Hi. New member here

I've been looking for a full-size sport sedan, and I've found that I can get into a 2001 S8 for a pretty reasonable price. But before I get ahead of myself I want to know: how reliable are these cars? What are some of the most common issues, and how much do they cost to repair? How available are spare parts? (Alternators, A/C compressors, etc.)

I've heard that some of these cars aren't the most reliable, but I would like to hear from people who have had experience with the car and the brand (I've never owned a foreign car before). I'm currently driving a 1991 Cadillac DeVille, which has got 130k on it, but it's still tight as piano wire. I'm hoping whatever I get as a 2nd car will prove to be just as reliable.

I was previously looking at a 2003 S55 AMG, but after hearing the horror stories about the reliability of the W220 S-Class, I decided against it.

Thanks in advance.

 

Look at the sticky in the A8 section, the body and transmission repairs will be the same as the S8.
However the one thing i will add right now thats not in the sticky is the 4.2L motor in the S8 is bulletproof, unlike the 4.2L in the S4.