Hey whats up guys? First time posting, i don't even have an audi yet...hopefully soon. Right now im stuck with my 97 Honda Prelude. Anyway i'm lookin for a 99.5/00 A4 1.8TQM, and a warranty. I tried searching but i guess im wondering what everyone else has? Do you have a warranty? What company, has it been worth it, basically all the details. Thanks in advance.
Kevin

 

Id say take a warrenty up with the dealer you buy it from...... my car has only 15,000 miles and yet i have no warrenty

 

Im guessing you are talking aftermarket warranties? I haven't found one that has actually covered anything worth while.

The biggest things on the 1.8T engine are:
- oil sludge - owners not doing their oil changes on time and being a turbo engine it fries the oil causing damage to the internals
- control arms in the suspension going south
- timing belt (but for 99.5/00 we are pretty safe, for prior years there was a problem with the TB tensioner)

I think those are the main issues... so be sure to try and find a 99.5/00 with ALL the oil change papers.

 

Ya, thats the thing i can't afford one with such low miles. So basically the aftermarket warranties are my only choice. I know a lot of you guys have to have higher milage, what do you do? I know KellyA4 got an a 4 year or 100,000 miles through Mechanical Breakdown Protection for like $1800, and has soaked like $7500 out of it already. It seems that most say to stay away from the aftermarket warranties, okay but then what? Any info is appericated. Thanks guys.
Kevin

 

There are conditions on aftermarket warranties and they will only replace certain things. I know most require some sort of inspection.

 

Have a Euro-mechanic check the car.

Make sure there is no oil sludge.

Check the control arms.

If you can read the lettering on the timing belt it was replaced recently.

 

No one has aftermarkert warranties? I guess most of you guys DIY then.

 

I want an A4 with around 70k, what do you guys suggest? I mean other than have it looked at by a mechanic, and check the problematic ares i.e. Control Arms, Sludge, Timing Belt etc. I would think many people would have warranties, being that Audi's can be so costly. Please advise, thanks guys.

 

well, control arms had a recall, so im pretty sure that if yours didnt get changed, you can get them done at the dealer for...idk how much, but not alot. as for everything else, find a privately owned one that dude has allll papers.

 

I think you have somewhat of a misconception of these aftermarket warranties. Its not like companies are going to insure cars just to get screwed out of money. These companies are in the business to make money off not having to pay for repairs to your vehicle.

If you choose to go with an aftermarket warranty they will inspect your vehicle and choose to warranty certain components such as drivetrain. Being that the 1.8T engine is known to have sludge problems and there is a class action lawsuit making its way through the court system, a company may be reluctant to warranty the engine. Its not like they will pay for normal components that wear out such as control arms, TB, breaks, rotors, etc. You are better off saving the 2-3K you'd end up paying for the warranty and using that on preventative maintenance.