If you are considering buying a used Audi RS4, these are the common problems worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 3 known faults for this model, 1 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
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Is the Audi RS4 reliable?
The Audi RS4 has 3 known faults in our database, 1 of them rated high severity. The most serious are suspension (the interlinked Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) struts are prone to leaking at their seals) and engine (the 4.2 V8 FSI direct injection engine suffers carbon build-up in its inlet manifold). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.
That is a count of the faults we hold, not a reliability score. Popular cars get written about more, and a newer generation has had less time to show its faults.
Which Audi RS4 years should you avoid?
No year is a write-off on its own. What matters is which serious faults a given year and engine can have, and whether the car in front of you has had them fixed.
Years and engines with a serious known fault
2006 to 2008, All (Dynamic Ride Control suspension): the interlinked Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) struts are prone to leaking
Each one is set out in full below, with the symptoms, the typical mileage and a rough repair cost.
Generation 1 of 13 known faults · 4 owner reports · 1 good note
Audi RS4 B7 (2006 to 2008) problems
SuspensionHigh severity📝 Editorial
The interlinked Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) struts are prone to leaking at their seals, and the front dampers in particular can leak. Audi told dealers to fit rubber covers to stop dirt and grit damaging the DRC strut seals. A 2013 note warned that a newly bought RS4 can need about £9,000 spent at once, with the DRC dampers first on a list that also took in the inlet manifold swirl flaps, intercoolers, a carbon clean, brakes and tyres.
Rough guide
£1500-4000
Typical symptoms
oil misting or wet patches on the damper bodies
car sitting lower at one corner or leaning diagonally
crashing or wallowing over bumps and vague handling at speed
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All (Dynamic Ride Control suspension)
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
Engine/EmissionsMedium severity📝 Editorial
The 4.2 V8 FSI direct injection engine suffers carbon build-up in its inlet manifold, which the archive described as quite a severe problem on RS4 FSI engines and on other FSI engines. A 2013 note listed the inlet manifold swirl flaps and a carbon clean among the jobs a newly bought RS4 can need straight away.
Rough guide
£800-2500
Typical symptoms
rough or hunting idle, especially from cold
misfires or the engine management light coming on
power tailing off towards the top of the rev range
Affected vehicles
Engines:
4.2 V8 FSI petrol
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
BrakesMedium severity📝 Editorial
Owners complained that the standard iron brake discs distorted with heat or sat out of line on the hubs and needed replacing as often as every 6,000 miles. One car bought used in March 2012 had juddering brakes from warped discs, along with a failing clutch and flywheel and buckled wheels, and the repairs that September came to £2,600; the selling dealer called it all wear and tear. Carbon ceramic discs cost about £5,000 as a factory option or £10,000 retrofitted.
Rough guide
£600-1500
Typical symptoms
steering wheel shake under braking from speed
pulsing brake pedal
vibration that gets worse as the brakes get hot
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All with the standard iron brake discs (carbon ceramic discs were an option)
Typical mileage:
6000 miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
What owners report on the B7
4 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Engine · May 2017A timing chain replacement was recommended for an Audi RS4 between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, costing £6,000 at main dealers.
Interior · November 2016Replacing the air conditioning compressor on an RS4 cost £2,000 due to its complex location and the extensive labour required.
General · July 2013An RS4 owner faced a £9,000 bill for repairs including dynamic drive dampers, inlet manifold flaps, intercoolers, and brakes.
General · May 2011A used RS4 had buckled wheels, warped brake discs, and a notchy gearchange due to a failing clutch and flywheel, costing £2,600 to fix.
What owners like about the B7
1 note
The RS4 offers impressive acceleration, reaching 62mph in 4.8 seconds and 124mph in 16.6 seconds, with a top speed of 155mph.
Other years0 known faults · 15 good notes
Other Audi RS4 years: owner reports
What owners like
15 notes
The high-performance Avant, featuring a V8 engine, was well-received upon its introduction in 2012, leading the new generation A4 range.
The third-generation RS4 Avant combines a business-like appearance with extreme sub-five-second acceleration and tenacious quattro handling.
The RS4 Avant's 4.2-litre V8 engine produces 450 PS, enabling 0 to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds, while potentially achieving 25.7mpg.
The standard seven-speed S tronic transmission contributes to fuel economy and offers lightning-fast shifts, manual control, and Launch Control.
The RS4 Avant features quattro permanent all-wheel drive with a crown-gear centre differential, distributing power for agile handling.
A torque vectoring system works with the crown-gear differential, braking inside wheels in corners to prevent skidding and enhance stability.
The RS4 Avant chassis features a complex design with aluminium components to reduce unsprung weight and an electromechanical power steering system.
Polished 19-inch forged aluminium wheels with 265/35-series tyres fill the arches, with the body sitting 20 millimetres lower than a standard A4.
Internally vented wave disc brakes with eight-piston front callipers reduce unsprung weight and quickly dissipate heat.
Optional 380-millimetre carbon fibre ceramic discs with six-piston callipers are available for the front axle, offering lightweight and durable performance.
The Audi drive select system is standard, allowing drivers to switch between comfort, auto, and dynamic modes for steering, transmission, and throttle response.
Dynamic steering, an option with Audi drive select, varies its ratio by nearly 100 per cent for precise and stable handling.
Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) is an optional system that connects diagonally opposed shock absorbers, enhancing stability and composure at speed.
The RS4 Avant's exterior features a hexagonal single-frame grille, LED daytime running lights, and a distinctive bumper with a racing-style splitter.
Chiselled sill extensions and flared wheel arches give the RS4 Avant a powerful profile, with matte aluminium-look mirror housings and trim strips.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
We track 9 specific phrases sellers use in adverts to soft-pedal these exact issues. Paste any Audi RS4 advert and we check it in seconds.
Repair costs are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Actual cost depends on condition and garage.Data last verified: October 2026
Audi RS4 buying questions
What are the most common Audi RS4 problems?
Three stand out. Suspension: the interlinked Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) struts are prone to leaking at their seals. Engine: the 4.2 V8 FSI direct injection engine suffers carbon build-up in its inlet manifold. Brakes: owners complained that the standard iron brake discs distorted with heat or sat out of line (typically 6000 miles). The full list above is grouped by generation, with typical mileage and a rough repair cost for each.
Which Audi RS4 years should I avoid?
No Audi RS4 year is a write-off, but the B7 (2006 to 2008) carries the most serious faults: suspension. Year matters less than whether the specific car has had the known fixes, so check the history for them.
What should I check when viewing a used Audi RS4?
Ask the seller about the suspension, engine and brakes faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for oil misting or wet patches on the damper bodies, rough or hunting idle, especially from cold and steering wheel shake under braking from speed. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against all 3 known faults before you travel. Check a Audi RS4 advert →
What is the real MPG of an Audi RS4?
Owners report 23.5 mpg on average across the Audi RS4 engines with data, about 90% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 18 owner submissions. Audi RS4 Real MPG by engine →
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Audi RS4 owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.