MP4.2+6.0

I think people don't want to deal with it in general and have heard how it costs >$1000 if you don't DIY it, which few average owners probably are up for.

The 4.2 interval in fact used to be 90K miles. When I bought my 2000 A6 4.2 that is a very similar set up to the D3 motor, it was 90K miles. Audi retroactively reduced it for most all its motors down to 75K, but never really said why. Of course, shortly before they did that, they conveniently cut their extended service plans then offered back to 65K max. (I had an old 75K one on the D3 W12 they discontinued for several years). And when Audi lowered the belt service interval to 75K miles, Honda had written checks on a recall for Accord and Prelude belt motors of well over $10MM. A decent guess is Audi factored that into cutting its belt interval, especially since it wouldn't cost them anything but might avoid another Honda type lawsuit. The Honda ones really did fail/suck BTW. Had both a close friend with a Prelude and my dad who lost an Accord motor, each due to a pretty low mileage failed belt. Years later my dad got a check for $4K for the motor as part of the big Honda settlement.

Net, if I were on a budget, I could see going to 90K or somewhat more on the 4.2 and not losing a lot of sleep, especially since it was Audi's prior 4.2 recommendation that it had used for years, and they never did any real service advisory or something similar saying there was any new real issue or data. You might be the unlucky 1 in 1,000 or 10,000, but the odds are probably small unless you go way overboard and also don't inspect it periodically at greater miles than recommended.

dvs_dave

No one likes to buy a car with an obvious expensive job needing to be done just around the corner. Just look at the "opinions on this A8 for sale" type threads and the advice given.

Unless the job has already been done or your car has already been discounted to account for it, then people will always use stuff like that as a bargaining chip. Put yourself in the buyers shoes and tell me you wouldn't do the same?

Jack88

That's exactly the sort of thing I use as a bargaining chip. It'd be silly not to. Needing expensive maintenance of any kind in the near future is always something that will negatively affect the value of a car.