New here and looking to buy an '03 1.8T Quattro...but have some questions
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2
New here and looking to buy an '03 1.8T Quattro...but have some questions
Hi Everyone -
I'm new to the forums so hopefully you can bear with me on a few questions.
I'm looking to buy an '03 1.8T Quattro (5sp manual) for $11.5k. It has 66k miles on it. I love the A4's and definintely need something that I can use to and from work instead of my gas-aholic F150 FX4 Supercrew (at a whopping 14mpg). I drive 70 miles a day (ouch).
I hear of reliability problems with the A4 (at least in the '03) in terms of electrical, belts, fuel pump etc. Then again it could only be those that have problems that are complaining (sometimes you don't always read praises more than complaints). Needless to say, I was hoping you can chime in on your thoughts for reliability?
Also what should I look for and/or ask the dealership when I look at the car (hopefully I'll be looking at it within the next couple days)? Anything you would immediately do if you bought this car?
Thanks again and I look forward to hearing your advice.
I'm new to the forums so hopefully you can bear with me on a few questions.
I'm looking to buy an '03 1.8T Quattro (5sp manual) for $11.5k. It has 66k miles on it. I love the A4's and definintely need something that I can use to and from work instead of my gas-aholic F150 FX4 Supercrew (at a whopping 14mpg). I drive 70 miles a day (ouch).
I hear of reliability problems with the A4 (at least in the '03) in terms of electrical, belts, fuel pump etc. Then again it could only be those that have problems that are complaining (sometimes you don't always read praises more than complaints). Needless to say, I was hoping you can chime in on your thoughts for reliability?
Also what should I look for and/or ask the dealership when I look at the car (hopefully I'll be looking at it within the next couple days)? Anything you would immediately do if you bought this car?
Thanks again and I look forward to hearing your advice.
1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 45
From:
RE: New here and looking to buy an '03 1.8T Quattro...but have some questions
Hello,
I have an 2003 A4 1.8T Quattro 5-speed with 107,000 miles on it, so I think that I can give you alittle insight as to what to look for. First question to ask the dealer is: Has the timing belt been replaced. If it has not, then it should be replaced around 75 or 80K just to be safe. You can have the dealer do it for around $1400.00 or you can do it yourself for around $400.00. The second question that you want to ask is if the car has had any issues with oil sludge. It is a notorious problem with the 1.8T engine. It happened to my car with 79,000 miles on it and it was a $2000.00 repair. If the dealership has any service records, that always helps. As long as you change the oil every 5K with full synthetic, then you should be good to go without any problems. Also, you may experience problems with faulty coilpacks, another notorious problem. Not a big deal though as they are cheap and easy to replace. I had one go out and I replaced all of them with the latest "R" revision from the dealer, and have not had any problems since. I got them all for around $160.00 from the dealer, but you can find them for about $25.00 a piece on ECS Tuning.com. People also suggest the Hitachi "E" coilpack if you dont want to go OEM, but either one seems to do the job. As far as gas mileage, it's great. I get 26 street and anywhere from 29 to 32mpg on the highway depending on how I am driving. I love the car but you do have to keep up with the maintenance. If you take care of it, it will take care of you. If you have any other questions, just let me know. Good Luck!
I have an 2003 A4 1.8T Quattro 5-speed with 107,000 miles on it, so I think that I can give you alittle insight as to what to look for. First question to ask the dealer is: Has the timing belt been replaced. If it has not, then it should be replaced around 75 or 80K just to be safe. You can have the dealer do it for around $1400.00 or you can do it yourself for around $400.00. The second question that you want to ask is if the car has had any issues with oil sludge. It is a notorious problem with the 1.8T engine. It happened to my car with 79,000 miles on it and it was a $2000.00 repair. If the dealership has any service records, that always helps. As long as you change the oil every 5K with full synthetic, then you should be good to go without any problems. Also, you may experience problems with faulty coilpacks, another notorious problem. Not a big deal though as they are cheap and easy to replace. I had one go out and I replaced all of them with the latest "R" revision from the dealer, and have not had any problems since. I got them all for around $160.00 from the dealer, but you can find them for about $25.00 a piece on ECS Tuning.com. People also suggest the Hitachi "E" coilpack if you dont want to go OEM, but either one seems to do the job. As far as gas mileage, it's great. I get 26 street and anywhere from 29 to 32mpg on the highway depending on how I am driving. I love the car but you do have to keep up with the maintenance. If you take care of it, it will take care of you. If you have any other questions, just let me know. Good Luck!
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