Hey all, so I purchased a 2004 A4 1.8t a few months ago for $12500 with tax at a dealership. It came with a 3 month 50% parts and labor warranty. So far I've had to have the oil pressure sending unit replaced and now I have to replace my TCM, water pump/timing belt and seals/pulleys/tensioners. The price of those 3 things will be about $1600 and thats including the 50% parts and labor. Is this a good price for whats happening to my car? I'm really trying to get out of debt and this car has only been putting me more into it.

My question to you all is, is this worth keeping? Will I need to expect anymore expensive common repairs? I put $3000 cash down and right now I owe about 9500 left, but now I have to pay 1600 to fix it...should I just fix it and sell it privately? I won't get my money back I know that one for sure but this is really bothering me and it's unfortunate that I think badly of Audi just because of this one vehicle.

Thank you all,
Brian

 

I would suggest calling around locally and getting estimates on the price of parts and labor, then compare them. Fortunately (for me), I have not yet had to have such work done to my car, so I cannot tell you whether or not those prices are reasonable. However, if one thing is for sure, it will be that after what you have mentioned above is replaced, you will not have to worry about replacing those parts anytime soon (you probably would have had to eventually, and at least now it's covered by the warranty as opposed to later when it would not be covered by the warranty). If you do decide to sell the car, you can mention that everything mentioned above was replaced (and hopefully the potential buyers will acknowledge that and buy it from you); so that's always a good thing too (provided that you get your money back by the sale).

Personally, I would get it fixed and keep it (unless, after comparing to other places, you discover that those prices are highly unreasonable); simply because the chances are: if you sell it, you will not be able to earn your money back (unless you encounter numerous potential buyers willing to pay what you would be asking). Also, as mentioned above, your car will be much more reliable with all of those things replaced; thus, more worth keeping.

 

How many miles on the car?

All Audi engines on the A4 need to have what's called the "timing belt job" done at between 60k and 80k miles. So if your car is between this mileage, or higher, then you have to have the job done. If the timing belt breaks, or if one of the idlers or rollers seizes up, the engine will sustain major damage to the tune of multiple thousands of dollars in repair.

$1600 is a fair price to pay at an independent mechanic for the timing belt job, but since the dealer is charging you this amount after the 50% warranty, they are gouging you. That's why finding a good independent Audi mechanic is critical to saving lots of money on maintenance and repairs.

As subtlemastermind said, the car should be much more reliable once you get the timing belt job out of the way. That being said, Audi's are expensive to maintain and repair. Whether or not you are at a point in life where you can afford to pay for repairs and maintenance, only you can answer that question.

On a positive note, if you have any inclination to learn how to work on your car yourself, you can do most of the repairs and maintenance yourself for the cost of the parts and some blood, sweat & tears(and some profanity, too!)

Of course, this means shelling out the money for parts, and having a place to work on the car, like a garage.

Before you make any hasty decisions, you should really stop and think about your whole financial situation. I'd hate to see you get over your head in debt just for a car. It's not worth it, IMO.

The best situation in which to own an Audi is when you have little or no debt, and thus have plenty of money left over for repairs, tools and anything else your lovely Audi requires.

Best of luck, Brian. Let us know if we can answer any more questions.

 

I disagree that $1600 is a fair price for a 1.8T timing belt job (I paid just under $1000, including a 70K service [glorified oil change] done at the same time), but I think you may have missed the fact that he said that price included replacing the TCM as well. Never having had to replace that (I have a manual trans), I have no idea what a fair price is for a TCM replacement, but $1600 may in fact be a steal for that plus a T-belt job.

You're 100% correct that finding a good, reliable independent mechanic is very beneficial, though. I'd say it's even good if you're into DIY, because that way you have someone to do the things you don't feel skilled enough, or have the time to do yourself.