Hi, new to the site and Audi. I am looking at a 02 and 03 A4. How reliable are these cars? I am coming from Toyota and Lexus so it is important to me. What do you recommend the 3.0 or 1.8 turbo? What should I look for or check that are common problems? Any info you can give me would be much appreciated!

 

Wow, no one huh?

 

I have an 02 and it hasnt been very reliable. While it was under warranty it was in the shop at least every 2 months, and usually more than that. Now that its not under warranty i just have to deal with the annoying problems, but still have to fix the mechanical ones.

I think the reliability got better after 02 though

 

From what I have read, the 1.8 seems to have more problems. The 3.0 seems to be pretty reliable engine wise.

 

I bought my 1.8t last september with 52k miles certified, and the only problem I have had was a bad coil in December after it rained for like 3 days straight. $32 and we were back in business. Other than that, I bring it to the dealer I bought it from every 5k for oil change, and inspections, and I have no complaints. I agree with Shane, that after 02 they got better. I was reading the same thing before I bought mine.

 

representing the 1.8T crowd, i got mine back in january of last year and havent had any mechanical problems thus far. great car, lots of fun and looks once u lower it and throw some wheels on her =)

 

I bought my 1.8t with 38k on the odometer just over 2 years ago and the only real issues I've had have been lots of vacuum leaks, a couple bad coils (so I replaced them all) and a power steering leak (but slow enough that I just deal with it). Other than that, its been a great car.

 

I have a 2003 Quattro w/3.0 L, currently with 121,000 miles. I bought it new. I had a fuel pump replaced on recall, nothing else. I have followed the service recommendations fully, always use Mobil 1 oil, and have had no problems at all.

I think that if the car is maintained as recommended it can have a long life. If it has been neglected, I'm not so sure. Mine still looks and drives as if it were new.

 

Audi's have a lot of features and computer-driven options, so there is a lot that could go wrong. Bottom line, it depends on how it was treated by previous owners and even that is no guarantee.

Having said that, I bought a single-owner A6 (see below) with 37k miles and now have 140k on it, mostly highway driving. Replaced the alternator, clutch, and flywheel -- also chipped it back at 70k. I replaced all drivetrain fluids when I had the clutch done at 80k. I generally treat it gently and drive mostly highway. Very pleased with the vehicle and intend on keeping it a long time. Biggest fear is turbo failure, but I am prepared to spend $5-8k to upgrade to K04s at that time if the rest of the car is still solid.

I liked the Audi so much I purchased a 2003 A4 3.0 MT6 with 69k miles for my youngest daughter. I leaned towards the 3.0 because I did not want to deal with turbo issues (they do require some gentle warm-up in freezing weather and a cool-down all the time after hard running) and I found the 3.0 accelerates more linearly, rather than the power surge of a 1.8T when the turbo starts to spool. That makes it easier to control in slippery condition, imho. I traded off some gas mileage, because the 1.8Ts get close to 30 highway and the 3.0 hovers around 25-26. I knew it needed brakes and a battery when I negotiated the price, and that's all I have put in it in almost a year and 5k miles. From what I have seen, the 3.0 interior package is generally more luxurious than the 1.8T package.