sdg003c

Hello,

new to to the forum and audi. I am looking at a 2013 S8 from an audi dealer in NJ. It has 66,000 miles and has been dealer maintained. Dealer asking $36,000.

Power train warranty for 3 years/36,000 miles is about $3,500.

I have been doing a lot of reading on the S8.

Seems like a pretty robust car except for a number of items such as the turbos.

Can people chime in with other issues they have had.

I know we can not look into he future but does it make sense to buy the power train warranty.

Coming from a 1999 MB E55 that finally gave up the ghost.

Thank you for all your help.

spdemon91

Get a copy of the dealer service records as well as carfax. Also, go here and type VIN in to see if any recalls are outstanding ---> · Audi Recall Services by Vehicle Identification Number

Major issue with that specific year and especially at those miles is turbos. Original oil screen most likely culprit. Dozens of cars have reported blown turbos and upon extraction, oil screen completely clogged up. Audi redesigned the screen to address the issue. Problem is getting to the part is a major job (approx $2,500 if done by dealer and changing out oil separator at same time). Oil separator also had issue with original design which was prone to failure and redesigned by Audi. Personally, I would see if the dealer is willing to replace oil screen, check valve & oil separator as preventative maintenance as outlined in attached TSBs. When the job is done, you will want to inspect the condition of the turbos to ensure they are in good working order and no major play. Also check the coolant lines to the turbos for leaks. That was a recall. Attaching that too. In any event, change oil every 5k, not every 10k as recommended by Audi.

The other known problem is the 1k/3k vibration due flex pipes on downpipes. This was something that could have been addressed under warranty by previous owner. Check the dealer service records. If they weren't fixed with the redesigned flex pipes, the vibration will be apparent any time the car is around 1k rpms (so whenever slowing down). Very annoying. Attaching that TSB.

Another major issue for me was the brakes. Brakes are massive and will stop the car on a dime however, they are super dusty and super noisy. There were several TSBs regarding brake noise so it seems it was a common problem. I negotiated to have the dealer change the pads to EBC Red ceramic pads even though the pads on the car were new. Couldn't be happier with the EBC Reds. Absolutely no noise and the dust level is about 20% versus the super dusty OEM pads.

Those are the major things that come to mind. Once you get those issues sorted out, it truly is an awesome car and highly recommend it. Be prepared for higher maintenance costs. Warranty would be a good idea. Best of luck.

spdemon91

Here are the TSBs referred to in previous post...