HELP!!! Intervention needed... thinking of abandoning 1996 A6!

Need serious advice here... I'm at a major decision point.

CURRENT VEHICLE: 1996 A6 Quattro. Casablanca white, tungsten grey leather, cold weather package, Bose stereo. Purchased with 52,700 miles. Now at 63,000 miles. Still looks new; I keep it very clean.

PROBLEM: I love the car! I've had it for one year now exactly, and the Audi Assured warranty expires on August 31. I'm nervous about the talk about expensive repairs and maintenance. My wife and I have a baby on the way in a few weeks, and I don't want to get saddled with huge repair bills that I can't afford. I'm starting to look at 3-year aftermarket warranties, but I have to admit that I'm not a really mechanical guy and I don't know what to look for.

SOLUTION (???): I've been considering dumping my 96 A6 and leasing a 2001 A4 for 39 months @ $399/mo, to get in on the 4-year warranty with included maintenance. I financed about half of my A6, so I do have payments of a few hundred $$ per month for the next 3 years on this car.

QUANDARY: Well, when I assume $2,000 per year for maintenance and repairs on top of my payments, leasing a brand-new A4 1.8 T appears to be significantly cheaper per month than keeping my 5-year-old A6.

DOWN SIDE: The 2001 A4 1.8 T (Quattro) is a smaller vehicle with fewer amenities (no power seats, no memory seats, no real leather, etc.).

UP SIDE: Brand-new vehicle under warranty for slightly less per month; warranty with included maintenance for 4 years; better fuel efficiency.

COMMENTS: I love my 1996 A6. It's roomy and luxurious and rides like a dream. I love the 2001 A6 even more, but it's too expensive to lease or buy. With a baby on the way, I just can't justify those payments at this time.

HELP!!! Am I over-reacting? I only owe about $8500 on my 1996 A6, and it's like-new. I love the car. I could drive it for years and be very happy. My concern is all the talk about the expense of maintaining and repairing these vehicles. I work 60 hours a week and have little time to deal with car problems. Between loan payments and maintenance and repairs, a new A4 seems like a safer (and cheaper) bet.

Has anyone out there done research on warranties for these vehicles and determined if they are equivalent to the Audi Assured warranty? Can I still use my local Audi dealer for repairs? I got a quote from WarrantyByNet a few months ago for $1,361 for 3 years/40,000 miles. That's around $450 per year. Is it worth it??? Is this car a keeper for the long haul? (My Audi Dealer offered me a 36-month/36,000 mile warranty with a $100 deductible for $2,572 -- YIKES!).


VEHICLE HISTORY: This A6 had all preventative maintenance completed for its first 4 years of life (August 1996 - July 2000), and no repairs were needed.
I've had the vehicle for the past year (July 2000 - present) and put about 11,500 miles on it -- with the following repairs done under AA warranty:

* (WARRANTY) Replaced valve cover gaskets - leaking
* (WARRANTY) Replaced shifter display - lights didn't work
* (WARRANTY) Adjust P/S rack preload - can hear clunk on slow turns or whn stopped
* (WARRANTY) Replaced driver side door hinge -- hinge was binding
* (WARRANTY) Replaced thermostat -- was causing check engine light to go on
* 60,000 mile maintenance completed
* Replaced wiper inserts, lubricated arms
* (WARRANTY) Replaced faulty idle air control motor
* (WARRANTY) Replaced drivers door lock microswitch; locking system would not engage
* (WARRANTY) Replaced instrument cluster; temp display no longer illuminated
* (WARRANTY) Replaced climate control head on dash; climate control no longer functioned correctly
* New tires @ 58,799 miles -- Bridgestone RE910's

RECAP: Vehicle now has nearly 63,000 miles. New tires. All of the above repairs done since July 2000.

QUESTION: What more is likely to go wrong? If I get a good after-market warranty, will I be fairly safe? Can I expect this number of repairs during my second year with this car? Will a good after-market warranty cover it? Will I be able to find an affordable after-market warranty?

I would greatly appreciate everyone's feedback -- is this a keeper? Am I crazy to consider dumping it for an A4? Any advice on warranty and repairs?

Being fairly non-mechanical, I'm not sure what could still go wrong and how serious it could be. I love the car, would love a new A6, but can only afford a new A4 at best. I'd keep the 1996 A6 if it seems realistic.

THANKS!!!

It's really a gamble. You just don't know. From that list you posted, I'd say your car is more likely to have some problems in the next year or two, just because it has had problems in the past year. You can expect at least $800-$1,000/year in maintenance and minor repair.

When it gets to the question of the A6 being an economical car, it usually doesn't stack up well against a car under warranty with full maintenance covered.

You won't be able to get a warranty that covers the car bumper-to-bumper. Just a warranty that covers a list of parts. Anything outside of that list won't be covered. So you could be in a position where you have the warranty, but still have to pay a steep repair bill.

Your A6 is coming up on a host of services... timing belt, brakes if they haven't been done, spark plugs, etc, etc. It just adds up.

To be honest, I'd go drive the A4. It's still an Audi, and won't cost anything over the monthly payment. Perhaps you have enough equity in your A6 to have more to put down on an A4 lease... maybe get a 2.8 or something. Look at your many leasing options. Also the new A4 is coming soon... although not before August, maybe September I heard. Will be in style for your entire lease, if you like the look of the car, that is...

I basicly have learned the hard way, that all day projects doing matenence items is the only way to go. (Of cource they are supposed to take an hour, but for me it quickly turns into a weekend project)

So far it has saved me about $300-400 or so... just a guesstimate.

After spending over 1k replacing my coolant resivour, a small clip in the suspension, and brake pads (which should have been under $500 in parts) I decided to do as much as I could myself.

I have also found a small repair shop that does europeon cars that is alot cheaper.

... the A4 is still an Audi after all! I must have an Audi!

I appreciate your frank comments.

As I said, I love my 96 A6 and my one and only gripe is the cost and frequency of repairs. I don't think I can spring for a new A6 lease right now (purchasing is way out of the question) and the A4 lease does look a little cheaper and a safer bet. I'd be pretty much worry free for the course of the 39 month lease (and maybe by that time I could spring for a new A6!).

My gripes about the A4:

1). Back seat is too cramped
2). Can't get leather on the 1.8 T (the 2.8 adds too much to the cost)
3). No power/memory seats

Aside from that, well, this is just a car for me to drive to and from work during the week for the most part. Our family vehicle is a Ford SUV, which my wife prefers to drive during the week when it's not being a family hauler.

I did estimate that I'd save around $30 per month in gas with a 1.8T versus my 2.8 A6, on top of having no repairs and free maintenance.

I do have several grand in equity on my A6 -- depending on whether I trade it in (and get a lousy deal) or try to sell myself.

Around here (Minneapolis, MN) I see people asking $18-$20 k for same year and mileage as my A6. I'd probably list mine for around $18K since I think more than that is unrealistic.

It's in like-new condition and always serviced at Carousel in Minneapolis where it was purchased new, so it should sell pretty quick.

Thanks again!

...budgetable. I can afford my A6, but I don't know if I'm comfortable with unpredictable big repair bills right now.

With a baby on the way, we're looking to budget more tightly. A new leased vehicle is easier to budget for since all repairs/maintenance is free. You just pay your monthly lease and buy gas.

Our SUV is a lease, and that's been trouble-free for over 2 years. No unexpected expenses.

THUS, my quandary... I'm attached to my 1996 A6 but the unpredictability of expensive repairs is pushing me towards a lease.

An A6 lease is looking too high, but an A4 lease would be affordable and predictable.

Make sense???

... Thinking about replacing the A6 with an A4 this year, and the Expedition V8 with an Explorer V6 next year.

This would mean I'd have the "family truckster" SUV as well as a small, zippy A4 1.8 T Quattro.

My quandary has been that I don't want to give up my 1996 A6 Quattro! It's the unpredictable and often expensive repairs that's pushing me towards leasing a new A4.

A4 is the small car. Especialy if you need to
put rear facing car seat. You must try if, before buing. In addition A6 safer car. May be now it is not sounds important, but as soon as your litle baby will smile for you, you will start using "the safest car posible" expressions.

I did not here from anybody that insurance company will pay more, that receive from you. One friend of mine had to replace AT and bunch of other stuff on his car. He bought insurance, but then he found, that he paid more for the insurance, than he would for the repair. Plus auto shops do not want to use insurances.

Another friend of mine works for the insurance company as math-somthing. She said, they will stop respect themself, if they will pay more than 50% back...

And on top of it, it sounds like you already replaced most of the stuff... So I sugest to keep the car. It would be nice to replace timing belt and the pump on the current insurance money.

Good luck.

I agree that the A6 is a safer car. But, our main family car is a Ford Expedition -- which is extremely safe and is highly rated for accident fatalities (not an Explorer with the exploding tires).

This is a second car mainly for me to use during the week to commute, plus once in awhile on weekends.

Most if not all of our travel with the baby will be in the SUV, which is very big.

I am tempted to get a new A6, but I don't think I could get one for a $400/mo. lease payment!

I was thinking that maybe I had already gone through most of the repairs and from now on repairs might be rare... But stories from Muhammed and others really spooked me, about spending over $2,000 per year on repairs and maintenance!

I don't know... This is a tough choice because I really like my A6! And I do think the A4 is a little too small, but the payment is also small...

Ugh! I hate having to make a decision like this! Maybe I will just keep my 1996 A6 and take my chances!

I would be fine budgeting $1,000 per year in maintenance and repairs... But the $2,000 and up figures that I've heard for annual maintenance and repairs has spooked me... The A4 lease starts to look cheap when you talk about that kind of money on top of payments (I still owe on this car for 3 more years -- I own about half of it ;-))

All I can say is that I love the car except when it's sucking up my time and money with repairing the piddly sh*t... I enjoy driving it and washing it, not taking it into the shop for days on end and forking over lots of $$$

Ah... I hate decisions like these, when there's no clear-cut answer!

Congratulations on the upcoming baby.

I bought a '98 VW Jetta GLX new knowing it would be our family car (planning on kids), and my "sports" car. First kid, no problem. Rear facing seat fit perfectly in center position (stuck between two front seats a little). Really fun car too.

When Andrew was 8 months old, we got a surprise, Craig was on the way (arrived 6/16/01). Out to the garage to check outboard child seating on the Jetta. There was no way that I could sit in front of our rear facing car seat (I'm 6'). Time to start shopping to replace my 2 y/o car.

A4 was out (not enough headroom or rear seat room). Saab 900/9-3 had enough space & fun factor, but shaky repair history. A6 low on fun factor, good on everything else. I've ended up being able to fit the 2 car seats

You mentioned this is not the "family" car, so you could get away with an A4 even with a second seat if necessary (you are planning on keeping this for a while aren't you)? You also could consider a Jetta or Passat. They're not Audi's, but nice cars nonetheless.

I have yet to find a cheap part on my A6, but it is a very nice car, and I really prefer owning it to leasing something.

Think about where you will be financially with the car in 4 years with a lease. You will have paid monthly, but have no equity in it (i.e. you are renting). With the A6, in 2-3 years it will be paid off, and you will own the car completely (still worth at least $12,000). Even with $1000/year in maintenance, you'll be ahead.

You might also think about another Audi Assured car if you really want an A4. That way you'd have lower payments, a warranty, and could still have equity in 4 years.

...If you want a predictable monthly expense that you can budget for, and no out-of-pocket repairs or maintenance over the course of a 48-month lease, that's a big plus.

Yeah, once the car is paid off maybe it'll be worth $10,000 or a little more -- but if I've pumped $2,500 per year into it to keep it running, that's effectively eaten up most of that residual "value" for the vehicle!

I actually put together a spreadsheet that adds up monthly payment plus estimated repairs, maintenance, etc. -- when you add all this up, a new/leased vehicle starts to not look like such a bad deal.

Of course, leasing is a major bummer if you want to modify your vehicle in any significant way... But I like to keep everything stock so that's not a problem for me.

The A6 is nice and roomy...

We have a Century Smart Fit for the little one on the outside, and a Fisher Price convertible in the middle for our 17m/o. This leaves one outside position for an adult who isn't too cramped.

I'd prefer having the rear facing seat in the middle for safety and front seat travel, but it doesn't fit that way due to the center position sitting a little higher.