Why do Audis suck?

[look 171]

My wife's A4 turbo was a fun and great little car beside the little things like window switches and gas gauge that would go out like clock work. A family is the head wrench at Downtown Porch and Audi. He told us to get rid of it once it turned 100k miles. I gave it to my workman for $800 bucks at 140k miles. It still running, but a few more switches had been replaced. We wouldn't buy another.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by speeder

The highest paid auto technician that I have ever heard of works at Beverly Hills Audi. He made more than a lot of MDs a couple years ago. I've known his service manager for over 25 years and he is the one who told me.

Apparently they are a gift that keeps on giving for dealer service departments.

That's is truth. My friend owns his home free and clear and a couple of apartment complexes in town and he's been at the same dealership as a P car wrench for the past 25 at least. Wife's an extra, so a good wrench at the dealership do pretty well.

[89911]

Let me get this right. Audi mechanics are paid in the mid 6 figures for mostly never getting the cars right in the first place.

[RWebb]

Audi has sucked for a looong time - as an example, I offer the 100LS.

OTOH, they did make the first Quatrro...

[look 171]

Originally Posted by 89911

Let me get this right. Audi mechanics are paid in the mid 6 figures for mostly never getting the cars right in the first place.

I am sure there are just a few of them who are fast that are getting that kind of bucks.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by RWebb

OTOH, they did make the first Quatrro...

Actually, they spelled it quattro. You're close. Sort of...

I often wonder why there are so many Audi bashing threads... especially when I read negative comments from people that don't even own an Audi...

I've had 12 or 13 of them now and they have been far better than the equivalent number of other German sedans I've owned in the same time period (infer from that BMW and Mercedes...)

Perhaps a Lexus is better but I can't stand the insipid chassis they have, the Buick interiors, the lame Mercedes-copy styling... etc.

Maybe some of you guys are just hard on your cars. Or, maybe you have bad karma...

JR

[vash]

I want an A3 diesel.

[RWebb]

Quatrro, like loong...

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by javadog

...I often wonder why there are so many Audi bashing threads... especially when I read negative comments from people that don't even own an Audi...

JR

I've never owned an Audi but I've pushed plenty of them. Had a friend in college whose family were audi fans. Spectacular cars while under warranty and then pretty wretched thereafter. They were always broke down, always needing a special part, always wanting the attention of the the expensive mechanic etc.

The final straw for me with Audi was the day my friend Jeff and I had to push his father in the Audi 5000 because the transmission went out. It was well over 100 degrees and I was wearing 4" heels. We pushed that car a good quarter of a mile to get it safely off the road for the tow truck.

This is coming from someone who has owned every marque of american junk, assorted salvage cars, some cars with more than 300,000 on the original gas engine, a fiat, a volvo and a jaguar. I have kept each of those cars in fully dependable daily driver service. I will NEVER own an Audi out of warranty.

I will also never push one again. Especially not while wearing heels. Not even for a friend.

angela

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Laneco

I've never owned an Audi

See, there you go, like I said....

No actual experience owning an Audi. You reckon an Audi's the only car that's died by the side of the road?

And really, the Audi 5000 was what, 25 years ago? Lots of things different about the new ones...

[Palum6o]

We have a 2008 Q7, so far we've been happy. Seats are important to me, and the Q7 seats are great and better than the Q5 seats. I did spend a small fortune on New tires and replaced the brake pads to the Hawk ceramics. If anyone is interested in a Q7, do your research and STAY AWAY from the 2007 models. They have a design flaw in the sunroof drains causing water to accumulate inside the car and shorts out the electronics and computer etc... Nightmare. Also, if service is important to you, MB service is much better than Audi - seems like Audi service is run by teens out of UTI.

I recently drove a friend's Toyota Highlander hybrid and was really impressed. I love how quiet they are when they run on battery power...

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by NY65912

I'm very happy with my 2010 Q5, actually I love it.

Same goes for my cousin's A6 S Line, quite a beautiful car.

I hope you feel the same way once the warranty expires.

[mnewport]

I had an Audi 100S in college. It was such an awful car in terms of reliability that I have tried hard to forget it. It made me swear off Audi for the next 15 years.

I also owned a D3 A8. I got rid of it after one year. Parking brake sensors failed, TPMS sensors died, MMI screen gears stripped, Bose amplifier died, and finally the whole darn MMI module died. All in one year, and I think I only put about 10k miles on it. The Quattro is amazing. It cost me about $3500 to fix all that crap, about what a warranty woulda cost.

I traded the A8 for a D3 S8 with an extended warranty. I've had it for two years now, and the same problems I had with the A8 are starting to happen. The TPMS sensors have died and the parking brake sensors have failed. Recently the MMI screen has started hesitating, but no gear grinding yet. Again, the Quattro is amazing. A 450HP car that grips ice and snow without slipping is pretty mind blowing.

Will I buy another Audi? I don't know...what's the alternative? In Chicago AWD is a must in winter. The newer Porsches have pretty bad problems too. I hear the Cayenne is hideous. I hear Bentleys are very reliable but I can't see how given that it's pretty much the same car as the A8. Newer Caddies are very fast but I hear they're not trimmed as nicely...although the seats in the D3 kinda blow.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by Palum6o

They have a design flaw in the sunroof drains causing water to accumulate inside the car

The BMWs put that water in the rear seat wells & the trunk well . . .

Ask me how I know.

Ian

[theFONZ]

I had a 2004 S4. The first day I had it the passenger window regulator broke. A week later the check engine light came on for the cooling system. I cleared it, but it would come back on when started on a cool morning. Then the auto headlight system warning came on for a week, but luckily fixed itself. I also had to keep an eye on the oil because it likes to burn it. Apparently Audi thinks that is fine. When the keyless entry stopped working, that was it for me. Then I sold it and a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. That was all within a three month period, and I'm pretty sure I forgot about some stuff.

Damn it was a sweet car though.

[kaisen]

Most of us have perceptions about cars that we hold onto, some indellibly burned into out minds. There's no doubt that Audi had a whole lotta issues in the early 2000s..... that was a decade ago!! They might be making the best cars in the world right now but those people can't let go of their perceptions that Audis have issues. I'm not sure if it's once bitten twice shy, but I do hear people say they'll never own another based on whatever bad one they had all those years ago. Not only Audi, but other makes too.

Some old timer on here swore off GM products based on a pop can welded into his door on a 1973 Vega (or something like that), roughly 40 YEARS AGO. Relevant today?

[Laneco]

Oh I'm still pissed about ruining those shoes pushing that wretched Audi 5000, Eric! They were my FAVORITE pumps!

A woman just doesn't get over that.

angela

[Flieger]

Pics of you wearing the pumps?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by kaisen

Most of us have perceptions about cars that we hold onto, some indellibly burned into out minds. There's no doubt that Audi had a whole lotta issues in the early 2000s..... that was a decade ago!! They might be making the best cars in the world right now but those people can't let go of their perceptions that Audis have issues. I'm not sure if it's once bitten twice shy, but I do hear people say they'll never own another based on whatever bad one they had all those years ago. Not only Audi, but other makes too.

Some old timer on here swore off GM products based on a pop can welded into his door on a 1973 Vega (or something like that), roughly 40 YEARS AGO. Relevant today?

True, but in a world full of generally good cars to choose from, why give money to a company that screwed you over? If I have a negative experience with any company I try to avoid giving them any business, why reward them?

I had a '99 A4 5-speed FWD that I drove for about a year. It was far nicer inside than a BMW (which I find to be cheaply made), much more stylish than a comparable Mercedes but not as solidly built. It was a fun car to drive and got great MPG. I don't recall doing any major repairs, but I bought it immediately after it received a new turbo and a rebuilt head from the timing belt breaking before the change interval. I really pitied the previous owner. My biggest knock on them is their apparent quest to make maintenance access incredibly difficult for even simple work, everything seemed to be made from brittle plastic that crumbled when touched, and the high degree of complication.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by kaisen

Most of us have perceptions about cars that we hold onto, some indellibly burned into out minds. There's no doubt that Audi had a whole lotta issues in the early 2000s..... that was a decade ago!! They might be making the best cars in the world right now but those people can't let go of their perceptions that Audis have issues. I'm not sure if it's once bitten twice shy, but I do hear people say they'll never own another based on whatever bad one they had all those years ago. Not only Audi, but other makes too.

Some old timer on here swore off GM products based on a pop can welded into his door on a 1973 Vega (or something like that), roughly 40 YEARS AGO. Relevant today?

what does CU say re freq. of repair on the newer ones