2nd Sep 2008, 16:04

I bought my Audi A6 2003 2.7T pre-certified about two years ago and it too had a number of these problems. After driving for about 1000 miles the turbos had to be replaced. That was a $2700 repair. Other repairs include replacing the water pump for $800 and fixing the window motors ($500). All these were covered under warranty. Now the check engine light is on and the car is no longer under warranty. I'm dreading what it will cost me to fix this issue or whether it's just an electrical problem. I love driving my car, especially with the turbos but with this reliability issue, Audi will be one of the last manufacturers I'll consider for my next car.

12th Sep 2008, 07:43

I have a 97 Audi A6Q. Bought it used from the dealer and it has never been back there. I have a great small garage that does a great job and the few parts they have replaced are all aftermarket when ever possible.

When I bought the car, the service manager was telling me these cars are very expensive to fix, blah blah blah; they're screwing most people. Try the little guy on the corner that has these cars or BMWs, Benzs on their lots, and ask the people that get their cars fixed there or the mechanics.

28th Oct 2008, 18:00

I purchased a 2001 A6 2.7T with 70k miles on it three years ago. I now have 112k. By and large it has been very reliable. Always starts, got over 27mpg on a recent road trip. 33.4mpg on flat highway trip this weekend - very cool.

I spent about $1,800 at 85k to replace timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, front control arms. Most of this was required interval maintenance.

What I read here from everyone with major issues, is that they have not found a good "non-dealer" mechanic. Audi dealer would have charged me $3,000 for the same work. Don't bother with them once you are out of warranty. It's that way with every dealership I ever worked with, not just Audi.

Make some calls and find someone who will take the time to talk with you. An Audi is not a Honda. A Honda coupe will not fit my family in comfort and performance like my A6. It kicks --- in the snow, awesome, not even my Subaru turbo was this fun.

In regards to the check engine light, sounds like a typical issue. My mechanic took the codes and reset it several times, finding nothing wrong. It comes on and off, I live with it. It's mostly about emission control anyway (I believe).

The power window controls also appear to be a common complaint. My passenger side window seemed to have a mind of its own for awhile. But the problem went away.

I did have a water pump go out. Turns out there are two on the 2.7, an electric one underneath that cools the turbos after engine is off.

Overall, this is a luxury performance car, which you will spend some money on (several friends warned me repairs were not cheap). Sorry for all who have been abused by their dealer.

10th Feb 2009, 17:43

1999 A4 AJL 1.8t owner here in Australia; it seems that a lot of people have horror stories with Audis, but my experience is identical to another commenter's from above... that Audi are in fact excellent cars, and your problems can almost always be solved by 1) knowing the car and how to repair it yourself or 2) having a good mechanic.

Audi engines can be very very reliable and cop a thrashing, but they demand regular services with excellent synthetic oil. I repair the car myself, and always service using the best Motul synthetic oil (as this engine demands) and as a result I've enjoyed 30,000k of problem free motoring (car now has 209,500k) in a car that is classy, powerful, refined and sumptuous and with the finest build quality you could wish for.

I've replaced these items:

- 2x tie rod end (replacement is beefier and will not fail again)

- All air filters

- Fuel filter (admittedly a PIA to get to; fuel tank has to be dropped)

- Accessories belt tensioner

- Driver's side front outer CV

- Oil pump pickup de-sludged (previous owner may have used

All up under $500AUD parts spent on genuine parts.

For the same price I could've bought a '02 Camry V6, but have any of you actually tested the two side by side?? The Camry is a joke in comparison! Rubbish build quality, cheap interior that smells like melting plastic, terrible driving dynamics and overall a very boring drive. Seriously, if this is the tradeoff for having to replace the tie rod ends at 200,000k rather than 300,000k, I would still buy the Audi every time.

I suppose the bottom line is that Audis are cars built for driving enthusiasts; people who couldn't imagine anything worse driving than driving a dull car through the hills on a beautiful 20deg autumn day; people who appreciate build quality and unspoken elegance and refinement, along with excellent performance. They are not a car for someone who just wants to get there. Honestly, if you buy any european car just to look good, and don't spend any effort learning things to look out for before massive failures, etc, your wallet is never going to be full again. Learn these things though and perform preventative maintenance; you won't spend a lot on it, and you'll have a hell of a car. Otherwise, go buy a Toyota and blend in with the crowd.

11th Feb 2009, 10:25

ONE MORE DISSATISFIED AUDI CUSTOMER:

We bought our daughter a 2001 Audi A4 in 2002 with about 18,000 miles on it. We have had so many problems with the car, many that have been mentioned in the other comments, such as the axle breaking. One major problem has been the local Audi dealer service dept. They can't fix anything - their solution was just to replace everything that had a problem. The steering column was replaced twice for squeaking, radio was replaced for a loose connection in the speakers, etc. It now (2009) has 44,000 miles on it and the latest thing is rods that have to be replaced?

This will cost around $2,000 and this isn't even using the Audi dealer - we can't afford them or even want them to fix the car. I've tried the Audi customer service and got nowhere. They kept telling me due to the age of the car - I repeatedly told them the car was 8 years old but only had 44,000 miles, there was nothing could do. They offered me a gift certificate for an Audi accessory. I said "we've paid several thousand dollars in repairs since the warranty expired and you're offering me an Audi t-shirt?!" Needless to say, we will NEVER buy another Audi or any other car from this local dealership, nor will I ever recommend an Audi to friend or family.