hey guys.. im looking into buying a 2005 a8 short body version. 50k miles. the car looks great and has no issues and think i can get it for a good price. i was just wondering what i should look for to see what has been done or stuff that is a know problem? i plan on only putting some nice wheels on it and maybe lowering it alittle. any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Make SURE you get a complete service history. My early '04 A8L has had of $35K worth of maintenance done, including a new engine at 95,000 miles. Make sure you get an extended warranty to 100K miles. I used Automotive Product Consultants. They had a Platinum program that covered almost everything. 866-224-4953 Ask for Paul Rieke. Their prices were NOT the lowest. Their coverage was better than Audi's by a great deal.

 

Definitely get an extended warranty... everything on an A8 / S8 is expensive to repair. Suspension and transmission issues are the norm on most Audis. Engine is usually bullet proof as long as you don't lose a timing belt (replace at 80K miles). Timing belt is pricey to replace and will not be covered under warranty normally (about 1200 to 1500 dollars). They are great cars and I would buy another one in a second even with the potential issues

 

My timing belt replacement cost was $2100 at 75,000 miles. I had to have my engine replaced at 95,000 miles. Total maintenance at 97,000 miles...$38,000+.:ma d: My out of pocket cost ~$6K Extended warranty picked up the balance.

 

Why did you have to have the engine replaced?

 

The engine blew up taking out two pistons, crankshaft and core. $12,200 for a new long block.