ChuckH

...and need some advice on what to look for. Specimen is '98 A4 2.8 Q-Tip that only has 35K miles, but hits 3 years at the end of July.

Repair history so far:

1. Two front windows repaired for squeaks right after delivery.

2. Sunroof control dial at about 10K miles.

3. Instrument cluster (buzzer died).

4. headlight bulb!!! :-)

That's it! :-)

I'm planning on taking the car to an independent to have it thouroughly checked out. Aside from suspension bushings and oil seals etc., what else would be very important to specifically check for?

Thank you!<p>Charles
2000 Nissan Xterra SE V6 4x4 (personal)
'98 A4 2.8 Q-Tip (business)

Alex_O

I'm quite in a similar position, asked my insurance for terms on extended warranty, sounded quite ok.
So far in shop:
ECU
Throttle Body
Rear Door lock
Man, it can be expensive....

Cheers
Alex<p>A4 2.8QT

ChuckH

...you have? I have Allstate on my Xterra and they have what seems to be a good, comprehensive extended warranty program. The A4 is owned by my employer and is insured by Safeco. I don't know if they have a warranty program or not. Regardless, it is not my decision to make. I am responsible for the car so I can suggest, but I expect they will choose to take a chance based on the stellar repair history so far. I also have a very good independent near me, so most or all future repairs can be done through him for lower cost. My main fear is the transmission, but the overall failure rate seems to be low. I do know someone who had to have his transmission replaced twice on a '97 1.8T automatic, but I think that's a freak ocurrence.

It was my 90Q that convinced my employer about 4 years ago of the greatness of Audi and quattro. They have since purchased the A4, a '99 A6 2.8 quattro, and just a few weeks ago, an A8 4.2L quattro (oh my God is that black beauty ever incredible!). All this after always owning American cars! I have sold them on Audi and I hope there is never a catastrophic failure of any sort or I'll feel guilty!<p>Charles
2000 Nissan Xterra SE V6 4x4 (personal)
'98 A4 2.8 Q-Tip (business)

AC275

I am in the same situation as you are, and I took it to a mechanic who has connections with some other mechanics who currently work for Audi dealerships. After examining my car he wrote down a list of things that he don't think is right and then referred me to one of the dealerships. They changed a bunch of things, including the brakes(pads and rotors) and the tranny(manual) as some sound is there in the first gear, plus some other minor things. However, don't expect them to do everything on the list though.