800 tranny rebuild? Any warning signs at all or did it just fail one day?

 

I tend to drive the suckers for a while so I have put a LOT of miles on my past Audi's. I racked up a quarter million on my V8 Quattro and I finally had to part with it. God I miss that one.

I put a trans in the V8Q, the A8 and the S8. They all went between 135k and 145k. The warning signs on the A8 and the V8Q was a whining noise, more promenant in the morning, particularly a cold morning, that was RPM related. It also had a rotational scratching sound that sounded like a throwout bearing going. In the later days there was a bit of a rough shift and finally some slipping. The S8 was fine one day and then poof.

The Trans is not rebuildable by just any Trans shop. You need to do your homework. On my S8, because my ears are tuned to it I can still heard a bit of gear whine after the rebuild. The shop said that was just part of the deal as gears need to break in and seat a bit. They offered to extend my warranty to make me feel better. So far I think they are right as I do not notice the noise anymore.

if you email me at my work email, I will shoot you my phone number and you can call me. I can tell you what else to look out for. hcook@cookcommercial.com