Audi A4 2004 and earlier

scirocco22 · April 2003

Steve-- Not at all ...we all seem to be or strive to be "deepthinkers" here. To think deeply about something is to compare carefully and thoughtfully all the options involved. I love my Audi dearly but that's not to say that I'll automatically buy another Audi without weighing and comparing the options.

Subaru has a very loyal following. Audi enthusiasts in number probably don't compare. Just look at the message boards here at Edmunds ...it's almost cult like over there in the Subaru section. There's no reason not to compare the two cars. Yeah, I know that there those who wouldn't put the two in the same category. But nevertheless, the two are cross-shopped quite frequently ...both being AWD sedans that are quite sporty in nature.

Still, I'd urge you not to to make a decision merely on price. I know I had to convince myself when I was shopping for a sedan that an Audi was worth the slight extra money. I too was looking in the 25k range or lower. But for 30k, I just couldn't find a better VALUE.

Another quick note: remember the safety factors. The A4 has such standard features as side curtain air bags and stability control. Also the A4 scored excellently in the IIHS and the NHTSA crash protection tests.

--'rocco

tmck · April 2003

I just took my 02 A4 1.8 in for 20K service in Spokane.(The car is doing great, no problems other than coil failure) and the dealer had 3 Audis that were covered with fabric to prevent seeing what was underneath. There was a TT and an A4 3.0 and I don't know about the other one. Waas up - are these the 04 and what is the big deal. Looked like the same lines as the 02 A4?

vocus · April 2003

I think they do this in the shipping process to keep the cars from being damaged by flying debris on the highway. I saw VWs being shipped in like this as well when I was at the dealership a couple weeks ago.

mdaffron · April 2003

They would've had to remove the cover to drive the car off the carrier, no?

Meade

vocus · April 2003

No, they didn't. It unzipped around the driver's door and you could still see out. I will try to take a pic of one next time I see it and post it so you know what I am talking about.

lauk0dg · April 2003

I think Audi's are tranported in enclosed trucks, like the Mercedes or BMW's. They also have the white sheets glued on their panels to prevent chips. Maybe the ones covered with cloaks that tmck saw were new S4's.....who knows. Next time go look at the rims. Those will tell what car is cloaked underneath.

About those awesome looking underbody panels, yes they are actually authorized Audi products!!! Finally someone's thinking straight. There was one on a red B6 A4 on show at a dealer hosted party with Audi Car Club Chicagoland and here's the pic of the COMPLETE body, from the front, side and rear.....incredible.

http://www.audichicago.org/main/Events/2002/Picnic/PC_02_Pics/SP_- - 02.htm

Billy

dtwleungnyc · April 2003

That's the one they displayed at the dealership that I went to.

mzylstra · April 2003

Does anyone know if there exist any issues with the 1999 A4 Quattro? I am curious about the well documented coil problem.
I am also curious what owners think about owning the warranty. Basically, does the warranty get honored or do the owners just get hosed?

scirocco22 · April 2003

Matt-- The coil problem pertains only to the 2001, 2002 and some of the early 2003 models. VW/Audi will start proactively replacing the coil packs when an adequate supply exists. This means they will replace under warranty all the coil packs regardless whether any have failed, at some time in the future when the supply permits. I was just at my dealer yesterday getting a routine service done and the service manager told me that he is not permitted to keep any coil packs for Audis in stock (he says he's allowed to keep a "few" for VWs, though). For Audis, he's required to send in the defective coil and then they'll send the new ones via overnight delivery so that they'll be there the next morning. He says this is to prevent a dealer from hoarding a supply of them. The rumor was that the supply would be adequate to issue a "recall" (not officially called a recall because it is not considered a safety defect) or officially called a "customer service action" sometime in March but here it is almost the middle of April and the supply is still quite short.

Here is an interesting article from automobilemagazine.com describing the problem:

click here for the automobilemag.com article

You can also find the offical press release on the AoA web site which states their intentions:

click here for official VW/Audi press release

But, to answer your question on "owning" the warranty if I understand what you're asking; I believe that Audi does try to be honorable in accepting claims from owners. Yes, you'll read stories from those that think they got hosed in one situation or another but for the most part Audi tries to honor most claims if legitimate. Personally, so far, they've done everything I've asked them to do under the Audi Advantage coverage. Any little rattle or adjustment is gladly looked into. Things such as wiper blades have been replaced several times. I've haven't yet had any major claims I've asked to be covered but I have the feeling that my dealer wouldn't hesitate to take care of it. Now, if you are asking about an extended warranty, I'll let somebody else answer that.

re: painted lowers-- oooooooooh, ok, it's a body kit! I thought we were just talking about painting the lowers to match the body color. I did hear talk about a kit but didn't know it was already available and an actual Audi accessory. The kit really looks sharp. I really appreciate the relatively understated look without the gaudy appearance of the typically overstated designs we see so often. Thanks for setting me straight. It's not the first time I've looked like a dummy.

--'rocco

ptrekker · April 2003

I am thinking of picking up a new 2003 A4 quatro 1.8T, but need to be positive that the coil problem is a thing of the past. I see recent posts (february) detailing that horror.

What is the cutoff for when the new non-defective coils were being put in these things?

mbnut1 · April 2003

My experience with Audi echo's Scirocco22 assertion that Audi does tend to act in good faith regarding addressing known issues. They replaced my front end bushings out of warranty. It probably helped immensely that my dealer was extremely supportive.

andys120 · April 2003

Were replaced on my car as well ('98 AvantQ)

scirocco22 · April 2003

Andy and Fred-- Oh! yeah, I forgot to address Matt's question about "known issues" for the 1999 m.y. Did the control arm issue pertain to the '99 model? I know it was defintely an issue in the '96-98' m.y. I was hoping they had it corrected by the '99 model year. I'll have to do some more research on that unless you guys can shed some light on it.

ptrekker-- The ignition coil problem shouldn't apply to the new '03 models now on the dealer's lots or those currently scheduled to come into their inventory. It only affected the very early '03 units. According to what I remember from the extensive research done by a guy from New Mexico on an AudiWorld thread, the '03 units which had a build date after 06/02 should have arrived from the factory with the new and impoved coils. This means that only the very first '03 units off the assembly line should have had the defective coils. My dealer said that all the cars in his inventory are okay and even if if there was a stray one that happened to be an early production '03, that they had instructions from the factory to change them out before delivering the car. So, you shouldn't have to worry at all.

When it gets down close to finalizing the deal on a specific car, I'd suggest that you check the build date on that car to see if in fact it was built after 06/02. If it's anywhere near that date, have the dealer show you documentation to prove the coils have been changed. You can also check them yourself; which is probably a better idea. I have somewhere the part number of the defective ones. Let me know if and when you need it and I'll look it up for you.

--'rocco

mbnut1 · April 2003

I would assume that it did apply to the 99's because they didn't get ones that worked right until my 98 was out of warranty (Dec 2000).

lauk0dg · April 2003

Yup I agree with what the guys were saying about the coilpack problems. It's a problem in the past and only happened to some very early 03 cars. If you are still not sure, order one fresh from Germany instead of picking one up from the dealer's lot.

Billy

bigmike5 · April 2003

My daughter has a 03 Audi A4 with less than 1K miles on it. Her oil light came on last Friday on a trip, and when she checked the dip stick she found it to be off the stick for oil. She added a couple of quarts of oil and the light went out. She said there was no indication of leaking oil, although I told her to carefully check not only the underside of the car but the spot where she parks. Is oil consumption problem with the A4, or can we chock this up to the dealer delivering the new car not have the car prepped properly? Any thoughts? I told her if she found no oil on the under carriage or spots where she parks to get hot with the dealer over this issue.

andys120 · April 2003

hard to read ('98 Avant 2.8Q). Perhaps she simply misread it. They're even harder to read w fresh clean oil.

tiredofmanual · April 2003

They can eat a little oil now and again. Not nearly as bad as the BMW M3 engines though.

At 1K miles though, I would suspect that either she has a leak or her car wasn't filled to specs from the start. Another possibility is if she drives the car very hard and then shuts it down immediately - it's possible that the turbo would cook off a little oil everytime she did that, which would lead to turbo problems down the road.

bigmike5 · April 2003

I think that she has the vanilla version of the car with stick shift and cloth seats,etc. Don't think it is a turbo. Anyway, I just have to believe if there is no leak that it was low on oil when she picked it up. I'll post an update if she is able to tell me what happens when she yells at the dealer. I figure a 4 banger running hard might eat some oil, but not at 1K miles and not too hard a driver at the wheel. She only learned to drive a stick when she got the car, that is how much she liked the test drive!!!

tiredofmanual · April 2003

comes with the 1.8 turbo motor. The upgraded model is the 3 liter V6 with no turbo.

The 1.8T is known to consume a little oil. My salesman pointed this out and that I should be sure to check the oil level at least once a month. In the 8 months and 7500 miles I've had my A4, I've put in about 1/3 of a quart of oil. My oil light has never been on though. I don't consider this to be any sort of inconvenience - it's a good idea to pop the hood once a month and check all your fluid levels anyway, and spending $5 for a quart of oil to keep in the trunk just in case is something everyone should do.

kinnman · April 2003

Since we're on the topic of oil, I'm looking for feedback on oil change intervals. Also welcome any advice on synthetic oil.

Most people, including the service folks at the dealership, recommend changing the oil more frequently than 10k as stated in the manual.

I plan to keep the car for atleast 10yrs, 120k miles so I was thinking every 5k atleast. The dealership uses Castrol GTX, and not the synthetic stuff - every 10k makes me nervous.

Thanks in advance.

JBaumgart · April 2003

If I knew I was going to keep the car for 10 years, I would definitely use synthetic (Mobil 1 0W30) and change it every 5k miles. I bring my own oil to the dealer and on interim changes they charge $25.25 - split roughly 50-50 for the filter and labor.

lauk0dg · April 2003

I also think oil changes every 10k is way too infrequent given our stop-and-go driving here in Chicago. Maybe that schedule is good for cruising on the highway at 55mph every day for 20 miles.

I bring my own synthetic Mobil1 0W30 in every time. They won't credit me for the 3.7qt of oil they don't use during the scheduled services they cover. However, for the in between service oil changes, they charge me only $10 for the filter and don't charge me anything on labor. So I figure they should even out. Ask them if they are running anything special for 2001's. That's what they enter in the computer to free up the labor charge.

Billy

scirocco22 · April 2003

I notice that Mobil 1 0W-40 is now more readily available. I actually see it on the store shelves occasionally. Is anyone using it? It's the one that supposed to be formulated for European engines. I thought somebody said that the Audi now recommends it now for its newer engines, is that correct? ...but maybe not, I no longer see "Audi" mentioned on their web site like it had been when 0W-40 originally was introduced.

click here to go to Mobil 1's web page explaning 0W-40.

--'rocco

ramza39 · April 2003

I am planning to get an A4 3.0 Quattro and I noticed that many A4 owners (both 1.8T and 3.0) experience coil problems. I would like to know whether the 2003 models still have coil problems or not; also I would also like to hear opinions of 2003 owners. So fellow A4 owners, please post some messages regarding your beautiful A4s (strength, weakness, problems and dealership experience etc).

Thanks!

scirocco22 · April 2003

Patrick-- Read my posts above (currently #5190 and 5195) regarding the ignition coils. You "shouldn't" have any problems with the '03s now coming in or any that are currently on the dealer's lots.

--'rocco

phisch · April 2003

has anyone had problems with the flex hoses to the catalytic converters? Both on our '96 have to be replaced, $1000 a piece!

scirocco22 · April 2003

Pam-- Are you trolling? ...or is this a legitimate post? I've never heard of a catalytic converter flex hose and if there is such a thing, having it cost $2,000 to replace two of them!! Can you tell us exactly what function they provide and what characteristics are exhibited when they go defective? Is there another or more technical name for them or a part number associated with them that you can give? Sorry to sound so suspicious and accusatory but you've got me curious now. TIA

--'rocco

gusharls · April 2003

While driving my wifes 2001 2.8 a4 the oil light came on. When I got home it was down two liters. Took it in and at first they thought it was a leaking gasket or two . Which were weeping a bit. A closer look at the motor showed that something like the or called a "tenser"stretched a fraction of an inch.
This caused the timing to go out and several valves were damaged.
Also, I should mention that I noticed a nasty pull to the left when I took the car in and asked them to check alignment. Sure enough it was out. The kicker was that they told me that the right rear tire was scuffed and caused the misalighnement. I said that that was a pretty good stretch at best and refused to pay a cent! they caved in! The car now runs with a noticeable improvement in power and gas milage.
We have had 5 Audis over the past years and I must confess that although I own the top 2002 A4 model I'm getting a bit bored with the lack of horse power. Even though it was taken up to 220 hp I feel the car really needs to be pushing around the 260-280hp range.
I had a 2001 S4 that was Ok . But it sucked the gas when you gave it the pedal and the ride was very hard. I know you are supposed to "feel" the road but not every crack!
The seating really needed to be vastly improved as in comfortable. The 2002 a4 was big step up in better seating but the car is in my view rather lackluster in performance in the city. On the highway it shows it's true colors.
The new upcoming S4 has something like 344hp pouring out of a V8. I understand that the V8 is not overly heavy but a V8?
I know Audi has V6 motors that turn out over 300 hp. So why does north America get stuck with a V8?

From what I have been told the car is going to be selling for around $70,000 Canadian and it still looks like an A4!

I gotta be honest and tell you folks the new Maxima is starting to look pretty good at two thirds the price.
I for one am going to have to give these newer Japanese cars a closer look.
I just feel that Audi is not giving its coustmers anything really all that new! While Benz is very pricey it gets very pricey for performance.
Nissian might be on to something and I'm going to give it a real close look!
Just to finish off I have been putting Royal purple 5-30 in both cars for over a year. There was a noticeable "difference in motor performance in both cars and gas milage did improve a bit. I have tried the over priced Mobile synthetic and you can keep it. Not even close!

markcincinnati · April 2003

markcincinnati · April 2003

I doubt many of us would consider that the new S4's V8 would make us feel we "got stuck" with it.

Those that like to tune and chip and fool around technically with the tunable turbos may have things to carp about -- but after reading the review of the S4, as noted above, I would welcome the V8. It doesn't weigh more than the 2.7T, it has "bottomless wells of torque" and it sounds sweet.

There appears to be many improvements over the last generation S4 and the price seems to be, in relative terms, a bargain when compared with the M3 Bimmer.

The other points about the car, however, do have great merit. Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to jump the Audi ship and go to a Japanese car, but I do understand the point.

dill6 · April 2003

If you buy a second hand Audi from a private party (NOT 'certified' from a dealer) with fewer than 50k miles/4 years on it - is the balance of the manufacturers warantee still good? How about the free servicing?

If so, when the orig. warantee does expire, is there any problem buying an extended warantee if you're not the original owner?

Part C: any comments on the high output 225HP 1.8 turbo engine? Thanks!

markcincinnati · April 2003

Will help you buy an Audi from a private party -- which I think you MUST do to get the 100,000 mile extended warranty. ($1250, I think). The hook for the dealer is the fact that he will get the credit and the sale of the Audi extended warranty, which IS a good deal.

The dealer should probably get a clerical fee for the trouble ($50), in addition.

And, yes the original factory warranty and Audi advantage carry from owner A to owner B.

The 1.8T engine 225HP is a great engine -- remember there have been coil problems, but the recalls should have taken care of your concern.

dill6 · April 2003

I'm a bit concerned about reliability like everyone else, apparently - the thing is, in a snowy climate like this (Salt Lake) AWD is a big plus obviously, and the wife doesn't want a Subaru like my WRX, she wants a bit more style. That rules out a lot of cool new sporty things like the Z-4 and 350z, etc., traction control notwithstanding. And the Japanese contenders do seem to be deserving of their superior reputation for reliablity.

She's waffling between an A-4 quattro sedan and the TT, with that 225 engine pulling her toward the TT. Man, I just hate the possibility of spending that kinda dough for a potential headache though! Is it reasonable to hope that since the model's several years old now, most of the glitches have been worked out?

markcincinnati · April 2003

And loved each one -- we have an 03 currently with all options and the 225HP engine. Traded in a 2001 TT with same engine and traded a 180HP TT 2000 on that one.

They were all great cars -- power window problems on the second one, once, fixed under warranty.

The current one seems to eat key fob batteries, but other than that, no problems.

The factory phone in the 03 is pricey but nice.

We miss the in dash tape deck but love the in dash CD.

Wish ON star and power drivers seat were options.

My wife's favorite car ever.

I am not big, but the one I think will be a hit and would be with me is the new S4! The TT is just a wee bit, uh, wee.

I currently have an 03 allroad 2.7T with 6spd manual. I love it!

Welcome to the Audi family!

nyccarguy · April 2003

I've always said to myself that when I've got $50K to spend on a vehicle that I'm heading straight to my BMW dealership to order an M3 (or M4 maybe by the time I'm ready). The specs and everything I've read on the new S4 makes it seem like a truly spectacular car. It is definitely a fight in my dreams.

djdj · April 2003

After convincing my wife we don't need two SUV's I went car hunting. The Maxima was nice but soulless, nothing exciting about it. The C240 was nice but M-B is on my s$*tlist right now and its underpowered. I really liked the Passat GLX V6 and decided to buy one but the dealer wasn't in the mood to be realistic on the trade-in so I testdrove the A4. Hated it. It rode so rough I returned it to the dealer after only a short drive. I couldn't understand how the last A4 model rode so smoothly and this one was terrible. Then I figured out the test car had the 17 inch wheels, which look great but really ride hard.
   So I decided to drive an A4 with smaller wheels and Front-Trak with the CVT trans. Loved it. Smooth solid ride, all that power when you want it, just a great car.
   I decided that Cleveland is too flat, too well snowplowed (even this year), and too heavily salted to bother with Quattro. Plus I've never seen a front drive car stranded on the side of the road.
   This car was great. It weighs 190lbs less than the automatic Quattro and the CVT accelerates so smoothly it makes the most of the turbo.
   I got 1.8T, silver with ebony leather. I'm supposed to be sharing it with my wife but I really think its too small for her to putting the kids into so I'll just make the sacrifice and drive it.

wr7r · April 2003

I am looking at purchasing a new A4 and I do not know if I really want leather seats. How well do the seats hold up over time. HELP if you can enlighten me.

JBaumgart · April 2003

I can tell you that the leather in my wife's 6 year-old/55,000 miles A4 still looks like new. I don't know if the new A4's leather is of the same quality - may be better or may be worse as far as I know, but Audi's leather in general has a very good reputation for holding up well and I've never heard any complaints about premature wear (unlike Acura, for example).

andys120 · April 2003

I have a '98 A4 w over 95k on it. The leather is
almost like new. I Lexol it 3/4 times per year.

djdj · April 2003

Can you find any without leather? My salesman told me that now A4's are rarely imported without it because people expect leather interiors in an upscale brandname. I also think it will recoup its cost at trade-in.
The leather in our new A4 is really nice.
While strolling around Audi dealerships I looked in the window of used Audi's and their interiors all looked good. Lighter colored leather will show dirt more than black and be a litle older looking because of that.

dgkgraphics · April 2003

I have the grey leather in my 2001 A4, and it looks great! Which is honestly saying something, because typically I am just about the *worst* guy in the world when it comes to spilling drinks and things like that. I'm a bona-fide soda-pop junky, and a bit of a messy Marvin, so I can happily report that the materials in the car really hold up well under duress. I bought it used, so I have no idea what the previous owner's habits were like, but the car was extremely clean and in great shape when I got it, and so far, despite my messy proclivities, it still looks brand-new inside. No fading, no scuffs, no spots, no nothing.. and like I said, I'm pretty hard on cars. I've been more than happy with the resiliance of this car, in every respect.

wr7r · April 2003

Thanks for the info. The main reason that I have asked this question is that I am a person that does not always need all the luxury things in my car. So, I am not use to having the leather seats and some of the other upgrades. Does any one have a car with out leather. Just wondering.

andys120 · April 2003

which I think is no longer available. I thought it was very nice and except for the smell, an excellent substitute for the more expensive leather. I once test drove a '97 A4 w cloth seats
that did look like the had a little wear @37k. The seats were excellent as far as shape but looked "low-rent" compared to the leatherette or the leather.

puzzler1 · April 2003

I drive an '02 A4 1.8 CVT (blasphemy to some here!), silver, xenons, 16 in. wheels, and live in a southern state. I love the car, esp. the CVT, and my only problem in 13 months is losing one ignition coil. I want to know if there is any reason not to chip this car because of the CVT (or anything else)? I will also change the filter. I do half city/half interstate driving. Just want a little more zip off a dead start and at the low end. I read this board often and appreciate the willingness of its knowledgeable members to share their thoughts.

markcincinnati · April 2003

The CVT can withstand the torque of the 3.0 V6.

The 1.8T CAN be chipped and blown and piped, etc. so that it will actually exceed the 3.0's horsepower and torque.

A "stage one" chip from one of the biggie names, APR, MTM, etc. has a torque curve goal -- find out what the claims are, ask the vendor and determine if the new torque of the chipped 1.8T appears to "blow away" the torque of the 3.0 V6. If it does NOT, you are "probably" safe.

gearhead10 · April 2003

Just brought home a new 1.8TQ today. Manual, sport, premium, Bose and xenon. Can't believe how many extras come as standard equipment. Handling and steering feel are outstanding, ride is a little harsh but that's a very small concern

Can't wait til 1K miles rolls by and I can really open it up and get it chipped!

mustangman3 · May 2003

A friend of mine has a 1998 A4 1.8T Quattro with 90,000 miles on it. As he accelerates in the car, there is a humming noise that sounds like it is coming from the back of the car. The sound changes in pitch when he maintains a steady speed on the interstate and does not matter if he is on a concrete or black top road. The tires are Bridgestone Eagers with about 4,000 miles on them on all 4 corners. While driving and he pushes in the clutch and puts the tranny in neutral, you can still hear the humming sound. With only 4,000 miles on the tires, I think that is a little early for them to start making noise, and if it is the tires, should the sound be coming from the front also? I did tell him to rotate the tires and see what happens. Any additional suggestions?

Thanks

jgcrea · May 2003

I have a 2002 A4 sedan w/o the moonroof, I am getting excessive windnoise from the driver's door about 50mph. The dealership says they do not hear it, as they drive it only up to 30-35mph. They will not make any adjustments to the door unless they get approval from the factory rep, who I am waiting to hear from for over 4 months now.

Anyone else having windnoise problems from the doors and having a hard time getting it corrected from the dealerships?

I have called the main office in Auburn Hill,Mi and filed several complaints to no avail so far.

lauk0dg · May 2003

Did you go out with the tech when he/she took your car out for a test drive? Go with them and take the car up to the highway.

Billy

Audi A4 2004 and earlier

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