joojoo2915

So I have always wanted to get an Audi, and now that I am about to graduate college with a good job offer I have been looking more seriously at the B5 S4s. Today driving home from work I see a very nice looking 2001 S4 for sale on the side of the street. I live in a pretty small town so finding an S4 is a rarity (I was assuming I was going to have drive at least 300 miles to get one). I call up and find out the guy is asking for $10k - $11k because the car has a rebuilt title. According to him the car is from California and they ran over a curb so his uncle took it in and fixed it up.

To the point, I have purchased several vehicles in my life, so I understand the basics, but I was hoping to find out things to look for specifically? Is it even worth looking at a car with a rebuilt title? I would, of course, take the car to a mechanic if I decided to purchase it but are there things that I could look for before it even got to the mechanic point? Problems with B5 S4's that would be apparent? Anything else I should know? Thanks!

inliner311

the car could be anything from theft recovery to a major accident. If he ran over a curb, he must of did enough damage to have the car totaled by the insurance. He must of bought it back after the insurance company totaled it. If they just paid him out for damages then it wouldnt of had a salvage title. Also if he didnt have full insurance and paid to fix himself it wouldnt have a salvage title. Basically he definately bought it back after it was totaled so it could of had alot of damage. Ask for pictures of the damage.
My car has a rebuilt title but I bought it from a insurance auction and fixed it myself. It was a theft recovery and thats the only way I would ever own a rebuilt title, other ways you dont know the extent of the damage.
If you do still want it, look for differences in the paint and body. Bring a magnet along with a cloth, run it over areas of the body looking for bondo. It wont stick to the body with bondo on it. Ask for a list of parts replaced.

TS4F

I love mine, but it takes more money to maintain than a 5-diamond hooker.

Rebuilt means an insurance adjuster decided the damage was so severe that it couldn't be repaired for less than the value of teh car. Any other story ("My uncle hit a curb and was friends with the adjuster!") is total, complete bull****. There are LOTS of scammers buying wrecked cars, fixing them poorly, and re-selling them with false stories about their backgrounds. Believe me, there's a reason banks wont make a loan on a salvage car: they're just not worth anything!

So skip the salvage, and look for a "real" B5 S4. But keep in mind that with a B5 you'll spend anywhere from $2000 to $0800 each year -- depending on your luck -- to keep it on the road. And iff you can't afford to set aside $400/month for repairs, find something less brutally expensive, at least until you are more established in your career.

ATKS4

That asking price is too much for a rebuilt title, major SKIP

fussball.biturbo

otherwise, too many questions

sweed

if u have a good job, you can hang

NiceS4

2nd - I got a theft recovery (that I paid way too much for) and did the work myself

Audi's are addicting

after accidents sometimes the car will never be the same, and without seeing the damage before you will never know the extent to what all was damaged and if it was repaired well or not,

TS4F

There are undoubtedly exceptions, but recent graduates are probably not the best demographic for a B5S4.