would like your advice

1) I am not a mechanic and do not know any personally
2) 2002 A4 quattro, 74k miles
3) Replaced timing belt, did 75 k service back in feb 2011
4) needs right side cat conv and evap purge valve. dealer says these will be $2050 and $385.
5) dealer also says to watch output transmission seal which has slight drip- cost to fix $725
6) value of car estimated at edmunds.com $7000 (fixed I presume)

so fix or sell/buy new car??- prob is that the next car would be a $25k or less car, not a nice audi

 

i'd get some high flow (200 or 300 cell) aftermarket cats. they don't cost half as much as the dealer quoted. seems like a high cost to fix a seal in the transmission. it's so strange to hear about a german car leaking any fluids. you should see the streets and parking lots in germany. not a drop of oil to be seen.

i'd get more quotes and i'd keep the car. the timing belt job is pricey and the engine probably isn't even broken in yet.

 

i had the transmission seal done at an audi dealer on my a4, and that was about the same price. unfortunately it failed on me again 2 years later, and i recently took it to an independent shop. changing the seal and a flush and fill of the fluid (i had no idea how much had seeped out over the course of the two events) ran about half that much.

as for the cats, def go for after market.

IMHO, for repairs like these, its always cheaper to maintain your current car than buying a new one. for $25k, you could probably grenade through 3 or more engines and transmissions in your current car.

 

I think the real question is "Do I like my car"? Assuming everything works, do you like driving it?

If the answer is no, then there's your answer. Time to sell it and buy something newer. Incidentally, you could spend $12,500 and find a very nice 2005 A4. You don't need to spend 25k. Even if you go this route, you're still going to have to repair the cat & purge valve, or else lower the asking price and provide full disclosure to any potential buyers.

If you still enjoy driving your car and are simply frustrated that things are starting to break/wear out, then go out and establish a relationship with an independent Audi mechanic or shop and ask them to help you find aftermarket parts.

Above all else, don't have this repaired at the dealer. They are ridiculously priced, for no other reason than they have a courtesy van and provide free coffee & donuts in the waiting room.

 

thanks for the help guys. I love driving my A4, and decided to have the cat conv fixed. I still have the evap purge valve and the seal to do one day.