My fiance and I are getting ready to get a new car. We want something comfortable with decent cargo space for lugage and decent aceleration.

So, we are looking at an A4 - a 2003 to 2004 model 1.8 with quatro. We are definitly going to get a Certified Pre-owned car and are aiming for $20,000. We've found a few that fall into out price range that are nearing the end of the original 4/50k waranty and we really liked them.

However, after talking with the salesman and doing some research on forums, I am getting a bit concerned.

I will be trading out of a 11 year old American car and I want something that will A: have better gas mileage and B: last at LEAST 10 years. I usually do my own maintenance (oil, belt, coolant, alternator, battery, water pump, etc.) and I know Audi's are definitely NOT on the cheap end of the spectrum for maintenance, so that is one issue.

Additionally, I am starting to think that the A4 (especially the 1.8T) is not as reliable as it should be. I have found several forums online where people talk about clutches going out every 15k miles and the infamous "oil sludge" problem. These same people also say that dealerships haven't been friendly on these matters, claiming that the clutch problems were due to driver error and not backing up the Sludge Waranty because the owner didn't have detailed maintenance records (which I wouldn't have if I did my own oil changes), AND, on top of this, people are saying that Audi USA isn't responsive with complaints about dealerships.

This thread, in particular, scares the crap out of me....
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/dir.../.eeca719/1253

So, give it to me straight, what am I getting myself in to? Will getting a CPO car make much of a difference past the extra 2 year waranty (ie, will their inspection make big problems less likely for me?).

Thanks,
Adam

 

Unfortunately, I can't answer your question as I'm in the same boat. For many of the same reasons (and a few others), I've settled on an A4 but have not yet found the perfect one. The 1.8t looks like the way to go due to fuel economy. I would think that the CPO program would serve to reduce these fears, as the maintenance 'counters' are set to zero (hold their inspection against them). If you have maintenance records from the time -you- buy the CPO, I'm not sure there would be much a dealer could say. If you keep your receipts for oil and filters, that would be enough to threaten them with small claims court if they put up a fight (a little armchair lawyering here).

One thing to keep in mind about forums is you'll never see posts about how reliable a car or component is. It's the classic case of only hearing from those having problems or bad experiences. I would imagine (again, I have no Audi yet) the majority of Audi owners do not experience the need to replace clutches every 15k miles or have the sludge issue.

I know this doesn't answer your question, but hopefully we'll both get more information before making the plunge.

Mike

 

I picked up a CPO A4 last December, and I have been very happy with my purchase. I know there has been lots of discussions regarding reliability & potential problems with Audis in general. My A4 is very fun to drive, and I don't regret buying it, even knowing all the issues Audi has. Every car manufacturer is going to have its own share of problems, and Audi is no exception. If you are mechanically inclined, then you can save a ton of money by fixing the problems yourself, instead of taking the car to the stealership. The vast majority of us on this forum work on our own cars, and we would have no problem answering any questions you many have. The link below should provide you with a wealth of information... about 1/2 way down. Hope this helps.

https://www.audiforums.com/m_393146/tm.htm

There's a write-up at the bottom of the page regarding common problems about A4's.

 

Thanks, both of you, for your replies and very good points about all of the negative comments online.

Do either of you have any idea of the dealership pulls off the valve cover or in any other way (besides looking in the oil filler neck) checks for engine sludge? I am not less worried about getting a car that will explode on me (if I can be 90% positive there is not sludge) but am now just more worried about maintenance.

A: the cost of having it done for me and B: the liability of having it done myself and not having service records for my R&M.

Anyone else have experience with a CPO A4?

 

Most people that bitch about reliability have bought the cars second hand from private sellers. Cars like that have major problems due to lack of attention from the previous owners.

One bit of advice i can give you is to buy the last year of that model from each generation. Usually all the bugs and things that can go wrong have been updated and you wont see as many problems. For instance , the generation your looking at is the B6. The last year of the b6 was 05. Never ever ever buy first year of any model of any car.

A well taken care of A4 will last you a looooooooooooong time. Clutch does not go out every 15K miles. And if it does its because A. Someone didnt isntall right, B. They dont know how to drive manual.

Since you claim to be mechanicaly inclined, i dont see a problem with getting an audi. Parts are easy to find and easy to install with the right tools and skill. My 01 has 98K miles and still runs like new. I bought it pre owned certified from Laurel Audi.

The key is keeping up with maintenance and swapping things before they brake.The few things that have gone wrong with it have been covered under warranty. Make sure to change your oil with synth every 5K. And do it at the dealer!! the 60$ is worth it if your engine goes out later on. You will have all records and audi shouldnt give you any problems.

All in all, A4's are reliable cars as long as they have been taken care of. Just like any other thing in life.

 

Thanks for your reply.

Here's what I've been thinking:
What if I had the oil changed at the dealer every 10,000 miles for the records and then changed it myself every other 10,000 miles?

That is, at 20,000 miles the dealer changes it, at 25,000 mile I change it, at 30,000 miles the dealer changes it, etc.would this cover me on the Sludge Warranty, you think?

Also, are 2005s (not 05.5s) as common as the 04s? My CPO dealer only has one or two 05s but a dozen 04s and 03s. And were there any big fixes between 04 and 05? I would think since Audi released the B7 in mid model year (05.5) that the 05 model was just a hold over from 04 until they could launch the B7. Is this rational?

 

Actually im not sure. The best bet is to keep it at 5k for the records. 10k might be stretching it. Personally i wouldnt do 10k. My bro did that and his oil feed line got clogged and the rest is history.

Also i dont think there was any big fixes with the 04 and 05 but i could be wrong. Its probably just more refined, little things .. so on.

 

Well, thanks for your help.....but....

My existing car decided to explode so we had to make an emergency purchase. We ended up with a 2004 Honda Accord 2.4L 5-speed Automatic in Graphite Pearl. It only has 10,500 miles (certified pre owned) and was under $16k.

In hindsight, I think this really was the right move for us at this point in our lives. Maintenance is going to be much cheaper and 500 miles on a tank of gas isn't bad either.

Thanks again...hopefully I'll show up here again when we are finished with this car and can move up to an Audi - that will probable be 10 or 15 years though!