I have a 2006 A3 with 40k miles. I bought it used a year ago from a 3rd party but the car had previously been certified. The first disappointment was that the certification does not carry to the next owner which makes zero sense - I'm not sure why anyone would pay extra for a certification if they knew that it has zero resale value (what difference does it make who owns it - its the car thats certified, not the owner). Anyway, my warranty expired in October 2009. Recently my air conditioner stopped blowing cold air. Went to have it looked at by a 3rd party mechanic and he said that the A/C compressor was busted and needed to be replaced - he could do it for just under $1,000. He pointed out that there was a technical service bulletin from Audi that pointed out the problem and that Audi has known that this part is poor/defective. I called my local Audi dealer and they said they would take a look at it for free and may be able to get Audi of America to help out. The looked at it and came to the same conclusion about the compressor - they contacted Audi who offered a 40% discount. The Audi shop charges $2,000 to replace this so I would still be liable for $1,200. How can Audi use an A/C compressor that fails after 40k miles and then expect the consumer to pony up for the repair? I find this absurd. I called Audi of America and they eventually came back saying that they stood behind the 40% discount. I am extremely disappointed in Audi service in general and this is further confirmed by their unwillingness to stand behind their products. I could understand if this was caused by me but its simply a defective part -- not sure why I would ever buy another Audi given this situation. Anyone have any suggestions? Looks like I am gonna get stuck paying $1,000 for something that Audi should have covered...

 

I was lucky my AC went out under warranty. Still my Chevy which I bought new went out at 50k and I had to pay full price, $1200. They gave me a lifetime guarantee and if you read the Chevy forums it's the same problem as Audi a defective compressor, which Chevy has not ackowledged. btw it went out again at 150k, fortuantly I kept the receipt as it would cost me again. Maybe we just expect more from Audi.