Audi R8 (Type 4S)
The second-generation R8 took Audi's mid-engine supercar upmarket: launched in 2015 as the Type 4S on the shared Huracán platform with only the 5.2 FSI V10 (540bhp, later 611bhp V10 Performance after the 2019 facelift), S tronic dual-clutch, quattro standard and Spyder from 2016; the rear-drive RWS filled out the range from 2018. Production ended in early 2024 with no replacement - the successor is expected electric - which makes these naturally aspirated V10s the last of their line. Parkers rated the used car 4.8/5 for how it drives and calls it reliable; Auto Express' used guide agrees, noting the chain-driven V10 has no cambelts, servicing is nearly mainstream-Audi money (£470-£900 a visit) and the three UK recalls are manageable if evidence is complete. The real-world checks are suspension (magnetic-ride dampers leak), steel-brake car versions squeal until beds in, and the carbon-ceramic-equipped V10 Plus cars cost a small fortune below. Mileage is low but often hard - track days, kerbed 20-inch rims and modified exhausts - and accident repair on the aluminium/mixed structure can total cars economically quickly. For a supercar it is famously livable: easy to drive, easy to park, and with the exhaust note being the reason people buy it.
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Common Faults & Reliability
These are the most common documented problems for the Audi R8 (Type 4S), sorted by their typical impact and frequency.
Gearbox Breather Pipe Oil Leak and Fire-Risk Recall (R/2018/255)
high severityDVSA recall data shows the September 2018 campaign covering 968 UK R8s built October 2015-November 2017: oil can leak from the gearbox breather during racetrack use and extreme manoeuvres, producing smoke with a vehicle fire that cannot be ruled out; the fix replaces the single breather pipe with a dual pipe. A further 2022 campaign (R/2024/129) covered a single January-2021 car with low gearbox oil. Auto Express' used guide confirms three UK recalls total, with this being the significant-volume one.
Magnetic-Ride Damper Leaks and Rear Wishbone Failures
medium severityAuto Express' used guide warns the R8's magnetic-ride dampers can leak fluid, with owners tempted to fit pattern parts while rebuild specialists exist precisely because the Audi units give up; Autocar's buying guide goes further on the suspension: steel nuts and bolts seize, and a lower rear wishbone can fail in a way that needs a whole new unit - an expensive fix - on both generations. R8s are sensitive to worn bushes and tyre wear, so a knocking or drifting R8 is telling you something rather than being 'just low'.
Steel Brake Squeal and Disc Wear
low severityOn non-ceramic cars, Auto Express' used guide reports persistent squeal from the standard steel brakes until they bed in, while Autocar notes brake discs are costly to replace and pads should be changed at 50% to protect them - plus oxidisation where steel hardware meets the aluminium structure. In UK use, R8s that do school runs rather than track days corrode discs and callipers, so brake noise is not something to dismiss as supercar character: it tells you what the car has been doing and what needs budgeting.
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