C6 A6, 3.2 vs. 4.2, which one's more reliable?

**mike's machine** · 02-04-2009 03:25 PM

a friend of mine is looking for a C6, and just curious, which C6's more reliable maintanancewise?
i know for C5, 2.7tt's a lot of fun, but 4.2 is more reliable with similar power and 2.8 is boring and reliable.
i do own 2.7t 6-speed, it is a lot of fun, but i sometime wish I had automatic with same power and didn't have to worry about turbo's and all the other components related to.
so i'm just wondering what C6's are like.

**idrinkv8** · 02-04-2009 03:28 PM

I have a 4.2 C6 and have zero issues with it and my father owned a 2003 A6 with the 4.2 aqnd had zero issues. I would go with the 4.2 but Im biased

**Kemer1** · 02-04-2009 04:47 PM

I have the 3.2 and have had just a couple things go wrong. One was under a TSB, and the other was such a fluke thing even the corp tech center had any idea what caused it. But after some investigating they suggested a repair and it's worked flawlessly ever since.

**mike's machine** · 02-05-2009 09:58 AM

so I guess any NA is reliable...

**Stampy** · 02-05-2009 10:16 AM

Man, we have had like a "buying a C6" thread everyday for 2 weeks. In one of those other threads, that other dude I think Kevin1 made an awesome post about his C6.

**mike's machine** · 02-05-2009 04:05 PM

Thanks, I'll look for it.

**Kevin1** · 02-05-2009 04:51 PM

I have pasted in two of my earlier posts.

I have an 05 4.2 that I purchased new nearly 4 years ago. She currently has 55k on the odometer. As far as reliability, she is ok, but she is no Lexus. But she is alot of fun to drive. Most of the problems have been nuisances.

The airbag light came on two weeks after I purchased the car. It took them 10 days to figure out the problem. Audi then came out with a TSB on updating the computer software for the airbags.

The MMI "crashed" a year after I bought the car. After having the car for 8 days, Audi wiped the hardware clean and reinstalled the MMI computer software.

The MMI had a few bugs with not updating the satellite radio stations, losing surround settings and sometimes not automatically linking with my bluetooth phone. Audi had the car for a day and updated the MMI computer software. Audi has a TSB on this issue as well.

I have written those three problems off to having a very early computer software version. To give you an idea of the number of changes in the software, my car came with MMI version 10 and now has version 33. Since being updated to MMI version 33, about a year ago, I have not had any computer issues. I understand that there is now a version 41 that is available. Since my MMI has been stable with version 33 I have not upgraded to 41. From fellow Audi owners I understand that the differences between 33 and 41 are negligible.

As far as non-computer issues. I have had quite a few. The first was that all 8 coil packs had to be replaced. The second was the lid for the gas cap would not open from inside the car. In order to open it I had to wedge my credit card inside the lid and open it from the outside. Audi had the car for 2 days to fix these problems. The third was that the frame for the front passenger seat came loose and the entire seat had to be removed and the bolts tightened. The fourth was a rattle in the glove box area of the dashboard. The fifth was a bad tire pressure sensor. The sixth was a mildew smell from the air conditioner vents, which required the replacement of a ventilation duct. The seventh was a rattle from the rear fold down seats, which required a new clamp. The eighth is a rattle from the drivers side of the dashboard, which required additional damping material. The ninth is the fuel filter recall, which required a new fuel filter. The tenth is the fuel gauge sometimes reads empty even though there is fuel in the tank, which required a computer software upgrade. The eleventh is that the transmission developed a chirping and the transmission software had to be upgraded. The twelfth is that the coolant light would come on for no reason, which required an upgraded electrical circuit. The thirteenth is that the power steering reservoir leaked, which required a revised clamp. Fourteenth, the front brakes developed a vibration at slow speeds and the brake caliper seals had to be replaced due to a re-design. The fifteenth is that the the motor for the power tilt/telescoping steering wheel had to be replaced because of a groaning noise. The sixteenth is the motor for the rear power sunshade had to be replaced because that motor was groaning and clicking as well. The seventeenth is that the coolant temperature gauge stopped working. The eigteenth is that the trunk latch stopped working and needed to be replaced. Similar to the computer issues discussed above, Audi has TSBs on all of these issues, seeming to indicate that the problems are not isolated to just my car. Audi has also issued dozens of other TSBs on issues that I have not experienced since I have the 4.2 engine instead of the 3.2 engine. From what I have seen in the TSBs for the 3.2 it suffers from some oil leaks and cam problems. In total, the 3.2 has over 200 TSBs.

Despite the car being at the dealer for over 45 days for repairs during the last 47 months, not maintenance, I would certainly buy the car again because the 4.2 is alot of fun to drive, especially on the highway,and the dealer gives me a loaner. However, I would check which MMI software version is currently in the car. If it is below 33, I would take it to Audi and have it updated as soon as possible. In addition, I would check the car's VIN and compare it to the Audi TSBs and see what issues you need to keep an eye on. You can get copies of the Audi TSBs at Erwin's website. The dealer will probably give you the car's maintenance records. While the car is still under warranty, I would make sure you complain about any issues contained on the TSBs issued for your VIN. If you are buying an aftermarket warranty I would get an exclusionary warranty that your local Audi dealer accepts.

Despite the issues with the car, I think that it is a great driving car. However, keep in mind that I am an original owner who paid close to $60,000 for my daily driver and who according to my wife is the President of the "More Money than Brains" club. For example, changing the transmission fluid costs over a $1,000 just for the fluid (the fluid is $57 per liter) , not including labor. Also keep in mind that the 55,000 mile service is the "major" service for the car. If money is an issue, you may want to look for a car that is cheaper to "maintain". Regardless of your decision, you will enjoy driving an Audi, but you may not enjoy the maintenance. Good luck.

Kevin

Here is my post in response to a related topic:

I am afraid that Audi has TSBs on every one of the problems that I experienced indicating that I am not alone with these issues. As far as not hearing about these issues on the forum, I point out that I am one of the few original C6 owners on the forum with the corresponding 4 years of experience in owning one of these cars. I doubt that when these cars are purchased used that the original owners are so honest with the buyers. In contrast to my 4 years of expereince, most of the C6 owners on this forum only have a few months of experience with the "maintenance" on these cars. With that said, I think that the C6 is a great driving car and is alot of fun on the highway. I would also buy it all over again. You just need to make sure that you are carrying some type of warranty coverage.

Kevin