Recommendation on Purchase

[jumpman86]

Hi guys,

Thanks in advance on any comments or feedbacks.

I have done hours of searching and have heard many different opinions on the reliability of the A4.

I am looking at a 2004 A4 3.0 Quattro with 32k miles for $15.7k from a reputable auto group in the US. The auto group has many dealerships including Audi and BMW. This car is sold from a honda dealership though.

My question is, if I do purchase this car, I am definately going to buy the extended warranty and the top of the line program for 5 years/60k miles is $2650. I am wondering what I should look for within the program and according to the business manager, most components are covered as long as it is not a tear and wear item.

Would you guys recommend the extended warranty? Even if this honda dealership can not fix the problems, they can send my car to the audi dealership that they own for any issues.

Also, with this low mileage, what else should I look for before buying. I know that the timing belt should be changed before 75k. Any other things I should be aware of? I heard that most of the issues are fixed in the 2004 models as compared to the earlier B6.

The reason for so many questions is because I currently own 2 japanese vehicles (WRX and S2000) and had little issues with their reliability. I will most likely trade in the s2000 and sell the wrx by my self to fund for the audi.

I wanted a more mature, fun, and awd sedan and that is why I am looking into this A4.

Sorry for the long winded question but any help will be appreciated.

Ed

[AudiA4_20T]

Ed, where in NJ are you? Just curious of the place.

The 3.0 will give you little trouble. The timing belt does have to be done eventually and it is not cheap, but you have time until ~75k rolls around the corner.

The warrantee will not pay for this, but will cover most other problems.

With that being said, I can't imagine this heavy ass car will be more than an S2000 but its all preference and I love my car

[Hamann]

I wouldn't get the warranty....put that money away and save it for repairs, if needed. The warranty company is a "for profit" company and their profits are factored into the cost. If you need peace of mind...so be it, and since it doesnt cover the timing belt...not sure what BIG expenses you'll have. Brakes, oil changes, spark plugs, coilpacks...will not be covered...and that's pretty much what you'll be spending your money on.

My 03 1.8 had very few problems that would have been covered under warranty...I can't even think of one....most were those mentioned above.

Also, $15,700 isn't a bad price, but you can probably get them down to around $15,000 even.

Also, agree with above...it won't be more "fun" than the S2000....these cars are tanks...but, it is a bit more "sophisticated" and "grown up."

[NOCAN]

Well, from my own experience I would recommend getting the warranty. I purchased a 2002 1.8t quatrro about 4 years ago as a pre-owned and certified car from an audi dealership. I also got the extended warranty from them. Within less than a year (I think just about 6-7 months actually) that warranty paid for a brand new engine as mine went kablooey (fat lot of good that 30 point certification did). Of course I would assume that my situation is a statistical outlier and not the norm but just for me, that warranty worked out big time.

[Hamann]

Well, from my own experience I would recommend getting the warranty. I purchased a 2002 1.8t quatrro about 4 years ago as a pre-owned and certified car from an audi dealership. I also got the extended warranty from them. Within less than a year (I think just about 6-7 months actually) that warranty paid for a brand new engine as mine went kablooey (fat lot of good that 30 point certification did). Of course I would assume that my situation is a statistical outlier and not the norm but just for me, that warranty worked out big time.

yeah...needing a "new" engine when the car was 2 years old is definitely NOT the norm.

[Papachristou]

^^^Mmmm spring blue rs4=pure sex


break down your extended warranty. it gives you one more year/10k miles more than factory coverage for $2650? what a rip off..... im not a fan of 3.0s myself... there is little you can do to tune them and a few have had a major engine troubles like cam lobes shearing off randomly. Not to mention the timing belt service is much more expensive than the 1.8t.

i have a 1.8t with apr 1+ and walked all over several 3.0s off the line and on the interstate not to mention i still get 30-32mpg "IF" i drive easy! id find a 1.8t and get the stage 1+ software and injectors for about $800 and you will have better than 3.0 performance, better gas mileage and the ability to go bigger in the future if you want...

just keep full syn in the 1.8 and it should be fairly trouble free except coilpacks and a leaky rear cam seal or rear coolant flange :)

[Hamann]

^^^Mmmm spring blue rs4=pure sex
:)

Thanks! I love it...

And, yeah...def good points on the 1.8....

[jumpman86]

Thanks guys.

I think I am done with the go fast stage of my life..
Just wanted a comfy luxury car. I am not looking to do a whole lot of performance mods to it.

I just wanted to make sure the car wont break anytime soon.

The reason I like this 3.0 is due to the low miles and the decent price. Every where else, I see them priced over 20k for a higher mileage one...

[3Zero]

Ed

I researched and purchased a similar car this summer. I check out Consumer Reports' reliability data and learned that '04 & '05 B6s - especially those with the 3.0 V6 were among the most reliable made. So you are off to a good start there.

That said, I agree that some sort of warranty is a good idea. There are any number of aftermarket warranty companies out there (like Warranty Direct) which may or may not offer you a 'better deal' on an extended warranty. More importantly, I would highly recommend a good pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic. It is worth the $100 or so. It is better to know about any issues before you buy, right?

I bought a dealer 'certified' A4 with 24k miles yet the dealer missed a non-functioning passenger lumbar support, bad interior light, and A/C compressor with a noisy (failing?) bearing. These are not necessarily 'known problem areas to watch out for' but instead illustrate that 'your mileage may vary' (your car could have its own unique issues) and that people miss stuff during inspections. You can bet that when it came to replacing that A/C compressor, I was glad to have warrantly coverage.

By the way, the 3.0 powers the A4 nicely for everyday driving - though gas mileage suffers somewhat. I pondered getting a 1.8T, doing a few mods and ending up with power similar to the 3.0 but why not just get it that way (sort-of) from the factory complete with a warranty, bigger brakes (standard on 3.0s), etc. ? Besides I've got 2 kids now. THEY are my hobby.

[Papachristou]

Thanks guys.

I think I am done with the go fast stage of my life..
Just wanted a comfy luxury car. I am not looking to do a whole lot of performance mods to it.

I just wanted to make sure the car wont break anytime soon.

The reason I like this 3.0 is due to the low miles and the decent price. Every where else, I see them priced over 20k for a higher mileage one...

sounds like you found the perfect car for you then..... i would put the $2600 in a account and leave it for repairs... that warranty only gives u 10k miles over your factory warranty in coverage.

the 04 models have been refined and seem much less prone to problems than the 02-03 models.

[jumpman86]

Thanks all for the advice and suggestions...

[NOCAN]

just keep full syn in the 1.8 and it should be fairly trouble free except coilpacks and a leaky rear cam seal or rear coolant flange :)

Heh, from what the dealer technician told me when they finally replaced my engine, that was the main problem that led to my breaking down. The previous owner had used pretty much only non-synthetic oil (why I have no idea) when she purchased the car and it led to a lot of build up which eventually clogged everything up and prevented oil from getting into the engine. After I purchased the car, since the actual pan was always full I never knew there was a problem until the engine seized up.

[Ill 3.0]

In the 3 years I've had my 3.0 I needed a warranty zero times, I haven't even had any coil pack failures. I've also put in a supercharger a year and a half ago and all kinds of other crap, and its still going strong. Sure any car can have major unexpected problems, but I think 2K+ is probably too much for this car. Bottom line, very unlikely you'll need a warranty, but depends on your comfort with that risk.

[jumpman86]

Does anyone have any experience with Warranty Direct? They also provide extended warranty and its only 1500 for 4 years or 60k..

Timing belt is also within their list of things covered.

http://www.warrantydirect.com/major_...p#completelist

What do you guys think?

[Papachristou]

that STILL only gives you 10k miles over factory warranty! its fixing to be 2009!!!!put the $1500 back and save it for a rainy day... its very unlikely you will need it... if you have a decent german auto repair in the area, not many repairs will go that high

also they only warranty the belt, not the other parts so you will end up coming out of pocket.

[FireWire]

Heh, from what the dealer technician told me when they finally replaced my engine, that was the main problem that led to my breaking down. The previous owner had used pretty much only non-synthetic oil (why I have no idea) when she purchased the car and it led to a lot of build up which eventually clogged everything up and prevented oil from getting into the engine. After I purchased the car, since the actual pan was always full I never knew there was a problem until the engine seized up.

engine sludge , is covered up to 100K miles. on the 1.8t's

[NOCAN]

engine sludge , is covered up to 100K miles. on the 1.8t's

So I didn't need the extended warranty? Oh well, I didn't have to pay for the repairs which was the important thing .

[dpoor3ch]

I flog the crap out of my 3.0 everyday and have had no major issues. I am currently at 61K. I had a coilpack fail at 40K and it was a 2 hour fix under warrany. The 3.0 is a robust motor and less tempermental then the turbo cars by nature. Highly recommend the purchase.

[gle_helle]

Does anyone have any experience with Warranty Direct? They also provide extended warranty and its only 1500 for 4 years or 60k..

Timing belt is also within their list of things covered.

http://www.warrantydirect.com/major_...p#completelist

What do you guys think?

I unwisely bought a third-party warranty because they said it covered the timing belt, but it also said to be eligible for warranty work you have to follow factory service intervals. Audi calls for TB replacement at 75K, so I'm responsible for that service anyway. The warranty company will cover it up to 75K, then I have to change it, then they'll cover the new one to 100K.

Naturally, I found all this out after I purchased.

[downhillracer]

DON'T get the warranty...all of those warranty's are garbage! they just screw you and make it a hassle even if something fails that they are supposed to cover. Just put that money that you would spend aside and you probably won't even need it until the timing belt job comes around...which you could do yourself if you have a bit of mechanical skills...there is some good diy's on it too!

[Papachristou]

i have heard nothing but bad things about third party warranties. they have no customer service whatsoever. here is what i found after a quick google

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...irect&aq=f&oq=

nothing but bad reviews....

[Hamann]

this thread is frustrating...

F$%@ third party warranties...$2600??

I'm going to quit my government intelligence job...and go into the fucking used warranty business...they make money by playing on a "fear" that statistically does not pay off.

Jesus.

[illaudiill]

^^^Mmmm spring blue rs4=pure sex


break down your extended warranty. it gives you one more year/10k miles more than factory coverage for $2650? what a rip off..... im not a fan of 3.0s myself... there is little you can do to tune them and a few have had a major engine troubles like cam lobes shearing off randomly. Not to mention the timing belt service is much more expensive than the 1.8t.

i have a 1.8t with apr 1+ and walked all over several 3.0s off the line and on the interstate not to mention i still get 30-32mpg "IF" i drive easy! id find a 1.8t and get the stage 1+ software and injectors for about $800 and you will have better than 3.0 performance, better gas mileage and the ability to go bigger in the future if you want...

just keep full syn in the 1.8 and it should be fairly trouble free except coilpacks and a leaky rear cam seal or rear coolant flange :)

What are u talking about the audi 3.0 engine is one of the most reliable audi engines out there....and its a fact its more reliable then the turbo version 1.8t

[Hamann]

^^ holy shit...nice avatar... ^^

[illaudiill]

^^ holy shit...nice avatar... ^^

lol thanx....its one in a million

[Papachristou]

illaudi have not heard of the 3.0s failing? ive heard of about half a dozen shearing cam lobe.. there was more on audiforums

[illaudiill]

Take care of ure car...ure car will take care of u...maintence on the car is a little bit more expensive...but buying it brand new is more then buying the turbo verison....so you would expect the maint. to be more. ive never had a problem with my 3.0 cause i take care of it. im not bashing on the 1.8ts hell i wanted one...but didnt find one that fit me. it depends what he wants, if he has a goal and just wants to chip it and make it look nice o well...if he wants to drop 6-7 grand on it and make it Fast let him. if he isnt gonna do it and just wants an Audi thats his ordeal but finding the right car is the main thing...u can find a crap 3.0 and always have problems just as much as u can find a beat up 1.8t.

"The reason for so many questions is because I currently own 2 japanese vehicles (WRX and S2000) and had little issues with their reliability. I will most likely trade in the s2000 and sell the wrx by my self to fund for the audi.

I wanted a more mature, fun, and awd sedan and that is why I am looking into this A4."

3.0 engine is more reliable then the 1.8t look it up. even when u ask the VW/Audi dealerships/technicians. Now on gas thats a different story i prolly get around 21/22 combined MPG and in NJ about 32 bucks to fill it up with 93 oct being $1.68 /gal....i duno what the 1.8ts are

[Johnnada]

$1.68/gallon for 93 octane

DAMN lucky

[illaudiill]

$1.68/gallon for 93 octane

DAMN lucky

yea....and NJ is usually the worst.....its good gas at BP....or sumtimes i drive to the good ol Sunoco....which is a buck 84

[10spd]

Had an 05 Touareg 3.2 VR6,6 spd auto trans. The Trans went on it 80,000 miles. the replacement cost was $8000 for the trans,(not serviceable) the $2500 3 yr dealer warranty was well worth it.