Audi A4
 

I'm thinking about buying a B5 1997 Audi A4 Quattro V6 with 120k. Anyone have any experiences with this car in terms of reliability and ease of maintaining one?

TIW

What reliability

^Exactly. You will have a lot of issues if the car is that old and hasn't been maintained METICULOUSLY. Not just well, METICULOUSLY.

prepare to get raped.

suspension bushings tend to give out on all 4 corners, I'm not sure about the 2.8 but the 1.8t has engine sludge problems. That's what I've read with when I thought about buying one. Also timing belts apparently snap prematurely too.

LOL

Pretty sure the 2.8 uses a timing chain...

I heard the Turbo goes fairly quickly on that generation, but what do I know. Not sure if your V6 has a Turbo, but I would check to see if it does.

You would have better chances of reward buying a lemon at a supermarket. :lol

LOL it's that bad eh? Looks like I ain't getting one then

^ You can buy us a beers for saving you thousands in pain and aggravation. :D

But seriously, 90s Audis (especially A4) are well-known for major problems that result in $$$ repairs.

its a shame they're so shitty in the long-run cuz i really like the size/style/build of that car... very nice compact

but not good to own i guess

nope, they use a timing belt, and they are even worse to work on than the 1.8T. The waterpump is known to be the biggest PITA to do apart of the timing belt/waterpump combo.


My sister has a B6 Audi A4 and its been pretty good to us, but still i can't call it 'reliable'. I suggest you run away from Audi.

i dont know about the 2.8's
but ive owned a 1.8t b6 for a while, never had a problem

true, but its just expensive up keep.

My sister's b6 needed the following work done, however its got 132,000kms now and runs great!

-timing belt, waterpump, and cam seals - $1000 -crank shaft pulley (harmonic balancer) - $400
-Power window module (the windows stopped working one day...) - $700
-Windshield washer fluid stopped working (rewired the switched) - $300
-Thermostat replacing (thermostat is stuck on open now and needs to be changed) - $300
-Full transmission pressure flush, and fill with synthetic fluid. New filter - $400
-Differential flush - $100
-coil packs (i've replaced them 8 times on this car! and finall its a recall issue) - $40 each coil. (b6 1.8t's are $40 a coil, while b5's are upwards of $150 a coil)

theres probably a bunch more that im missing. There have been the few odd ball thing that went bad on the car, and its just a bit on the expensive side for up keep. However, nothing can compare to a BMW sometimes. Mine has been a money pit, but sometimes its worth it :)

Watch out for the transmissions!
non quattro models have CVT automatic transmissions that can cause problems and be expensive down the road. If you do have a quattro model, it is recommneded to flush the 'lifetime' fluid in the transmission if you really want it to last. This is what i did. I'm sure manual transmissions dont have any problems although typicall vw's have problems with their manual transmissions.

Watch for oil leaks too, 2.8 are known for bleeding oil. Also the front suspension, they're well known problems.
Posted via RS Mobile

If you were set on getting an A4 from that generation, I'd get the 1.8T. The 2.8 V6 isn't that great in terms of reliability and gas mileage. On the whole, the B6 model after that generation was much more reliable. I have a '03 A4 and it's been rock solid aside from a coolant temp sensor ($60)

The timing belt and fluid flush is regular maintanence. The other stuff pisses me off too...coilpacks especially. I kept one crappy one in the trunk and every month, I would stick it in to eventually replace all my coilpacks to the latest revision. Bleah. It's been fine for the last 3 years though.

I considered an 04 a4 as well, but after some quick research, i got turned off fast.

if you dont mind me asking. what was the reason of changing the coolant temp sensor? my B6 1.8TQ is not heating up properly. basically always staying cold. Im assuming a stuck open thermostat and plan to change it out. Stupid audi has to not sell the thermostat on its own and you have to buy a housing with the thermostat and a few sensors attached to it for $150 and its kind of a PITA to replace it (under the intake manifold - need to remove serpentine belt, alternator, and throttle body). I was wondering what was the cause of replacing your coolant temp sensor? was your car not running warm or overheating? Is this a common issue?

Thanks

Audis only recently started to get better, so 2007 and on..

Are the current 2009 and forward Audi A4s more reliable?

They're still under warranty, So yes. :badpokerface:

But in all seriousness, Honda reliable? No. But is it going to start every time? Most likely.

Good luck

I guess I should stay away from Audi's if I buy used then. As much as I like their looks more so than any other brand.