Audi S8 2000 to 2003 with 100k+ miles - Problems??...

[OrangeBob55]

Contemplating a few different cars at the moment for the daily commute, one of which would be a 2000 to 2003 Audi S8. Having kept a watching eye on available cars for the past few weeks, I have noticed quite a few with 100k+ mileages.

Now, I know that each car is different to the next, and I would always buy on condition, but my questions would be:
Are these cars really built to last?
What is a good mileage before major bills start hitting (e.g. engine, gearbox, suspension, etc)?
Are there any compelling arguements to pay the fairly significant premium for a car with half the mileage?

I will be doing around 25k miles per year, and would like to keep it for a few years, so probably looking at putting another 100k miles on the car myself.

I have no problem keeping the car regularly serviced, but would it be sensible to expect an S8 of this age to be capable of 200k+ miles without any major component wear/failure?

Any other help/advice welcomed! Cheers in advance.

[DavidY]

An A8/S8 is more than capable of that kind of mileage but it will cost A LOT to run, parts/servicing is not cheap

davidy

[Dr G]

Sadly, the gearbox is a real weak spot on these and very expensive to sort.

If they in any way do not shift or select as they should (or have missed stamps/back street stamps) just walk away.

[Plotloss]

Gearbox, car radio aerial oddly (actually not an issue on the facelift cars), dont let sellers give you the 'couple of car park dings it will be £50 to sort it' it wont.

Electrical gremlins can manifest themselves which are a pig to find as its an inordinately complex car electrically speaking

Depending on budget, if you search Autotrader for S8s Oscar Goldman have a final edition S8 at around £15K that looks like it has been loved liked a first born from the pictures.

[VictorMeldrew]

Dr G said:

Sadly, the gearbox is a real weak spot on these and very expensive to sort.

If they in any way do not shift or select as they should (or have missed stamps/back street stamps) just walk away.

... which is why I recently got offered £300 for my mint 97 A8 2.8 sport - the box has been in "limp" mode for the last two years. Still managed to put 15000 miles on it stuck in third, and it drives beautifully, if a tad slowly when pulling off uphill!

Random electrical glitches over the last few months mean its days are numbered, but I've been saying that since the box played up!

I put the problems on mine down to parking on a slope. There was a redesign to the seal/lid of the big box of electrical trickery under the bonnet apparently, (which mine missed out on) and rain was seeping into the box and sitting in a pool, unable to get out except by osmosis down the cables to the fuse box in the passenger compartment. The state of some of the connectors (ECU for example) when this was discovered wasn't pretty.

105,000 miles BTW. Many do far more miles without problem. Been contemplating replacing with a 2000 S8 myself as it happens. Oscar Goldman does seem to get nice "Final Edition" versions quite regularly.

Major bills come at 70,000 mile intervals when the cam belt replacement is required. I suspect its not coincidental that you get a lot advertised just after the first one of those!

Edited by VictorMeldrew on Friday 16th November 18:22

[DavidY]

Despite my and others negative comments, someone local to me has a 3.7 A8 with over 300k on the clock, no gearbox issues, but he does get through an awful lot of suspension bushes.

Agree with Plotloss about electrical issues, mine was a real nightmare

davidy

[RS4john]

Dr G said:

Sadly, the gearbox is a real weak spot on these and very expensive to sort.

If they in any way do not shift or select as they should (or have missed stamps/back street stamps) just walk away.

This is as you say the main problem, I covered 147K in my "S" 1999 model and at 104K the box torque converter went, the cost was £2500, and the car ran on for me trouble free to as said 147K, I sold the car to a lady and she still drives the car (with NO problems) with 190K+ on the clock.
The front bushs were a problem also, but not to frequent from memory.

[SJobson]

My 2000 S6 (same engine, slightly different state of tune) wore out its valve guides so much that, by the time it had done about 95k miles, it was reducing the oil level from max to min on the dipstick in 200 miles. I investigated having them replaced - turns out the guides are integral to the head and can't simply be replaced, so I had two new heads fitted (total bill about £5k including labour). The most interesting thing was that my independent chap found a supplier who provides quite a lot of heads; it's not just a one-off problem, it seems.

Equally it doesn't affect every car, and I don't know how hard mine was used before I bought it at 79k miles. I've not had any similar problems with a 140k mile E34 BMW 530i or a 126k mile E39 540i since, though, nor heard of anything like that.

[OrangeBob55]

Thanks for all the responses. I wanted to canvas some opinions on potential problems, and it looks like gearbox and electrical are the two big ones to look out for.

I will go on the basis that as long as it all seems to be working as it should, then that will at least mean that I don't buy an immediate lemon! I always buy on condition, and am a strong believer that if someone has looked after a car well, it should bode well for it's future reliability.

But better to go into these things eyes-open, and at leat I now know that there is a certain level of risk in particular with the gearbox and electricals.

[OrangeBob55]

With the Bushes, are these just a weak design? - Can you get better after market replacements, or is it just best to replace with OEM?

[Number13]

I bought a 2000 S8 with 100k up in May this year, and have been very happy wafting (honest officer!) for another 8k since then (srvice inicator has just come up and it's going to an independant workshop next week. I had a headlight level sensor warning come on, and i've just realised that the heated rear screen doesn't !

Other thing that has just manifest itself is a rattle in the exhaust, which i suspect is the cats! On the rear screen front (sic) has anyone come across this before and if so got any likely causes? (no it's not the fuse). I'm also suspicious that the front one doesn't work either, but given that it's automatic based on tempreature (IIRC) then difficult to test.

[Cavey]

Just bought a 2002 A8 4.2 Quattro, LWB. Not quite the S8 I know but:

Car has 114k miles on it. I've had a few high mileage cars over the years, but this one drives so well it has amazed me. It is a two owner with FSH, and I reckon has been driven carefully as a chauffer car, but really you'd think it had only done 40k.

Now it'll go and bloody break down I suppose

[VictorMeldrew]

OrangeBob55 said:

Thanks for all the responses. I wanted to canvas some opinions on potential problems, and it looks like gearbox and electrical are the two big ones to look out for.

I will go on the basis that as long as it all seems to be working as it should, then that will at least mean that I don't buy an immediate lemon! I always buy on condition, and am a strong believer that if someone has looked after a car well, it should bode well for it's future reliability.

But better to go into these things eyes-open, and at leat I now know that there is a certain level of risk in particular with the gearbox and electricals.

You should be aware of the "debate" over the gearbox. The Audi position is that its effectively sealed for life, and the oil shouldn't be changed. There is an opposite view that many problems that do manifest themselves with the 'box are down to this policy, and that the oil should be flushed (twice, theres a big sump) every 30k miles and refilled. Many 'boxes with terminally incurable mechanical failures have been restored to full health simply through an oil change. One or two have developed faults immediately after such a procedure, as it flushes cr*p that was settled back into the works and jams something, but these are exceptions.

If I get another I will be making sure it has a bi-annual transmission oil change. Personally I can't see how anything can be expected to survive 200k miles on the original oil. The cynic in me suggests that having given the car a body that will never rot away there had to be some other built in obsolescence factor, and the gearbox is it.

[RS4john]

VictorMeldrew said:

OrangeBob55 said:

Thanks for all the responses. I wanted to canvas some opinions on potential problems, and it looks like gearbox and electrical are the two big ones to look out for.

I will go on the basis that as long as it all seems to be working as it should, then that will at least mean that I don't buy an immediate lemon! I always buy on condition, and am a strong believer that if someone has looked after a car well, it should bode well for it's future reliability.

But better to go into these things eyes-open, and at leat I now know that there is a certain level of risk in particular with the gearbox and electricals.

You should be aware of the "debate" over the gearbox. The Audi position is that its effectively sealed for life, and the oil shouldn't be changed. There is an opposite view that many problems that do manifest themselves with the 'box are down to this policy, and that the oil should be flushed (twice, theres a big sump) every 30k miles and refilled. Many 'boxes with terminally incurable mechanical failures have been restored to full health simply through an oil change. One or two have developed faults immediately after such a procedure, as it flushes cr*p that was settled back into the works and jams something, but these are exceptions.

If I get another I will be making sure it has a bi-annual transmission oil change. Personally I can't see how anything can be expected to survive 200k miles on the original oil. The cynic in me suggests that having given the car a body that will never rot away there had to be some other built in obsolescence factor, and the gearbox is it.

This is correct, 40K is the recommended change period outside the "Audi stealers network" get an "Autobox" specialist to do it they know how to flush out the oil completely.

[timshap]

I've had a 3.7 quat sport for over 4 years now and would say that it is infinately better built than an S Class Merc esp the interior which is rock solid...
I noticed one comment about the bushes and have developed not movement but a bit of a rattle on rough ground which feels and seems like front end bush wear..Could anyone tell me which ones to look at..
I done the gearbox rebuild at 60k funnily some 10 k after an oil flush!!

Thanks