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Yep. 2003 A4 with the 1.8 turbo. Was my first and my last. I really believe those are very beautiful cars... too bad their reliability is subpar.
Around 85k miles I had the timing belt replaced. Engine was sludged up (have all receipts from the previous owner showing all oil changes were on time). Cost me $800 to have the belt replaced and the engine cleaned.
At 95k miles, the floor started filling with water when it rained. Drains were placed behind the battery which get clogged with debris over time. Just so happens the drains are right below the main harness that comes into the cabin so water would fill up the battery tray and dump into the floor.
All 4 window motors had to be replaced (twice).
On hot days, the message center display would blank out where you could only read half the screen. Also happened on really cold days too. Temperature had to stay between 60 and 80 for it to display correctly.
Sunroof switch malfunctioned and would randomly open the sunroof and you had to fight like crazy to get it closed. (Contacts in the switch would get weak and vibration in the road would cause them to move around.)
Armrest latch cracked and broke off.
The paint wore off the buttons on the switches, so you had to know what the switch was for.
Clear coat peeled off and the previous owner had to get it repainted.
At 105k miles, the engine developed a rough idle. Replaced all 4 coils and plugs only to find the harness melted on one coil. Repaired the harness and no change. Found the plastic fittings in the vacuum system had all rotted and split, and after spending countless dollars and hours trying to fix it, I ended up bypassing the entire vacuum system aside from the brakes.
Turbo had a lot of play in the prop shaft at 100k.
Coolant flange cracked (also plastic) and leaked coolant all over the back of the engine right at 100k.
Oil dipstick tube broke off in my hand when checking the oil. The whole thing dry rotted and was brittle by 100k.
Tail light harness melted and the tail light bulb on the passenger side would blow every time it got hot. I eventually had to replace it.
That car literally spent more time in the driveway on stands than it ever did on the road. The pleather seats still looked brand new though so I'll give Audi that.
Timing belt- maintenance
Flood- lack of maintenance
Clear coat- shoddy repaint, not factory
Burnt bulb- maintenance
Not sure how this was Audi's fault, any car would have the same issues if ran the way the Audi was.
Cracked plastic, failed window motors I could see those as a manufacturer defect.
Yep. 2003 A4 with the 1.8 turbo. Was my first and my last. I really believe those are very beautiful cars... too bad their reliability is subpar.
Around 85k miles I had the timing belt replaced. Engine was sludged up (have all receipts from the previous owner showing all oil changes were on time). Cost me $800 to have the belt replaced and the engine cleaned.
At 95k miles, the floor started filling with water when it rained. Drains were placed behind the battery which get clogged with debris over time. Just so happens the drains are right below the main harness that comes into the cabin so water would fill up the battery tray and dump into the floor.
All 4 window motors had to be replaced (twice).
On hot days, the message center display would blank out where you could only read half the screen. Also happened on really cold days too. Temperature had to stay between 60 and 80 for it to display correctly.
Sunroof switch malfunctioned and would randomly open the sunroof and you had to fight like crazy to get it closed. (Contacts in the switch would get weak and vibration in the road would cause them to move around.)
Armrest latch cracked and broke off.
The paint wore off the buttons on the switches, so you had to know what the switch was for.
Clear coat peeled off and the previous owner had to get it repainted.
At 105k miles, the engine developed a rough idle. Replaced all 4 coils and plugs only to find the harness melted on one coil. Repaired the harness and no change. Found the plastic fittings in the vacuum system had all rotted and split, and after spending countless dollars and hours trying to fix it, I ended up bypassing the entire vacuum system aside from the brakes.
Turbo had a lot of play in the prop shaft at 100k.
Coolant flange cracked (also plastic) and leaked coolant all over the back of the engine right at 100k.
Oil dipstick tube broke off in my hand when checking the oil. The whole thing dry rotted and was brittle by 100k.
Tail light harness melted and the tail light bulb on the passenger side would blow every time it got hot. I eventually had to replace it.
That car literally spent more time in the driveway on stands than it ever did on the road. The pleather seats still looked brand new though so I'll give Audi that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by City Guy997S
Timing belt- maintenance
Flood- lack of maintenance
Clear coat- shoddy repaint, not factory
Burnt bulb- maintenance
Not sure how this was Audi's fault, any car would have the same issues if ran the way the Audi was.
Cracked plastic, failed window motors I could see those as a manufacturer defect.
'98 A4 V6/2.8 stick...
The message center display began to deteriorate when the car was new, but slowly so I didn't realize it...by the time it was evident, it was just beyond warranty (it continued to degrade until it became unreadable a few minutes after starting...now it fades almost immediately ...until the next day) ...apparently a known problem (others?). Audi offered to 'split the costs' (it would have been a few hundred dollars IIRC) ...I declined their 'generous' offer and continued to deteriorate until it became useless, now for a decade or more
The sunroof switch failed after about a decade...it now opens and closes when it feels like. Not too bad except when it's snowing or in a car wash.
Center armrest broke off a few years ago...difficult/impossible to repair. Best workaround is a big rubber band (or two).
Consistent coincidences?
It leaks oil like a french fryer basket. I check the oil as often as with my Z-28 or 535i back in the day
BUT...
The (leather) interior is still among the best in fit and finish, the original paint looks great (except a few scratches from others), it drives and handles well (thanks to a couple new suspension pieces), Bose radio system very good, most other stuff works still/well (uh, there have a few rear wheel bearings replaced too)... other than this it's been a great winter car and is now over 150k miles. Our local Indy mechanic says the motor is as clean as he's seen at this mileage...thanks to circa 5k oil changes with mostly Castrol GTX (and not incidentally, also regular 70k timing belt changes) ...and he has seen a LOT of Audis. His head tech says he loves Audis...they keep him working
Oh...BTW I think the stick V6 version is very different than the Turbo/4s...especially automatics...from what I've heard an read...but as the above items show, some stuff is common regardless of the drivetrain.
Despite its age, it's still a classy and sharp car that is funnn to drive. I like it enough to put up with occasional expenses and some quirkiness. Currently, I'm considering accepting an offer from a friend and buying a new one...(Audi)
Timing belt- maintenance
Flood- lack of maintenance
Clear coat- shoddy repaint, not factory
Burnt bulb- maintenance
Not sure how this was Audi's fault, any car would have the same issues if ran the way the Audi was.
Cracked plastic, failed window motors I could see those as a manufacturer defect.
The timing belt change uncovered engine sludge issues. I had the receipts where the previous owner always had their services done on time using Audi recommended fluids and filters.
The "flood" was not a lack of maintenance. Audi designed the battery tray in such a way that you cannot see nor remove the debris without completely disassembling and removing the tray, and did not have sufficient drainage to keep it from clogging and eventually running into the cabin.
The clear coat failure was on factory paint. Not a shoddy repaint. I've seen many VWs/Audis in this area with clear coat failures.
The bulb wasn't maintenance. The wiring harness shorted out and melted.
What about the other issues I mentioned that you didn't mention?
A google search will yield that many others have had the same issues I mentioned above.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
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My experience is that they are absolutely fantastic until 75k miles, then major problems soon after. I always bought new, maintain my vehicles as required, and always had the dealership do the work. My experience:
2000 S4 - Front and rear suspension, transmission failure
2003 RS6 - AWESOME CAR! Absolutely zero issues.
2004 Allroad 2.7T with Tiptronic- air suspension, injectors, oil leaks, transmission fail
2007 S8 - switches constantly breaking, air suspension failure
My S8 was the final straw. I bought a couple of Lexus's and never looked back. Still have the RS6.
My experience is that they are absolutely fantastic until 75k miles, then major problems soon after. I always bought new, maintain my vehicles as required, and always had the dealership do the work. My experience:
2000 S4 - Front and rear suspension, transmission failure
2003 RS6 - AWESOME CAR! Absolutely zero issues.
2004 Allroad 2.7T with Tiptronic- air suspension, injectors, oil leaks, transmission fail
2007 S8 - switches constantly breaking, air suspension failure
My S8 was the final straw. I bought a couple of Lexus's and never looked back. Still have the RS6.
I lemon lawed an A6 2.7 twin turbo.......oil leaks!
What about the other issues I mentioned that you didn't mention?
A google search will yield that many others have had the same issues I mentioned above.
Maybe just a used car with 100k+ miles......hint it isn't a new Honda at that point but then again the google search would have told you that before you bought it right?
Maybe just a used car with 100k+ miles......hint it isn't a new Honda at that point but then again the google search would have told you that before you bought it right?
Most vehicles I have owned have had more miles than this Audi and none had the issues the Audi had. You're right, I should have googled it and I would have known that Audi is one of the most unreliable money pits available on the market today.
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(it continued to degrade until it became unreadable a few minutes after starting...now it fades almost immediately ...until the next day) ...apparently a known problem (others?). Audi offered to 'split the costs' (it would have been a few hundred dollars IIRC) ...I declined their 'generous' offer and continued to deteriorate until it became useless, now for a decade or more 
