Faults:

The ignition coil failed and left me stranded.

The vacuum pump failed and left me stranded.

Headlights and fog lights have burned out several times.

The oil temperature gauge failed.

General Comments:

When the A4 is running well, it is a great driver and, in my opinion, more fun than the BMW 3-series. The handling is incredible and it does a wonderful job in snow and rain with Quattro.

However, the car is extremely unreliable. I cannot even recall all of the things that have gone wrong over the past 3 years. I have stacks of receipts for repairs. The "problems" that I've listed are just a sampling - also brakes, CV joints and more.

Of course, the warranty covers everything for 50,000 miles. Still, I am constantly running back and forth to the dealership and taking out loaner cars. Now that the warranty has run out, I'm getting rid of the A4. I will miss driving it, but not the trips to the dealer.

Faults:

A hose connected to the turbo has been replaced. It was a simple repair- took less than 30 minutes, and had no effect on the vehicles performance.

The airbag light has turned on twice, and I am awaiting a new driver side curtain airbag (one of 10 in the vehicle).

The lock on the trunk lid will be replaced as the key no long goes in it.

The automatic climate control unit has been replaced after the fan grew noisy. The replacement unit seems to be making the same sound so I might just be too picky.

The driver side mirror has been replaced after the auto-dim feature started going randomly on vacation.

All in all, nothing serious or even crucial to the operation or safety of the car has malfunctioned.

General Comments:

I bought this car used with 19K miles. The warranty is good through 100k miles and maintenance is covered through 50k miles. Buying from the dealer is a great value.

The tires/wheels have been a bit of a headache- but its my 80 mile round trip commute on Michigan freeways. I think any vehicle with 17" wheels and low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport tires would experience the same deterioration in performance.

The car is an unbeatable value. Interior materials are top-notch, especially in the $30,000 range. The red and white gages are easy to see day and night. Acceleration could be better, but maintaining and maneuvering at high speeds is effortless. Seating is comfortable (in the front seat) and mice and toasty during the coldest weather (thank you heated seats). The power sliding sunroof is a must have- makes the car feel much bigger inside than it is. Coming from a Dodge Neon, which while slightly smaller in overall dimension had offered a much roomier cabin, having the sunroof in my A4 kept me from noticing that my head was so close to the ceiling.

Faults:

This last weekend, the front bumper of my A4 pulled off while I parked at a concrete curb in the parking lot of my local grocery store. While Audi knows about and has agreed to repair A6's with this problem, A4 owners with the same problem are out of luck. Audi of America and the dealer both refuse to pay for repairing this car and to make the necessary modifications to prevent recurrence. Therefore, I am interested in hearing from any A4 owners out there that this has happened to for the purpose of filing a class action lawsuit to get this situation resolved. Please contact me at skraetsch@yahoo.com.

General Comments:

I previously owned a 2000 A4, and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately after the car was totaled in collision, I purchased the 2001, which has been nothing, but problematic.