hello! First I wanna introduce myself. Im glad to be a part of the community here at audiforums. Im hoping to learn about audis.

I wanna say that ive been interested in buying a used audi for some time now(Audi A4 1997-2000 60,000-100,000 miles for up to $11,000). Im a TOTAL newb when it comes to cars. I was hoping someone could drop some advice for me when shopping for an audi and when i do get an audi how to upkeep it. A couple questions come to mind

At what mileage do i need to start replacing or repairing?

What are the estimates for common repairs?

What are common problems? and how often do they occur? (ive been reading problems about the timing belt)

Are older audis(1995-2000) durable?

What are advantages of audi's vs other cars?

thats all i can think of for now. I aplogize if this is already posted in another thread. All opinions are welcomed!!
thank you!

 

the search tool is very powerful. If you search, you will discover. All of your questions have been answered multiple times. You shouldn't have any trouble finding them, but if you do, let us know and we will answer you.

 

HI!
Welcome! Let's start w/ the positive side of the Audi experience. Quattro, get it. Enough said. Our Audi has been the most fun car that we have had, it handles fantastic. We live in Minnesota, w/ snow tires this car handles better than the Jeep. It's amazing how much stuff you can actually stuff into this car. We have had weekend trips and weeklong trips w/ the 2 of us and our 2 year old daughter. It is very comfortable to ride in for long periods of time, and fun to drive so you don't fall asleep.
Now the negative side. Repairs. After 4 years of owning this car, we have replaced a lot of stuff. Here's the list.
-Waterpump
-Control arms, upper and lower, both sides.
-Axle seals
-Timing belt
-Swaybar links (rear)
-Wheel bearings, 3 so far
-Fading Display
I know there is more, but I've tried to block it out.
But I still love the car.

 

Avoid the 1.8T engine, unless it has a full set of service records with synthetic oil. (Dealerships used ordinary mineral "dino" oil for several years, until these engines began coking up.)

If you get an automatic transmission, change the fluid at least every 60k miles = 100k km, even though the dealership will tell you the fluid is "lifetime."

Likewise, do not trust the timing belt to the "one size fits all" 105k mi = 170k km recommendation, unless you do mostly open highway cruising and accumulate at least 15k mi = 25k km per year.

If you want a reliable car, get a Honda or a Toyota. If you are willing to put up with some problems and added expenses but would enjoy owning a true driver's car, get an A4 or possibly a VW Passat.

 

If you are a total newb, make sure that you have an independent Audi/VW mechanic check the car before you buy. This is good advice for buying any used car.

Which car depends on what you want out of it.

The 1.8T gets better gas mileage, and can be modified to give significantly more power. The 2.8 engine is more realiable but gets poorer gas mileage and has few options for modification.

Which ever car you buy, plan on spending 1000 dollars in the first 6 months to fix things the previous owner neglected, and about 1K a year for general maintenance after that.

 

thanks alot for all the feedback!! apreaciate it

i guess im in the same situation as the guy from PA on the other thread except i can spend up to 10,000

anyways im looking at a couple cars from yahoo auto
http://used-cars.autos.yahoo.com/use...=A4&cs=y&b=20&

whats the next big thing next to replacing the timing belt?

 

Hey There,

I am on my first Audi 2000 A4 2.8. Absolutely love the car, but I will echo what others have said. If frequent (4 times per year) you receive a $300 plus repair bill, and this would significantly effect your financial position, stay away from the older models. It may be worth taking on a bigger car payment to get a newer Audi with warranty. My local dealership is very difficult to work with, you may want to check yours out to get a feel for their service department as you may be spending some time with them. I will buy another one down the road.

 

damn $300/mo? is that due to negligence from the previous owners?

also...when inspecting a car, are there any clues on finding defincies within the car?

 

300 dollars a quarter, not each month.