Faults:

Whining gearbox

Starting problems

Engine oil leak

Erratic temperature gauge

Stereo failed

Stone chips

General Comments:

A fantastic engine that will easily do 50+ mpg and 120+mpg - not at the same time, of course.

A fantastic car that was a comfortable and quiet drive - although not that sharp in the handling department.

The interior was really well designed (but not particularly hardwearing), and the dashboard lit up like Blackpool illuminations. Oh and the stereo is fantastic even in the non-Bose set-up.

However, and here's the rub, the gearbox is the Achilles hell on these cars. Watch out, if the gearbox whines in any gear, during over-run when you take your foot off the gas, then the pinion bearing (s) are shot! This, not surprisingly, requires a gearbox strip down and is not really a DIY job, as the differential needs to be set up correctly upon rebuild, or further problems will arise. Cost approximately £2000.

Changed the glow plugs, but made no difference - I resorted to shorting out the wires on the (newly replaced) glow plug relay. I suspected an engine management issue. Cost - I didn't ask!!

One of the sump gaskets was leaking - yes folks there are two sump gaskets as the boys from Ingolstadt have design the engine with a split sump. I changed the easy one, only to find it was the upper gasket that necessitated removal of the oil pump, drive, other bits 'n' bobs etc etc. Cost of easy gasket £25, cost of upper plus labour, I didn't ask!!

Changed temp sender - still no luck, cost was £25.

Stereo packed in, cost from dealer, £300, I paid £80 from a ICE dealer.

Stone chips too are a big problem, particularly on a dark coloured car.

Would I buy another? Yes definitely! But I'll get a lower mileage model next time.

Faults:

Slight coolant leak, nothing too bad.

CV joint replaced.

General Comments:

Like it loads. Loads of space.

When getting past 1500 rpm, the turbo kicks in and off you go. Power when needed and seats are very good.

Loads of room for the kids in the back, and lots of leg space too.

Quality of the car is great. 1998 and there is not a spot of rust, and the cars looks really good. Interior is like new.

Had an A4, that was nice, but it's going to have to be A6 from here in.

Runs on Bridgestone Turanza and they are great, for a very big car it holds the road very well, as good as my BMW 5 I had.

Faults:

I've got an intermittant engine fault. It cuts out without any warning.

General Comments:

A very comfortable car with acres of space and a massive boot. A very easy car to drive.

Faults:

Central locking failed at 41,000 miles (fixed under warranty)

Heated seats not working (fixed under warranty)

Battery failed at 48,000 miles.

Rear brake pipe failed 48,500 miles.

Brake down at 49,000 miles requiring new fuel injectors, spark plugs, thermostat, and ECU.

Temperature gauge failed at 50,000 miles.

Air conditioner developed intermittent fault at 50,000 miles, condenser fan replaced.

CV joints failed at 52,000 miles.

Audi Concert stereo developed intermittent fault at 55,000 miles.

Track-rod ends failed 59,000 miles.

The auto-box is becoming lazy and is sometimes reluctant to shift, sometimes delivering jerky changes.

General Comments:

The A6 is a joy to drive, and the 30-valve 2.8 litre V6 is a formidable power plant which packs a real punch, whilst also being very refined. Handling is as good as you would expect from this type of car; clearly delivering the levels of comfort expected in an executive cruiser requires some compromise in nimbleness, but the Audi doesn't spring any nasty surprises.

The cabin has a feel of quality about it, and the Bose sound system is considerably better than many people have in the homes. Overall it's a nice place to spend some time.

But (and it's a very big "but"), as you will note from the lengthy list of faults and failures, ownership has been a deeply painful experience. Ownership doesn't get much more expensive than this. Over the worst 6-month period, I picked up garage bills of about £2,500 exclusive of regular service costs.