For the first time in my life, I am considering an Audi Quatro. The subject car is a 1997 A4 with manual transmission and 2.8 engine, mileage is 130,000.

Currently, I own and maintain a 1978 911 SC. Prior to that, I owned and maintained an 85 Mercedes 300D. I am not a master mechanic but, generally, am a competent mechanic and not afraid of taking things apart an putting them back together.

To make a long story short, my wife recently totaled her 2007 Impreza and is pretty adamant about about replacing it with an all-wheel-drive vehicle. I can not help but notice that there are some Audi A4s out there at with very attractive prices. Also, at heart, I love German iron.

I have looked over the FAQ posts on the A4 but still have the following comment/question:

I notice nobody offers claims that Audi automobiles, specifically older A4s, are the most dependable cars in the world; it is not difficult to find posts/reviews complaining about dependability. In my experience, when a person states: "this or that model is not dependable," they can mean one of two things:

1. This car frequently breaks down and leaves me parked on the side of the road, or

2. This care is frequently in need of attention/maintenance but gets me home reliably.


As the A4 will be a daily driver used by my wife to get back and forth to work, I am curious, which of the above best describes the dependability problems associated with older Audi A4s.

I realize this may be a difficult question to answer. Any help is appreciated.

Best regards,

Wayne

 

I'd be inclined to "the car is in need of attention, although you should be able to get home and eventually look at it".

The biggest issues I've had with my car were Electrical; be it a sensor, fuel gauge, wipers relay, interior lighting, cluster, etc.

Well, be sure the previous owner(s) took care of it (receipts) and you should be fine.. then again; it's all a gamble with A4 b5'ers.

On the up side, the 2.8 is considered more reliable than the 1.8t

 

Check the noob sticky: https://www.audiforums.com/forum/aud...ion-2-a-80968/. As for the car's overall reliability? Ask ImtheDevil about MY A4.

 

LOL Pat, with how you drove that thing, you could've ruined a cinder block. Honestly, I agree with the others here, although I'd say that stepping up to at least a 98 would be more worthwhile, as that V6 is a 30 valve engine, rather than the 12v in the 96-97. The 12v is a workhorse for sure, but the 30v is a great engine, only marginally more "needy" than the 12v, and its extra power, refinement, and smoothness is well worth the money. Being a daily driver, I'd stay away from the 1.8T. That thing has a maintenance fetish. Most of the issues are relatively minor (vacuum leaks, bad coilpacks causing misfires, etc) but overall my opinion of the 1.8T is that it's a pain in the *** that's not desirable unless you're looking to mod for power. The 30v gets virtually the same mileage, is smoother, and in my opinion is more in keeping with the upscale nature of Audi.

 

though i realize many people have tons of issues with the 1.8, i may be one of the few that hasnt had many issues. the largest by far was my clutch going out, which happens to any car. and my maf went bad. other than that, everything has been pretty solid. sure ive had to put a couple wheel bearings in, brake pads, oil changes, ect, but i cant think of much else. the audi has never left me stranded like my old pontiac grand am did on a weekly basis.

 

My B5 just broke down for the first time in over half a year, the spark plugs somehow managed to get fouled over 2 weeks of the car sitting in my garage. The biggest problem I've had was the water pump suddenly leaking the day I bought the car, but I didn't mind because it was due for a timing belt anyway. It's scary how reliable this car is, I don't even remember the last time I had it on jack stands for any reason, I just top up the oil every once in a while and fix the random small issues. I'm sure I got lucky to get a well-maintained car though, as long as it's not treated like a disposable car it'll last forever with only minor problems.

 

Thanks for the responses. I believe I am just going to take the chance and buy the thing. I have my 2001 Chevy Silverado 4x4 in the stable in case the Audi acts up.

Best regards,


Wayne