Faults:

The cruise control was broken when I first received the car.

The previous owner has scraped all 4 rims quite badly.

There is a somewhat noticeable moment in the transition between 3rd-4th gear where the RPM rises quite high (only the driver would notice).

The front left mud guard has snapped (but stays in place).

When I first purchased the car, the battery had run flat.

Another thing that I personally dislike about this car is that there isn't much in the way of aftermarket alterations that I can cheaply modify my car with (for example, tail lights)

General Comments:

I'm a learner driver, and as my first car, I find it to be an extremely fun car to drive, because unlike most other cars that I have driven, I can feel the acceleration, it's incredibly easy to handle, and practically drives itself.

Although there are some problems with the car, they are insignificant compared the overall sturdiness and reliably of this vehicle.

For its age, its appearance could easily fool anyone into believing it's a 2002+ model.

Faults:

Key reader was broken when I bought it at 121,000km - AU$460 to fix

Left CV joint started to make noises at 130,000km - AU$800 to fix

Oil pressure switch broke and put oil everywhere - AU$400 to fix & clean (AU$30 for the part, rest for labour)

Fixed at the Audi dealer.

General Comments:

This is an excellent car, value for money. People have complemented me on this car, and it looks a lot newer and more expensive than it really is.

The car handles really well, isn't too bad on petrol 11L/100km, is comfortable to drive in, looks great (especially with 18" RS4 rims) and overall build quality is superb. It drives smoothly over the horribly bumpy roads around my house at high speeds.

I started getting this car serviced at a cheaper generic European car place, but their jobs were some what dodgy, and used low quality parts, thus had to be serviced more frequently than just going to the Audi dealer. At the end I just ended up going to the dealer as they had excellent service.

I've added in an Alpine iDA-X100, with 6 stacker MP3/CD and bluetooth module, matches the interior decor better than the stock standard radio it came with, especially with the all red lighting (AU$1000 all up from ebay).

For remote locking, added in a Votex remote locking kit, which was around AU$300, this plugs straight into the central locking pump and closes all windows when locked, unlike cheap generic kits around.

The only real problem I had with this car, was that it got vandalised when I parked in Adelaide, some one jumped all over the car causing AU$9500 worth of damage, and the insurance company called it a write off.

My next car will definitely be another Audi A4.

Faults:

Oil leak -- seal replaced.

Left upper alloy control arm was replaced due to a worn ball joint. A common A4 problem, though surprisingly cheap enough to fix (NZ$110 for the part).

Bushing on the steering rack worn, but will be expensive to replace. Mechanic suggests to just leave it for now.

Central locking operation intermittent, couldn't determine the problem.

Front brake pads changed during first service post-purchase.

Other post-purchase repairs during servicing include a new cambelt and tensioner kit, CV boots, and dust caps.

The centre muffler baffle plate is loose and rattles; I'll leave it for now until a suitable replacement could be found cheap.

Takes a very long time for the engine to warm up in cold weather, possibly needs a new thermostat.

General Comments:

My second Audi automatic -- second-hand. Audi doesn't seem to know how to design an automatic transmission that shifts intuitively despite the fuzzy-logic circuitry, at least for the 1.8 20-valve engine. My friend's 2.6 automatic drove much better. Heck, for a 4-cylinder, a '90 Peugeot 405 GRi automatic felt like it had better response.

The addition of tilt-and-telescoping steering column is much appreciated, but seating position still not perfect (I'm 6' and long-legged).

I wonder why my previous '92 Audi 80 had split-folding rear seats, while this '96 A4 doesn't even have a single folding one.

A beautiful car, very well-proportioned. It looks smart and is solidly built. All my friends have good things to say about its looks.

Except for the auto transmission whose shift pattern you need to get used to, comfortable to drive. Not as much of an effort to drive as a BMW in heavy traffic, which is very welcome when you're coming home tired from work in traffic and heavy rain.

The dashboard is well-designed, a traditional Audi strength.

The automatic climate control works pretty well, though I usually turn the aircon compressor off to save fuel, unless it's raining and the windows fog up.

Outside mirrors are heated and fold electrically -- very handy.

These cars are getting more complicated -- I need to take it to the Audi dealer to calibrate the throttle valve potentiometer after getting the automatic gearbox serviced (the tranny place is usually able to adjust these things on other cars). Plus the central locking vacuum pump integrates the interior light delay circuit, which makes the thing difficult to diagnose.

All my four previous Audis have been fairly reliable, other than the little niggles or routine replacements like water pumps, and have never stranded me.

I'd buy another one, I just hope Audi has learned from that suspension control arm design fault. That, and they don't include too many unnecessary electronic gizmos which can only fail and be expensive to fix once the car's a few years old -- the only time we normal people can afford the cars.