A local guy has a '99 A6 Avant for sale that is surprisingly within our narrow budget. It has 216k km / 135k miles on it, but has all the regular maintenance done (like the timing belt, water pump, etc. only 30k km / 20k miles ago). Has service records for past two or three years.

Any known issues for higher mileage '99 A6's? I know the quattro system rocks, but are there any issues or PM I should consider for a car this well-travelled, especially drivetrain related?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanx.

 

Where's 'local? You quoted 'km', so maybe Canada? I'm in SoCal. I've got a link in Private Classified section here. Price down to $14,000. Only had it about a year, so not much mechanical history. Have problems with things like overhead console trim breaking; rear cargo cover roll-up thingie broken; rear window locking switch on the fritz, etc....Oh - watch out for low curbs and parking bumpers - they'll damage your front bumper cover - it hangs low.

 

Sorry about that -- new to this forum format and assumed my location would be posted alongside my username. I am Canadian -- the East Coast as a matter of fact. The price he wants is $11 400 Cdn (or about $9500 US).

Anyway, we already test drove another Avant, same specs and liked it a lot so are very interested in it. A bit disconcerted at consumer feedback from Edmonds and MSN Autos concerning long term reliability (and yeah, I know, most people only post with gripes, rarely with positive experiences). We were already looking at a Saab 9-5 wagon and Volvos -- all '99s. Also concerned about Swedish reliability. Reason that is an issue is that we are selling our '96 Lexus ES 300, which was very good to us (but need something larger).

 

'm in Halifax, have a 99 A6 with 167,000kms and a 96 A6 with 325,000kms/200,000 miles, car is from Mississippi (the wife/kids car) still going strong, local Audi Dealership has been really good, quick to fix problems and oddly not costly, although my long time mechanic from my Porsche days just retired and the 96 has only been in a few times, ands I'm not adverse to a bit of tape over a blinking light and that may have helped...regardless...Overall great cars to drive!

 

Hi, Bluenose. Thanx for the info on the dealer. I live in Hfx, too. As soon as my wife and I can sell our current car -- '96 Lexus ES300 -- we will be getting the Avant, hopefully. The Lexus was great and the local dealer is excellent, but we need more room for our family.

Another question -- this Avant has all available options (Bose sound, rear air bags, and had 3rd row seat, now gone). I understand the package that included rear air bags also came with Xenon lights. But someone from another forum said Xenons didn't come to Cda in '99. Any ideas?

 

Your CV boots are coming due for some damage. That would be the biggest drivetrain concern. With the quattro system, there are 8 CV boots (four per axle (front/ rear) or two per axle driver front, passenger front, driver rear, pass. rear) depending on what you call an axle). In the cold climate I would not be surprised if they were to go bad right around 140, I bought/ drove my A6 Avant in Montana til ~150K (all freeway miles) and I think I did my CV's at 140 or so. It is big money if you tear one and let the axles go dry. I watched mine carefully and caught it but that is a big thing because you'll destroy your axles.

Easy enough to check/ watch though. CV boots are rubber, cone shaped, grease filled mechanical part protectors (with a tapered circular crease.) If you aren't afraid of a little grease, crawl underneath and follow the axle, just off your brake system you will find the outer boot, look for cracking, damage, odd creases, and grease (bad bad bad). Then follow the axle to the transmission just before you get there, there is another inner cv boot (check this one too). This technique is the same for all axles. 4 in the front 4 in the rear. Your fronts will go out a lot sooner than the rears because of the steering system pulling as stressing them. If you are afraid of grease, :-P you can also turn the front wheels all the way to one side and see the outer boot and look in the engine compartment toward the back and check your inners. This technique does not work on the back.

CV boots cost like 25$ (US) a piece for a replacement kit, but the labor on them is pretty bad (about $150 per boot and they will only replace them 4 at a time) Do it yourself job ~6 hours for the 4, and that is for well experienced. There is a lot of mechanical devices involved in getting the stupid thing off. If you can find a quick technique for pulling them though, it is about 10 minutes to replace the rubber.