I've had Fords to Ferraris and my current fun ride is an 08 997 Turbo, but have never had an Audi in the stable. My daughter has expressed an interest in a new Audi (no particular model chosen yet), but I have no experience with them as a brand with respect to reliability. My informal research with some owners suggests the cars may not enjoy the best reputation in that regard, so I'm looking for some thoughts from owners of newer Audis - say 2007 to present. Any thoughts be be appreciated.

 

I purchased my 05 B7 S4 with 8,000 miles from Miramar Audi in San Diego certified pre-owned with a strong warranty and free scheduled maint. plan. Although I love the car, here is a list of problems (all covered under warranty).

1. Trunk lock broke twice, had to be (replaced) 12,000 miles
2. Broken slider for driver side power window (replaced) 15,000 miles
3. Dipping adaptive right headlight assembly (replaced) 18,000 miles
4. Fuse for windshield fluid (replaced) 21,000 miles

Much like BMW, Audi offers the best maint. and warranty packages around and it's no surprise why. I have never had any problems with my Lexus or Subaru so If you want my opinion go Japo. But if you get a strong warranty and maint. plan, then a new A4 or A3 would work well. Still miss by Audi however......Good luck!

 

I'm on my second Audi after owning one for the last 4 years. Very few issues, and the warranty from Audi covers everything. I looked into other cars including BMW, Merc and Lexus. I bought another Audi. I couldn't be happier.

 

I am on my second audi, it has 125,000 miles on it and I commute over 100 miles a day in it. It is a great car, and very safe in all weather. My Mom has had 4 new audis in the past 10 years and they have been great. We have had a few BMWs in the family and they seem to have a lot more little problem areas, and the automatic transmissions tend to die before 100,000 miles.

 

I have a 2004 Audi with 95k on it and I love it. Great car no issues.
I also had a 2000 S4 and sold it with 60k and again had no issues at all.

 

I think Audi's have a bad reliability reputation based on their history and cost of maintenance. German cars are expensive to fix, there's no denying that, and they are not Toyotas or Hondas when it comes to reliability. However, I think it is a bit undeserving. I have owned Audis as my past 2 cars, and aside from expensive maintenance, they are decently relilable. To me, driving an Audi (or Mercedes) is definitley worth the maientence & upkeep costs.

Definitely look into the Audi for your daughter, they are very safe and all around extrodinary cars. Also, make sure to post some pics!

 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. Obviously I'm a fan of German cars with my 08 997 Turbo and previously other Porsche's and several AMG Mercedes. As I tell my friends, there is nothing cooler than a Ferrari, but the Germans - in my opinion - simply build the best cars, and more well-rounded ones for everyday use, comfort, and certainly in the case of my Turbo, world-class performance. The IS350 Lexus is also high on her list, but we've yet to drive that or an Audi. Thanks again!

 

I'd definitely look into the IS350. Audi's have great warranties, but they really need them too...

 

anything 06 + you will be ok IMO anything late 90's > 03' suck

 

The IS250/350/F just do nothing for me. It is not an attractive looking car and it's interior is nothing compared to an Audi.

 

I own an 07 Audi RS4 with 15K miles on it. I've driven it since day one and have had "no" issues what so ever with the car. I previously owned a 03 996TT and the technology in the Audis in far superior to the 911 offering- Porsche is just catching up. Car has bluetooth, Nav, sat radio- all the bells and whistles and is built rock solid. My Audi maintenance plan covers all scheduled service till 60K miles so I haven't spent a dime on the car to date for oil, wipers, alignment, etc.

I've been so impressed that I plan on looking at the Q7 SUV as a second car soon. Good luck.

 

I have just gotten my family into German cars in teh last couple of years. We have had 3 BMW's and 4 Audi's in the past couple years. We have had the same number (very few) of issues with both. The only issue I had with the BMW was the SMG transmission acting up. My mom's S4 had to have an ignition coil replaced. I have never had a single problem with my S4 and have loved it.

 

My '04 S4 has been nearly bulletproof. First Audi for me and I was prepared to deal with a lower reliability factor than what I would get from a Lexus etc... but I have been shocked at how good it has been.

 

2005.5 S4 here with 3 issues to date.

1. squeeking exhaust flaps (lubed twice but not fixed by dealership)
2. adaptive headlights failed (reset at dealer)
3. 3 spark plug packs went out, dealer replaced all 8 (apparently there is a TSB for this, or so I was told)

with the spark plug packs, called audi roadside and a flatbed came to my house in 1hr, towed it to a dealership of choice (mine is ~70 miles north vs. the closest one which is ~15 miles away).

other than that, no problems at all.

 

from my experience Audi's reliability is on par with BMW and Mercedes.

I've had the same amount of issues with each brand. perhaps slightly less with Audi.