Hey guys.

Im almost 17. Ive been driving since i was 14 years old, however I know near nothing about cars. My brother was rocking an 01 A4 a Few years ago...until the bumper fell off and my parents said F you Audi Dealership, which lead to a refund and purchasing a WRX.

I have been looking at purchasing an Audi, but i have been intruiged by various cars as well. My question is, are A4 1.8t's really that much of a pain in the *** to maintain. Im not the kind of person who doesnt take care of a car, but i am uneducated in the mechanical aspects of the car. I have been reading reviews of 1999 A4's (I am extremely close in purchasing a 99 1.8t. Specs later in the post), and every single person has noted that they have dumped at least an extra 4 grand into repairs, and That the TIming belt is one of he biggest factors that gives out. In addition, internal parts of the car seem to have been poorly designed...as in random leaks, breaks, etc.

I am currently on the verge of purchasing 1999 Audi a4 1.8T 5speed with: Tint, black leather, heated seats, cd, sunroof, etc. etc. Truely is a beatiful car, however my excitement of purchasing this Audi has been dwindleing after reading these discouraging Reviews.
The car has 107k on it, and im getting it for $7200. Later next week i am going to have it checked out by the family mechanic to see how its looking. Can it be assumed that this car has a repair-stricken future where it puts me out thousands of dollars and its always in the shop?

Thanks!

 

Welcome ayabaloo. yeah, it ain't cheap owning an Audi. if you KEEP them well taken care of you'll love your experiences with her. The timing belt is MAJOR. If you have no way of finding out that it's already been taken care of, on you prospective purchase, I wouldn't chance it. Any car will have things that go out on it, as it ages. The problem with Audi's, and other European makes, is that the parts suppliers are an ocean away! (most Nipponese maunfacturers now have suppliers on this continent.

The appeal of the A4, especially teh 1.8T is it's moddability. Working on your car provides it's own rewards/frustrations. But, you WILL learn how to work on cars, in teh process

If you think cars are expensive to maintain, wait'll you get married[:@]

 

Thanks for the Reply AWDaholic.

After looking hard at various audis and speaking first hand with Audi owners...i hae unfortunately decided to drift away from audis, and go towards a WRX. Our family has had Subarus in their blood for years, excellent warranties, and not as expensive to maintain. That and the fact that my brother slipped off the road, and ended up rolling/falling 150 feet, only to suffer a concussion. but the car was just shredded. So after that situation we do get discounts since the subaru saved his life.

Well ill keep you updated