...I have a 2002 A4 Quattro with 6spd MT. Took it in recently for an alignment to an independent euro shop and after they had it all day long without doing the alignment, they told me when I showed to pick it up after work that it also needed new control arms and shazam the total price was gonna be hundreds more. I didn't doubt they were telling the truth - the car creaks like nuts, but I was pretty unhappy to have dropped the car off 1st thing in the morning only to find out that at 6pm nothing had been done and they didn't think to actually call me earlier to discuss the control arms. Needless to say, since we needed the car for the next day - we didn't have any work done on it.

Have a 200 mile drive coming up across the desert and the Mini Cooper S doesn't have enough cargo room, so we need to take the A4. Unfortunately, we can't get it aligned or the control arms replaced before the trip. I'm not worried about the alignment - tires can be replaced. But, I'm wondering if I should be concerned about the control arms. The car handles okay for local and shorter trips we've taken (50 miles, etc). I just don't want the car to break down in the middle of nowhere in the desert. Should I be worried or will it just be a creaky drive across the sand!? Thanks

 

More than likely just a creaky drive across the desert. How many miles do you have on your A4?

 

111,000 miles

 

sure you can drive, but don't be suprised if you can't pick which direction you go at some point... LOL

 

Sounds to me that the ball joint(s) are bad.

 

in addition to the control arms or as opposed to the control arms?

 

As opposed to the control arms. If you jack the car up and take the tires off, you should be able to move some of the suspension and you will be able to see and hear some play in the suspension. The play will have to do with the ball joint(s). Let me know if you try this.