I'm looking at getting a 00-01 S4, Ive been doing some research on their reliability ratings and found some mixed reports. Some people have had some major problems with their cars, while other people haven't really had too many problems with their S4s. Is it kinda hit and miss with the reliability, or do some people just take car of their cars, while others don't? Or are S4's just high maintenance all the way around.

 

They are high maintenance cars and they can be very costly to maintain but if you do it right at the correct service intervals and you don't beat the car at every chance I think they can last a long time.

 

I bought mine brand new in december of 2002 and it has an APR chip, 007 DV's,(chip and dv's put in at 10000 miles)timing belt doneand 74000 miles on it and It is maticuisly (sp) maintained. I have never had a problem with it.

Like flip said take care of them and dont run the **** out of them every chance you get and they will be great cars. PS, if you cant afford to drop atleast a 1000 on them at any time probably not the car for you.Good luck with your purchase.

 

Make sure the timing belt/water pump job is done at the right interval. That is an expensive repair if that goes.

 

Well the big thing that can and will go out at some point are the turbos. Mine went out at 65k and as you probably know getting them replaced is not very cheap.

 

They are as reliable as any other Euro Turbo car. Most big problems are from small problems that are not taken care of.
Just like any car, the faster you make it, the less reliable it will become.

 

The turbos really aren't as problematic as everyone makes them out to be. The biggest reason they go out is people chip their cars and don't upgrade the downpipes or exhaust system and the added heat and pressure from the increase in boost kills the turbos imho.

 

I love my S4 - but I don't see it as either a highly reliable or low maintenance car - not at all. IMO far too many things need attention (& break) on this car far too often and they cost far too much to fix. Knowing what I know now - and really thinking it through and examinign the numbers - I might never have purchased this car knowing the $ and trouble it has given me. Still - knowing all of that I just might hve still gone through with it - it is a real joy that is certain....and my I can't wait to get it back from the shop now - where it is getting a clutch replacement (after less then 1 year) and a new CV joint boot...

 

From your signature it looks like you modded your S4 pretty heavily and everyone knows that with more power and torque things break. That's why Hondas last forever, they don't make any of either.

 

I've experienced reliability issues all along the way and a great deal of the things that have failed on me are not on this list (silly little things like auxillary water pumps)...I've had brake cyliders die...I was going to start naming some things but I won't - it would take too long and it would make me depressed. I only went to K04s because my K03s crapped out for instance...and I've had everything from door locks to air conditionaing die. Right now my CD player doesn't work. Its never ending IMO.I've pretty much replaced the entire suspension and everything on the engine apart from the block...even then I replaced all the gaskets and more last year (had major oil leak into my transmission)....la la la ...