chipsterguy

My wife and I went shopping for a used A6 this weekend, and drove home with a CPO'd 2014 A8L 4.0T. To say I am floored about this car is an understatement. What amazing build quality, technology inside and out, ride, engine, everything. This is truly an amazing vehicle, even 4 years old with 35k miles on the clock. Completely smitten with this vehicle - my heart has been won over!

Have to admit though, somewhat concerned maintenance and reliability. My head is slightly aching!

It was purchased a bit on a whim as I had no intentions of purchasing an A8L. Went to test drive a couple Audis - SQ5, but really wanted a sedan, and was really amazed by the A6's we had test driven. Drove a really nice CPO A6, but it was making excessive tire noise, and upon exiting the vehicle after the road test, discovered that it had Blizzak snow tires. As a CPO'd vehicle, the dealer failed to prep the car with the proper tires. I really wasn't interested in purchasing the A6 and then plunking down another $1,000 + right away for new shoes. So upon strolling through the dealership's lot, the A8L was sitting right there. And really not significantly more money that the A6's we were looking at. So we hopped in, took it for a spin, stomped on the gas a couple times, and honestly was not able to wipe the smile from my face for some time.

BTW, we also looked at Lexus (GS 350 and LS 460). My head says Lexus is very reliable, but honestly, they do not hold a candle to the pure driving experience of any Audi.

So... we purchased the CPO 2014 A8L 4.0T without having done too much homework, not aware of reliability and common maintenance for this vehicle... and have been trying to get a better handle on this.

I would really appreciate insight from other Audi D4 A8 owners, their experiences both good and bad!

Psy Wagon

If you are CPO not too much to worry about for now. Depending on driving habits you will probably need brakes in the near future. Stock pads dust horribly so look to upgrade.

LexusLSguy

PCV and downpipes seem to the most common. But since you have a cpo relax and enjoy the car.

chipsterguy

I've seen that both are $2K each to repair / replace. Hope mine go within the next two years

LexusLSguy

Another good idea is to do your oil changes closer to 7 or 8k miles. 10k is too conducive for carbon and sludge building up in the engine. Now that winter is pretty much over cold starts are not quite as cold but what works for me and others is to do the following. About 500 miles before your next oil change put in a quart of MMO into your crankcase. Be careful not to overfill. May want to suck a little of the old oil out if too full. This will help a lot to clean the internals. You can also do the flush at the oil change but I find the longer / slower method of using MMO is more effective. Mobile 1 EU formula is great oil for money too boot. You also don't need to go to the dealer for oil changes to maintain your cpo. I do them myself as it's super easy and saves me 70% over dealer prices. Just use the right oil / filter and save your receipts.

I also use Liqui Moly's friction reducer to help provide extra protection during cold starts. If you notice a bit of valve clatter when you start the car in the morning after sitting all night using such a product will help. First clean the car internals then use the additive with fresh oil. The two products I listed are not some miracle cure or anything super special but work very well when used appropriately. Cold starts account for up to 90% of engine wear in an engines life. All the more reason to keep that oil flow efficient as possible.

chipsterguy

LexusLSguy

Marvel Mystery Oil. Not really a mystery what's in it anymore. Been around forever and is an excellent product. It's a combination of friction reducers and cleansing agents. Walmart has it for cheap but the Liqui Moly product I order from Amazon.


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