Henry321

Hello, I am currently shopping around for my next car. Looking at a 2008-10 tt 2.0 liter fwd around 60k miles. I will have a pre-purchase inspection done at independent shop before buying any vehicle. Any specifics to tell them to check for?

The turbos are what really scares me. I know the bmw 335i turbos are 4-6k to repair. Are the turbos on a 2009 audi tt this expensive or what is the actual average cost to repair/replace at an independent shop? Is it preferable to go with the 3.2 although I really do not need awd.

Would be interested to know what repairs your cars have needed and the actual costs.

I am coming from owning a Honda and a Scion so have never owned a luxury car before. Although the scion had a bad transmission (was 1600 to rebuild for example how much would this same rebuild be on a audi tt 2.0?). I am fine with more expensive maintenance but worry about repairs that cost thousands.

Test drove the 08 SLK 350 and loved it but it was a little too small and flashy. Test drove the g37 and genesis coupe but they felt too big and lacked the nice interior and handling of the slk. Drove the scion frs and hated the seats. Thinking the Audi TT will be a nice middle ground. The SLK is actually pretty reliable after 2008 based on reading forum posts. I am reading mixed things on the audi tt. Some people are saying they are reliable some are saying carbon buildup will eventually destroy entire engine as well as many other problems?

Vegas-roadster

Unlike the Mk 1 which had several chronic issues (which is likely the source of the rumors you heard), the Mk 2 has been very reliable. You can look through the posts on various Mk 2 TT forums and see few complaints. Audi is now one of the most reliable manufacturers in the world according to several sources surpassing most, if not all, Japanese brands. Much has been made in some forums about carbon build up associated with direct injection engines but I've not seen a single post about this causing a failure on any TT forum. Use good gas and it will not be an issue.

Be aware that 2008 and early 2009 2L TT had a timing belt which I would replace due to age if it was not replaced already. Personally, I strongly recommend you consider the 2011 since it has a much better engine, more HP & torque and slightly better gas mileage. Read this FAQ about MY differences

Fourtitude.com - MK2 TT a5 FAQ

Henry321

Thanks for the response. Test drove it today and liked it a lot.

Does anyone have the figure for labor costs when the turbos do eventually go. I plan to keep car several years so this is a crucial factor in the decision if this is right car or not for me.

Also noticed in s mode it doesn't always break to a stop smoothly. Like it is downshifting compared to my scion where you hit the brakes and it just slowly stops moving totally apart from engine or trans. Is this normal on an audi tt?

Also car let a little air in on drivers side window was a bit loose.

RoadTTripper

I am on my fourth TT. The first was a MKI with 180K, the other three had between 40K (present TTS) and 75K. Never had an issue with the turbo. Of course mine are all stock and I don't track, but they seem pretty robust.

The downshifting you experienced is normal in S mode. The programming in that mode tends to use a bit more engine braking. Works more like my style of spirited driving when I had that third pedal.

Vegas-roadster

There are lots of Mk 1s with 150k+ miles and the original turbo. Turbo failures in a TT are extremely rare and not worth worrying about.

As stated, the downshifting as the car slows in S mode is normal but the primary reason for it is not engine braking but rather to have the tranny in the best gear for sport acceleration performance. That is, the downshifting places the rpm in a good spot in the torque band to enable you to instantly accelerate rather than waiting for a downshift as you would in the normal mode.

RoadTTripper

^^ Thanks Vegas.

Henry321

The one I was looking at sold surprising fast. I guess these cars sell for over KBB on the private market? I was really surprised this sold so fast as it had some minor issues such as letting air in window, not the best condition interior, etc.

Very few of these on the market around KBB price or that have way too high of miles. Guess I will keep looking.

Vegas-roadster

My experience is that used TTs are not hot sellers and definitely not over KBB (adjusted for condition & mileage). However, the Mk 2 is a pretty rare car so if you want the best car for the best price, you need to expand your search area and be patient. I've bought my last 2 TTs well under KBB, including my CPO Mk 2 for $5K under. However, it took me several months to get the deal I wanted.

Here is what I recommend. First, look on cars.com and autotrader with a search distance of 500 miles. I do my searches without a mileage restriction. If you are concerned about long distance buying, you shouldn't. You can safely make a deal by phone with an Audi dealer. I'd also trust a deal made with the used car department of any manufacturer's dealer. I'd be more skeptical of independent used car lots, with the exception of CarMax. I'm also OK with a private seller. I bought my 04 from a private seller in SoCal about 250 miles away from me for $4K under KBB.

You still have to use due diligence when investigating the car. Check the Carfax. Get the VIN and call your local Audi Service Manager and have him look up the car to see if it had any unusual repairs. The nice thing about Carfax is that it tells you how long the dealer has had the car for sale. A car that has been on the lot for over a month is ripe for a low offer. My Mark 2 sat on the lot for 2 months before they accepted my offer.

You should be able to agree on a price over the phone and usually no deposit is required to hold the car if you arrange to get to the seller in a few days. If they ask for a deposit, get it in writing that the deposit is fully refundable if you are not satisfied after seeing it or doing a test drive. If you fly to the dealer, as I do, the seller will pick you up at the airport. The price of a plane ticket is well worth the savings you will get on the car you want. If you do not want to take off work, or have a long distance to drive home, you can do the deal on a Friday evening or Saturday morning. You could also buy it sight unseen and have it shipped to you for around $500 but I would only do this for a CPO. Also, folks on this and other TT forums are willing to help. I inspected and test drove a car here for someone in the Midwest before he finalized the deal and flew out to drive it home. The car was great except for some light curb rash which the dealer fixed prior to purchase.

If you are interested in a CPO, go to the Audi USA site and check the web site of every dealer within a 500 mile radius of you. It takes some time but that is how I found me last buy. They often have cars that are nto on cars.com or even the Audi USA CPO search tool.

Trades complicate the deal so I sell my old car myself. If you can't sell it, CarMax or other used car dealers in your area will buy it.

Henry321

I called a couple shops and talked about the model. It does seem reliable and turbos are only 6 hour job two shops quoted me on it. What would you guys pay for a 60-70k mile 2008-09 car? Also for private party inspection is it recommended to take to audi dealer or any private well reviewed shop on yelp? I saw you talked about audi dealer seeing records not sure if that is additional info to what is shown on carfax.

There is only one car by me it's 09 67k kbb 13300 and guy wants 18k. I see a mercedes dealer has one with 80k for 15999 thats been on lot 3 months and not selling maybe low ball them although 80 is kinda high unless im getting it really cheap. I see one with 70k for 12999 in red out of state, not my color. A black 09 63k for 14700 but the dealer looks sketchy buy here pay here bs place with tons of bad reviews. Then there is a tts 09 private party with 60k 16k but looks like the guy ran a ton of boost out of it and put aftermarket turbo on says close to 400hp. Would be fun but not a reliable daily driver.

Found one out of state with 135k for crazy cheap private party list price 7k talked to owner says no problems, might check out this weekend one way tickets are only $60. I could even repair the whole engine or transmission for that savings.

Ideally want 60-70k and to last atleast 3 years without major repairs or braking down on me. I am not financing and don't really care if it has a rebuilt title as long as mechanic OK's it all.

My car is running fine so not the biggest deal to wait. A taxi hit me recently (got a nice check out of insurance for almost what the car in good shape is worth) so it has a dent in the side, looks bad but gets me from a to b.

Vegas-roadster

The dealer's maintenance records are far more detailed than Carfax. Information there is crucial. At a minimum it has all warranty repairs so you can tell if it was a rare lemon. Note that there were a few routine recalls involving firmware upgrades.