20th Aug 2004, 10:20
I own a 2001 A6 allroad, bought new, it has been a maintenance nightmare from day one. The first problem we encountered was that car did not accelerate smoothly as we drove away from the dealer. Not stuttering, just this elastic kind of thing. Several trips to the dealership and more parts replaced than I could possibly imagine paying for, it was finally fixed with new software (or so I am told). Although I really enjoy the car's incredible traction and thin air acceleration on ski trips it has not lived up to the Audi hype.
Since then, its been one thing after another, brakes, suspension, emissions, interior pieces, software, computers, etc. With 70,000 miles on it I'm worried about owning this thing past the extended warranty.
My 1991 BMW M5 has over 176,000 miles and has never missed a beat. I'll be buying another BMW next time.
3rd Mar 2005, 13:57
I have had the same "thumping into gear" problem with my 2000 A6 2.7T and was repeatedly told by dealer that this was normal as well. Now has 88,000 miles and I just replaced oil seals for $1500+. I'm now told it needs new catalytic converter and suspension parts for $5000. Does anyone know about after market catalytic converters for these cars? Also, I just paid off the car and hate to have to trade it. If I buy new, I'm reluctant to do another Audi due to the repair record of this one. Unfortunately I do love the look and drive of the car -- when it's out of the shop. Does anyone know about the new 2005 A6?
25th Jul 2006, 11:11
The Audi A6 2.7T Quattro is a car that, while very rewarding to drive, is quite high maintenance. Camshaft seals/cam adjuster gaskets are a common repair item for this motor. Engine mounts are not an uncommon fix, either.
However, if one bought an Audi expecting low maintenance costs, one must reconsider reality. It takes a lot of money/precision engineering to achieve the drive/feel that German cars such as Audi deliver, and maintaining that feel costs quite a bit.
The newer crop of Audi A6s (2005+) are more robust and have different engines which should prove to be lower maintenance. Try one out.
30th Aug 2006, 21:02
I have a 2000 A6 Quattro Audi, certified pre owned. It has been in and out of the shop more than I care to mention.
The catalytic converter was replaced at 13m miles, now at 80m, it needs it again.
The transmission fluid disappeared, though the dealer doesn't know where. It's a sealed transmission, so the fluid cannot be checked. Now it needs a new one.
Air conditioner needs replacing, brake sensor light had to be repaired, dashboard had to be replaced, both front boots had to be replaced, rear axle seals leak, hesitation when accelerating.
I have never had so many problems with a car, and would never by this brand again.
23rd Feb 2007, 12:17
Hello, to all those experiencing the transmission hesitation upon a rolling start try this fix. Turn the key to the ON position, then hold the accelerator to the floor for approximately 30 seconds or so, then turn the key to OFF. Then start your car as normal. What may be happening is that the Audi transmission computer is a "learning" computer. It learns the characteristics of the driver and adjusts the shifts accordingly. This procedure clears the learning the computer has done and starts over. I did this every morning for a week and now my transmission shifts 99% better then before. Basically you are driving like a little old lady and the transmission is shifting as such. You may also consider a transmission fluid and transmission filter, yes there is a filter, change. The dealer may refuse to perform the service saying that it is a sealed unit with a lifetime fluid, but this is B.S. There is no such thing as a "lifetime fluid" and it should be changed every 50,000 miles or so. I have done this and it made a world of difference. Other people have had to change the transmission computer and this fixed their problem. This is the same ZF transmission used in some BMW's and the BMW's don't share this problem. So it is almost definitely a computer problem. Hope this helps some people out there. Audi really is a good car once you learn a bit about them. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.
7th May 2004, 00:05
I have a 2000 A6 2.7T with 37,000 miles and have had nothing, but trouble with it (mostly under warranty) however now it is out of warranty. I have had a problem with the transmission from the very beginning of owning the car. After decelerating, costing for a short time, and then accelerating the transmission appears to slip for a second and then engage with a hard thump. The dealer claims there is no problem. I have not been able to demonstrate this problem on demand.
Within the first year both driver side windows needed the guides replaced. On hot days the windows still sometimes act up as if the friction when going up overcomes the sensor for an obstruction. The window reverses and starts to open again.
The instrument panel started to become hard to read. The letters appeared to streak and darken at the edges. Audi replaced the entire instrument package. In the process they did not reset my GPS so back to the dealer I went.
The fuel gage started acting intermittent and it was replaced. Later there was a retrofit so back again for the real fix.
The sunroof guides broke and had to be replaced.
The rear window shade started to bind and after two trips to the dealer it was replaced. The first attempt at a fix was simply to lube the tracks.
The front bumper was destroyed while making a right turn onto a street with an average size dip. While replacing the front bumper the dealer apparently knocked the windshield wiper washer fluid hose loose so that it came off a week later.
The rear windows no longer are controllable by the rear window switches. The dealer replaced the master switch.
My AM band on the radio went dead. I am assuming that in one of the many service calls the AM antenna has been knocked off. I almost never listen to AM so I have no idea how long this has been going on.
My windshield wipers sometimes won't start unless I put switch to full speed. When I back the speed down, sometimes they will continue to work and sometimes they freeze in mid wipe. Naturally when I took the car in to the dealer (under warranty) this problem was not present and they said they could not do anything for it.
Now that the car is out of warranty the problem has gotten worse.
The check engine light has come on numerous times and each time I am given some nondescript reason which always includes a phrase like, "and we reset a bunch of codes".
Finally within a month after warranty was over they said, "You need new Oxygen sensors". I was furious! After much heated discussion Audi decided to replace the parts for free. Now the check engine light is on again.
One or more fans in the climate control have developed an intermittent chirping sound at some combination of rotation speed and temperature. I have not been able to demonstrate this to the dealer.
The tires wear quickly. The second time I had the tires replaced the tire dealer claimed that there was no adjustment for one of the two types, either camber or caster (I forget which one) yet the alignment was out and needed adjusting. He tried to compensate with toe-in/out adjustments.
The turn signals became intermittent. They would blink several times and then stop. Both right & left signals have this problem. Dealer replaced a multi-switch.
The Air conditioning has a musty smell. The dealer wants to replace the pollen filter.
The AM radio failure has been traced to a defective "Diversity box" $500 parts, $400 labor.
I will never ever buy an Audi product again! Buyer be ware!