1998 Audi A4 Quattro 2.8

Summary:

Great performance, fit and finish, but prepare for very high maintenance costs

Faults:

The display/info screen has faded beyond recognition. A common Audi problem.

The alternator pulley sheared off at 55,000 miles. An easy fix, but not acceptable. The part was made in France!!

The coolant temperature sensor went at 60,000 miles. An easy fix. Acceptable.

The secondary air intake system went at 75,000 miles. This is does not have to be fixed. The car will run properly. You just have to live with a perpetual check engine light.

Multiple suspension parts went at around 85,000 miles. Acceptable, but the many parts are expensive and really add up. Acceptable.

Both rear wheel bearings went at 92,000 miles. Acceptable. Because it is a quattro, the repair is difficult and can't be done by the home mechanic. $450 each side if done by Audi.

The moon-roof opens upward by itself occasionally due to a short. I can live with this if it's not raining.

General Comments:

Great fit and finish.

The quattro is a superior handling car.

The Bose stereo system is excellent.

Stay away from the dealer as much as possible for repairs.

Get a repair manual and order discount parts on-line. I've done 95% of the repairs myself and I'm no mechanic.

I've put a lot of hard miles and have been fairly pleased with the car.

Basically it is an excellent car, but you must pay for this excellence. It's a trade off.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 21st March, 2003

9th Jul 2004, 11:24

Replace the timing belt and tensioner NOW!! Mine broke at

80K and scrapped the head.

26th Jan 2006, 00:00

I just bought my first Audi an I must say It was worth every penny. I don't understand people who say its expensive to fix... It's a high end vehicle... If you want cheap mechanic build then buy a ford Taurus. Great in the corners, plenty of pop off the line, and an interior that makes me feel like a P.I.M.P.

1998 Audi A4 quattro 2.8

Summary:

Great performer- Breaks down too often

Faults:

Computer display went out at 48,000.

Cruise control broke at 50,000.

CD player had to be replaced.

Heater core went out at 55,000 ($1,300 repair!)

Battery died prematurely for some reason.

Engine light kept coming on ($300 to repair???)

Water pump cracked ($500 job)

General Comments:

Great car when it is running. Looks great, handles great and is very comfortable. However, it seems to be in the shop more than it is on the road!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 12th May, 2002

1998 Audi A4 T 1.8 turbo

Summary:

Quality and superiority!

Faults:

Nothing major has gone wrong with the car since we purchased it almost a year ago. With the 'Audi' Assured Warranty, we can drive the car until 120,000 k's bumper to bumper without repair costs! It's great!

General Comments:

This car has the Sports Suspension package on it, which makes it handle extremely well.

The Quattro system provides consistent control in all conditions.

There are many little details to the car in its engineering that make it such a great buy. From the telescopic steering wheel to the Gala sound system, it is a driver's dream!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th September, 2001

1998 Audi A4 t 1.8 turbo

Summary:

Great driving car, but high maintenance

Faults:

All steering control arms and links needed to be replaced at 85,000 miles (a $1,700 repair job!). A known problem for which Audi has not issued a recall.

Replaced rear differential seals and CV boots at 72,000 miles.

Replaced the window control safety switch (keeps kids from rolling down the back windows) at about 75,000 miles. Another item that the Audi dealer refused to repair under warranty, so rather than take the chance of my daughter getting her arm chopped off by a passing car, I paid for the replacement myself.

Idler assembly for the air conditioner belt is broken, not replaced yet (mechanic has a replacement part on back-order).

Needed fix to increase the range of the remote keyless entry to a useable level (it was about 10' before this change). Even though this was a known problem (listed in an Audi Technical Service Bulletin), the dealer refused to repair it under the warranty.

General Comments:

This car has excellent handling and is well thought out ergonomically. Overall, it's fun to drive. It's great looking and gets many comments.

However, I'm afraid it may bankrupt me in maintenance costs! That certainly takes some of the fun out of it for me.

The driver's seat and position are great, but the passenger seating is not that good and the back seat is dismal.

It has embarrassingly low torque off the line. You have to get to 5K RPM before the turbo really comes in.

The climate control seems convenient at first, but is hard to live with. It's especially bad at keeping the windows de-fogged during rainy weather (for some reason it decides that the air conditioner should not be on and there's no way to override that).

The Bose stereo is fantastic. The bass is a little boomy, but that's OK in a car. The GAIA feature (which varies the sound according to your speed) is a little annoying at times).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 9th July, 2001

4th Aug 2002, 22:27

You Have to realize it's a Luxury car not a sports car. I used to have a modified RX-7, and of course the A4 is slower, but I expect that. The luxuries make up for it.

18th Oct 2003, 18:58

I had the same problem. The clunk is the sign of the problem.

Mike.

19th Jul 2009, 01:09

I'm about to turn 16 years old, and since the A4 needs such high maintenance, I am not sure if I should get the 1998 Audi A4 or 1995 Saab 900 SE?

24th May 2010, 18:48

You should get the Audi; great car and fun to drive.

25th Sep 2010, 17:51

I have owned my 1998 A4 since it was new off the lot. VERY dependable and LOW maintenance. Sure the control arms had to be replaced, but not until 285K. General maintenance including replacing the timing belt now three times. It currently has 307K miles, is on its original clutch, and doesn't leak a drop of oil. It is starting to show some signs of age, but it is still a damn fun car to drive.

3rd Feb 2011, 10:53

I'm getting a A4... What's the reliability and what are your opinions?

3rd May 2011, 05:33

I have had an A4 1.8 T Quattro for 11 years now and I have never regretted buying it.