I am considering purchasing a vehicle for my son. I have been some research and really like the safety devices on the A4 especially the electronic stability control standard starting with 2002 and am very impressed with all the bells and whistles that come with such a car. I am considering purchasing a 2002 A4 1.8T Quattro, 72k miles but have also noticed thereliability history on Consumer Reportsis not very impressive compared to say the Toyota Camry or the Honda Accord.In addition, reviewson Edmunds indicate several dissatisfied owners with the frequency of repairs, lengthdown time, etcon their used A4s (same model I'm considering).Can several owners please validate/coment onthis data? Is this vehicle not very reliable? Are preventative maintenance expensive? Isthis vehiclesuited for a teenager when safety is my number one concern and don't mind if its not as fast as the 6 cylinder? I know I can purchase a used Camry but its difficult finding onewith the optional electronic stability control installed and the Accords not even offer it as an option until recent models. Please advice soonsince I am looking to purchase this for graduation.Thank you for your time.

 

oh man, you're comparing an audi to a camry! here's the deal, an A4 1.8T is going to be a bit less reliable than the V6 2.8 because there are more moving parts in the engine (the turbo). If you want reliability AND safety, go with a V6 2.8. On the other hand preventative maintenance isn't that bad, you just need to make sure it gets taken care of. Audi's are definitely reliable cars, but only if you keep up with the maintenance. If you let a problem go for a long time, it's going to eventually hurt something else. For example not changing oxygen sensors for a long time will spoil your spark plugs and a few other parts. Basically it could lead to a lot more expensive repairs...

A Camry or Accord is going to be really cheap to fix, and really reliable with little maintenance. But it's such a boring car, and it doesn't have the safety, the luxury, the sportiness, or the driving experience of an Audi. Just make sure all oil changes have been taken care of on time, and you're going to need to replace the timing belt along with all other necessary items by 80K. DONT NEGLECT THIS, if the t-belt or water pump breaks you'll be into some serious $ in repairs.

I paid about $900 to have the timing belt, a/c belt, serpentine belt, water pump, thermostat, and all pulleys replaced at the same time. All of these parts should be done at the same time while they're at it. Don't wait longer than 80k, I'd do it now if you have the money and decide to purchase the car just to be safe. I've heard of VW and BMW timing belts/water pumps breaking at like 68K.....rare, but it can happen.

What are you paying for the car, should be anywhere from like $12,000-14,000. Any more than that and the car is overpriced for the number of miles.

Good Luck on the purchase, GO FOR THE AUDI, he'll love it!

LampyB.

 

one thing to consider with reliability reviews on sites like consumer reports is that people who are dissatisfied with their car are much more likely to write a review than someone who's happy with their car.

lampyb covered pretty well everything, if you take care of the car it'll take care of you and your son.

it's a 3.0 litre V6 in the B6 (2002+) cars though, not a 2.8.

 

Thanks for the prompt replies. The asking price is $13,995and unfortunately its not the 3.0 liter. Would it be worthwhile to purchase a dealer offered extended warranty given the age of this vehicle and the fact that its the 1.8T? Also, does this vehicle require high octane gasoline like the Volkswagon Passatsince they are the same engines? I had read somewherethat the warranty (not sure if it was factory warranty or extended warranty) would not cover the timing belt unless some associated damage would occur once it has broken.Is this true? I realize I should not wait anyway but amjust curious.

 

If you're thinking about an extended warranty, definitely think about buying and Audi from the dealer. Audi sells "Certified Pre-Owned" used cars... they come with an extended warranty. Basically, the factory warranty is 4 yrs/50k miles, which ever comes first. So, for the car which you're looking at, the factory warranty already expired. The CPO extended warranty will cover you until 100k miles. I had an experience where I bought a used VW at a Dodge dealer with the extended warranty. Well, when it came to me trying to use the extended warranty, the dealer didn't want anything to do with it.

About the 1.8t, it is a reliable car if you take care of it. All the oil changes and maintenance I do myself, which saves me lots of $. If you have the dealer fix something that is broken, that you could do yourself, they will charge you up the a$$ for it. You want to use 91/93 octane gas and full synthetic oil (0w40, 5w40). You need synthetic because regular dino oil will cook the turbo and could give you other engine problems (oil sludge). As long as you take care of the car, it will take care of you. I have had my 1.8t since December, and don't have any complaints.

 

If you want to have less things tthat can go wrong get the 3.0 i have it and its great has speed and luxory adn real leather, plus i get the bells and whitles of the 1.8t with less maintence to worry about , the same thigs apply tot he 3.0 as the 18t

 

Octane rating is really overated, especially depending on what state your in, additives can change what an octane rating is, like in california with MTBE added will make a 91 octane rating to about 88 or 89, either way i would use a good gas company like shell, or cheveron to keep the engine clear of any carbon build up on the valves. For instance if you use crap gas from arco you will probably get carbon build up using 87 or 91 octane. Thats all i have to add. I have the ultra high maintance S4 but i have no complaints.

 

Your audi will need 91 octane gas...premium. But if you think about it, putting midgrade in your car all year long will only save you like 4 tanks of gas at the end of the year. Basically it doesn't cost that much more to put premium in your car, and with audi's you have to.

I'd be careful of dealer extended warranties. They're 100% pure profit to dealers, and usually they'll throw up a fuss if you actually try to use it. They'll often not even cover the entire cost of the repair as well. Bullsh*t if you ask me. And they won't cover the timing belt job unless the t-belt/water pump breaks. And if that happens and they do repair your car, it probably will never drive the same again. I'd just take care of all maintenance yourself and you should be fine without a warranty. Audi certified pre-owned cars are a bit different, the warranties on them are very good.

As far as getting a warranty just because its a 1.8T versus 3.0, I wouldn't worry too much about the turbo. It's a great car, but just note that there are more parts in it to maintain. Also a manual is going to last longer on average than an automatic/tiptronic. For whatever reason its that way with all cars.

LampyB.

 

my dad got me mine and im 18 and i love it and believe me if ur kid likes nething bout cars he will love his a4 alot more then some camry or accord

 

He'll be much happier with an Audi than a camry or accord that you see on the road everyday. I think you should def. go with the Audi. I've owned a camry and now I have the Audi and trust me I'm much happier with my Audi. I'm 20 BTW. You're a great dad to get your son such a sweet ride for his graduation.

My '05 is certified and it's much better than the dealer warranty. I've had the dealer extended warranty and my dad has had it too. My dad went to use his warranty and they wouldn't pay a dime to fix his brakes.