Hey everyone!
I have seen ads in the paper and on Craigslist for used Audi A6s. The models that I have seen are a 1999 Audi 2.8t quattro sedan, and a 1999 Audi 2.8t quattro Avant. There was also a 2000 Audi A6 2.7t that had the bi-turbo on it. I was wondering what the reliability was for these cars. I will be using it to go up to the mountains, as well as commuting to and from school, and I wanted an AWD sedan that could handle any conditions, as it occasionally snows. Are there certain upgrades or fixes that should be in place on the cars? Basically, what kind of previous maintenance should have been completed on the car? I don’t want to put a bunch of money into the car- especially because Audi, and german cars in general, can be expensive to fix. The pictures in the ads look good- but I want to know how to tell if the car is mechanically sound.
Thanks for any tips!

 

tbelt should have been done at 100k or so, the headlight switches get finicky or burn out (mine won't turn the fog lights when I pull it out and the lights for the switch sometimes don't come on), the valve covers leak oil sometimes, the colant lines do get leaky, if it is automatic they can shift hard which would indicate the trans needs maintenance, power steering lines can let air in and that woudl cause a whinning noise from it (the lines can also leak fluid from the pump), when I got my car the abs module was bad, and I have had a cel for the secondary O2 sensor for a while. They can be expensive to fix (I paid $40 ish to get a new oil level sensor/oil temp sensor) but when they are well taken care of they are very reliable. One thing to keep in mind is if the car is older things are naturally going to break so you will have to fix some things.

 

People don't sell 10 year old cars because they are running great. It sounds like you are a student with limited funds. Unless you are handy with tools, stay away from an Audi for now and buy a nice FWD car and mount snows on the front. Graduate, get a good job, and then buy a newer used Audi. It's a great car and wonderful in the snow, but certain repairs can bankrupt you.

 

Turbocharges are very expensive to replace when they fail.
My daughters 1998 A6 wagon with 2.8L 12valve AFC engine had bad head gaskets about one year after buying it. The previous owner had dumped so much antileak compound into the cooling system that it had plugged the engine block drain. The radiator also had to be replaced. Ten year old cars are sold because their owners don't want to spend more and more on repairs. If you are unable to borrow your parents car and don't have time or money, then look for a well maintained low mileage easy to repair car and plan for spending a few thousand on repairs. Special tools and lots of time are required to properly repair an Audi. Most apartment owners or dormatories do not allow major repair work on their property.