1st Aug 2007, 13:11
08/01/2007
I own a 2000 A6 2.7T Quattro with 107,000 miles. Have had increasing amount of repair bills since car reached 100,000 miles. Had to replace catalytic converter at 102,000. Cost was around $1000. Had car in for inspection 2 weeks ago, no problems, but the next day the dreaded "Check Engine" light came on. This happens periodically and usually just turns off. It stayed on for 2 weeks so I took the car in yesterday. Dealer just called to say that I need a new Torque Converter and it will cost $2800. I was hoping to drive this car another 100,000 miles. Am a being naive? Has anyone had any torque converter problems? I drive the car about 350 miles/week, mostly freeway driving, nothing unusual.
14th Aug 2007, 11:59
You should get rid of your Audi before it reaches 100,000 miles. Unless you are a mechanic with the right sort of tools to fix Audis, that car will just bleed you to death. There are next to no old Audis on the road! The guy who posted the previous comment about his Audi reaching well over 100,000 miles is probably a dealer or mechanic. I complained to the dealer / agent who sold me the car (2001 A6 2.7T Audi) and he said I was lucky I got that year's make, because the 2002-3 version has even more problems. Wow, this came straight from the mouth of a dealer who tells me he's been selling Audis for 20 or 30 years!
Just get a used Camry or Japanese car. Camry goes for about $25,000 new and after 5 years, it's about 12,500. It is a step down, but this is the only way to save your mentality and stop the bloodshed (unless you are filthy rich to get new Audis every 5 years). A few thousand here, a few thousand there, and soon, the repairs add up to a new or used Japanese car.
About the previous comment posted about the Corolla, c'mon get real, your Corolla is 1969... let's think... 38 years! That's four generations for a car! And you complain it rusts? I'm surprise it even runs! There you go, even though he complains about the 1969 corolla, the verdict is still the Japanse car for reliability evidenced by the fact that his 1969 corolla still runs.
16th Sep 2007, 12:20
I'm in a terrible dilemma, I bought my 2001 Audi A6 2.7T in 2004 at 73000 its now 95,000 and eagerly waiting for its due timing belt change. Now Listen, I love this car to deff... I have done all sorts of minor repair, but non went above $800. Every time I've been running to the Audi Stealership as soon as a warning light goes off. Now my love hate relationship with this audi has reached its peak, Jan 2007 I replaced cam seal, Feb - replaced CV boots, brakes, april- instrument cluster started loosing pixels. May - steering rod loose, Now ABS light is on and leaking coolant expansion tank... I could go on and on WOAH!
I angrily matched to a Toyota dealership to trade in this car and BOOM! I realized how worthless the car was even when I had all the problems above fixed. I have upgraded this car to unbelievable heights, In-dash Navigation RNSD, 5 bar BBS rims, phat-noise MP3 player, etc...Now I think I'm Stuck with this Audi. A little devil still makes me admire the 2006 audi A8. But before I get to the A8, I'm wondering if I Should I simply maintain this car to a near perfect or simply loose it at $6000 worth in trade-in? I have looked into extended warranties, but they are all avoiding the major failing parts. what should one do?
Roco
Medford, MA.
30th Jul 2007, 14:50
Um, really? You never see old Audi's on the road? Perhaps you don't know what they look like?
My first Audi was an '85 4000s. I drove it for 185,000 miles and sold it. Never had a major repair. Replaced the clutch at 135000. Hey, a clutch is a wear item. Sometimes they last longer, sometimes not, but eventually they will wear out, on any car. The 4000 was a great car. I had a clutch go on a Acura Integra that I owned at the same time. The Acura had 40,000 mileson it. Acura agreed that it was abnormal and replaced it at their cost. Kudo's to Acura. Sometimes companies will help out, sometimes not.
2nd Audi, a '98 A4. 90,000 miles, still own it. Drives like new. Just did the timing belt service. Yup, $1200. All of you people who complain about timing belt services should understand that many cars use belts in this application, they all need to be replaced on a regular schedule (60-90k) and none will be cheap to do. It's simply a labor intensive job. And do the rollers and water pump at the same time. The belts generally only break when a roller seizes or tensioner fails. It's worth the extra $300. Honest.
3rd Audi, a '96 A6 Avant. Bought with 60k. Now has 180.000 miles. This car will go hundreds of thousand more. very solid. Everytime I ride in someone else's car with 70,000 miles I realize what a good car this A6 really is. About to do my second Timing belt service. Never thought I'd like this car as much as I do. Got rear ended by a Dodge Power Ram PU pulling a 4 horse trailer. Bought a new rear hatch and had the back pulled straight. It remains a trustworthy and dependable car.
4th Audi, a 99 A6 Avant Quattro. Bought with 86000 miles from a shifty dealer who hid some problems (engine leaks). Am in the process of fixing these things. Just did the Timing Belt service (90k) and replaced the front seals while I was at it. Had the shifty dealer replace the leaky camshaft cover gaskets. Shifty dealer did a crap job. Also, I replaced the window clips that should have been replaced on the silent recall, but weren't. These clips are what cause the slow window up scenerio, not a faulty window motor. The clips cost about $2 ea. and you need 2 per window. It should take about an hour per door, maybe a little more. This is a nice car that suffered an owner (s) who thought that maintenance is optional.
SOME GENERAL NOTES:
Why do people complain about brakes wearing out? Don't they realize that brakes are a wear item? In all cars. Tires too. Also expect suspension parts to wear out occasionally, especially if you live somewhere where you encounter pot holes.
If your Audi dealer is good, great. But they are expensive, and yes, there are real reasons behind this. Ask them why. Plenty of training costs and Audi specific equipment. Then there are those loaner cars (who did you think was paying for that?). And the coffee and donuts in the spiffy 2000 sq. foot waiting room with internet.
Independent mechanics can be fine. Make sure that they are Audi experienced and honest about what they can handle. These are complex cars and need specific knowledge and tools. A botched repair job will cost more than what the dealer charges every time.
Midas? Are you out of your mind? Buy an expensive car and then put crap parts on it? Does that make any sense at all?
Nope Audi's are not perfect. They may even be a little less dependable in some areas than some others. But properly maintained by a knowledgeable technician, they'll last a long time. You can kill any car with neglect. Just some faster than others.
My worst car ever? A '69 Toyota Carolla. No redeeming qualities and the body fell apart with rust.