Audi RS5 Buying Guide: Common Problems and What to Check Before You Buy
The RS5 is the RS4’s coupé-and-Sportback sibling: the same hardware in a sleeker body. It’s a usable, all-weather RS that gets driven hard and often modified. None of that is automatically a problem. Undisclosed or poorly documented, it can be an expensive one.
The single most important thing to understand before buying any RS5: a car’s history is not the same as its condition, and neither is fully visible in the car advert. A folder of receipts tells you what was paid for, not what was skipped. As with the RS4, there’s a big engine change between generations, so knowing which car you’re looking at matters. This guide walks through the modern generations, what tends to go wrong, and what a car advert won’t tell you.
At a glance: which RS5 is which
| Generation | Years | Engine | Body styles | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B8 | 2010–2016 | 4.2 FSI V8 (naturally aspirated) | Coupé, Cabriolet | 7-speed S tronic · quattro |
| B9 | 2017–2023 | 2.9 TFSI V6 twin-turbo | Coupé, Sportback | 8-speed Tiptronic · quattro |
The RS5 shares the RS4’s engines, the naturally aspirated 4.2 V8 (B8) and the twin-turbo 2.9 V6 (B9), so the mechanical picture mirrors that car. The difference is body style: the B8 came as a coupé and a fabric-roof cabriolet, the B9 as a coupé and the five-door Sportback.
Common problems by generation
B8 (2010–2016): the 4.2 FSI V8
- Timing chain: the headline. As on the B8 RS4, the plastic timing-chain guides can become brittle and break, with a cold-start rattle lasting more than a couple of seconds the classic warning sign. Treat that as a reason to walk away or budget for major work: it’s the single most important check.
- Carbon build-up on the direct-injection intake valves is a known maintenance item over time.
- S tronic gearbox. The 7-speed dual-clutch can suffer mechatronic (control unit) faults: rough low-speed shifts or losing reverse or whole sets of gears. Check it shifts cleanly.
B9 (2017–2023): the 2.9 twin-turbo V6
- Top-end ticking (early cars). As on the early B9 RS4, some 2018–2019 cars have been reported to suffer rocker-arm/roller-follower wear: a metallic ticking worth investigating closely on an early car.
- Water-pump shroud. The vacuum-actuated shroud can jam and trap heat, risking overheating: check the cooling system and for any overheating history.
B8 Cabriolet: the roof
The B8 Cabriolet has sensitive microswitches in the roof-storage area that can bend or misalign and freeze the roof halfway through its folding cycle. Operate the roof fully, several times, and check it completes its cycle cleanly.
Both generations
Both engines reward disciplined servicing. Carbon-ceramic brakes were offered on the front axle only on both generations: if fitted, price front replacement in. RS5s are commonly mapped, so establish what’s been done first, and confirm the Virtual Cockpit / MMI and driver-assist features work on the test drive.
Beyond the mechanicals: history and provenance red flags
Two cars with identical engines can be worth thousands apart on history alone. Before you focus on mechanical condition, the paper trail has to stand up:
- Service history gaps: especially around major-service intervals. Missing stamps aren’t automatically disqualifying, but they change the price.
- Mileage that doesn’t add up: MOT records should tell a consistent story year-on-year. A jump or a stall is worth understanding before you view.
- Outstanding finance: a car can’t be sold cleanly with money owed against it. This is a five-minute check that prevents a very bad day.
- Accident or write-off markers: a recorded repair isn’t always a deal-breaker, but you need to know it’s there and price accordingly.
- Specification that doesn’t match the car advert: claimed options that aren’t actually fitted are common, and on an RS5 the spec drives the value.
None of these require you to be in the same room as the car. All of them are checkable in advance.
What a car advert and a test drive won’t tell you
It helps to think of an RS5 purchase as three layers of truth:
- What the seller says: the car advert, the description, the conversation. Useful, but unverified.
- What the records say: MOT and mileage consistency, finance, stolen and write-off markers. This is data verification, and it can be done before you travel.
- What only a physical inspection reveals: compression and leak-down results, suspension and bushing wear, dual-clutch and quattro driveline health (and the roof on a cabriolet), the things you can only find with the car on a ramp.
Most buyers do layer 1, skip straight to a test drive, and only reach layer 3 (a proper PPI) on the one car they’ve already half-committed to: sometimes after a long drive to see it. Doing layer 2 first is what stops you wasting a Saturday on a car whose history was never going to check out.
To be clear about the limits: data verification confirms a car is what it claims to be on paper. It does not replace a physical, mechanical pre-purchase inspection. The two do different jobs, and a careful RS5 buyer does both: in that order.
How Chequered Past helps
Chequered Past is the layer-2 step. You give us the registration; we check the official records on that car: the factory spec, MOT and mileage consistency, outstanding finance, stolen and write-off markers, keepers and the value, and we’re explicit about anything we couldn’t confirm.
What it does: tells you, before you travel, whether a car is what it says it is. What it doesn’t do: replace a physical inspection of mechanical condition. We’ll always tell you where that line is.
Run a history check on an RS5 you’re considering →
Frequently asked questions
Which RS5 should I buy: B8 or B9? Like the RS4, it comes down to the engine: the B8 is the last naturally aspirated 4.2 V8 (coupé or cabriolet, and check that cold-start timing-chain rattle), the B9 the quicker twin-turbo V6 (coupé or Sportback). Whichever you choose, the individual car’s history matters more than the generation.
Is the RS5 the same as the RS4? Mechanically, largely yes: they share engines and running gear, so the same checks apply. The difference is body style: the RS5 is the coupé/Sportback (and B8 cabriolet), the RS4 the Avant estate.
Do I need the car’s registration? Yes. The free check and the £10 vehicle history check both run on the registration.
Can you check a modified or tracked RS5? Yes. We surface the signals; you decide what they mean for you. The goal is an informed decision, not a pass/fail.
Other Audi Sport guides: Audi Sport buying guide hub
Chequered Past is an independent analysis service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to AUDI AG, Audi Sport GmbH, or any vehicle manufacturer. Data is drawn from licensed DVLA and DVSA records via our data provider.