Hi Everyone, I'm new here. I have been looking for a roomy European wagon for a while now and found a 2001 A4 Avant with the 2.8 V6 and Auto tranny very close by me.
It has 191xxx miles and current owner has had it for about 5 months and just replaced the front tires, radiator, battery, thermostat and the rear brake line.
She said it drives very well and she uses it as a daily commuter car every day but is selling it because she found a newer car she really wants. She has it priced at $3500 OBO.

I have read horror stories about how the 1.8 Turbo's need the shop all the time, but it seems less of a problem with the 2.8? Anybody have any ideas on if I should get this car and what I should ask for it? How long should it be good for? I do need a car now which is why I'm looking at such a high-mileage vehicle, using a rental at the moment.

TIA for any help.

-Matthew

 

You're correct that the V6 is significantly less labor-intensive than the 1.8T. Many of us, including me, are over 200k miles on ours with few or no issues. With proper care, they'll go 250-300k or more. That being said, any car will need more maintenance as the miles pile up and parts wear out and these are no exception. You can be your best friend or your own worst enemy in this case, depending on your ability to work on the car. If you can, great. If you don't have the experience, learn. Parts aren't terribly expensive but labor on an Audi can kill you. Many of us on here work on these cars and can handle it for you, or assist/guide you and the DIYs here and on several other Audi forums will put you in good shape to handle repairs and maintenance. A basic metric tool set, a set of Allen bits, a set of torx bits, and a few triple-square bits are pretty much all you'll need.

This car sounds promising. I'd have you do a couple things before buying:

1 - ask about any other service records, particularly the timing service. The thermostat was changed recently on this car, and it is behind the timing belt. Did the owner have the timing system (not just the belt, but tensioners, rollers, and water pump) done as well? The labor wouldve been essentially the same. If not, why not and when was it last done? This is the most critical service on these cars and can run as high as $1500 for parts and labor, so use that in negotiating.

2 - where are you located? See if someone local to you has vagcom (diagnostic software) and can do a full scan for codes on the car. Not all codes will trip a check light and you don't want any nasty surprises.

3 - why is the owner selling after only 5 months? It's a great car and I can't see any reason to sell so quickly that wouldn't raise a red flag.

Find out and post back up and we should be able to tell you to go for it or pass.

 

A couple other things - when you drive it, listen for any flunks in the front suspension that indicate a bad ball joint. Failed ball joints require replacement of control arms as they're not independently replaceable. Kits can be had for $200-250 for all 8 front arms plus new outer tie rod ends and new front swaybar endlinks. Labor will have you swearing as some are a pain to change but its definitely a DIY. wheel bearings are known for failure as well so listen for roaring noises that get louder or softer as you turn left and right, mainly at highway speeds. And finally, that timing service, if done yourself, will cost you about $350 in parts and 8-10 hours your first time. It's not terribly difficult, requires only the tools I mentioned above, and beats the hell out of the dealer's prices. I said these in a separate post so you can, if you choose, print my reply above and show it to the owner to help you in negotiating, without letting on that it can cost less. For example, maybe the owner splits the difference with you on the timing service and comes down $750 - that saves you $750 which will pay for your timing kit and any tools you need and still leave you beer money

 

A couple other things - when you drive it, listen for any flunks in the front suspension that indicate a bad ball joint. Failed ball joints require replacement of control arms as they're not independently replaceable. Kits can be had for $200-250 for all 8 front arms plus new outer tie rod ends and new front swaybar endlinks. Labor will have you swearing as some are a pain to change but its definitely a DIY. wheel bearings are known for failure as well so listen for roaring noises that get louder or softer as you turn left and right, mainly at highway speeds. And finally, that timing service, if done yourself, will cost you about $350 in parts and 8-10 hours your first time. It's not terribly difficult, requires only the tools I mentioned above, and beats the hell out of the dealer's prices. I said these in a separate post so you can, if you choose, print my reply above and show it to the owner to help you in negotiating, without letting on that it can cost less. For example, maybe the owner splits the difference with you on the timing service and comes down $750 - that saves you $750 which will pay for your timing kit and any tools you need and still leave you beer money

 

I'm not sure about the 2001, but my 1998 2.8 A4 has also had chronic oil leaks. Otherwise what the Devil said. Really, it comes down to how much repair and maintenance you feel comfortable doing yourself. Paying a mechanic, even an independent garage, to do the inevitable work is going to be costly.

 

i'll second what has already been mentioned but add that i don't think $3500 is a very good price for a car with that many miles. i paid $3000 for mine with 74k on it and a set of issues. those little additions she mentioned.. battery, tires, radiator, etc.. meh does it come with an air freshener too!? the kid i bought mine from tried that with a "new K&N filter" that i found wasn't even in it later.

long story short, i'd pass on it unless you can bring the price down substantially

 

you can easily find a (very) much better deal

 

Agreed that the price seems a bit high.

 

I agree with te price being high, talk them down and do what te devil said, or pass on it.