I'm looking at a high mileage 02 A4 3.0 auto this weekend.

130K but the owner claims all dealership service was done including timing belt.

Its a good price, about 6K, all highway miles. I do all my own work and can do all the work myself but I don't expect to run into much.

I have a VAGCOM and will be bringing that with me. I'll do a suspension check over and all that.

Winter car for the wife, she'll maybe put 3K-4K on it all winter. It won't get driven much else beyond that.

Things to look for?

Seems like a sweet deal compared to the B5's we had been looking at.

 

If the dealership did all the work, where are the records? dealerships will have record of all the work done on the car, and so should the owner. They make you sign paperwork and get copies even when no money is exchanged.

 

The owner has them, I just have not seen them yet.

We were kind of cool to the idea of this car because of the mileage but after looking at several B5's we had a hard time finding one really under 130K. Not that 130K is a problem, my A6 just turned 115, but all the B5 ads were listed around 100-105 then when we get there its suddenly 130.

The car is about 200 miles away so she is going to fax them over to me.

 

Don't be suprised to find two cat below efficiency faults in the ECM. If it does, expect to pay $1,000 per cat and about 5 hours of labor to change them out.

 

I don't think cats will run 1K a piece. Bit reactionary, eh?

She faxed over the service records.

Looks like she had all the standard B6 A4 problems and they were resolved:

Horn replaced twice but good since 30K
Fan control module replaced
coil packs replaced
Timing Belt, WP, Tensioner, etc all done within last month
Glove box fixed, and then replaced at 20K miles.

Car looks pretty solid on paper and she had paperwork from new to its last service a month ago with new rear pads and rotors with the timing belt.

Find out on Saturday.