If you have access to a good mechanic, have him check out the A4 before you buy it. In addition to my A6, I purchased a 2003 A4 3.0 MT6 for my daughter three years ago. We looked at half a dozen A4s and discarded most of them because of issues. I had my mechanic check out two, and this was the second and a keeper with 69k miles. It now has 92k and has had two issues: the clutch pedal sensor has been replaced twice but still throws a CEL, and the cats were replaced at 79k under warranty. Otherwise it required new brakes and rotors, tires, and a battery which I knew going in. And we did the TB this summer ($1200).

Yes, I would check oil weekly for the first couple months to make sure it is not leaking or burning. No, they typically do no require weekly repairs. But repairs can be expensive and this forum is a good source of advice and alternatives, so keep it bookmarked.

Caveat emptor.

 

The smallest repair bill I've ever had for my A4 was over $300. Maybe with your super cheap mechanic, that won't be the case for you, but I'd still be scared to purchase one if I could only afford a $150 repair at any given time.

 

In a way I agree, the big question you will have to ask yourself is how much do you want to spend on a car for maintenance... sure you CAN afford to make some repairs to it.. but do you want to have to?

I think most everyone on this forum will agree, an Audi is one of the most rewarding cars they have owned. They are fun to drive and have amazing potential to be modified if that is your thing. However, I'm sure many will also agree that the rewards come at a price, be it routine maintenance, an unexpected part failure, or something else, the Audi will definitely take money from your pocket for things you wouldn't necessarily think about with another car. I've had my 03 A4 for less than a year and I've experienced many of the common failures (various coolant issues, a minor leak from a transmission seal, coil pack failure, etc) for me all of them were DIY and didn't cost more than the parts and a weekend day.

I came from a Ford Mustang, built like a truck (rode like one too, awfully high up for a sports car), it had some minor issues here and there but ultimately was a very affordable car maintenance and repair wise. But once I rode along in my buddies Audi I was sold and I bought mine a week later and already I can say the Audi requires more attention(maintenance/money) than the mustang did. However I have never once said "I miss my mustang".

For me the Audi is a daily driver and a toy, so I expect to put money into it, either through mods and performance upgrades or routing maintenance and repairs, and for my investment I am well rewarded with an amazing car that I can't wait to find another reason to drive. If you have a similar view and are willing to make the investment then it may be worth it, if you are looking for a car to drive and get you from point A to point B reliably and be able to spend that money on something else then it may not be the best purchase at this time.

 

This information is about look up licence plate with you, which I believe you should be aware of. By entering a licence plate number in the search field at https://vinpit.com/license-plate-lookup we will search our extensive car database for information about that licence plate. You can learn about various vehicles, their histories, and the names of their owners.

 

CVT has known transmission issue and B6 3.0 has torque converter issue.