Most Expensive or Difficult Repair?

[B1GHWX]

Been reading the forum for awhile and I don't yet currently own an Audi but, I am considering getting an A6 for my daughter.

From reading the last couple months it appears the the C5 is pretty reliable generally. If you do your own repairs - tell me what your most difficult and or expensive repair has been.... or that you would dread having to do again?

Other than obvious things like a timing belt or a tranny dumping what would be your worst nightmare - again from a parts expense perspective or time/difficulty?

[svirk2]

changing the egt sensors are a pain

[NickyAsixx3sixx]

everything.

[ddillenger]

turbos.

[2.7taudi]

Control arms. Never again.

Sent from my HTC One V

[4ringAR]

everything is a pain in the ass to work on this car. it was designed by nazis.

[8520]

Turbos. It took a friend and I 2 or so hours to get the turbos off the motor with the engine already out of the car.

For what's its worth, I work on cars for a living and the friend is very mechanically inclined.

[Devin]

Turbos. It took a friend and I 2 or so hours to get the turbos off the motor with the engine already out of the car.

For what's its worth, I work on cars for a living and the friend is very mechanically inclined.

My god... how!?!! I have KO4's that came with my All Road... I'm hoping the stocks don't blow as much as I wanted them to know.

Oh and the most I've had to do is change the shitty clutch fan to an electric fan. Oil changes cost about $62 and that's doing it yourself. Standard German pricing on parts.

[Vinchenzo51]

For your daughter, just avoid the 2.7T engine all together. Other than the turbos, theres not much i'd consider extremely difficult for someone who generally does their own work (besides the obvious, like you said, transmission taking a dump, or head gaskets, ect are obviously a bitch on any car)

[8520]

My god... how!?!! I have KO4's that came with my All Road... I'm hoping the stocks don't blow as much as I wanted them to know.

It's the angles that kill, ie the "how the fuck do you loosen that oil line bolt?", etc. I'm pretty sure that German engineers had magical leprechauns that installed the ko3's at the factory.

[brownson1]

I've owned my 2002 2.7T A6 for less than a year now.

It's been a very interesting year to sum it all up.

Joy,pain, sorrow, euphoria, all the above.

So far I've replaced:

Timing belt (full kit from blauparts.com)- $340.95

Fuel Filter/Spark plugs/Air Filter-About $250.00

All Ignition components (6x Coils, 2 ICM's)- $418.83

Check Valve (vacuum related)- $34.00

Misc Performance parts-$1009.06

Plus oil/gas etc etc.

Ignition components are a breeze. The oil changes on this car are the CLEANEST, quickest, and easiest I've done on any car.

Timing belt is time consuming.

Gas milage should be a concern, I did a rough calculation and this car will burn up the gas on an annual basis. Roughly $3,800 per year.

The Turbo models are VERY tempermental.

OH yea, I got a bad EGT sensor, which thinks the exhaust gas is too hot, and DUMPS fuel in attempt to cool it.

The Stealership quoted me $656.00 for ONE sensor. I hear the driver side is a bear.

All in all, the Quattro AWD system is smart, sophisticated, and a joy to drive. I'd recommend a smaller engine (A4 maybe) to save on gas and maintenence. I'd also recommend picking up a Bently Publishers repair manual on Amazon, plus a VCDS cable of some sort to pull codes and interface with the vehicle.

Companies I've had great success with: Blauparts, ECStuning, PUREmotorsport.

[lucio_liu]

C5 is not reliable generally, especially for a 10years car.

many rubber gasket/hose belt meet their overhaul period

[Vinchenzo51]

C5 is not reliable generally, especially for a 10years car.

many rubber gasket/hose belt meet their overhaul period

None of this makes sense.

[brownson1]

None of this makes sense.

I agree.

I mean, any car meeds work, add dust and high temperatures, things get brittle.

Audi's code, "Take care of me, and I'll take care of you."

[lucio_liu]

None of this makes sense.

I am just saying truth. rubber/plastic prones to be brittle and failed by age, c5's design require very high spec on this, which lessing its reliability. on the other hand, I am happy about engine/AT. they are pretty long lasting if maintain them regularly

[lucio_liu]

I agree.

I mean, any car meeds work, add dust and high temperatures, things get brittle.

Audi's code, "Take care of me, and I'll take care of you."

i just took care my car with a complete cooling hose/ pcv hose replacement plus ATF change.

stick to genuine audi part and DIY. I have to say the $$ added up very quickly. each piece of hose cost me 80-90 bucks..

[ttboost]

They are all easy compared to a RS6. The crackhead engineers who designed this car should be skinned, covered in honey and hung out somewhere in Texas in mid August...

[Cole]

C5 is not reliable generally, especially for a 10years car.

many rubber gasket/hose belt meet their overhaul period

I've owned 2 C5s, an A6 Avant that we owned to 165k and an S6 Avant currently at 200k. No issues outer than normal maintenance type stuff you would do to any car. They have both been extremely reliable cars.

Now, if you want to talk about the 2.7t specifically, it can be a costly motor to own. But if maintained works well.

[julex]

Calling a 10 year old Audi "reliable" is simply an oxymoron. Audi (and VW) is about the last brand of cars you should look at when your #1 consideration is reliability which is basically what my criterion is when picking cars for everyone but myself. I don't mind doing heavy wrenching on my own car with the needed downtime, now my wife getting stuck with kids somewhere and then inconvenience of having her car down just doesn't make sense.

So... buy her toyota/Lexus or honda/acura and you won't touch the car until it just falls apart from rust 15 years later sans oil changes (and timing belt as needed per mileage).

[Cole]

Calling a 10 year old Audi "reliable" is simply an oxymoron. Audi (and VW) is about the last brand of cars you should look at when your #1 consideration is reliability which is basically what my criterion is when picking cars for everyone but myself. I don't mind doing heavy wrenching on my own car with the needed downtime, now my wife getting stuck with kids somewhere and then inconvenience of having her car down just doesn't make sense.

So... buy her toyota/Lexus or honda/acura and you won't touch the car until it just falls apart from rust 15 years later sans oil changes (and timing belt as needed per mileage).

Fwiw, we have put exponentially more money in to maintain my moms 70k mile Toyota Camary then we have to maintain my wife's 200k mile S6.

[audifirst]

you have 4 different engines to choose from

2.8 v6 98-00
2.7 turbo v6 00-05
3.0 v6 02-05
4.2 v8 00-05

a) no matter what the car you choose it will cost you to maintain, depends who own it, and if the car was maintained you will have to set a side some money for repairs
will your daughter be live with you or away from you ?

b)these cars are not fuel efficient by means , they are thirsty, and they need minimum 91 octane , on avg they get 200-300 miles per tank, go to site your fuely.com there are plenty drivers who record fuel consumption for each engine and you can see what roughly costs will be

c) the cheapest of the pack 2.8 v6 is the least costly in maintenance comparing to all 3 other engines, but again we do not know if you be buying on cheap and spend the least amount of money and you be doing repairs yourself to repair previous owners mistakes or you looking for well maintain car with health engine, transmission and electronics, and what year are you looking to buy

d) transmission is another common failure on all engine platforms this is due to not doing proper maintenance on transmission every 60k miles (filter and transmission oil) , if transmission fails they are not cheap to repair so you be looking at around 3k-5k for rebuilt or if she can handle stick shift can upgrade to that for the same amount of money

e) another consideration will be A4 1.8t engine as alternative to A6, little bit cheaper , better of fuel.., easy engine to work on, you can fit your hand every where

[DJPardy]

I owned and daily drove a 1998 2.8 A6 until it LITERALLY stopped moving. My torque converter killed the transmission. I loved that car and still do. Audi in general is a very well rounded vehicle in performance comfort and reliability. But as with any other German vehicle, the cost to maintain can make you very sad. Sometimes you want to junk the car, and sometimes its the only thing that could make your miserable day better. If you can, DO NOT buy an Audi with a turbo. In my many travels and experiences I've also heard through the grape vine that the 3.0L V6 engine has problems with leaking oil into something. (Not entirely sure about that one, but I've heard it from a few mechanics) Overall, in my opinion, just stay away from turbos if you're looking for a reliability.

My old A6 died At 320,000+ miles. I loved it so much I bought Another one, but with the 4.2L powerhouse. Both engines are bulletproof by the way. Hope I helped!!!

[julex]

I owned and daily drove a 1998 2.8 A6 until it LITERALLY stopped moving. My torque converter killed the transmission. I loved that car and still do. Audi in general is a very well rounded vehicle in performance comfort and reliability. But as with any other German vehicle, the cost to maintain can make you very sad. Sometimes you want to junk the car, and sometimes its the only thing that could make your miserable day better. If you can, DO NOT buy an Audi with a turbo. In my many travels and experiences I've also heard through the grape vine that the 3.0L V6 engine has problems with leaking oil into something. (Not entirely sure about that one, but I've heard it from a few mechanics) Overall, in my opinion, just stay away from turbos if you're looking for a reliability.

My old A6 died At 320,000+ miles. I loved it so much I bought Another one, but with the 4.2L powerhouse. Both engines are bulletproof by the way. Hope I helped!!!

And you listed #1 reason for circa 2000 tip cars going to junk yard these days, TC/Tip tranny taking a dump and the car along with it since the repair costs 1/2 - 3/4 of what car is worth... and that's just one part that can go wrong. OP would be much better with a BMW from around 2000 than an audi imho.

[B1GHWX]

For your daughter, just avoid the 2.7T engine all together. Other than the turbos, theres not much i'd consider extremely difficult for someone who generally does their own work (besides the obvious, like you said, transmission taking a dump, or head gaskets, ect are obviously a bitch on any car)

I have ruled out the turbo.

I think I have to stick with the 2.8.... since the 3.0 cam issues are a probable headache so, why go there?

[B1GHWX]

you have 4 different engines to choose from

2.8 v6 98-00 <----- Probable choice
2.7 turbo v6 00-05
3.0 v6 02-05 <--------- worried about this one
4.2 v8 00-05

a) no matter what the car you choose it will cost you to maintain, depends who own it, and if the car was maintained you will have to set a side some money for repairs
will your daughter be live with you or away from you ? Yes and I will do the repairs.. we have other vehicle options

b)these cars are not fuel efficient by means , they are thirsty, and they need minimum 91 octane , on avg they get 200-300 miles per tank, go to site your fuely.com there are plenty drivers who record fuel consumption
for each engine and you can see what roughly costs will be No worry

c) the cheapest of the pack 2.8 v6 is the least costly in maintenance comparing to all 3 other engines, but again we do not know if you be buying on cheap and spend the least amount of money and you be doing repairs yourself to repair previous owners mistakes or you looking for well maintain car with health engine, transmission and electronics, and what year are you looking to buy I think the 2.8 is the smart choice

d) transmission is another common failure on all engine platforms this is due to not doing proper maintenance on transmission every 60k miles (filter and transmission oil) , if transmission fails they are not cheap to repair so you be looking at around 3k-5k for rebuilt or if she can handle stick shift can upgrade to that for the same amount of money Worst case scenario

e) another consideration will be A4 1.8t engine as alternative to A6, little bit cheaper , better of fuel.., easy engine to work on, you can fit your hand every where I should consider this option more

All good input

[Scotty@Advanced]

Calling a 10 year old Audi "reliable" is simply an oxymoron.

Calling any 10 year old car reliable is an oxymoron. Cars by design are not built to last forever. It keeps new car manufacturers in business.

[julex]

yes, 1.8t is much easier to fix/attend. The amount of engine bay space around the engine is amazing.. in comparison to V6.

[B1GHWX]

.....OP would be much better with a BMW from around 2000 than an audi imho.

Comparatively - why would you recommend a BMW 325xi over an Audi?

[MCargill12]

B6's seem like a pretty reliable group of cars from what ive seen and read.

[Riktnr08]

You don't have the 1.8T c5 in US? Maybe not as fun, but little problems on them and really easy to work on.

[Scotty@Advanced]

You don't have the 1.8T c5 in US? Maybe not as fun, but little problems on them and really easy to work on.

no we got the 2.8/3.0 V6 as the smallest engine.

[euromob]

I've owned 2 C5s, an A6 Avant that we owned to 165k and an S6 Avant currently at 200k. No issues outer than normal maintenance type stuff you would do to any car. They have both been extremely reliable cars.

Now, if you want to talk about the 2.7t specifically, it can be a costly motor to own. But if maintained works well.

the thing about audi. normal maintenance stuff is very costly.

when people think of a reliable car, they think toyota and honda. cheap to repair, parts and labor are dirt cheap, and you can abuse them and neglect them all you want and they keep going.

audi, you miss a service and you can cause thousands of dollars in repairs. they can last long of course, but its going to cost you.


if you cant afford a luxury european car, dont buy one.

if you want a cheap reliable car that you dont have to stress over. get a honda or toyota, acura or lexus .

[euromob]

I have ruled out the turbo.

I think I have to stick with the 2.8.... since the 3.0 cam issues are a probable headache so, why go there?

2.8 is prob the least headache of the 4 engines

[euromob]

You don't have the 1.8T c5 in US? Maybe not as fun, but little problems on them and really easy to work on.

i heard europe has a 1.9 and a 2.5 diesel

[audifirst]

i heard europe has a 1.9 and a 2.5 diesel

yes europe has extra engines in C5/4B series
1,9tdi in FWD only
2.5 tdi in quattro and FWD
2.0 gasoline FWD
1.8T in FWD and Quattro
2.4 V6 quattro and FWD

2.8 . 2.7t, 4.2, 3.0 that we have here

[Cole]

And you listed #1 reason for circa 2000 tip cars going to junk yard these days, TC/Tip tranny taking a dump and the car along with it since the repair costs 1/2 - 3/4 of what car is worth... and that's just one part that can go wrong. OP would be much better with a BMW from around 2000 than an audi imho.

BMW used the exact same ZF transmissions so seems like a silly recommendation. So did the Porsche Boxters of the same generation FWIW.

the thing about audi. normal maintenance stuff is very costly.

when people think of a reliable car, they think toyota and honda. cheap to repair, parts and labor are dirt cheap, and you can abuse them and neglect them all you want and they keep going.
.

Doesn't sound like you have ever had a Toyota. I've been writing the checks to fix two of them over the years. Parts are not cheap and they have needed many! My 68 year old mom's Camary needed a complete replacement auto transmission at 70k. Not cheap!! It's had about every issue I could ever think a car can have. My other Toyota was the same way. Total junk. Junky to own, junky to drive, expensive to fix!

Also not in the same ballpark with a luxury brand like an Audi. So not really a proper comparison in the first place. I'd rather have to fix a nice car than have to fix and drive a pile of junk like a generic Toyota.

[arjun90]

This thread answered many pondering questions pertaining to reliability.

[beckmaster]

everything is a pain in the ass to work on this car. it was designed by nazis.

I think I peed myself reading that as I just got finished doing the timing belt with all other replacements and all the gaskets.

[arjun90]

I think I peed myself reading that as I just got finished doing the timing belt with all other replacements and all the gaskets.

A way to distract ourselves from reality, haha. Specialty Tools, Very Particular Procedures, Proprietary Service Position, Awkward Placement of Serviceable Parts & Parts that Tend to Fail Prematurely, the list goes on. At least the Audi's improves our ability to spatially reason (better than Sudoku, anytime, any day); once you're in, you're in, there's no way out.