Tim4prez

So I live in New Zealand.
I paid a respectable sum for a very nice B7 A4 Quattro avant 2.0t FSI...
Only thing is it's got 160,000 kms on the clock.
It's only weeks since I got from the dealer and I've had a check eningine light which went away. I took it to the mechanic to discuss servicing etc.
This is what he said.
Audis are a terrible car - when your one year warranty runs out get rid of it.
Audis ar designed to last for 5 years and in the U.K. Are replaced after that time your car is a junk hand me down from Europe. (2007 model that's mint)
The parts are often made of plastic not like Japanese cars, they are very expensive to repair. The catalytic converter will probably fail, the sponsors will probably fail.
It's a ticking time bomb waiting to cost you money you don't have.

... I thought ****, that's not the kind of feel good conversation I wanted to have today.

But is there any truth in it?
Is my car a death warrant after 5 years and 80,000kms?
Are audis designed only to last for 5 years?
Why do they have so many plastic parts?
I like be this car... the other day it snowed and the Quattro was a dream.
It has every feature I wanted for a reasonable price ... but have I bought essentially a beautiful horse that's hiding a hidden cancer?

What's the truth Audi people?

snagitseven

Find another mechanic, preferably one who specializes in Audis.

BrianC72gt

He's tenderizing your wallet before grilling it. Find someone who specializes in Audis & Volkswagens. There are a bunch of known small issues, but the same can be said for ANY car. A faulty PCV valve can cause it to run like crap and feels like an expensive problem. It's a 30 minute fix and a $25 part. Same for the turbo blow-off control, and the hi-pressure fuel pump follower... no biggie for someone who knows the car, but a big learning curve for one who doesn't.

The coolant hose junction at the back of the block is annoying, and made of plastic. Mine ruptured and leaked coolant everywhere last year. $80 in parts and maybe 200 in labor will set you right. My friend did it for me for $80 and beer.

The Variable Valve timing gear is maybe $200 in parts and a couple of hours labor for someone who knows what they are doing. Not bad really. The only big expensive problem I know of is the Oil Pump/counter-balancer assembly. I'm at 165,000 miles with nothing but routine oil changes and regular maintenance.

I recently did the timing gear on an 07 Nissan Maxima V6 engine for a friend's daughter. That was a royal PITA. Step one, drop engine....Ahhh...eff you. Did it with engine in place, all the tensioners, 3 chains, water pump and plastic guide bars. The plastic guide bars break necessitating the entire job in the first place. Junk design? Value engineering? Maybe. Just a known issue on an otherwise pretty good car.

Find a reputable specialist, it's cheaper in the long run.

vce1232000

Pic was last year sometime. I know have 235,000 miles on my car now. I drive it hard every day and have performance parts out the azz on it.

Tell that mechanic to go scratch. Find a real mechanic

SGP

Unless you abuse them (rough roads, avoiding maintenance, etc.) they are built to last. I have bought 4 used Audis, all coming off 3 year leases, and I sold 2 with 170,00-210,00 miles and the other 2 are going strong at 90,000 miles. I replaced the usual (brakes, exhaust system, shocks, O2 sensors, etc.) and some unusual (springs on mk1 TT) when needed. You should too.

Kris Hansen

Do you still have the original oil pump/balancer assembly in that thing? I worried about that in my old B7

vce1232000

This was prior to my 2nd engine install. My original engine suffered a chipped intake valve. I was feeling lazy to fix and has access to a 80k mile motor on the cheap. I installed the 80k mile motor and been preforming with no issue's. I had sold the complete short block oil pump to a guy with a GTI. He is still using with no issue's

Kris Hansen

Nice! I think with 5k changes and good oil, it's not as much of a problem as it is with engines that run low on oil even a little..

vce1232000

Ive been using Mobil 1 extended 15k mile 5qt oil from walmart for about 26.00 without issue. I usually change at 6500 mile intervals

Voomon

Where in NZ are you? There are plenty of good independent shops that know Audis. if you are in Auckland I use Mt Eden Automotive, they have been looking after mine for years now and provide an excellent service at non-dealer rates.
Disclaimer: I have no association with that company other than being a happy client, they nurtured my ageing Allroad to almost 200KMs and now look after our 2 A4s, a 2.0 for the kids and a 3.2 S-line for me.