Looking into purchasing an '03 RS6 with 34K miles...So far i have been told on Audiworld that the car has the following issues...
1)-DRC goes out pretty frequently...any truth to these claims ?
2)-The transmission seems to have regular issues too,esp the torque conv ?
3)-The engine needs to be dropped in order to change the O2 sensors esp the front one ?
So my question is,am i getting a car that would need constant maintenence and big dollars to keep it going ?
The 2 Audi service advisors that i spoke to told me that they have been servicing 7 cars locally with out any fuss...Only one car had one front shock go bad and another one had a torque conv issue..over all i was told the car is bullit proof .....
Please help me decide if it is a reliable car or not ?
Thanks

 

My dad used to have an rs6 and our car did not have any DRC or tranny issues (we had it from new to about 70k miles). However, you still need to take into consideration that this is a high performance sports sedan and will cost a lot of money even for regular maintenance such as brakes, timing belt, and even out of warranty service intervals. That being said, the rs6 is one of my favorite cars that I have ever driven. Even though it has its fallbacks (heavy, not well balanced), the car is truly special. My opinion is that if you can afford to maintain it, you will not be disappointed. I think the cost of ownership is easily worth it!

 

Ive done a bit of research on it, and I would not own one with out a warranty.

http://www.rs6.com/forum/

 

I've had my 2002 S6 since new, very similar to the RS6, and it's been no better/worse than any of my other new cars. Some things can be expensive to replace, like water pump, thermostat, belt. I've had no recurring problems. It's my DD, and it's a great car. I've heard from RS6 owners and shops that the DRC is more trouble than it's worth, and if/when they fail, shops swap 'em out for PSS9s or Eibach Pro-Streets. I've had zero transmission problems.

 

I love mine. I have read all the horror stories about the transmission and DRC. I have had mine for 10k miles (32k to 42k) and it has been trouble free. I have only needed an oil change. The service history showed DRC issues. If I have problems with DRC I will just switch to coilovers. Based on the research I've done, I would not own the car without warranty.

 

My car has been absolutely bulletproof over my last 15 months/11k miles of ownerships. No issues with DRC or my tranny. However, my car is not modified and i'll stay away from powertrain upgrades bc of the tranny.

However, the RS6 has many parts that can make its costs MUCH higher than the S6. My quote from the dealership for a F & R brake rotor and pads was $2,900. I got my fronts done at an specialty shop that works on Alfas/Ferraris and the owner laughed at me when he quoted me the $400/rotor price for the fronts . He was giving me a good price .

Having said that, I cannot imagine many better daily drivers than the RS6. This thing is roomy and puts down 450hp with ease and it will not lose traction. Last winter, I would put down one rear seat, pack it with 3 snowboards and headed up to the slopes over a dozen times. This thing is roomy, comfortable and eats miles like nothing! Having said that, I would not buy this car if you are looking for a backroads carving machine. Get the M5 for that. However, in most DD situations, the RS6 is AWESOME.

BTW, if the O2 goes, I think that is covered by the emissions warranty that is good for 10 yrs/100k. Due to high costs for any repairs, I got the Audi Pure aftermarket warranty. Thank goodness I got a deal