mAgnum8

I ran that car hard for a little over a year and put close to 70K on it. The only real issue was overheating due to clog radiator, the cause, previous owner used wrong coolant. Other than that it was bulletproof. It was also a lot easier to work on. Oh, yes and it handled better in the snow and dry.

alextimmons

So what are you trying to say...? ;-)

TwoTonic

Although I love these cars, I'd never recommend one for someone without the background to evaluate maintenance and repair issues. An uninformed A8 owner must be a gold mine for the dealership service department!

roughyear

i think my bmw 320i (college car) was prone to numerous repairs, but didn't cost soooo damm much to fix as this damm A8!!!

TwoTonic

Great question... I suppose all cars have their weak spots. On the A8, some of the luxury items seem to chronically fail- ( Does anyone's heated steering wheel still work on an early D2? ) but usually you can just live without those.


The bummer is that some mission-critical systems do seem to fail in "expensive" ways. Recent examples include:

1) Fuel pump repair-- part would be $75-120 for pretty much any other brand of car, but Audi's is carved by Bavarian monks from virgin unobtanium. I was quoted almost $1400 to replace mine before I wised up and started looking for used parts.

2) Transmission failures. Although this ZF unit is rugged, it also seems to have a couple of weak spots. A full dealer swap is outrageously expensive.

3) The "cold weather fuel line" failure is bizarre, but many early D2s are seeing it. My wife is complaining about fuel fumes in the car on cold days, too, so I'm now afflicted. The dealer wants close to $1000 just for the new parts (complete new fuel lines), plus labor.

So, yes, I think there are few design weak spots, but the dealer pricing on some common items is simply over the top. If you want to own an old one, plan on improvising to save $$.

Note, though, that I'm not racing to sell mine though. I love the way these cars drive-- so as long as I don't get stranded much, I'm still a fan.

alextimmons

^Gospel^. Recommending an A8 to a non-gearhead friend is a good way to lose that friend!

DaveInSaltLake

just imagine all the bonding time you'd have together in your garage.

I have a couple Audi friends like that.... my wife doesn't even bat an eye anymore when they come over and head straight to the garage to see if I can help with something. The good ones stick around afterwards to help me with whatever I've got going on.

TonyA8

But decided I would rather enjoy my ride at the cost of a few weekends under the car.