Originally Posted by
brad11140
Negotiating with dealer right now for 2005 A6, 3.2. $9000 out the door. Has 109k on the odometer. Maintenance record from 2 previous owners is excellent with all maintenance being completed at the Audi dealer since 2005. Has normal wear and tear for an 11 year old car. Potential repair costs have me spooked. I have read about timing chain stretching and I'm curious if this is something I should worry about on a vehicle that has been well maintained. I drive about 15k miles a year and I need it to be extremely reliable for the next 2 years.
So lets break down the issues here.... You have some saying "run away" and others saying go for it. @kevin1 owned an 4.2 A6 from day one and ran the car for many years and had an extensive list of issues he encountered along the way; some of which were covered under warranty and others not covered because they appeared after the warranty expired. Needless to say, he had invested a significant amount of money in maintenance and repairs over the long time of ownership. @Kocky123 owned his 4.2 A6 for a short period of time and he experienced a myriad of issues from the start and sold the car quickly because he did not have a service history on the car and did not want to run the risk of major repairs/expense due to the unknown. Both have valid points of view to consider. @dutch_A6 and @c@@kiemonsta both own the 3.2 A6 and have direct experience with that motor/car with similar or more miles than what you are looking at and their points of view are valid as well.
Myself, having owned an 05 4.2 and currently owning an 09 3.0t, can say that these cars and motors are very solid and reliable as long as they have been well maintained and serviced appropriately. The risk of buying used is, did the previous owner maintain the car and are there records? I have always advised people looking to purchase a used Audi to GET SERVICE HISTORY! If there is no service history available then walk away! If the PO can produce a detailed service history, then the odds of having any issues related to neglect diminish significantly and confidence in purchasing rises correspondingly. Now, does that mean that you wont experience any issues?? NO.
The 3.2 motor does have some well documented issues that should be taken into consideration when purchasing:
- Carbon buildup.... The 3.2 is a direct injection motor and is susceptible to carbon build up and should be considered a maintenance item that should be done regularly to keep the car operating at its maximum potential.
- Timing chains/guides/tensioners.... The issue here is the guides and to some extent the tensioners. Chains are not going to "stretch" to a point of causing issues. The guides are made of plastic and, as with anything else made of plastic, will degrade and become brittle and could potentially break. Tensioners could also fail due to wear and age. If any of this happens, then a catastrophic engine failure will ensue because these are not "non interfering" motors. In other words, if there is a failure in the timing system, cylinders will crash into valves and major damage will occur requiring a complete engine rebuild. Performing maintenance on the guides and tensioners is not an easy task due to the placement of the system; on the rear of the motor between the motor and transmission. The upper tensioners can be serviced without having to pull the motor, but any other components will require the motor and trans be dropped and "split"; labor intensive.
So whats my point..... Purchasing any car (new or used) is not without risk. New cars have the safety net of a warranty that will cover most anything (except willful abuse/neglect); Used cars generally are "as-is". If you feel comfortable that the car has been serviced/maintained properly (which it sounds like it has been) and you go into the purchase understanding there could be issues in the future, and you are comfortable with that, then I say you are looking at a car that gives you the best chance of a long and happy ownership experience.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks