10th Aug 2009, 10:14

To the last commentor.

I am sure you are upset with having to pay to have the belt replaced, but what you are forgetting is the 1.8 20v in the Audi TT (any power output), was originally designed as a family car engine to begin with, it's only after further research and development that Audi/VW tweaked the engine as high as 241bhp at one point (they started out as 125bhp n/a engines).

Therefore it is cheaper to replace a belt than a chain, and while most belts only last between 40-60k miles, a timing chain will last on average 100k miles on most cars, and these cost a lot more to replace, so depends on your definition of money saving.

20th Mar 2010, 01:28

Great review!

Audis are VERY problematic cars, and what I have come to figure out is that they seem to have "lemons"... and a high percentage at that. Some people seem to have gotten theirs above the 200k mark, whilst others are emptying their wallets to reach the 80k mark.

We can argue all day that the car was beat up, or that you should replace the timing belt sooner then they say, but the fact of the matter is, if Audi says 100k miles do XX service, the aforementioned service should NOT have to be done until then. If the timing belt may not last to 100k miles, suggest changing it at 80k, or even 60k.

1st Apr 2010, 06:18

I just bought my 2001 Audi TT, and it only has 37,000 on it and I love it - compared to what I had, a 2007 Kia Sportage 4 wheel drive - this is like a Rolls Royce - Kia's do not hold their value and I would not recommend them to anyone. All a person can do in the world today with a car or anything else, is take one day at time - accept what is thrown at you and keep on trucking - So far so good.

25th Jun 2010, 14:47

I have a 2003 TT Quattro. I took it to the dealership at 72,00 miles for a 75,000 mile maintenance check. At no time did they recommend changing the timing belt. At 75,000 miles, the timing belt blew. I called the dealership to ask if they recommend changing the belt at the 75,000 mile check up, and was told that it was not necessary till 90,000 miles. So, even though I was maintaining the vehicle as Audi recommends, I am still looking at huge repair costs. I don't know how I could have been any more diligent in the care of my vehicle. I know (after the fact) that Audi was sued for timing belt issues in 2008. But, even in 2010 the "certified dealers" are still misinforming their customers. Does anyone know if there is any recourse for reimbursement, or am I totally screwed for all the repairs?

1st Sep 2010, 22:10

I have a 2001 Audi TT, with 52,000 miles on it and it is my daily driver. I love to drive this car and I am going to make some recommendations below:

1) Do research, why would you buy something without doing research on it first? If you simply do a few Google searches you would find out that the timing belt on this needs to be replaced before 65000 miles, along with the water pump which has a plastic impeller.

2) Buy the Bently Service Manual, search Google for "Audi TT Service Manual" should be the top result. This will have the recommended service interval for the car, and allow for the DIYer to decide if they want to fix the car or take it to the stealership... I mean dealership.

3) Look at Audi forums on the internet there are plenty of them out there.

4) Have fun driving the car!

13th Sep 2010, 21:07

Mileage is not the only thing to consider when deciding to change the timing belt. You also have to look at the age of the belt and the heat it's subjected to in a turbo engine. This does not excuse Audi from not warning people. But, a wise owner would change the belt every 30-40k miles, OR, every 4-5 years, whichever comes first.

A timing belt will dry rot under the heat of a turbo engine in 7 years or so. Maybe even less. So, change it often and change the water pump while you are in there, at least every other belt change. It's cheap insurance.

5th Nov 2010, 17:14

I bought a 2001 Audi TT Quattro in February of 2010. Since I did, I put 6k miles on it. Bought it at 84k, and now it has 90k.

I had to replace the clutch almost immediately, and now I have to take it in again because there is some problem with power. The car is very jerky and sluggish for a while after shifting to a new gear, especially when going up a hill. The gas mileage has gone to hell as well, even though it was never very good to begin with on this car. I normally look at the mileage and see 20-24 mpg, and right now it just shows 5-15 all the time, and I can't get above 40 mph on the freeway until I have been driving a while. This problem just occurred last night, and made for a very embarrassing, but complete trip home.

Also, the light that says the top is not secure is always on unless the top is all the way retracted. Plus, the interior sensor button by the gas tank button has broken off. I looked at it, and the plastic tab part that keeps it in the console seems to have snapped and the spring under the button pushed it up and out of the hole. For a while the fuel door button was broken, and then it just started working again after not working for about 2 weeks. Constant problems with the CD player. The rear window seal has become partially unglued, I realized, which allows water to leak into the trunk and compartments behind the seat (the one with the CD changer in it).

I was somewhat willing to truck through it all, but after reading these reviews, however, I will just pray that this repair won't be soul crushing, (the clutch was a little over $2600 to repair) and sell or trade this car first chance I get. I would trade it at this point for a Taurus. I really don't care anymore; I just want something that works. This is my 4th car and I have NEVER had this many problems with a vehicle. At this point, I don't care what it looks like or how fun it is, I am getting rid of it and never looking back.