Faults:

CV joints required replacement twice during my period of ownership.

All suspension bushes wore out and required replacement.

Alternator packed up.

Transmission required rebuild.

Temperature gauge would not always work.

General Comments:

A very well finished vehicle, a pleasure to drive, handles the road very well, a very safe car.

Engine performance is not too bad either.

Fuel economy very poor for a 2 litre.

Spare parts horrendously expensive, even second hand. That is, if the parts are even available at all.

Faults:

Had to replace the power steering pump at just 90,000kms!

Fuel pump sender unit wouldn't register below 1/2 tank.

Unexplained loss of power (which even the useless local Fuel Injection 'specialist' couldn't diagnose (turned out to be one corroded joint)

Wouldn't start one cold morning.

Central locking was so slow to operate.

Front doors suddenly sagged slightly.

Big problem was finding a mechanic who really knew about these cars!

General Comments:

Over rated. Even with the quattro it didn't seem very confident in the dry and was good in the wet largely because of its lack of power!

Too expensive to run with too many major repairs for such a 'young' car.

Faults:

Electric Cooling fan motor blew at 110,000 km. Replaced with 2nd hand part for $700 AU.

All, but one speaker remained at the end of its time with me.

Occasionally the electrics wouldn't work when I started the car on hot sunny days. But when restarted would fix itself. Went away after one summer...

Engine would run very badly on cold mornings, and would not be responsive at all. When I put my foot down to accelerate it would almost stall before taking off. My mechanic said it was a timing problem, but it was never fixed completely.

Glove box would not shut correctly.

General Comments:

Was a great car and I owned it from new for eight years.

Drove it to Melbourne and Brisbane a number of times and the car is a fantastic cruiser with a very responsive engine and transmission. I had the 5 Cylinder version which I've heard is the best engine available in these cars, and having driven a V6 and 2.0 I would have to agree!

I had the optional leather and cruise, both which stood up very well to regular use.

Did not service at dealers after warranty expired due to high cost. Audi specialist provided better service anyway.

Faults:

Slight ATF fluid leak at the radiator end, problem with radiator fitting, will need new radiator (damn the automatic - never had radiator probs in any previous Audi I had, no choice - this is a Jap import with an automatic).

Slight coolant leak at the plastic coolant elbow on engine, possibly needs a new gasket.

Changed thermostat (wasn't running warm enough).

History unknown, so did full maintenance work including timing belt, fluids, auto transmission service, fuel filter.

General Comments:

Built like a tank - solid, no rattles, galvanised body won't rust.

Rigid - I bought this car because it's safe (with out paying through the nose for Swedish parts), a friend's survived a serious accident in an Audi with only a gash, he's bought another Audi.

Automatic is sluggish off the mark in city driving, but in the open road, can accelerate like my old 5-speed, thank goodness. Personally I'll ALWAYS go manual, but there are no 5-speed Audis in Japan, where this was imported from. Compromise - I wanted an Audi at a good price, must live with an automatic (Sob!)

Driving position not ideal for me - if I move the seat far enough back for my legs to be OK, I can't reach the steering wheel comfortably, must be an Audi trait.

My 4th Audi, new parts prices surprisingly reasonable vs. modern Jap cars, and reliable, none of my previous Audis ever stranded me.

Design still looks modern, doesn't look "older" than the A4, only different, dashboard well-designed, looks great.

All problems normal for its age, never serious.

Fuel consumption not too good around town (strange, a previous similar Audi auto had much better economy), but better in constant open road speeds.

I'm happy enough, can't wait for the A4's to come in as affordable Jap imports.

Faults:

Water pump, rear wheel bearing, worn spark plug leads. Had to re-weld a bolt in the subframe. Driver's power window, sparkie said it had some water in it. All age-related, nothing else has broken down.

General Comments:

Solid, reliable car, not prone to rust. Good performance, frugal enough. Owned since '98. Safe -- a friend survived a serious crash in an identical car, with only a small wound (and a bit of shock). Parts well-priced. Durable, well put-together. Sports seats offer good support. Still stylish for a 15-year old car.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

A very good car for a very cheap price. Its very comfortable and easy to drive, handles very well and gets good fuel economy. All you need to do is change the oil every now and then and add fuel.