1986 Audi 5000 Turbo Quattro from North America - Comments

Steering rack/pump were badly leaking when I bought it.

Brake accumulator needs replaced.

I had to recently replace the battery.

The water pump started leaking, but has been replaced.

The coolant gauge no longer works.

Three of the power window switches and the sunroof motor failed in a three day period.

I had to replace the original radiator fan resistor pack due to massive deterioration.

The shifter knob has become loose.

The cruise control does not work.

The wiring between the driver's side door and the frame has become cracked and broken.

The driver's seat heater no longer works.

I bought this car for cheap and although repairs are expensive I still feel it was a bargain.

It's got a great all wheel drive system, great brakes with ABS, a strong engine, comfy leather interior, good visibility, the mechanicals are typical German rock solid, and above all it didn't cost much more than $1000.

The electrical system is definitely a weak point in these cars.

Despite its problems I realize it's almost 20 years old and it's in far better condition than most other makes of cars that I've seen of this age.

If you are looking for a 5000 don't get one with an automatic transmission, that transmission is very failure prone. Get one with a stick shift, especially a quattro if you can find one. The transmissions are strong, I'm still on my original clutch.

I disagree that automatic transmissions in Audi 5000's are failure prone. My 5000S automatic has over 300,000 KM on it and it (transmission) is original and works perfectly. A friend of mine is a VW/Audi mechanic, and tells me that 5000 transmissions are very reliable if treated correctly; ie.: fluid and filter changed when required, and not abused.

I think you are both right.

I was (note the tense) the proud owner of a '85 Audi, non-turbo with automatic transmission. The car held up for almost 300K before a total transmission collapse. That happened to my old Subaru with about 1/2 the miles.

Now, I have a '86 5000 Turbo with manual transmission. It has about the same amount of miles that the automatic did. It also needs transmission work, but not nearly as much as the automatic would have required.

I suggest the automatic transmission used in Audi 5000 front wheel drive is excellent in reliability, however the 5000 series Quattro (four wheel drive) automatic I have no experience with. However, I suggest this version of the automatic is likely to be treated very roughly by a goodly number of "Extreme Performance" oriented Quattro Drivers. For these folks a manual transmission would appear the better choice.

One might note that many four wheel drive lovers treat their autos very kindly and admire the quattro primarily for added traction in winter snow and ice conditions, or an occasional unplanned for "off road" adventure.