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2005 Audi A4 / S4 / RS4 repairs by problem area

Engine (49%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (7%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (12%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (20%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (5%)

Other (5%)

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Chart based on 482 repairs.

See TSBs and recalls for the 2005 Audi A4 / S4 / RS4.

2005 Audi A4 / S4 / RS4 engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (10%)

$1000 - $2499 (15%)

$500 - $999 (14%)

$100 - $499 (26%)

< $100 (35%)

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Chart based on 194 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

75000 mi US $250	Intermittent starting problems due to faulty engine speed sensor. Repair pending approval by extended warranty provider. valve covers leaking oil. Also peeling and blistered paint. Extended warranty provider denied coverage because leakage "minimal," so not fixed. Upper radiator hose leaking coolant. repaired after approval for repair by extended warranty provider.
75700 mi	Crank position sensor replaced
106000 mi US $700	check engine light, engine began misfiring. Diagnosed as failed plugs and replaced all 8 spark plugs. Replaced valve cover gaskets to address worsening oil weeping.

51200 mi

Aux cooler pasenger side changed due to leaking.

47000 mi US $800	Replaced serpentine belt, pulley and tensioner Replaced valve cover gaskets
64000 mi US $135	Replaced valve cover gaskets, air filter and cabin filter

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58000 mi

Coil pack failure, all coil packs replaced under recall notice. Car was due to go in for the recall 7 days later, but one coil pack decided to fail prior to the repair appointment.

83000 mi	Slight smell of coolant when heat is on.
92000 mi US $1100	Valve cover gaskets need replacing
100200 mi US $1000	Oil gasket in V of engine was leaking. Need to take off throttle body replace oil gasket
106300 mi US $1400	Both lower front radiators developed leaks and needed to be replaced.

93500 mi

US $300

Replace valve cover gaskets (leaking bad), replace serpentine belt and related components as preventative maintenance.

99200 mi €450	part of wiring loom to ecu needed replaced water damage
110980 mi €5000	cam timing out, replace a whole bunch of parts, engine removal required to complete

80600 mi

C $2875

Clutch, flywheel, clutch release bearing replaced. Replaced with B7 parts, as they are considered an upgrade on a (B6) S4 with higher clamping load and a slightly lighter flywheel.

89000 mi US $1000	Fuel Pump
95000 mi US $65	Check Valve (Y-Valve)
93000 mi US $2125	Timing Components/Adjuster Valve stem seals. Clutch/PP replaced Valve Stem Seals Timing Components
93000 mi US $3500	When replacing valve stem seals, we noted that my exhaust valve couldn't hold pressure. Led us to do a compression and additional leak down test. Then confirmed bent exhaust valves, had to rebuild my cylinder heads. Cylinder Heads
94000 mi	Bad tensioner Bad Tensioner
96000 mi US $150	Crank Position Sensor?

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68000 mi

Pass cat replaced under emissions warranty.

62000 mi

Water pump replacement pending when sold. It was leaking a small amount of coolant, about a 3-4 oz. per week.

95000 mi

US $360

Replacement of Crankshaft Position Sensor. Intermittent no-start condition and a P0322 ECU code.

44500 mi US $220	Replaced a Coil Pack
47000 mi	Dealer replaced seven coilpacks due to recall.

67000 mi US $400	Both front O2 sensors showed varied fuel trims
68200 mi US $55	Coolant overflow tank developed a small crack at the top and was leaking coolant/steam after short drives, replaced coolant tank with Genuine Audi unit at a cost of $55 shipped.
70000 mi US $6	Upper coolant flange failed, part replaced

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136000 mi

US $180

Severe shaking from engine when accelerating, CEL. Was only a spark plug causing a misfire, throwing the CEL. Replaced all spark plugs.

98000 mi US $1428	Slow loss of engine coolant, but no drips or puddling. Turned out to be passenger side auxiliary radiator was coming apart at the seems, so had it replaced. Check engine light coming on, then going off a few days later. Trouble codes were for misfire in cylinders 1 & 2. Ignition and Fuel systems both checked out fine, but exhaust check showed passenger side catalytic converter was very clogged. car into dealer for 95K mile service. They found DTC's for failing radiator fan control module. However the car has not been running hot or giving any indication of issues with cooling fan. Dealer estimate of $703 to replace.
98000 mi US $2200	passenger side down pipe / catalytic converter severely clogged, causing DTC's and bad engine misfiring. Replaced entire exhaust system with stainless after market system for price of just the 1 factory down pipe.
98000 mi US $30	Plugs were badly fowled due to clogged down pipe on passenger side. The exhaust system had been replaced but afterwards the engine still did not run smoothly, so all spark plugs were replaced, which fully resolve the issue.

104000 mi

US $20

coolant expansion tank hairline fracture and leak

56000 mi US $50	Burning oil odor - valve covers replaced under warranty.
47100 mi US $500	Mass Flow Sensor had to be replaced
59200 mi US $1000	Crank position sensor replaced

56900 mi

US $120

After starting the (cold) motor, it rattled for about 2-3 seconds. Did an oil & oil filter change and changed from 5W30 to 5W40. After starting the (cold) motor, it rattled for about 2-3 seconds. Did an oil & oil filter change and changed from 5W30 to 5W40.

81000 mi

US $19000

Engine and clutch replacement. Engine had a crack in cylinder wall 1. Clutch replaced while engine was replaced as preventitive. No previous clutch failure.

56420 mi	Exessive oil consumption, car needs a new short block according to Audi. Audi has denied warranty but dealer paying since problem documented and started at 41k.
56420 mi C $2000	excessive oil use, engine replaced.
60140 mi C $2000	CEL codes P2097 Description: Post catalyst fuel trim system too rich P2098 Description: Post catalyst fuel trim system too lean audiwarranty.blogspot.com
61380 mi	Dealer has not been able to diagnose the problem, car still throwing codes after 200 to 400kms of driving. See my blog at http://audiwarranty.blogspot.com
61380 mi	Problem still ongoing, now starter is failing, that will be next repair. http://audiwarranty.blogspot.com
66800 mi	Actuator was stuck open and car would not come up to temperature, shop replaced faulty actuator problem solved. possible cause because car was apart for a long time waiting for short block at dealer for oil consumption.
66640 mi C $400	Failed crankcase regulator valve, caused oil leak from valve cover gaskets. Replace regulator will wait and see if valve cover gaskets need to be replaced.

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55000 mi US $100	replaced ECM relay
51000 mi US $1200	oil leak
64000 mi US $260	Replace 2 radiators. Main land left Motor mount

31000 mi	4.2 liter motor makes terrible grinding noise when starting. Audi Tech Bulletin advises this is normal and caused by a slow adjusting camshaft chain adjuster. Problem so bad no dealer will trade, and, no buyer will purchase car.
32000 mi	Loss of perfromance, would not shift out of 1st gear, stability control intermittent, no transmission safety switch (could shift into gear without pressing brake). Sensor replaced.
41000 mi US $550	Replaced valve cover gaskets
51000 mi US $2400	Right and left rear CO2 sensors

113000 mi

US $350

Serpentine belt failed due to oil leak on engine cam covers. Doing that fix leter.

70000 mi US $300	various hoses were leaking oil
90000 mi US $500	Replace valve seals Fuel valve at gas tank failure
106000 mi US $3900	Motor mounts Serpentine belt replaced
106000 mi US $1000	possible catalytic converter failure, has to go back in to further diagnose
107000 mi US $2900	Catalytic converters were replaced. I went with CARB approved Magnaflow after market products
108000 mi US $3000	Replaced valve covers New OEM clamps and hoses put in along with a coolant temperature sensor because everything apart already. Unbeknownst to me, a previous mechanic had replaced the OEM clamps and hoses with non-OEM items. My current mechanic noticed some wear and suggested replacement, especially with OEM.
111000 mi US $600	New radiator

49000 mi

US $85

Replaced coilpack

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54500 mi	replaced all ignition coils
63700 mi US $700	alternator belt & tensioner
95100 mi US $390	Low oil pressure warning light came on due to faulty switch.
102000 mi US $5200	valve cover gaskets, thermostat, radiator hoses, misc gaskets, drive belt

69000 mi US $6000	Corrected the known design flaw in the hydraulic cam chain tensioner and chain guides. Absent corrective action, complete engine failure ($12k) could otherwise result anytime between 55k and 130k miles. Also had a new clutch installed while the engine was out of the car.
71110 mi US $748	The ignition coil went bad on cylinder #8. Would have cost $278 to do just that one or, $748 to do all eight. I figured this first one was a domino and that the others would follow so we opted to be preemptive and do them all.

52700 mi	Crankcase ventilation valve replaced to resolve excessive oil consumption and leak from one head gasket.
53940 mi	Mild oil leak from headgasket, not severe enough and problem may be resolved because of replacement of crankcase ventilation valve.
55180 mi C $1100	Head gaskets in both banks of cylinders were replaced to correct oil leakage.

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88000 mi	Ignition coil packs failed on me - fourth one in two years.
117300 mi	stuttering upon hard acceleration
123000 mi US $12	Small coolant leak
127000 mi US $760	Hoses were disintegrating and falling off.
143000 mi US $70	Valve cover rubber gasket seal replacement as oil was leaking into the spark plug holes.
162000 mi US $450	Coolant leak at the front of the engine. Also changed timing belt at the same time as it was in the same area.
165000 mi US $50	Radiator hose connector failed causing coolant to leak profusely
166000 mi US $10	Coolant leak at the rear coolant flange and plastic coupler to the heater core. It was leaking about a cup a day, and I thought It was just loose, so I tightened the flange against the block as well as the plastic coupler. It still leaked.
167000 mi US $10	After the second repair in June, in July I replaced the plastic coupler between the rear coolant flange and the heater core. That fixed the problem. I believe the new flange I initially bought was of the wrong size causing the leak. Success!
172000 mi US $100	Replaced engine mounts. They were leaking fluid.
176000 mi	Check engine light came on for P0133 oxygen sensor. I reset it and it hasn't come back this month yet.
182000 mi	Leaking cooling system yet again from the back of the engine. The leak slowed, but not fully stopped. Will need to attempt again.

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52000 mi	Replaced all ignition coils.
70000 mi US $2000	Replaced defective seals and vacuum hoses
93000 mi US $800	Temp sensor and cracked cooling control housing had resulted in lost coolant Significant ongoing oil loss. compression test passed. Crankcase ventilation/pressure system failure suspected.
98000 mi	Still losing oil when last had it.

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49000 mi	Engine Coolant began leaking all over garage floor. Car was immediately driven to local Audi dealer. Same problem of Trip 1: Engine coolant leak that was unsuccessfully diagnosed/repaired on the original trip to the dealer.
55000 mi	Ignition coil failure. Replaced all six ignition coils.

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115000 mi US $150	leaks - oil. coolant low engine power
155000 mi US $700	continuous coolant leaks, heated motor

85000 mi US $650	leaking engine mount
89200 mi	valve cover and cam seals leaking; very minor oil leak so I won't repair now.
90000 mi	valve cover, cam seals, and broken hoses replaced to eliminate leaking oil and burning oil smell in interior.
96000 mi US $150	Check engine light indicated that cooling system temperature sensor had failed. It was replaced.
106100 mi US $650	Engine mounts replaced
114500 mi US $597	Flange on rear of cylinder head leaking coolant. Coolant flange replaced as well as temp. sensor and hose from flange to heater core.
125000 mi US $70	Ignition coil died. I replaced three by myself (I had done another a few months ago). Took me 10 minutes.

73000 mi US $2095	Thermostat, both electrical fans and control unit replaced.
75000 mi US $1935	Coolant flange replaced. Valve gasket replaced.
98000 mi US $1100	Both cooling fans failed AGAIN. Replaced.
103000 mi US $360	Coolant flange replaced for second time.

62000 mi

US $300

Replaced coil packs again after getting misfired (even though the car was already running the new 'revised' packs - version T.) The packs were about 18 months old.

70000 mi US $2000	Car had issues with the MAF and O2 sensor
80000 mi US $1400	Transmission Control Module failed, caused a check engine light. Covered under california emissions until 70,000 miles I am at 78,000.

64000 mi

US $150

ignition coil packs 2 of 4 failed.

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72000 mi	Loud rattles from under the car, drivers side. I'd hear it at about 2500-3200 rpm's. Turned out to be a busted support rod connecting/supporting both mufflers. The rod was welded back together and the problem resolved.
75000 mi US $250	Oil leaks found in driverway after vehicle purchase. Valve cover and tensioner gaskets replaced. Passenger side motor mount replaced due to leak.
76000 mi US $330	Worn coolant flange and o ring which was a result of a bad valve cover gasket that leaked oil down over the flange over time. Coolant temp sensor was also replaced.
92000 mi US $442	Driver's side motor mount replaced due to leakage of all hydraulic fluid. I did not notice much driving, I saw oil spots in the driveway and took the car in since the timing belt was replace about 2 weeks prior.

48000 mi	Ignition coil on cylinder 1 was replaced. Cost $0.00 since it's under warranty.
76000 mi US $50	Leaking coolant flange, replaced by dealer under warranty, out of pocket cost $50.
80000 mi	CEL Light went on for P0420 code. Replaced O2 sensor and had a vacuum leak and it fixed it.
85000 mi US $50	EPC light came on causing failed attempts at starting the car and rough idle.

84940 mi

C $2200

throttle body, intake gasket, and exhaust gas hoses replaced.

93500 mi

US $5000

Turbo blew

52000 mi

US $30

Replaced 1 Coil Pack

63000 mi US $10	replaced leaking coolant bleeder screw
68400 mi US $170	Timing belt,water pump and tensioners

23560 mi

C $386

regular maintenance plus replacement of two engine coils

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	Mileage unknown warranty Coolant sensor replaced, ignition coils replaced
	Mileage unknown/Warranty Thermostat replaced
39012 mi	Warranty Ignition coil replaced
42928 mi	Warranty Replaced coil TOWED
	Certified used car warranty Replace catalytic converter, replace fuel tank, replace coolant plug

129700 mi US $453	Coolant flange at rear of engine needed to be replaced due to cracking.
142000 mi	Bad temp sending unit for coolant.
134200 mi US $1000	timing belt, coolant leak: flange at the back of the engine was replaced.

145000 mi US $3400	Cracked cylinder head
158000 mi US $1900	Turbo went bad after wastegate stayed open, I hear this is a common problem for the 1.8t
159000 mi US $449	Update: took my car to another shop and they found it was a clogged PCV valve and my breather hose was the problem not the turbo saved 1500 on the repair that the dealer quoted me for
160000 mi US $750	Got me Cat replaced after CEL came back on still not sure if the problem is solved MPG has not gone back up, but only 1 day of city driving

42300 mi	Water Pump replaced under warranty. Pump was working but was making a noise.
46000 mi US $400	A Coil Pack shorted and caused the check engine light to come on. Since the incremental cost was marginal I had all four coil packs replaced.
58000 mi US $1200	Replaced Radiator due to pin hole leak.

78000 mi

US $3380

Water pump froze up, causing timing belt to skip, which, in turn, resulted in damage to 2 valves.

41000 mi	Coolant leaked below minimum level. Coolant warning light on. Added water to system and drove to dealer. Pressure test found coolant flange seal leaking. Coolant flange seal replaced.
60200 mi	Dealership installed leaky oil filter during previous maintenance. Subsequent trip failed to identify source of leak. They determined on this trip and replaced the filter.
65000 mi US $675	PCV valve was replaced. Caused rough idle and check engine light to flash

91000 mi

US $400

crank shaft sensor need to be replaced. was intermittently stopping the car from starting

65000 mi US $300	Ignition coils and spark plugs replaced due to multiple check engine instances flagging cylinder misfires. (in the end valve cover seal)
84000 mi US $100	New spark plugs due to continued misfiring. (in the end valve cover seal)
88000 mi US $700	Valve cover seal replaced because it was leaking to spark plugs causing previous failures.
121000 mi US $500	Cooling fan and ac condenser fan replaced
126000 mi US $2150	Thermostat and housing, $350 All vacuum lines under the intake manifold, $600 Crank Shaft Tensioner seal, $1200
126000 mi US $60	PCV Valve

103500 mi	Engine speed sensor
117000 mi US $200	Accessory belt pully Throttle body electrical connector kept getting water in it some how. This was shorting out. Car would not have any power and stall if floored. Had to cut off old connector and splice in a new one.
118400 mi US $110	Exhaust leak at flex joint

183000 mi US $1200	engine mounts replaced exhaust repair
183000 mi US $900	timing belt, water pump and hoses

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59000 mi US $50	Original turbocharger was going bad, & was replaced under certified pre-owned warranty without any further issues.
69000 mi US $50	Coolant hose adapter was cracked.

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124000 mi US $550	Oil leak from valve cover gasket
131300 mi US $150	Small leak on radiator, replaced it myself with aftermaket NISSIN radiator, direct fit and G12 Coolant
133000 mi	Leaking Driver side valve cover gasket. It was previously replaced by shop in Sept '15, and they replaced it at this visit free of charge under warranty.
139600 mi US $45	Car would sometimes not start when hot. (Cranks over, but not start.) Replaced the crank position sensor.
143000 mi US $225	Driver side valve cover replacement. Oil leak due to warped cover.

34720 mi	3 coil packs needed replacing.
50840 mi C $100	Water Pump replacement and 100000 KM maintenance Valve covers seeping oil
74280 mi C $3000	Valve cover gaskets replaced
79360 mi C $836	CEL - misfire on cylinders 2,3,6; replaced colipacks
90520 mi C $300	G62 Coolant Temperature Sensor replaced. MIL indicated low signal for sensor.
94240 mi C $600	Engine misfiring - MIL ON; 4 coilpacks diagnosed as faulty. replaced all 6 coilpacks on engine
96680 mi C $200	Nylon coolant tank hose connectoin broke off.
107880 mi C $800	Serpentine Belt Tensioner Replacement

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65000 mi US $30	One of the ignition coils failed. I was close to the dealership and was able to drive there. A total of four coils were replaced under manufacturer's recall. the remaining two coils had already been replaced under warranty.
86000 mi US $2150	Oil leaks from camshaft covers and sump. Gaskets replaced. Leaking coolant line, the subject of a TSB is leaking. Repair requires expensive intake manifold removal to get at source of leak so I've decided to live with the problem.
88000 mi US $850	Fuel pump failed while car was on freeway.
89300 mi	Significant coolant leak from cross pipe located under intake manifold. Will live with problem for time being.
92000 mi	Major coolant pipe had become brittle and degraded from heat and was leaking. Why Audi choose to use short life span parts baffles me. Pipe is under intake manifold so a heavy labor charge to replace it.
116000 mi US $400	Car has developed a bad oil leak from a crack in the upper sump. No known cause. Since the proper repair is an engine out job I'm investigating alternatives. JB Weld didn't work.

70000 mi US $700	Rear coolant crossover pipe.
88000 mi US $400	Crossover coolant pipe. Update, late October: already leaking again. "O"-ring going bad. It's about a 1-1/2 hour repair job for a $40 part and very tedious to get behind the engine block.

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48000 mi

US $5600

Car overheated. Long block replaced by dealer at owner expense at 49,000 miles (post warranty).

39060 mi

C $900

defective fuel pump

44000 mi

US $475

Right motor mount leaking fluid.

53000 mi US $250	Check engine light came on, code was for new transmission, warranty co. asked to clear code and see if check engine light returned before replacing transmission. Check engine light came back on at 25 miles, the problem was not a new transmission, but a sensor, dealer ordered the part and I drove my car home to wait for it. The part came in, the dealer repaired it, the extended warranty paid 100%, less the $250 deductable.
66000 mi US $450	Leaking valve cover gasket, fouled the spark plugs. Replaced valve cover gasket and engine breather hoses to oil separater which had crumbled apart during the gasket repair.
83100 mi US $400	Check engine light came on, essentially needed a tune-up, new plugs, etc. and a lecture on using premium gas, NOT regular unleaded.
84000 mi US $95	Took the car in for check engine light, re-set the check engine light, and the warning has not returned.
85000 mi US $345	The dreaded intermittent electrical problem. With no rhyme nor reason the dash display goes dark, the A/C ceases to work and the radio turns off. Radio can be turned on again, but not the A/C. Shop replaced ignition switch, problem not fixed
89000 mi	I am taking the car back to the original shop to take care of the ongoing check engine light and the abs system randomly coming on, I anticipate the repair being done this month (Dec.)
82000 mi	Trip was to work on check engine light, abs brake light and traction light from previous trip, ec sensor was changed for the third time, to no avail, as soon as warning lights are cleared, they reappear.
89000 mi	Check engine light still on, went to dealer discussed my options with the service tech, chose not to go through another round of diagnostic tests, traded the car in on a 2012 VW Eos.

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21405 mi	All ignition coils replaced. Warranty.
49160 mi	Ignition coil #5 replaced. Brake light switch defective, replaced, was causing burnt bulbs.
49973 mi	Transmission control module replaced. Engine felt sluggish.
67000 mi US $2700	Water pump leak, replaced. At same time did timing belt (due at 65k anyway).
73000 mi US $150	Remove and replace coolant tank due to leak.
77000 mi US $387	CEL illuminated and flashing. R&R spark plugs and 6 ignition coils.
85000 mi US $2250	Y-pipe behind engine cylinder block cracked and leaking coolant. Replaced.
88000 mi US $3700	Cylinder 5 coolant weeping, engine rumbled on start to clear coolant. Cylinder head 456 warped (probably from factory) and heating and cooling exacerbated over time, making leak worse. Replaced head.
96000 mi US $4000	Ecu was sending erratic signals to fan control unit, which burned out and caused car to over heat, also ruined secondary ac fan.
151000 mi US $3600	Coolant sensor in rear of engine leaking.

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68000 mi

US $1000

Crossover pipe behind engine losing coolant. Parts were degraded to the point that they were leaking about a pint of fluid a week. Leak was the worst as the engine cooled.

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102000 mi

$35

Problem with crankcase poison sensor.(G28)

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48360 mi

$50

Ignition coil unserviceable on cylinder 3. Coils on all cylinders replaced

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2005 Audi A4 / S4 / RS4 repairs by problem area

2005 Audi A4 / S4 / RS4 engine repair cost distribution

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2005 Audi S4 4dr Wagon

2005 Audi S4 4dr Sedan

2005 Audi S4 4dr Sedan

2005 Audi S4 2dr Convertible

2005 Audi S4 2dr Convertible

2005 Audi A4 4dr Wagon

2005 Audi A4 4dr Wagon

2005 Audi A4 4dr Wagon

2005 Audi A4 4dr Sedan

2005 Audi A4 4dr Sedan

2005 Audi A4 4dr Sedan

2005 Audi A4 4dr Sedan

2005 Audi A4 4dr Sedan

2005 Audi A4 4dr Sedan

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2005 Audi A4 2dr Convertible

2005 Audi A4 / S4 / RS4

2005 Audi A4 / S4 / RS4 4-door

2005 Audi A4 / S4 / RS4 4-door

2005 Audi A4 / S4 / RS4 Engine Problems