1999 Audi A4 Quattro review from North America
"An unreliable and expensive package"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Windshield washer motor housing cracked and had to be replaced on 3 occasions during the car's 3-year warranty.
Steering felt sloppy and tie-rods had to be replaced at 48000KM. This was covered by warranty.
At 51000km check engine light came on and engine air pump had to be replaced at C$470.
At 54000KM air-conditioning fan gave ringing noises and had to be replaced at C$780.
At 59000KM oil leaks occurred in engine, forward and rear differentials. The dealer gave me a quote of C$900 to fix the problem. Audi will not cover the cost.
General comments?
Audi will not stand behind the quality of their products. This comes to 7 defects within 4.5 years, IE 1 defect every 7-8 months. Oil leaks at 59000KM and 4.5 years are not acceptable. Neither do I drive the car hard.
Do not go for Audi unless you are prepared to pay for the costs of maintaining the car after warranty. Even then it's not worth the trouble.
Recommended reviews
| Not very reliable or cheap to fix |
|
| Great driving car, but high maintenance |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 100 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 61000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Mercedes-Benz C-Class |
| Date of Entry | 3rd March, 2004 |