Hello! i'm from Malaysia and i'm planning to get a 2nd hand car for my work. currently i have2 choices; the ford lynx 1.6 2000-2001(i'll ask the other forum regarding it)or the A4 1.8 non-turbo1996-1997 model (that's what they only have in the market currently) as it's a car that is within my budget. i really hope that you could really give mesome honest advice on this car as i really don't want to spend the next few years just REPAIRING the car. so please, don't over-talk/praise about it just because you're an Audi fan or freak.

could you please tell me whatarethe common problems thati'll be facing, taking into account that it's a 10 year old car. i'm really worried that it's about time when you have to REALLY constantly maintain the car ( i had an older car which happened like this, you fixed this, then you fix that...and it's not small and cheap fixes but big and expensive ones)
[ul][*]what are the 3-5 most expensive things in this car? how much are they?[*]what are the 3-5 most often things need to be replaced? how often and how much are they?[*]is itstill reliable after 10 years. i'll most probably be having it for the next 5 years.[*]i need to load the car trunk full most of the time. what about the suspensions, absorbers? do i have to replace it with originals or can i just get OEM's?[*]what about fuel consumption now. i heard i can do 100KM for RM(malaysian ringgit)16 (which is quite a lot.[*]what other things that i should know? any suggestions or advice will mean a lot to me. please be kind enough to take some time to help.[/ul]
Thank you.

 

yea i dont feel like reading all that but if the car has been taken care of it should last along time... parts on these cars are more expensive but like i said if its been taken care of you shouldnt have too many problems

 

Timing belt needs to be done approvimately every 80K miles. Parts in US are about 300 to do the front end (all belts, tensioner, water pump). IN US labor is about 500 dollars.
Front suspension parts (control arms and tie rod ends) tend to wear.

Wheel bearings tend to wear and need replacement about 50-100K miles. Cost for bearing about 50 dollars, 1.5-2 hours labor charge

The engine is pretty sturdy and if the oil is changed on schedule should not be a problem.

These cars are good cars, but do require maintenance. As they are german, parts tend to be more expensive than Toyota, and there are fewer after market parts.

What ever you decide, before you buy a used car, take it to a mechanic before you buy and have him check it for major problems. For the Audi, take it to a mechanic who specializes in Audi or VW.

If you want reliability an no problem in a 10 year old car that you can drive for 5 more years. try a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. Even then, you can expect things to break and need repair. Cars have a finite life and wear out. It is just a matter of time, mileage and how well the previous owner and you take care or maintenance.

 

Thanks so much for your time and advice. i'll go and check things out and see what happens next. i hoe i can come back and tell you people the good news! Cheers! and Happy New year!

 

Hey! just want to inform you guys that i have bought the audi A4. it's a real good but fuel consumption is a pinch! but overall is good. Great car! anyways, is there anyway (add-ons) to reduce the fuel consumption?

 

congrats on the car, try to post some pictures...

and some people claim that a better air filter will give you better gas mileage, but idk how true it is.