Audi A6

crf99 · May 2003

I have 12,000 miles on a 2002 A6Q which I have come to truly dislike. I am wondering whether anyone else with this car has had problems with the "adaptive" auto transmission and throttle. The dealer service dept. has checked it and claim it is up to spec. However, the transmission is always shifting in the wrong direction for me and the throttle response is very inconsistent. I feel like I am trying constantly adjusting the to transmission while it is always changing as it tries to adapt to my driving style (ridiculous when you get stuck in traffic). Too bad Audi still doesn't offer the CVT with quattro models (not to mention the lack of sterring wheel controls for the radio, hvac & cruise). Position of the accelerator is also uncomfortable for me (6'2"). I wouldn't recommend the A6Q to anyone.

markcincinnati · May 2003

If it has "S" try that instead of "D" Good luck.

sirtiger · May 2003

Which is more popular, the 2.7T or 3.0?

What is your reasoning for getting your 2.7T vs the 3.0? I find it interesting that Audi comes with this choice.....

rheise · May 2003

I have decided on a new A6 2.7T, and I feel I have negotiated a pretty good deal, 6% off of MSRP, 36 month lease, .0005 MF and 54% residual, which gets me a $640 payment.

However, I am intrigued by Audi's premier purchase program which seems to have the benefits of both the lease and purchasing outright. Can anyone tell me how they evaluated this plan vs. a standard lease?

markcincinnati · May 2003

Today, an A6 2.7T 6M is THE QUICKEST Audi available in the US. It has a quicker 0-100kph time (rounded to 0-60mph for US consumption) than ANY other Audi imported to our shores (according to manufacturer's data).

The A6 3.0 is the LEAST quick A6 in either Sedan or Avant configuration. (quattro assumed to keep things "equal").

Even the mighty A6 4.2, S6, S8 and 225HP TT coupe are not up to the A6 2.7T's accelerative powers.

Now, having said that -- the A6 4.2 feels as if it were carved from a single block of the strongest steel. The A6 4.2 feels more muscular, more solid and subjectively every bit as quick. It just doesn't accelerate like the A6 when equipped with the 2.7T engine -- in fact the 2.7T with the Tiptronic tranny even beats the A6 4.2 by a margin of .1 seconds.

The A6 2.7T is the same body as the 3.0, the 4.2 body is different (to allow for the size of the 4.2L V8, among other things).

Some prefer turbo, some non-turbo. The A6 3.0 is NOT a dog -- but the 2.7T 6M is quicker than the vast majority of cars on US highways -- yet it is still a comfortable and capable 4 door sedan with a sport suspension.

The 2.7T can be mildly chipped to take it to 300+ hp and around 350 lb/ft of torque -- no such option on the 3.0 or the 4.2 for that matter.

The 2.7T might be considered a bargain. If you are planning on getting an automatic, however, see if you can't negotiate a deal on an already on the lot A6 4.2 (for perhaps close to the same lease price as an ordered 2.7T). If you want the most performance bang for your USofA Audi buck, today, you have but one choice -- the 2.7T 6spd Manual.

I have had two A6 4.2's and currently have an '03 2.7T 6M allroad. Even with the extra weight of the allroad chassis -- this little engine, rockets the allroad forward in 6.8 seconds -- "a very fast & quick station wagon" indeed.

The 3.0 A6 quattro is a very fine car. It is comfortable, safe, well built and nearly luxurious -- it is just not as quick as many other cars brought to the US by AoA. If you care little about acceleration bragging rights and don't want a sport suspension or sport package -- the A6 3.0 quattro will not disappoint.

I would not be unhappy if I had to be "stuck" with an A6 3.0 -- well, maybe I would a little because I don't like Tiptronics -- and I have had four of them. Today, the 6M transmission is more fun and allows (and encourages) higher performance and control.

Enjoy!

sirtiger · May 2003

"Today, an A6 2.7T 6M is THE QUICKEST Audi available in the US"

Is it faster than the RS6 or S4??

ctorrey2 · May 2003

The S4 is currently out-of-production in the US (as of MY '02) until it appears later this year as an '04. RS6 should begin appearing in the US in the very near future. Both of which should be able to "peel the doors off" the current '03 A6/S6 & A8/S8 models (S6 & S8 are soon to depart after MY03).

markcincinnati · May 2003

When I went to Ingolstadt with the Audi Car Club of America, the topic of 0-100kph times came up as did the phrase "how fast is it."

I overheard the Germans discuss the difference between quick and fast. The Audi brochure that can be had in the US claims if you read the fine print, that "all Audis are equally fast" as they are limited to 130mph. So the question "how fast is it?" was answered by the Germans basically by them responding, "all Audis are close in this regard, because they all have some limiting." Of course, in the US market the limiting is much more severe than it is in Germany.

So, the Germans comments about our obsession with 0-60mph (or 0-100kph which is actually 62mph) stuck with me. The Germans wanted us to be precise -- we talk horsepower but are clearly more interested in torque at a certain RPM, because we are interested NOT in how fast the car is, but how quick the car is. Whew!

So, the statement that TODAY the A6 6M 2.7T is the quickest and is tied as the fastest (with all the other US Audis), as a current US available model, still stands.

Also, when the RS6 and the new S4 (US modles) become available -- they will beat the socks off the other Audis. The RS6, depending on who's doing the writing has 0-100kph times that begin with a 4, and the S4 has a time that begins with a 5. No US Audi TODAY is quicker than 6 seconds -- and that is the 2.7T 6M A6.

The Germans told us to be precise, I have perhaps over done it -- but this is how they explained it to us, so I dutifully report it for your edification, hopefully.

markcincinnati · May 2003

I read that there will be no more "S" cars soon, too. The reason is that Audi doesn't want to market an "S" car that can be bested by a BMW "M" car.

Indeed, this concern over perception is the reason that the US S6 is only available as an Avant -- becuase the M5 will "peel the doors off of an S6," but an RS6 will do that -- see Car and Driver -- to the M5.

In the future, there will be a US RS4 and hopefully an RS8 -- it is the conclusion of some car magazine author that we are near the end of the S Audi cars. The US A6 4.2 was/is "close" to the S6 Avant in performance -- too close for the marketing department. Note too, no US bound RS6 Avant, although it is clearly available elsewhere.

Marketing -- perception is reality, eh?

ctorrey2 · May 2003

I'm in fully agreement regarding the quick vs fast clarification. I also agree with the mistaken fascination US buyers have for 0-60 times (not to mention the complete disregard US buyers have for torque - don't get me started on that). The vast majority of car owners will never be able to duplicate published 0-60 claims as these figures are achieved by skilled professionals who really push the cars hard using techniques (e.g., torque braking, etc.) that would result in most of our cars needing new transmissions, engines, and tires.

ivan_99 · May 2003

Agreed, a good performance test to compare is the 5-60 mph or the 30-50 and 50-70 mph. When I was a teenager, dropping the clutch at 4K was fun, now with a family and bills, its not so much fun anymore.

blockislandguy · May 2003

I hesitate to post this because it is second hand info and I have no way of verifying any of it or even asking for additonal info. But, with these caveats, here we go:

A woman bought a new A6 last fall from the authorized dealer in Warwick, RI . At Christmas she loaned it to her daughter who drove to Montreal for New Years'. The engine failed in Canada. Audi US said that it would not cover a warranty situation in Canada. If she wanted US warranty consideration, they said she had to get the car back across the US/ Canadian border. To get the car back into the US she had to be present in person, not the ramp truck driver, at the border crossing for customs forms etc. Audi said once it was back in the US they would have it transported to the nearest US dealer (who was in VT). She declined having it brought to a Vermont dealer, because she was living in Boston some 8 hours away in January weather. She had it transported instead to an Audi dealer in southern NH because of its proximity to Boston.

After lengthy discussions, Audi turned her down for warranty saying that the routine service and maintenance work since the car was new hadn't been done at an authorized Audi dealer.

Stuck with an unsaleable car, the woman paid the NH dealer to install a "new" (remanufactured?)engine so she could then dump the car.

Is the above story even plausible under present Audi warranty policy?

dtwleungnyc · May 2003

It sounds more like an urban legend. But then, we really need to hear both side of the story before we know for sure.

Let's say she bought the car new in September (Fall), that's only 3-4 months when the car broke down around Christmas time. How many miles on the engine? 4k, 10k or 20k? If the engine did fail, there's no way Audi, or any auto manufactuer refuse to take care of it. UNLESS, something really obvious and wrong was done to the car that Audi or any other car manufactuer deem its better to deny warranty.

This did happen to a guy that abused his Subaru WRX and the dealer and Subaru of America feel justified to deny warranty. In this case, the Subaru dealer and Subaru of America found evidence that the engine was tampered with and was used beyond what the manufactuer intended.

ctorrey2 · May 2003

You may want to post this on audiworld.com's A6 Forum. There is a lot of expertise over there, including those on the "inside". I can post for you if you don't have/want an account.

markcincinnati · May 2003

I thought the Warranty was good in North America -- period. Better read my manual.

btill1 · May 2003

I am new to this forum ( I have tried to read all 3000 posts). I have decided my next car is going to be an Audi A6 mostly because of the quattro living in MASS and building a ski house in NH we will need the quattro. I would like your opinions on the following a used 2001 2.7 A6M with 36k miles every option for $29,800, is this a good deal, where else besides E-Bay can you find used A6's.
Thanks for your input.

blockislandguy · May 2003

The saga of the US widow with the A6 that failed in Canada that had to be re-imported back here for warranty consideration has a new twist: the vehicle was, I am now told, about three plus years old with 60,000 miles on it. And little if any dealer maintenance.

Was it Sergeant Joe Friday that said, "facts changes cases"?

markcincinnati · May 2003

should be Certified and warranted to 100,000 miles -- and they can be if they come from an Audi dealer.

I would not purchase one from E-bay.

If you can find a 2002 A6 quattro of any flavor (3.0, 2.7T or 4.2) it will have some major improvements over the 2001. Speaking as a former 2001 owner (and a '99 and '00 and now '03 allroad), the '02's seemed to have been constructed with better brakes, transmissions and even better engine components. Save yourself some grief -- get a Certified Used model and get an '02. The '02 A6 3.0 quattros are quite nice too.

For sheer performance the A6 2.7T 6M (again 2002) will be a BLAST!

kirby2010 · May 2003

Wait!! Before you buy from E-Bay you have to visit the Audi dealer in Nashua, NH. (Exit 5) I bought from these guys when they were in Lawrence, MA for two reasons. First, they were the best car buying experience I've ever had; and, they were moving to Nashua. I won't go through the whole saga but I bought a new 2001 2.7T, 6M. Great choice, great dealer. I go there for all my service. Sometimes I wait (oil change) and sometimes I schedule in advance for a loaner (30K service). Ask for Harry - he runs the Porsche side of things now but he is great to work with and will help you out on the Audi side.

buckaroo067 · May 2003

Greetings Audi Gurus!

I have the opportunity to buy a 2003 A6 3.0 Quattro from my local dealer. This car has 8000 miles on it from the owner's mother who gets a dealer car every six months or so. The car is as clean as a whistle. It has the premium package and cold weather package and they are asking about $6,000 off MSRP (roughly $36k). This car also comes with the 4 yr/50k warranty plus the extended 2 year / 100k warranty. I'm very tempted to buy this car since it seems like a great opportunity to get a virtually new A6 for a deep discount. The dealer calls it a demo because it was never "titled".

Any words of wisdom as I ponder this decision???

Thanks

blockislandguy · May 2003

Maybe the best reason to buy it is NOT simply the pricing. Afterall , how much less is the price on the demo than the discounted negotiated price on a brand new A6 with a June, 2003 delivery date? (The dealer will have his MY2004 units shortly. What will a MY2003 be worth then?) Or look at it another way. How much less money is the demo from invoice less the holdback (true dealer cost)? Are you buying it for less than or not much more than true dealer cost?

But maybe the best reason to buy it is the two year longer warranty. So, you pay a little less and get a lot longer warranty.

markcincinnati · May 2003

buckaroo067 · May 2003

I would be paying about $2K less than the dealer invoice for this demo. You make a good point though about waiting until the 2004s are available to see how far they will discount the '03s. According to the dealer he does not have a great deal of '03 inventory.

I guess my main concern, like most folks buying an Audi for the first time, is the reliability factor. I'll basically get a 6 year/100k warranty with this vehicle. If I keep the car longer than the warranty period it could get very expensive.

Are Auid's really as bad (reliability wise)as the folks on these boards claim? Or do these folks represent a significant minority of Audi owners?

Due to the warranty, I'm not concerned about repair costs. However, I am about concerned about the inconvenience of having to take the vehicle to the repair shop on a relatively frequent basis, or having to cancel a road trip at the last minute because of some strange noise or random malfunction .. that kind of stuff.

Anyway, thanks for your insight.

ctorrey2 · May 2003

I don't think the issue is necessarily reliability, per se. It's actually the breathtaking cost of repairs that rankles most people. If you read some of the posts here and on audiworld.com, you will find that there are a specific set of problems that people encounter over and over. For example, front rotors are a known issue (my '01 A6 4.2 has 13.5k miles and is on its 3rd set of rotors). Also, the turbo models seem most prone to problems. The A6 (esp in 4.2 V8 guise) is a great car - when under warranty. Good luck.

markcincinnati · May 2003

The interval for "required" service on '03 Audi's is quite long 10,000 miles. I am at 12K miles on my '03 allroad 2.7T and I have changed the oil twice, once with standard oil at 3K+ miles then with Mobil 1 @ 10K. I will probably change again beofre 20K and will use Mobil 1 (and always always a new filter).

The brake rotors on both my 00 and 01 A6 4.2's were changed -- no kidding -- more frequently than the oil was changed. The brakes on my wife's 00, 01 and 03 TT never required replacment (the 03 only has 8K miles on it so far).

I have had several Audi turobs, chipped one of them and NEVER had any engine problems other than the time I didn't tighten the gas cap and the check engine light came on.

I believe my Audi is NOT in the shop very often. However, having said that Audis (and BMW's and Mercedes and Volvos and and and) are BREATHTAKINGLY expen$ive to repair. With the 100K warranty and the 50K Audi advantage you should be fine. Since you do not have the turbo to contend with, that too should ease your mind. Replacing the timing belt sometime shortly after 65K is prudent -- but that is not because it is an Audi.

I would not have one of these cars out of warranty -- personally. But, they are great driving, riding and performing cars, even though you are getting the least sporting model of the A6 line (don't take that wrong -- the car is still quite nimble and will perform better in non sport mode than many other brands in sport mode).

I would change the wheels and tires to a plus 1 configuration and use (based on where you live) an ultra high performance all season tire -- and live happily ever after.

This is a very good deal -- perhaps, just perhaps it will not look as good once the 04's come out, but the price and the warranty will be hard to beat.

I still say, if you like the car, go for it.

subewannabe · May 2003

my '99 A6 was actually bought new in june '00 at significant saving with the full warranty. that warranty runs out very soon, as were at 43K miles. ive had my 'audi share" of problems that the dealer has repaired under warranty. the prospect of out-of-warranty repairs now seems terrifying, especially since my retirement savings went south with everybody else's since '00. are there opportunities at this point to purchase extended warranties , up to 100K miles,or should i just sell/trade the car before i have to see that first out-of-warrany repair bill?
as it stands, we now wish we had bought an A6 avant, and my local dealer has a '01 avant that they just CANT seem to sell,that still has less than 5K miles and the sticker on the window. if i can get the new car warranty, i.e. , another 40K/ 4 years, on a trade in for that wagon, that may be a solution that makes sense.
Mark

markcincinnati · June 2003

The extended warranty, by the way, is 2 years or 100K. You ought to be able to pony up for one. But if the term is too short, perhaps that 01 that is just sitting there would work out.

subewannabe · June 2003

i have a meeting with the finance guy at my dealer wednesday, so far, i have confiremd that i can still get a factory extended warranty because my new car warranty hasnt expired and i can verify all my maintenance....all done by the dealer. 2 years will only get me to ~75K, so ill be interested in the options available. ill post the info here.
mark

gold233790 · June 2003

Interesting questions....Ok, I have an '00 A6 with 56k. Is there ANY way the dealership would sell us an extended warranty (my brother is actually purchasing a new A8 this month, so we are giving them over 70k in new business)? I'm just looking to get to 75 or 100k...

timcar · June 2003

I think there's a good chance they will. My wife just bought a GE extended warranty from our dealer for her A4, just short of the 50K limit. Our dealer will only honor GE extended warranties, other than Audi Assured, and she wants to continue using this dealer for service. Some extended warranty companies will not automatically warranty a car with more than 50K, but seem to have provisions to do so if they can certify that the car is in good condition. If your car is one that was bought and maintained by the dealer, they should be able to certify this is the case. I'd ask them.

And by the way, GE sells about eight different combinations of mileage and coverage, for which the dealer charges substantially different prices. None of them are true bumper-to-bumper warranties, like the original manufacturer's warranty. The literature is also vague as to what is covered. For example: our dealer recently had to replace an A4's tranny. It cost $8K, GE's top warranty picked up the cost for the tranny, but stuck the owner with the $1500 control module. Ouch! But a lot better than nothing. My wife opted for base coverage plus, which is just engine and tranny, with some extras thrown in. It was about half what the most expensive GE warranty would have cost.

markcincinnati · June 2003

"If" car purchased and serviced by Audi dealer -- and currently has no known problems: "maybe an exception will be made." The closer it is to 50K miles the more likely the case.

It seems that they WANT to provide this -- and my assumption is that that is a good thing because they really do want repeat buyers. More than one might conclude after reading some of the posts here and on Audiworld.

Seems like fairly reasonably priced insurance.

Make a B-Line to your dealer and ask for the exception!

I had (one time) an exteneded non-Audi warranty. The car, of course, didn't really have any major problems until about 98,000 miles, so I had them fixed and traded the car -- this, as I recall is the ONLY time I have ever kept any car out of the original factory warranty.

Probably, never again -- the cost is too high and besides I like having younger cars than that.

To each his/her own.

dwongswong · June 2003

dwongswong · June 2003

If any of you, who are regular message reader, might have read before, I got my A6 in February, and now I've already have 8900 miles on it. I'm still loving it. I've had no problems with it--knock on wood, but when I was at the the Audi dealership a couple of weeks ago, I saw several A6's and A4's being serviced for different problems. I was worried when I heard many of the owners complaining about the problems they were having. Hopefully mine will be free of problems--knock on wood.
I recently got a flat and it was a pain in the butt to use the very weak jack that audi provides. It fell down on me three times, before I got frustrated and called roadside assistant. For a $42,000 car, that is the cheapest jack i've ever seen and used. I recently had to change my mother's Nissan Altima's tire and used it's jack. It is kind of sad that the jack that came with the $25,000 Altima was the easiest and best jack I've ever used. That was the only complaint I had with Audi.
I will be taking the car on a long road trip for the Fourth of July. I'll tell you how the car performed with the trunk full and driving for 13 hours when I get back.
As always, drive safely.

jodar · June 2003

I just bought an '01 Avant that had 22K miles on it and got an extended warranty for about $1800. It was supposedly the most comprehensive one I could get that gave me the piece of mind given some of the horror stories I've read online. The car runs like a charm, for now, and I intend to faithfully maintain it. Do you think that I paid too much for this warranty? Its not an Audi extended one.

mbnut1 · June 2003

If you ever need it, you will not have paid too much.

morphie · June 2003

The ignition coils on my wife's A6 failed a few days ago, stranding her. While I am pleased that the flat bed truck was dispatched promptly, and the dealer effectuated repairs in less than an hour, I feel that Audi's handling of the "coil" situation is disgraceful and unconscionable.

    I specifically asked our dealer, in April, if the coils should be replaced as a preventative measure. I was told that Audi was not replacing them until and unless a problem arose. With 30,000 miles on the vehicle, I was content to leave well enough alone.

    It would be insipid for any business to treat customer service as an afterthought; however, where safety is concerned, such conduct borders on the criminal. A major recall should have been conducted, long ago.

    I continue to appreciate the cars and many aspects of their engineering. Further, I am not going to make a precipitous decision to not purchase an Audi product, again. I shall wait for calm to be restored. On the other hand, I feel that all of us, on this message board, have been far too tolerant of Audi/VW's corporate conduct, now and in the past.

markcincinnati · June 2003

You did not spend too much on your warranty. And, even if someone on this board tells you that you did, ignore them. If, however, you are truly concerned about this kind of thing -- why not use this board of opinionated people prior to purchase?

Hopefully you will never need the warranty -- but that is the same reason we buy collision insurance -- just in case.

=====

On the issue of the coils -- I agree overall that VW/Audis handling of the coil problem was not exactly what we would expect in this line of cars (Audi especially). But, my 2 cents is that Audi and VW dealers need to be sent out for regrooving or something. So many folks here complain about dealer treatment and competence.

If anyone from Audi/VW of America lurks on these boards they must be mortified as to the treatment that some dealers give to some customers.

Raise the bar on the dealers, I say, the other issues will fade into distant memory then.

Kill the customers with kindness and superior service -- the cars without any quality improvements will magically become more highly rated by the customers. And, during the process of improving the dealers, keep working relentlessly on QC. The combination will be almost unbeatable in the marketplace.

morphie · June 2003

Mark, as usual, makes both interesting and valid points. Quality control and dealer service are vital.

    However, in the "coil" case, I would suggest that corporate Audi, both German and domestic, bears the primary responsibility. Their late response, prodded by both customer complaints and the New York Times, has been a model of incompetence and lack of emphasis upon safety. Audi's image will suffer from this episode.

    I am sure most of us remember the "Tylenol" debacle. Clearly, that was far more serious than this situation. The lesson to be learned was the value of a prompt, and public, response of the corporation. Such action not only saved lives, but brought the company much needed respect and trust.

    Perhaps we need a change in Audi management, at least in the USA.

blockislandguy · June 2003

Apparently there is a shortage of new, replacement coils. As a result Audi is only replacing the coil that fails, not all of them. (Audi it is reported only has one vendor for the coils and they are working three shifts to ramp up the output, etc. etc. )

Because of all the bad press Audi is getting, I'm surprised they haven't gone to the aftermarket and had the Chinese make a gazillion of these things. Or, temporarily change back to one coil per engine (sure there would be a change in distributors and wires). Anything would be better than the hits they are taking over the present situation.

Mark?

markcincinnati · June 2003

I just read the latest sales reports about Audi/VW of America. Also read Honda's and GM's. And BMW's.

And Mercedes. . . .

The "invisible hand" will take care of these problems, I am certain. The cost to Audi and VW will be far more than they could imagine and far more than fixing the problem (Tylenol example was great) -- shortages or no.

New management in the US -- perhaps. But, by all accounts, Len Hunt (VP) is already a fine manager.

The US is the DISTRIBUTOR of the products. Each dealership is an independent business.

This is a tough place to be for Audi and especially VW now. At least Audi keeps making cars that win praise and publicity (for the right reasons) with the automotive press (car and driver loverd both the RS6 and S4, in the same issue, no less).

VW, unfortunately has been pummled for the Phaeton and some other issues (the W8 Passat has fallen into a marketing black hole apparently) -- although the Toureg is being almost breathlessly awaited accroding to Car and Driver television.

Again, the market will vote with dollars (the invisible hand). Apparently it has already starting doing so.

The initial reaction might be to make the cars more attractive to acquire -- either by rebates or super financing and leasing deals. That will benefit you if you wish to acquire now. Of course that will neither cure the dealer issues or any quality (or availability of parts) issues.

With respect to the coils, announcing that there was a shortage and what was being done about it would have been the appropriate course of action, in 20 20 hindsight.

davking · June 2003

The market will not take care of my problem of being fearful of driving my Audi out of the city. The closest alternative dealer is 120 miles away in a direction I almost never wish to drive.

Perhaps the German corporate Audi needs a change in management. That is where the problem started. They are responsible for the design and manufacturing quality of the parts that go into their cars.

markcincinnati · June 2003

The market will not take care of your immediate issue. And again, as part of the invisible hand you will now and in the future vote with your dollars.

I suspect the best you can hope for now is to escalate the problem to someone who has the authority to make the correction/repair happen.

However, if there are no parts, well -- even that will be impossible.

This has been handled really poorly.

Hopefully they will rise to the situation. . . .

Please keep us informed.

JBaumgart · June 2003

Something else has to be going on here. VW/Audi has known about this problem for many months now, and has had plenty of time to catch up on the parts shortage issue. I read MONTHS AGO how the sole supplier was working 24/7 to produce as many as they could, but either VW/Audi got them started too late (i.e. well after the problem first reared its ugly head) or they didn't make sure that enough extra workers were hired to produce what they needed to, in order to catch up and save themselves from a PR disaster. This should have been completely predictable, or maybe it was and they tried to do just enough to hopefully get by. After all VW or Audi for that matter has never done very well with the buying public at large in the various industry quality surveys such as JD Power. Now this fiasco is no doubt making things much worse. It's really a shame because as Mark correctly notes, Audi in particular is rolling out some great products. It's just too bad they're such low volume models as they'll never sell enough S4's, RS6's and the new A8L's to turn their image around with average buyers who don't have $50,000 - $85,000 to spend on a new car. Even buyers of more affordable cars want to have confidence that their car will get from Point A to Point B, without having to be towed.

It's just hard to believe that we've gotten the straight scoop on this whole coil issue. Their top corporate management should have been able to figure out RIGHT AWAY how many of these parts would have to be produced in order to replace ALL of them in affected models, and then put into place an action plan and do WHATEVER IT TOOK to produce enough of them. When owners are afraid to even take their cars out for a drive, for fear of getting stranded, it's a big problem! And when prospective owners get the feeling that the manufacturer doesn't care all that much about taking care of their customers - which is what they are saying when they tell people they need at least a second one to fail before they'll do anything about it - you can understand why their sales are down.

markcincinnati · June 2003

davking · June 2003

JBaumgart has put it well. I'm close to being so upset as to be inarticulate.

About a week and a half ago I sent an e-mail through the customer service contact page of my My Audi page on the Audi website asking when the "voluntary recall" would occur. Within at most two days there was a message on our answering machine asking that I call.

I called and got not a customer service representative but a "customer advocate." She looked my message up on her computer and I repeated it as well. She said there was no policy calling for replacement of the coil packs.

I said it was announced in the WSY and the NY Times. Although her accent made it difficult for me to understand her, I believe I was told, more or less, not to believe what you read in the newspapers.

For crying out loud, that was a VW/Audi news release. Further, at one point there was a set of FAQ's in a hard to find place on the My Audi page that addressed this issue. I believe it also said that the coil packs would be replaced on the relevant models.

It may be that my use of the term voluntary recall, rather than customer service action, led my "advocate" to the wrong place on her computer. But I would think everyone at Audi of America would know of this problem and proposed solution by any name.

Both service advisors at my dealership have expressed understanding of my concern about taking the car out of town. I think in my next call to them I will ask if I could have the coil packs replaced at my own expense.

Yuck!

cardinal7 · June 2003

After reading the postings on this forum, I am in somewhat of a quandary as to how to proceed. I have a '98 A6Q with 56k miles. The valves and heads were destroyed last week. The dealer claims the cause as worn water pump bearings. Repairs are estimated at $4,600.00. The valves were previously destroyed then replaced under warranty @ 13,440 miles due to a "loose tensioner bolt". Would I be jumping from the "frying pan", with my timing belt issues and "into the fire", with the coil issues if I traded the car on a new Audi?
The car was towed to the dealer @ 31500 miles when it would not start. They replaced the temperature sensor and fuel injectors, all under warranty. I am afraid to live with this thing without a warranty. What would you do?

blockislandguy · June 2003

Sorry to get davking and others so worked up, but I'm still puzzled. Puzzled why Audi is letting a simple coil problem put them right back to where they were with US consumers when 60 Minutes got through with them a decade ago. I'm puzzled why Audi can't get three or four more coil vendors on line to crank these things out. (Are the Asian economies doing that well?)Puzzled why some crafty aftermarket supplier (Mr Gasket-Accell are you listening?) hasn't geared up to make Audi replacement coils and sell them direct on the internet. Puzzled why a couple of California gear heads haven't figured out what you could interchange these things with.

davking · June 2003

Who knows,perhaps we are seeing a market failure.

petrie3 · June 2003

I agree that the problem is not being handled properly, but I hardly think it is putting Audi back in the "60 minutes" mode. That was a total disaster and this situation doesn't approach that level ....yet.

markcincinnati · June 2003

I love these cars, mostly. I own these cars -- over 2 dozen of them since 1978. I invite anyone to test drive them and make a decision for themselves to buy them.

They are, however, very expensive to repair out of warranty. Probably the majority of them with proper loving care will soldier on with regular maintenance expense (which also can be expensive) for probably 150,000 miles before major repairs are required.

Having said all of that, I personally will not go without a warranty. It only takes one major expense one time on one car out of a lifetime of cars to more than cost justify keeping a warranty -- either the factory 50K warranty or the Audi assured 100K warranty or probably a reputable non-Audi warranty would be fine too.

Most if not all of what I have presented would apply to many other car brands. This should not be seen as a statement that "Audis -- alone -- are expensive to repair." Ditto BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, etc.

And an 03 Audi is not likely to have coil problems, isn't that true?

Audi A6

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