1996 Audi A4 review from North America
"A high performance lemon"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Water pump leaked.
Both upper control arms wore out quickly at 55,000km.
Air conditioner evaporator leaked causing expensive repairs.
Power door lock pumps replaced 2 times.
Power windows sometimes open and close by themselves on cold winter days.
Power window motors replaced 3 times.
Plastic rim nut cover cracks and falls off.
Interior seats (leatherette) easily worn out or rips.
Air conditioner/heat controller has gone AWOL. It adjusts the temperature by itself.
Rear reverse lights burned out 8 times.
Engine light comes on randomly for no reason.
General comments?
My A4 was a horrible experience. The only thing I liked about it was a nice looking car. Otherwise, the car was a lemon. Bringing it to the shop every 2 months was not enjoyable. The dealers always like to blame, and make excuses for the problems. Once the warranty ended they treated me very nice.
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  | The best car I ever owned |
| A German driving machine made like a Yugo |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 0/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 40 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 74000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Honda Prelude |
| Date of Entry | 23rd July, 2001 |