I am a retired man in Florida. I almost always purchase a pre-owned car. This time I found a 1998 Audi A4 with 43,000 miles in very nice condition. I have never owned an Audi, usually Toyota, Honda or Ford. I have a scheduled a 300 point inspection with a Tampa Audi dealer just to have a bit of peace of mind. More of a safety thing for me, really.

 

One with mileage that low is an incredible find. Apparently retirement brings automotive luck, as part of the deal.

Good luck, and good find!

 

I would run the VIN against carfax.. that's really low.

 

The car was offered for sale on a consignment basis by a local car dealer (not an Audi dealer). Like many buyers, I was skeptical of the indicated mileage. So, I ran a CarFax, and have in hand, a CarFax report on the VIN that confirms the mileage. Still not wholly convinced, I spoke with the previous owner. They are snowbirds, coming to Florida from their northern home in winter. This was their "winter car", garaged for most of the year and driven for the 3-4 months they were here. Both of them no longer drive, so the car was orrered for sale.

 

Right on, welcome. 1.8t or 2.8 V6?

 

The mileage, while low, is not the most important factor. The age of the vehicle is. It's 16 years old so all of the pieces parts that are affected by age like rubber and plastic parts will be in need of inspection. It will need a timing belt etc regardless of the miles. Be careful this could be a huge money pit. Pull the codes. Get it to a mechanic who really understands German cars. Don't fall for good looks alone. They all get prettier at closing time. Good luck.

 

Audi of Tampa performed a 300 point inspection. This is the same inspection required for a "certified Audi pre-owned" vehicle.
Results:
1 many cosmetic blemishes of no consequence to me
2 upper link bushings need replaced
3 windshield washer tank is cracked
4 front splash guard has a crack
5 pollen filter needs replaced
6 wiper switch may - or may not be intermittant (tech could not get it to
repeat the hesitation he thought he observed
7 wiper inserts need replaced
8 radio voume control **** does not control volume
9 only one key is present
10 no floor mats
11 engine mounts may need replaced
12 No codes were found


That was the sum total of the problems discovered during the inspection. However, a test drive is normally performed as part of the certification process and this was deterimined by mutual agreement bwtween the tech and I to not be necessary.

I know the cruise control does not work and is most likely the module.

The elderly previous owner had the headlight assemblies replaced (he could not remember why he had this done) with one piece units. The job was less than satifactory on the passenger side. I have not looked, as yet, to see what needs adjusting to make it properly fit. The left side is perfect.
Last night the high-low beam failed. I have to pull back on the control for high beam.

Timing belt and water pump was preplaced by the previous owner last month. Apparently, his son arranged this to ensure the car sold. I have the receipts for this work.

So far that is all that needs done.

 

Forgot to answer this one.

2.8 V6 and tiptronic

 

The list of items that will need attention is pretty long in my estimation. Motor mounts, no cruise, bad radio, control arm bushings etc. etc. and only 48,000? I suggest a lengthy test drive for sure. Make sure the heater blows hot air consistently because the heater core may be plugged. A car that sits as much as this one will have other problems a test drive may reveal. For sure it will tell you if the valve cover gaskets etc. need to be replaced. You will get the burning oil smell in the cabin. Can tell without driving it. Good luck.

 

Thank you for your input. I have very little money invested, so I have some room to spend a bit.
Yes, it has some issues and they will be addressed. The radio does work quite well at a comfortable volume, just cannot adust the volume. This is not a problem or me. At some poiny, I will probably replace the radio with one that has a cd player.
Control arms and motor mounts will be replaced as soon as my mechanic has time. I only drive about 5000-8000 miles a year on city streets, so this is not a big thing yet. the community I live in permits golf carts to be driven almost everywhere, so most of the time I am driving a golf cart.
I have driven the car about 200 miles and have not noticed any oil leaks or smells of burning oil.
I was not aware off the potential plugging of the heater core. I will have that checked, but here in Florida there is not often a need for a heater.