1997 Audi A4 review from North America
"You'll pay more on repairs than your car is worth!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Side Moldings (rubber) on both sides of car rusted off at 50,000 miles and had to be replaced ($250)
Windshield washer pump stopped working at 55,000 miles ($230)
Turbocharger blew at 60,000 miles ($1400)
Oil Line/Tubing broke and sprung a massive leak at 61,000 miles ($257)
Oil Pump Broke in conjunction with line and tubing at 61,000 miles ($1004)
Suspension Arms (curved and straight) are completely worn at 62,000 miles and need to be replaced ($1600)
General comments?
The Audi is a beautiful car. It drives and handles extremely well when working properly, but ironically enough, as soon as the car went off warranty at 3 years, I started having massive problems with the car.
There are very few Audi service centers in America and as a result always have a backup of clients to do work for (usually 2-4 weeks to have my car looked at), and the labor costs for work on the Audi in Massachusetts is billed out at $68/hr (Flynn in Pittsfield) or $89/hr (Pass & Weiss) in Burlington. Additionally, the parts aren't cheap, thus the reason for my expensive repairs.
Recommended reviews
  | Dependable if maintained regularly, and a pleasure to drive! |
| Buy if you can do your own repairs; Lease otherwise |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8T Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 6/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 61000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 21st August, 2003 |