2001 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro from North America - Comments

23rd Jun 2004, 17:41

"Great Style, Poor Quality"

What things have gone wrong with the car?

Rear seat latch defective at delivery (this should have been an omen).

"Check Engine" light frequently came on. The dealer always told me the that nothing was wrong or that the computer registered a lean mixture (too low octane). After several trips (4+) it was determined that the vacuum hose had come loose.

I am constantly replacing headlight bulbs, tail light bulbs, and turn signal bulbs. The dealer tells me they aren't sure if this is caused by poorly manufactured bulbs or the corrosion in the bulb sockets (why did these sockets corrode so early?).

The speakers cut in and out repeatedly and the dealer can't find anything wrong. I have replaced numerous stereo speakers (some as many as three times each) and the problem still isn't resolved.

Engine coil failure at 20,000 miles (subsequently coils were recalled).

General comments?

Fun to drive and handles well, but requires too much service.

Well designed. The best designed car on the road.

Comes loaded with options at a reasonable price, but the service fees are where they get you.

I'm worried about how much it will cost to maintain this vehicle once the warranty / Audi advantage period is over.

I changed service dealers once thinking the problem was the service, but it turns out the problem is the car (no dealer can fix it).


19th Oct 2004, 05:21

I have a similarly aged 1.8T quattro se avant A4. It is a lovely car- but I had a coil go, an engine temp sensor go and the cat threw an error message just needing a re-set- so three engine management lights.

My concern too is that these trivial problems would be expensive nightmares out of warranty because engineer time is so expensive, also the dealer is OK, but dealer access is three weeks even for small jobs so without the warranty rescue package..that's a long wait.

Love the way it goes round corners however, and some of the roads round here are a leafy challenge to say the least :)

Carl (North wales, UK)

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