needles

Hi!

My opinions on this are directed by teenage years rich with vehicles having mechanical issues. Essentially, everything I recall with more than 40K miles was almost rolling scrap, with the exception of an otherworldly Subaru which went for 120K miles with two oil changes (don't ask, not my car). This was the mid-80s to early 90s.

That being said, I am familiar with the ostensibly German conundrum of making cars which don't have constant electrical problems and spend days "in the shop" as it were. Not only that, despite my career in healthcare, dropping $1K or two every few months for repairs isn't my cup of tea and I am not a DIY'er beyond fluid changes and minor surgeries. Doing anything beyond that is something I simply don't have the experience, tools, or space to accomplish (I live in an apartment, no air tools, etc).

Could I learn? Sure. My hobby is watch restoration. So I am very familiar with engineering and mechanics. Working with very, very small machines where one poor move results in dozens of small gears being swallowed up by the carpet as if it were a personal black hole has given me a new perspective on patience. But really, the A8 is a big machine. A big exotic machine.

To quote Hunter S. Thompson regarding the Whale (a '71 Coupe de Ville if I recall) from Fear and Loathing:
The Internet is rife with anecdotal information. How much of it is true is unknown. For example, someone may say "I had an Audi and blah-blah always in the shop blah-blah constant hassles", and it may be a late 80's model or a 2014 A6. Who knows?

Can anyone share any of their typical "60K mile A8" stories that may help put my mind to rest regarding the warranty and, specifically, bills associated with not having one?

Mister Bally

I'd say the Kewit's fall in that category, eh?

I have traveled to 46 of the 50 sates for my job. Believe it or not, I've found the friendliest people in Nebraska.

I love Nebraska spelled backwards, too funny. Even remember seeing the horse race track and arena with that name before it disappeared.

Good luck with the A8. My '04 just turned over 225,000 miles today. I still love it.

needles

Oh yes. You can't escape them. They are everywhere here. Not a single local event goes by without their logo slapped over everything.

Driver1.8

I have an '07 A8L 4.2 that I bought in Oct 2012. It was being sold by an Audi dealer and had 62k miles on the clock. Since then I've put about 18k miles on the car. Besides oil changes and new tires the only maintanence/repairs have been the TPMS sensors (about $160 purchased on the net and another $100 to install by a local shop) and a new battery. Right now there's a minor oil leak that appears to be originating from the valley underneath the intake manifold. Figure I'll pull the manifold this winter when I do the annual oil change and replace the various seals and gaskets that are under there. It also looks like it might be time to renew the valve cover gaskets.

I had to clear the sunroof drains a few months back, but fortunately I caught it before there were any serious consequences.

That's about it. I've turned wrenches on my cars since before I had a driver's license, so I decided to self-warranty. But I will admit that this is the most intimidating machine I've ever owned. Knock wood, so far it's been a great ride!

mishar

That's where this forum is irreplaceable.