What to look out for when buying 2nd hand Audi A3 Sportback

[a3_tdi]

Still deciding between a 06-07 1.6 FSI and 2.0TDI 140/170ps. About £1k difference in price but maybe the TDI will be worth more then I sell it on and I'll save a bit on fuel costs ?

Is the 2.0 TDI noisier than the 1.9TDI ?

I do about 11k miles a year but just thinking about resale and maintenance, as I plan to keep it 3-4 years.

I saw on some websites claiming TDIs need cambelt changing every 60k miles and Petrols every 80k miles. So if I bought a 60-70k diesel , it would get a new cambelt straight away.

Not sure about whether to go for the S Line, 18" alloys, there are some speedbumps nearby , would it be a much harder ride ? Big alloys + S line suspension ??

Are the bigger alloys noisier on the road (motorway) then 16, 17" alloys ?

Anything else I should look out for. Seller will say of course that all electrics would, so would you try all electric windows, switches, aircon etc or just trust him as there will be 3 months warranty ?

I've only done a HPI check so far which shows everything is clear.

Thanks!

[Mike Foster]

Ask the seller to provide you with a print out of the current diagnostic scan.

That will tell you if there are any faults logged.

[a3_tdi]

Ask the seller to provide you with a print out of the current diagnostic scan.

That will tell you if there are any faults logged.

Is that something from an MOT ?

Or is it an internal computer storing all issues ? If seller doesn't / can't provide, should I ask for VIN number and check if all recalls have been dealt with ?

[Mike Foster]

Are you buying the car from a recognised Audi/Volkswagen dealer ?

If not then you need to be very wary and insist on the scan.

All VAG approved dealers/ garages have the necessary equipment to read what the internal computer has recorded and print the information.

Nothing to do with the MOT and nothing to do with the VIN number unless the vehicle has a full Audi service history !

Take care !!!

[a3_tdi]

Are you buying the car from a recognised Audi/Volkswagen dealer ?

If not then you need to be very wary and insist on the scan.

All VAG approved dealers/ garages have the necessary equipment to read what the internal computer has recorded and print the information.

Nothing to do with the MOT and nothing to do with the VIN number unless the vehicle has a full Audi service history !

Take care !!!

Ok, thanks for the info, I'll see what they are going to say. Best to walk away if they can't provide the scan ? I read if the deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is ? Have done a few HPI checks on other A3s before and most where CAT D. I don't want to buy written off cars, but guess CAT C is better than CAT D as the standard of repair usually is better ? As the car needs to be checked again before putting it on sale ? Easier to do a quick fix/bad job on a CAT D without people noticing.

Good thing with car prices is that usually they go down. I am not in a rush, rather wait for a good car.