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Audi A6 Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • tangomomtangomom Member Posts: 1
    I've purchased NEW, paid cash and full price, a 1999, A6 Quattro. Ever since that purchase, I've had nothing but problems, recalls and now, the worst experience of my car-owning life.

    The car has been driven conservatively, has JUST 60,000 miles, has been taken to Metro Audi, the dealer, for all of its regularly scheduled maintenance, and was taken three weeks ago for its 60K mile service. THREE WEEKS ago! The current bill, and still counting is $5,000. The call today from Metro was that the car was unsafe to drive, the last part they installed has not stopped the unpredictable stalling (which it was NOT doing prior to coming in for its service).

    They advise that the (maybe? air intake value) is on national back order, they have no idea when they will be getting one. As soon as this car is off the lot, I'm taking it to a Subaru dealer, and trading this dog in on a new Forrester. I love the Audi, but the problems, lack of bedside manner at the dealer's, the safety issues caused by the intermittent and unpredictable failures have made luxury car ownership undesirable. I am OVER AUDI!

    Anybody else have these problems? Any class action lawsuit I can join?

    I want my old Saab back - drove it for 12 years, never had a problem.
  • exaudifanexaudifan Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem, starting at 48K miles, after only a few hundred more miles, the gearbox failed completely. Required new box (said to be > £4K). Cause was failure by garage to service it properly at ~40K - no oil or filter changed. Eventually they admitted liability and replaced the box. I have heard that many A6 Allroad gearboxes also fail at 40K miles. Good luck!
  • sloansloan Member Posts: 6
    I just received last night my 2005 A6 4.2 and the memory seats are doing the same thing as yours. I also noticed that the side passenger mirror isn't going down when going in reverse...does this happen to you too? (note: I live in los angeles now, but used to live in Seattle and bought two A6's from Barrier, I know amanda too. They will take good care of you.)

    Hope they fixed the car. Let me know what the problem was, so I can forward that info when I take mine in for service.
  • carroll1carroll1 Member Posts: 2
    FYI... The Motorola V551 works perfectly with my Audi A6 Bluetooth interface..
  • garth1garth1 Member Posts: 7
    I have discovered that Audi have recently issued new guidelines to dealerships regarding this problem. The problems seem to be being caused by 'contaminated' oil. This messes around with the intricate hydraulics and gets between the clutches(evidently there are either 6 or 7 hydraulicly activated clutches in the box!). This is why it is intermittent. Also why it is so important to have the oil changed properly. Not clear where the debris is coming from yet.
  • garth1garth1 Member Posts: 7
    Can you give me any firm cases I can use in my battle with Audi?
  • garth1garth1 Member Posts: 7
    Sorry I am in the UK so cannot recommend any specialists. If your car is still under warranty you should work quite hard to get Audi to identify the problem. They evidently should check the oil in the box now. Get them to contact Audi AG in Germany and get the most up to date guidelines.
  • asiu28asiu28 Member Posts: 7
    Thank you for the info. I will try to get my dealer to check out these new guidelines.
  • brianvbrianv Member Posts: 1
    Sloan - a couple of potential solutions....

    To set the memor seat with advanced key, you need to lock the car with the key fob after setting the appropriate memory for each respective key fob.

    For the passenger mirror to tilt down in reverse, the mirror toggle on the driver door must be set on the passenger mirror setting (far right) for it to work. Hope this helps.
  • mileswmilesw Member Posts: 29
    Are you 2005 A6 owners experiencing tip lag? (hesitation on acceleration, herky-jerky shifting)

    I'm thinking of buying a 2005.5 A4, but nobody has experience with them. I thought I might get feedback from recent A6 purchasers, since the cars are siblings.
  • kgarykgary Member Posts: 180
    I have had my 2005 A6 4.2 for nearly 2 weeks with no tip lag.

    Kevin
  • audirunneraudirunner Member Posts: 1
    I have a Feb 2004 A6 Avant 1.9 TDI with the multitronic gearbox. The gearbox was replaced at about 14000 miles after an electronic problem (Checksum Error). The second box has the intermitant violent jerks you describe when coming to a halt. It sometimes stalls when cold when shifting from reverse to drive. Audi claim to have diagnosed the problem to a faulty valve but now have no stock of replacement parts. Anyone else had similar problems? This is a really frustrating problem with what is otherwise quite a nice vehicle.
  • kmad55kmad55 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought the 2005 A6 Quattro... Did you have any luck finding a phone? They sell a cradle but I thought if the car was bluetooth then I dont need to connect.....Like as if it's wireless.. You can email me direct at Kmad55@aol.com
  • chitown1chitown1 Member Posts: 8
    I know I have read a few posts on here regarding problems with the memory seat function. We have just started encountering this in our 2005 A6 3.2 (purch'd in December)when trying to adjust the seats by hitting the driver # on the door. Since we have advanced key we don't ever have the key in the ignition or use the remote to unlock the door so we always use the seat adjustment by pressing the button manually.

    For others that have had a problem, what was the fix? We are taking the car to the dealership tomorrow and it would be helpful to know what fix others have used.
  • garth1garth1 Member Posts: 7
    My limited understanding would be that it could be a faulty valve or 'debris' in the oil which can give similar symptoms as 'bits' get stuck in the hydraulic valve or in the thin pipes in the gearbox. Audi generally take a view that if the oil is 'contaminated' then they replace the whole box - you should probably push for this (again)as I understand that once there is debris in the box it is very difficult to get it out.

    What Audi don't tell you when they explain the beauty of CVT is that the gearbox has to be serviced every 40,000 miles (at some cost!)and the cleaning of the inside and condition of the oil is vital to the continued health of the box!
  • mcginnismcginnis Member Posts: 1
    Don't feel bad, I bought a new A6 that now has 18000 and has spent over 100 days in the shop. We have had a hesitation problem. They put all new coils in and that didn't fix it and two transmissions. We have gone the Audi meditation route and contacted our att. gen. and all they feel they should do is continue TRYING to fix it. The car has been unsafe and we have wanted it replaced or bought back by Audi. Our dealership Star Motors has tried to be helpful but has no more power than us. LAST AUDI
  • kgarykgary Member Posts: 180
    I have Verizon and am using the Motorola V 710. The difficulty is that Verizon service does not support all of the Bluetooth's capabilities. I am unable to download my address book, the car's signal strength meter does not work, the car can not recall the last numbered dialed. I am able to make calls through the car's MMI. The rumor is that Verizon is considering fully supporting Bluetooth in the near future. I am also told that Audi has a cradle for the 710 in the planning phase.
  • john56john56 Member Posts: 8
    Recently had my '01 A6 Avant in for 50K checkup. Nothing noted in checks except for 2 bent wheels. Wanted 500 per wheel plus mount balance etc. Found same style wheel by an approved Audi Germany vendor on TireRack.com for $89 each on sale, had Kumho performance all seasons mounted and balanced and delivered for less than $800 with new PIAA wipers all around too.

    Now the problem - still have a small shimmy at about 70+ mph and it seems to be in the rear. Could this be an alignment issue? Or is it possible that they misbalanced one wheel?

    Also, left rear brake is making a grinding noise at low stopping speeds. Just started. Seems like there is plenty of pad. Anyone have ideas on cause and solutions?

    Thanks
    John
    Rochester, NY
  • liferulesliferules Member Posts: 531
    Generally, when sitting in the seat, you need to push and HOLD the button until the seat reaches the set position. If not sitting in the car, just push the button once and the seat will go to its set position.

    At least that's how I remember the manual stating it...
  • chitown1chitown1 Member Posts: 8
    Yes - push and hold - seats adjust first and then mirrors. Right now pushing and holding results in no movement. I guess we will see what the dealer comes up with...
  • jodarjodar Member Posts: 53
    John, I had the same problem with my 01 Avant. The dealer claimed to have found nothing after claiming to have performed a variety of road tests. Four tires were replaced, along with front brakes and rotors..still no change.

    I suspected the wheel bearings were off based on previous posts. I went to three different independent shops, until I found one that performed a Hunter Road Force Test. My suspicions were confirmed. My extended warranty paid for everything minus my deductible and my Audi is running perfectly again. So have that test done provided you've eliminated the wheel balancing, alignment and brake issues.
  • john56john56 Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for the input. I just called an ind. shop today and have set up for Friday for a full check. Delaware Tire in Newark, DE. Have worked with them before and they are first rate both in performance and fair cost. Car was just at the dealer for the checkup and everything was OK according to them. Unfortunately, this is on my dime as I was over the warranty period anyway.

    Holtz Audi in Rochester, NY did 50K check - bill was about 230 which was mostely labor and included an oil change.

    John
  • jodarjodar Member Posts: 53
    For the same problems I have posted and from having similar experiences from what you have posted, I totally despise my Audi dealership (Alex VA) and will probably never go back there for service, if I can help it. But at least the extended warranty is a big cushion. I don't have any drivability issues as of this posting (56k). The car runs like a charm and, overall, I am very satisfied with its performance.

    At least I can do my own oil change and save $120 that the dealer charges. I pay about $45 to do it myself using Mobil 0w40 (7 qts), plus $10 for the K&N Filter. I'm tempted to get a genuine Audi/VW filter, for the next change, because it seems to have a longer service life (30k), according to the labeling on it.
  • duffy4duffy4 Member Posts: 18
    I would like some input on my dilemma. I have owned 3 A6s, with no problems and would like to move up.I know this is the first year with the new A6 and only the second with the A8. I also know next year the A8 will get a new front that will look like the rest of the line. The 4.2 A6 is about 55k with all the extras and the A8 is about 70k. Is it really worth the extra 15k? I do like the interior of the A8 better, and the little extra room would be nice for my kids---but it is so much $. Do you think the nose job change will affect resale values?

    /
  • john56john56 Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for the comments, jodar. I will start to change my own oil as soon as I have a place to do it. The local Jiffy lube told me that they could not change due to no compatible oil. Find that hard to believe but will go to doing my own the next time around. Once the brakes are fixed and the shimmy is gone, I expect many miles of happy driving.
    Love the car - my friend with a Bimmer530 suggested the A6 over his. He was right. Better overall feel with only slightly less performance in the dry, tons more in the wet and snow.
    John
  • stockradstockrad Member Posts: 6
    I have an Audi A6 2005 4.2, and about 4500 miles into an otherwise great driving experience,I have started hearing squeaks everytime I go over a pothole. These seem to be coming from the rear. The dealer was unable to locate the origin. Does anyone have a similar experience? Is there a fix?

    -Stockrad
  • halofanhalofan Member Posts: 37
    I just bought my 05 A6 3.2 and was wondering if anyone has figured out the memory seat process. I am able to get the system to work if I utilize the numbers on the door, but can't seem to get it to synch up with the remote...Help!
  • john56john56 Member Posts: 8
    Locked caliper caused all of it. Needed new rotors, pads and one new caliper. Over 500. Expensive and just past warranty.
    Darn
    John
  • kirby2010kirby2010 Member Posts: 136
    Anyone have first hand experience with the replacement of the serpentine belt on their A6? I have the 2001 2.7T -- very happy with it and the dealer. Coming up on four years and 60K miles. I was considering a trade this year (partially to avoid the high cost of the 60K maintenance) but I really enjoy the Audi.
  • john 206john 206 Member Posts: 4
    Yes, I took delivery of my 2005 A6 in December, and have occasionally experienced Tip Lag since day one. I have had the vehicle checked by three different Audi dealers, with no solution. I have also contacted Audi Customer Care center, again no help.

    Currently, I have 6120 miles on the A6, and still get tip lag occasionally. The tip lag only occurs from a standing start and between 1 and 2 gear. If anyone finds the solution, please advise.
  • marleybarrmarleybarr Member Posts: 334
    Your serpentine belt would cost $17.00 part # 6PK1855 from bma auto parts 888-262-4019. I don't know about the labor fee, most Audi dealers charge about $106/hr. This same part runs about $70 from the dealer.
  • gechurchgechurch Member Posts: 1
    I have a 99 A6 and had the bumper recall installed in July 2003-- but just yesterday had the bumper separate again. Audi Customer Care is saying that because the recall was installed they are not liable for the repair. I believe that the recall must have been ineffective or improperly installed or both or the problem shouldn't have happened again.

    Has anyone had experience with Audi paying to fix a problem after the problem had been recalled and supposedly repaired?

    Thanks
  • kirby2010kirby2010 Member Posts: 136
    When I bought my Audi the sales person cautioned me that the the front of the car was low. I had some experience with this with my previous car - a '94 SHO. The car was low slung in the front and if I got to close to the curb it would scrape the air dam. So ... I have made a point not to park too close. Scraping the air dam on a $25K car is only half as bad as a $48K car and the the bumper didn't rip off on the SHO.

    IMHO - if you park too close to a curb and rip off the air dam you ought to be liable, not Audi. I thought this recall was very generous given some of the things they could have fixed. I didn't have the recall installed and haven't scrapped the top of a curb - simple.
  • aviiddavidaviiddavid Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the advice but I don't have an advanced key, must be something else.
  • aviiddavidaviiddavid Member Posts: 6
    It sounds very much like you have an incipient bumper separation. That space should not be there, david
  • aviiddavidaviiddavid Member Posts: 6
    I cordially disagree with your opinion that the driver holds responsibility for the design flaw: "Bumper too low for many curb parking spot" After all, I have been driving cars without this problem for more than 50 years. Blame the Audi designers for this one. Obviously, they realize that flaw exists or they would not warrant the replacement. david
  • craigs1craigs1 Member Posts: 3
    I just test drove a 4.2 A6 and loved it. The navigation system seems to be lacking as many small towns in our area didn't show up or have main streets. Is the DVD navigation system that poor, or is it a matter of the dealer not loading the appropriate area?

    Since I didn't have a chance to spend too much time with it, I have a few MMI questions, like how easy it to work while actually driving? One thing I find myself doing in my existing car is 'surfing' the radio, but the MMI seems a little clumsy for this ... especially when I'm not in my home area, where I can have my favorites loaded.

    Also, any recommendations on bluetooth cell phones? I'm due to change wireless providers soon.

    Thanks for your help.
  • craigs1craigs1 Member Posts: 3
    I had a chance to read through some older messages and I will look for a cell provider other than Verizon if I go with the Audi.

    With all of the complaints here, I am asking myself if it is just plain crazy to buy an Audi? How can Edmunds rate the car as 'Recommended'? Surely there must be a few people who have purchased and enjoy their 2005 A6?
  • kgarykgary Member Posts: 180
    I love my 2005 4.2. I have the Motorola V710 with Verizon service. The phone has the 8700 1.40.0R software that came out last week. It has none of the problems that you have been reading about on the forum. It links well with the car and does not have the end call problem. The only feature not yet working with the A^ is downloading the phone book via bluetooth.

    Kevin
  • baldwin3baldwin3 Member Posts: 121
    When I took delivery of the Audi A6 turbo in January 2001, I had a car that Car and Driver hailed as top dog even over BMW 5, Volvo and several others. Four years later, I was delighted to turn it in and go back to Nissan....a Murano which I love.
    In the four years, on warranty, I had:
    AM radio failure
    Cracked radiator overflow tank resulting in fluid all over garage
    8 check engine lights
    Two radiator electric fans/controls going out
    Leaking transmission seals
    I live 120 miles from dealer. Several of these 250 round trips were to sit there and have the problem diagnosed, then "we have to order this part" and two weeks later another big round trip. Great acceleration, great gas mileage, great ride, great interior, but reliability is awful...indeed, Consumer Reports lists this once heraled car as "Avoid" if you are buying used. Never Audi again. Promise.
  • stedestede Member Posts: 1
    Just got a used A6 wagon - love it. Handles beautifully, ride smooth, etc. However, 3rd seat is missing. Does anyone have idea where to go to get one? Tried online junk yards, etc - no such luck
  • liferulesliferules Member Posts: 531
    Craigs1,

    Yes, the navigation DVD is pretty poor. I have found many of the smaller towns near our metroplex aren't very detailed at all. My wife's Acura's nav is MUCH better. Something which I've complained to Navteq about...

    The car is a joy to drive, so fast and smooth. I love the interior and find the exterior styling very unique in today's "same here" generation of autos. I wouldn't take the comments in the "problems and solutions" pages as the whole story. It makes sense that you'll only hear complaints in this forum. Look elsewhere as well. There are many fan sites on the web and the overall word is that the owners are very happy.

    The radio is actually very easy to use...you can scroll thru the stations on the steering wheel while looking in the driver's display. The C6 has the feature of picking up the top received stations in whatever area you are, so you don't have to surf per se.... If you truly want to surf, you need to go into the radio MMI menu then click "scan". It's not that difficult as people make you think, you just need to know which menu to get into, something that is easily learned. I'm overall very happy with the MMI and find it very easy to use. The only thing I cannot do while driving is enter addresses into the nav as it is time intensive and takes the concentration away from the road. Everything else is quite simple, so don't let the MMI dissuade you from looking into buying the A6.

    Best wishes. :shades:
  • kirby2010kirby2010 Member Posts: 136
    On of my friends traded in his Chrysler mini-van for a Honda Odyssey last fall. Coincidentally I picked him up for golf on the Saturday after his picked up the new van and there he was standing in the garage door, clubs in hand, next to the new van with a soccer-ball sized dent in the rear hatch - right next the the door latch.

    You'll never guess what happened. The door on the Honda is longer than the door on the Chrysler and when he opened the door for the first time he did what he always did and left the door lifts open the door -- right into the garage door opened over head. Never happened with the Chrysler. Design flaw? Not likely.

    I take my Jeep to work from time to time and I can actually roll right up to the curb. That doesn't mean I should be able to do it with every car I own. We had a discussion quite some time ago on this board about who makes decisions at Audi regarding service intervals, etc. Sales and marketing, accounting, engineering? I believe the decision to issue a recall for front bumpers was a public relations move.

    BTW - I dropped my 2001 A6 (2.7T w/speed) off for 60K service last night. I've had three problems in four years: cracked nylon rail for right front window, relay for starter somewhere in the start chain (seat, clutch interlock, etc), and dash board display. None kept the car off the raod. I did have to way for the display. I though it was a loose wire - the dates flickered on and off occasionally. Minor annoyance. Audi replaced the whole assembly.

    I am looking for a new car. Likely won't be Audi. I'm not excited about the new A6. I am looking at the Acura RL and the Infiniti FX. Lexus GS is a distant 3rd.
  • jeqqjeqq Member Posts: 221
    I agree, it's a great car. I have a 3.2 and no problems to date. I had a '99 A6 2.8 that was lemonized and then an '01 2.7 that was a rocket with zero problems. I had a Nav button replaced and I can't recall anything else. So it goes to show you that there are lemons out there in all brands and you roll the dice and sometimes they bite you.

    The MMI has a learning curve, once you get used to it, it's basically pretty good. There are some foolish redundant things like temp and fan readout on the MMI screen and on a digital readout next to the control button. I found the NAV to be a great tool to have, but there are holes in it. It sent me to wrong town even though I imputed the correct info. Otherwise it been on the mark.

    For me the 3.2 needs another 25 horses and then I'd be real happy. I miss the turbo rush I had with my 2.7. The 3.2 has a more sophisticated feel and beautiful interior, I have the ameretto. The suspension could be a tad softer and quieter.

    When it comes to safety The car is rock solid in all weather and road situations. I don't feel that degree of security from any other car I've been in. Unfortunately, I once had a 40,000 lb. garbage truck side me and push me sideways up on a 4 foot highway cement divider. When the truck was pushing me sideways up the barrier I could feel all four wheels fighting hard to resist, but in the end 40,000 lbs plus all that garbage muscled me over :cry:. I had to crawl out of the sunroof to exit the vehicle. Had I been in another car, god only knows what could have been the outcome. The cops and firemen who see lots of accidents could not believe how strong the car was. BTW I was not at fault, it was a zero pay out from my insurance company.

    Anyway, the new A6 platform is definitely the right direction for Audi and the car will only get better with each new release. I'm happy with my purchase/lease and look for any excuse to leave the house and drive it.
  • h8a6h8a6 Member Posts: 1
    If you find one let me know!
    I've owned an A6 for about a year and a half now i bought it with a little over 40K miles on it it has about 70k miles now and i have had nothing but problems with it. on average its in the shop about once a month. Ive dropped a little over $8,000 (roughly) in this short period of time and i have nothing but hate for the car. The worst thing about it is that you cant even get a straight answer from the mechanic, they have no clue what they are doing.

    I hate my a6 and vow never to buy and audi again, i dont care that its one of the better looking vehicles on the road to date, its just not worth the agony of dealing with the maintenance.

    if you get a petition going, or if you go to the better business bureau about this im ready and willing to cry foul.

    good luck, i cant wait to get rid of mine
  • bobemilbobemil Member Posts: 1
    On the 31st of March I took my Audi to McGrath Audi because of a check engine light on and severe problems in the rev of the engine. I was told that that was caused by the fact that there was the wrong oil filter put on my car which led to low oil pressure in the engine. My car was “fixed” and I was charged 300$. After nearly 40 miles of driving the check engine light came back on and the engine rev problem as well. At the second inspection I asked for the exact codes that the car shows. Even though before I was told that the computer had showed 6 codes they could not come up with more than 4 codes this time on the paper. This paper was produced at the same time with a second paper with only 2 codes. I was explained that the filter took care of only a couple of problems and some more work needs to be done on the car to take care of the codes left. are they trying to get some more money or their mechanics are just not qualified?
  • mchurchmchurch Member Posts: 2
    I just picked up my 05 A6 3.2. My TMobile Ipaq paired up easily and all functions work except downloading the phone list from the SIM card. TMobile just posted a system upgrade on their website for the Ipaq 6315 which has also resolved the problems I was having with my Jabra BT800 headset.
  • kirby2010kirby2010 Member Posts: 136
    My check engine light has come on twice in 60K miles. The first time on the Garden State Pkwy in NJ when the car was a year old or so. I was afraid to stop so I slowed to about 50 mph while my wife read the owners manual. It turned out to be a loose gas cap. The second time I assumed the same, even though I was back in MA and pumping my own gas. (For those on the west coast --- NJ is a full serve only state.) When the light didn't go out I took the car in for a look, even though the car was running fine. It turned out to be a failed heat sensor. Our service area is pretty good in my opinion. The service manager told me there were more than 1500 reasons (one thousand five hundred) why the check engine light could go on. I expect there is a reference manual that points to the problem or combination of problems for each of those codes.
  • aviiddavidaviiddavid Member Posts: 6
    I sympathize with you. Your message is excellent anecdotal evidence that one should buy an extended warranty when one buys a used Audi, david
  • irishbearded1irishbearded1 Member Posts: 1
    Here's my story: Bought a maxed out 1999 black/black A6 Quattro w/38K miles in 2002. Paid 28K. Thought I was in heaven until...here's the list after 130K of ownership:

    1. 39K miles - replaced driver door window motor $$350.
    2. 42K miles - replaced temperature indicator...would zero out while driving $$
    130.00
    3. 43K miles - Passenger window motor malfunctioning and still malfunctioning
    4. 43K miles - PVC valves $$350
    5. 45K miles - new battery $$80.00
    6. 45K miles - radio code (wasn't listed on card when purchased) $$150.00
    7. 48K miles - replaced 6 cd changer $$150.00 + 30.00 switch
    8. 60K miles - replaced front right headlight switch $$150.00
    replaced left upper control arm (suspension) $$450.00
    9. 92K miles - "Big" tune-up $$1600.00
    10. 115K miles - roof window drain leak $150.00
    11. 128K miles - engine seals full replacement $$817.00
    12. 128K miles - timing tensioner bolt broke in two, engine went as a result
    $$3900 partially rebuilt engine
    13. 128K miles - Oil switch malfunction $$91.00 to replace
    14. 130K miles - outer tie rods, cv boots , oil change $$1450.00
    15. of course in between, front and rear brakes twice 450.00 each time, a pair of tires bi annually $$350.00, oil changes and flushes, radiator flushes, etc

    and the worse part is that I still owe more that it's worth for an upside down of 7K! Planning to park the car and buy a hooptie ( Honda or Toyota).
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