Moliver

Hi All,

I took my 2018 A4 in for the 20k service, and that was kind of fun at first because the service guys got really excited that it is a manual transmission.. They called later to say that they had discovered a small coolant leak around the thermostat, and "no problem - it will be repaired under warranty. Just one problem though, we can't get the t-stat housing for at least a few weeks. Please enjoy the 2019 A6 loaner we gave you, and we'll call you when we find out about the parts we need..."

I called a week later to check on things, and received the same story. They don't seem to know when the backordered t-stat housing will become available. I guess I can't complain too much, since I am driving around a brand new A6, but I really would like my car back.

Is this par for the course with Audi parts? For what its worth - The level of service has been great, and they are certainly taking care of me.

RedKloud

How do you like the A6? Any throttle lag? How's the new infotainment system?

Moliver

I suspected this might turn into an A6 review!

Well, happy to oblige.

There is definitely a noticeable throttle lag and I hate that about it. It’s really a source of frustration.

I am not used to the automatic shift lever, and it is not very intuitive, so not loving that either.

On the plus side, the touch screen works very well, and I have come to like it quickly. It depresses slightly and makes a satisfying “click” when you press a button. (Unlike an iPad for instance, where you can’t always tell if your finger tap was successful.)

The dash design is less attractive than my A4 (IMHO.). The gloss black plastic trim is not appealing to me either, and definitely shows every fingerprint and smudge.

The glove compartment and the storage compartment to the lower left of the steering wheel offer a lot of storage volume, but not easy to access when driving. They are both quite deep, and you can practically sink your arm up to your elbow in the left-hand compartment. For small items that I like to keep accessible, like wallet, sunglasses, gum/mints, Kleenex, a few pens, chapstick, the phone, etc. It is pretty spare. My wife rejected it instantly because there is nowhere for a purse to live, other than the passenger seat.

The car is a terrific highway cruiser, and very comfortable.

The trunk is awesome compared to the A4. (And I was already impressed with the one in the A4.)

Of the items above, the one that would cause me to go test drive a 5-series is the throttle lag. It’s a real problem, at least for me. I think that throttle lag is a problem in the A4 too, but the 6mt helps diminish the effect. I’d love to hear what others are thinking about that issue.

RedKloud

Thanks for the detailed review! This lag issue seems to be a characteristic of all new Audis. I have not been able to get used to it on my S5 even after 9000 miles. It’s a shame because it kind of ruins an otherwise awesome car.

Cadx6

YParts availability is kind of an iffy proposition with Audi. I’ve had my dealer get parts from the local warehouse in one day. When the fuel control module on my month old Q8 went south they said it would take 3 weeks to get the part from Germany. As in your case, they gave me a new A6 to use for the duration. As it turned out, the part came in about 8 days, they got it installed in a couple hours & I got the car back that afternoon.

insanefreak

My 2017 Allroad is at the dealer waiting for the same part. 1 week ETA.

AidanHadley

I had to wait for a week and a half for a steering rack for my A4 (after it belly flopped on a deep pothole) after the dealer said it simply was not available from any of the North American sources. If I recall correctly it was not just a matter of processing and shipping time but the part wasn't available due to "production schedules." So yes, it does happen.

DeXel

Depends on the availability of the part in a local warehouse. Took 1 day for an engine mount, and 2 weeks to get my passenger seat shipped from Germany. I also had calipers replaced under one of those TSBs (noise from the front of the car), but I kept driving the car for about 2 weeks until parts arrived.

Moliver

Thanks everyone for the replies. Just a quick update - It has now been 2-1/2 weeks and still no thermostat housing or any news about when it may arrive. The service rep tells me that parts often arrive before they get any news about the availability date. Despite the luxuries of the A6 loaner, I really miss my car and would like it back. I'm sort of amazed that Audi works this way.

insanefreak

My dealer was able to get the thermostat housing in less than a week (last week).