Hi All,

I am planning on buying 06-07 RS4 does anyone know of any common problems or things to look out for with this model?

Thanks RUFone

 

Keep an eye out for leaking DRC Suspension like this:



If you are interested in making modifications, let me know and I can put some packages together for you.

Brian

 

i've been looking around for an rs4 myself although i'm not sure i'm going to pull the trigger. the car seems to be very reliable so far, with the drc suspension leak the only known major issue. if you want some info on pricing on what i've seen pm me. oh, and i think the rs4 was only available in the states as an 07 and 08 model...no 06 and no 09. there are still some new ones around with big discounts and i've seen some nice used ones as well (a couple here) but pricing of used ones has tended to be difficult as many of the sellers refuse to believe how far prices have fallen.

 

Hi Brian and Cohenfive thanks for the info. Is this a major problem? Can you feel the difference in handling and is it expensive to fix? Does this mean car was driven hard?

Brian i will consult with you when the time comes in a month after finding rite car.

thanks

 

Here is the thing with the DRC problem... It isn't a huge wide spread thing however there have been some pretty vocal people talking about it and their issues / fighting with dealers to get it fixed. Audi has not admitted fault yet with what is considered by many to be a faulty design. How many have failed, I do not know but I do not think it is a huge percentage of the cars out there RS4/6 wise. There does not seem to be mileage indicator of when a failure might happen. Some cars had thousands of miles on them before leaking while other have had less than 1000. In the pic I posted above, you are seeing what is the 3rd time this suspension has failed where all parts at all corners have been replaced twice already as a full for even 1 leaker. This shock lasted about 300 miles. The easy no headache fix is to replace the whole suspension with something from Stasis for example. I have done several of their Motorsports fully adjustable kits:



In this pic you see the H-Sport Sway Bars and the coilover portion of the Stasis MS kit.



This is where the remote resivior body is installed.

Some of my favorite parts to put on the RS4 are:
Either Milltek, LaBree, AWE Full Exhaust Systems
(Much easier install than B6/7 S4 for Downpipes, jackstands and hand tools can get it done)
H-Sport Sway Bars
Stasis Suspensions
JHM Shifter

Brian

 

That is a nice kit and that is something i would do first. What does it cost and is the height and ride quality adjustable?

thanks

 

i think it's a pretty major problem and has been well documented all over the audi forums. the rs6 had it as well, and evidently other car companies have had issues with their equivalent systems. i think in any car (other than new) that you inquire about you should ask if it has had drc issues. this is an item fully covered by the factory warranty, and in some cases (i think in the uk) audi has extended the warranty on the suspension as a result. some guys have gone to installing aftermarket coilovers in order to not have the issue. since it's covered by the factory warranty it wouldn't stop me from the car (lack of money would however), but it is something you should know about and ask about.

 

I should probably just repalce it with aftermartket kit like the one Brian reccommends.

 

When Stasis contacted me some years ago now when they first got their kit out to see if I had any clients ready to make the jump, I had 2 and the kits were enroute to me. This however was not before I grilled them as to the $3895 kit cost and what made it so exspensive. The guys over at Stasis who I know well said, "Brian, we can talk about it till we are blue in the face, just buy it and tell us what you think, if you or your client isn't blown away, we will take it back!!" Please note that this is not normal in the industry, it is one thing if there is an issue with a kit, it is another if the manufacturer says they will take everything back if we were not completely thrilled and happy with it on top of a promised faster track time!!!

As far as ride goes, this kit is worth every penny and it is not often I say that about a high end coilover kit. Jouce and rebound is fully adjustable with adjustment collars on both the coilover and the remote bottle. Once you get your street and track settings dialed in, it's party time!! Please note that I am talking about RS4's that also have H-Sport Sways either as part of the kit install or pre-existing.

Installation is pretty straight forward, just a few hours more than a standard coilover install due to bottle mounting and firewall notching etc...

If any forum members want to get into the Stasis MS or SL kits, I will cover the shipping and maybe more pending on what else you guys might need. Any other equipment that memebers want to get into, like I said before, I have been known to make it worth people's time to allow me to outfit their rides either on site at the shop or via shipping equipment directly to them for their own installs. I am always available so if you have further questions, fire away.

Brian

 

It's important to note that the SL kit is significantly cheaper than the MS kit, and is more than sufficient for street cars. It makes it a little easier to swallow a coilover kit when the price isn't almost $4,000.

As for DRC, I agree with what you said above. I don't think the problem is as widespread as it's made out to be on the forums, because after all, the forum community is already a minority for RS4/RS6 owners. That being said, I've got over 22,000 miles on my car and have had zero problems with DRC, or anything else for that matter (except for a faulty seat position memory module--replaced under warranty at 10k miles). The RS4 is a rock solid car and a pleasure to drive every day. You really can't go wrong. And aside from a supercharger kit from MTM or AWE/VF, you really can't go too crazy with mods (which is good in my opinion ). A simple cat-back exhaust swap, or the ECS H-Pipe mod, and some coilovers and you're pretty set.

I haven't modded my car at all, performance wise... and I'm 100% satisfied with it. Although a drop from coilovers and some wheel spacers would make it pretty much perfect.

As for pricing on the RS4's, I agree that it's hard for some owners to cope with the quick depreciation, mainly due to the economy. That being said, there are a number of prime example, high quality RS4's available in the low 50's, upper 40's. I think when you get down in the mid-low 40's you'll be looking at high mileage cars, or cars sitting on lots at CarMax or small used dealerships. The quality examples come at a small premium, but, you get what you pay for!

Good luck!
Brad

 

Yes, the Stassis SL is a much cheaper option and if they are half as good as the MS kit, it would be a great setup. I say "If" because I have only done the MS kits. Does that mean I won't do the SL's, of course not. Stasis makes some great hardware and would be confident in using any of their products I have yet to use, which at this point, isn't much, probably just the SL's at this point...

Brian

BTW, Out of my area people, shipping from me or any manufacturer is never a problem so whatever you guys may need for the Audi's or MB's, Kleemann Distributor too, let me know and I will take very good care of you.

 

I have ~26k miles on my '07 RS4 and no DRC issues. But then again, I switched to coilovers at around ~15k miles.

I've had a faulty fuel sensor, which was an easy fix at the dealer.
My suspension bushings are cracked and starting to squeak a little.
There is some occasional interior panel rattling coming from my gauge cluster area.
Nothing really big, and nothing that would keep me from saying that the RS4 is an amazing car.

I would definitely recommend getting the H sways and JHM short shifter. Makes the car a lot more fun.

Coilovers are also a great mod, and gets rid of any DRC issues. I would go with the STaSIS MS if you can afford it, otherwise the SL. I have KW's on my car, and while I'm happy with them, I only hear great things about the STaSIS coilovers.

Exhaust is a must. The exhaust note just sounds soo good with an aftermarket exhaust. Each brand creates a slightly different sound, so do your research! I went with GMG, and it is a great system. Loud around town, but quiet on the highway. Gives a nice tuned exhaust note.

 

Good read for a new RS4 owner.