Used Audi A4? Check These 5 Possible Trouble Areas BEFORE You Buy!

Used 2017-2021 Audi A4 (B9)
These 5 tips will help you find a better second-hand Audi A4!
Over numerous generations and iterations, the Audi A4 has earned itself a reputation as a go-to sedan for luxury shoppers after efficient performance, advanced features and design, and the all-weather confidence of Quattro AWD.
With solid performance, reasonable mileage, and a driving experience designed to connect with all driving styles, a used B9 Audi A4 makes a great upgrade from an earlier unit, and a sensible second-hand luxury sedan buy for the shopper that doesn’t want to break the bank on up front pricing or running costs.
In this video, I use my 16 years of experience covering used cars to give test-driving shoppers some of my best tips for buying a used Audi A4.
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[@Matt-rk3de]

Super helpful. Great points you mention.

[@nytracus9680]

last tip about assistance sensor calibration is bang on, if the car has these options. mine is close to fully loaded and had to be done twice in 3 years. once by dealer soon after purchase, one small adjustment myself. not had to pay luckily.

[@ethanyang6223]

I've had my 2019 cpo and when I went under to do my oil change (diy) I noticed the old coolant. After I took it to the dealership they tested it with a new water pump but started leaking on the other side. It took all day to see that the rubber sealant was bad and resulting in the leak. Another area when purchased is to have them check the rubber sealant and water pump. Otherwise you'll have a pretty darn fun and reliable A4!

[@boostseason]

2018 A4 owner for almost 2 years here. Everything in the video is accurate. I feel like failed engine mounts are pretty rare. I don’t hear that a lot, and I keep up in the forums and Facebook groups. Water pump is definitely common. There was a class action settlement that reimburses you for replacing the water pump, even after warranty (I believe). Haven't had leather or body care issues, but I own a detailing company so I'm extra careful haha. And finally performance, the video is very accurate. They can tell if you've modified the ECU, even if you flash back to stock. Once the ECU seal is broken, it's never going back. I'm waiting to modify until my warranty has expired. For maintenance, make sure to keep up. I have Audi Care, so every year I go to the dealer and they do all the maintenance at no charge. Great video!

[@neu2229]

Engine mounts is very common. I've done that on a very low mileage twice

[@Matt-rk3de]

I have the 034Motorsport Engine mounts ready to go once I get the time in the new year. Idk who breaks the seal on an ECU.. you can just flash it with a Tune via OBD2. I have Audi Care, water pump replaced, and been in for recalls .. no one ever said anything or flagged it as TD1. My license plate also is TUNE

[@SoLA489]

I can relate to tip 4. My ‘18 A4 has about 42k miles and at about late 30k’s is when the drivers seat started to wear out with some wrinkles. And since I’m 6’3” and 200 lbs the seat area looks like it is out of place because of the pressure of sitting lol

[@Ecko92]

thats just you being big bro lol not 1 thing on earth will resist wear from bigger guys like us, could buy a seat pad ect

[@SBilbaoAlvarez]

The 0ck gearbox leaks atf in many cases. And the other common problem are the silentblocks.

[@randomness3465]

A4 owner since the first B9's in spring 2016. The water pumps are absolutely a problem; mine made it to 68k miles and techs were impressed it lasted so long. Turbochargers can be a problem at high miles, just got mine replaced at 87k and my shop mentioned they'd seen it in a few high-mileage B9s. Wait until warranty expires to tune, had my APR tune for about 40k miles without trouble. A 6 month/5k mile oil change interval seems better than the recommended 1 year/10k. Otherwise, it's a great car and I'm keeping it until it falls apart.

[@DigiDriftZone]

Do you still have it? - has it been reliable, do you still recommend it? -- I am considering to buy one at the moment, a 2016 A4 2.0 TDI ultra Sport Saloon 4dr Diesel S Tronic (s/s) (190 ps)

[@bilalahmed2123]

How is the 2019 model ? I leased one for some time and didn’t face these issues. I’m looking to buy again, did they resolve these issues in 2019 ?

[@danydufort4562]

Quite informative video, well done ! Mister Pritchard, may I ask where you obtained the information on possible failure points. I would love to own an Audi but the information I have on long term reliability (10 years and more of ownership) these cars are much less reliable and costly to repair and maintain. Any thoughts ?

[@Vigilant28]

Gotta have a black thumb

[@Ksmoovey]

@@Vigilant28 Hey! Would you be able to give me an idea of the kind of maintenance I can learn to work on this car? I'm 25, making a decent salary working remotely so I technically don't need a car but fuck it, at this rate I'll never get one lol. I was actually looking at getting the new 2022 KIA K5 GT-line but I don't like how it's FWD, plus I'd like at least 250hp. My question is this; German car's are known of being unreliable but I think that's more about the cost to fix something if it breaks. Audi seems to be the most reliable German brand in the last few years as well. Would I only need to learn how to do oil changes or are there other things to learn as well?

[@Ewario]

@@Ksmoovey There are a lot of things that go into properly maintaining these cars. Oil (engine, transmission) and filter changes are obviously the most frequent things, but the higher mileage you get, the more things there are that need to be checked / replaced. From spark plugs to tensioners, timing belts, water pumps, to door hinges and infotainment software upgrades, the maintenance schedules for these cars get pretty intricate. I'd suggest you try and find an Audi maintenance schedule online and sift through and see how comfortable you'd feel doing such things. Most people don't have the necessary tools or knowledge to do it all correctly though and it can also be incredibly time consuming if you don't maintain these cars for a living, because replacing the simplest thing can take hours if you don't have the experience of doing it, due to how these cars are put together (it's all quite cramped and many things are hard to access as these cars tend to be designed in as an efficient, space-saving way as possible). Whether that is out of necessity or just to scare your average backyard mechanic from tinkering with the cars on their own and have dealerships earn more on service intervals, is up to anyone's guess :D. But one thing is for sure; they're happy cars when maintained correctly. Not so happy when not.

[@benhaze1010]

Hey Justin very surprised about your comment about some people may want more power from the I4 engine. Coming from owning V6 and V8 engines our 2017 A4 never cease to impress me with its power and incredible performance, especially in Sport mode. The advertised HP is likely under under-rated as many German auto companies do.

[@JustinPritchard]

Hey Ben I was surprised too-- just reporting what I came across in owner communities / discussions within. Personally I find it to be impressive, but it seems like there is a moderate number of owners that wished for something a little more powerful without going to an S4. Of course, if you need more, it's just a chip and a tune away!

[@danydufort4562]

Mister Haze, a question for you from someone that would love to own an Audi but is concerned about reliability and maintenance costs. How has your Audi been in regards to those aspects. Many thanks !

[@benhaze1010]

@@danydufort4562 Hi Dany. Our A4 reliability has been completely trouble free; we purchased the Audi care (4-year) up front and have not spent anything else. We will see within the next couple of years what real maintenance costs will be.

[@marktawdros4090]

@@benhaze1010 any updates?

[@benhaze1010]

@@marktawdros4090 Still running strong. It is probably the best car I have ever owned. Funny story; had a GV70 rental that was not able to drive up my driveway covered moderately with snow; The A4 had no issue whatsoever when I swapped them.

[@terrymoogan8445]

Tells us about engine mounts , shows everything but engine mounts, actually doesn't show a single issues position on the car.. pointless.

[@nickjohnson3743]

I have 2018 fwd a4, only problems have been electrical w my windows , control arm bushings leaking , and leaky trans pan all at 40k , nothing w the engine yet thank god

[@user-Thomson1311]

All those issues at just 40k can't imagine when you hit 100k

[@user-sn3zf4ew7u]

NICE MOVIE!

[@MJLU280]

My S4 b8.5 had to replace water pump tstat engine mounts at 85K miles. Not cheap.

[@iam_myster_e]

How much? I assume $1k which happens every 7-8 years. I won’t complain compared to the horror stories you hear.

[@CameronAraujo-fc3rv]

Many have not

[@australiantruckspotting8883]

I’ve had mine for 18 months and I’m done with it. The suspension is too firm and takes the fun out of driving it for me.

[@robertbaker3296]

You must drive in a city with terrible roads. I personally love how firm the suspension is.

[@iam_myster_e]

You mustve never driven a BMW lol

[@Nihaowilson]

258 HP "may leave some wanting more"... What, 0-60 in 5.3 secs is not good enough for you? BTW: That is the fastest in this class.

[@Tall-Cool-Drink]

Do these cars still burn excessive amount of oil?

[@Cernold]

No

[@Tall-Cool-Drink]

@@Cernold How do you know? Have you owned one for some length of time?

[@Cernold]

@@Tall-Cool-Drink i own a4 B9 2.0 252 HP quattro and have no oil burn at all, I change oil every 12 months no need to add it in meantime / car is 5,5 years and I own it for 2,5 years

[@Tall-Cool-Drink]

@@Cernold okay. How many miles do you have on it?

[@Cernold]

@@Tall-Cool-Drink 96k kilometres

[@juanpablozawadzki306]

Don't waste your time. Just don't buy them (I know by experience)