Audi A4 bought 6 weeks ago and needs new engine!

[Chelseagirl63]

Hi
i am not sure if you are able to provide any help/advice etc. but here goes.....
seven weeks ago, I bought a 2008 plate Audi A4 1.8 T fsi S-line for £9650 plus £380 for 12 month's warranty. Mileage 47,100.
after an issue with car vibration and steering wheel wobble, it took the dealer 3 attempts over a two week period to rectify the problem, after trying to tell me they had resolved it when they hadn't.... It turned out that all four wheels were incorrectly balanced after using their new wheel balance machine incorrectly....! I was just relieved to finally be 'believed' and I wasn't this lunatic woman on their hands! But it was upsetting, I had only had the car two weeks and it had spent more time back in the dealer's garage than in my own!


Then, just last week, it broke down when I got in it to drive home from work, ESP warning light and electronic handbrake light came on. I just couldn't believe it.
The car was towed away the next morning. The result is, they have stripped down the engine, the valves, pistons are all bent, the 'chain' has snapped thus causing a lot of the damage and the engine is now non-repairable! I am truly devastated Stuart!


A new, 2012 engine has been sourced from Scotland, it has done 32,000 miles. I have the option of having this replacement engine fitted or hand the car back to the dealer in Hull.


Whilst I am in utter shock, disbelief and despair, I am trying to think rationally (which is very hard let me tell you!) and seek advice from experts who may know what is the best choice of action I should take? I fell in love with this beautiful shiny black Audi, but I need guidance to think with my head, not my heart!! The dealer's mechanic is an ex - Audi mechanic, I had suggested that Audi fit the new engine but felt reassured this guy was competent being an ex Audi mechanic...
Because this new engine is 2012, I have been assured it is probably better than the 2008 engine my car had as the 'chain' is fitted differently... I am sure you will know what that means.....!


Sorry to bore you with such detail but thought to build you the whole picture.
do you have any opinion or advice you can share with me? If not, don't worry, I just had an idea to ask the forum...
Really sorry to intrude your inbox if this is out of your remit Stuart...


Thank you so much for reading this.


With very best wishes,


Nicola Wood
veryworried.com....

[rafletcher]

Up to you I guess, but if you can manage without the care for a while I'd take your money back - you have zero history on the replacement engine (I'm assuming it doesnt come with a service history, and in any event will likely to have been in a car that was written off in an accident, so who knows what damage might have occurred). Unless of course they offer to fit it for free (which I assume they have done) and give a comprehensive warranty on it as well. The "chain" is the timing chain - that makes sure (when it's not broken - and breaking them is quite rare) the valves don't open into the cylinder as the piston come up.

[Chelseagirl63]

RaFletcher - Many thanks for your advice, really appreciated

[Crazyfool]

My neighbour had a 59 plate Octavia RSV which he has now replaced with a 55 plate A4 Avant 1.9TDI. I don't speak to him much , but we got chatting when he noticed my car arriving on a flatbed a month ago. The VRS uses the same engine as mine and he said he had a catastrophic failure when his timing chain failed whilst on the motorway. Skoda advised it was going to cost £9,000 to replace the engine, so he handed them the keys and took whatever cash he was offered for the car.

Last year, I was at a set of lights and the engine cut out, with all the dashboard lights illuminated. I managed to start it after while, but the car went into limp mode. The garage checked the car and discovered the flywheel failed to the timing chain causing the engine to missalign. With a goodwill gesture, I paid for all the components to be replaced. It could have been a lot worse if I was driving at the time!

What with this and my engine rebuild this year, now to hear you and my neighbour having the same problem, I am really struggling to justify why I should buy another Audi. I've had them for 12 years now and currently own two...it's really disappointing to see how cr@6 Audis have become. Polished turd in my eyes!

[zollaf]

so 3 engines fail and all of a sudden audi are rubbish. ? what other car are you going to drive then ?

[gdallas]

if it was me, my gut would tell me to hand the car back. sorry youve had a rubbish experience so far :-(

[zollaf]

i wonder what service schedule it was on. 20k or 10k.

[Crazyfool]

so 3 engines fail and all of a sudden audi are rubbish. ? what other car are you going to drive then ?

There's slightly more than 3 engine issues! http://consumerlawmagazine.com/audi-...that-burn-oil/. There's loads more stories like this on audi-sport.net, where customers have been charged up to £5,500 for a problem created by Audi.

My previous A4 was a money pit. My wife wasn't impressed when I then bought this one.

I don't know what to go for yet. Leaning towards the E350, had a look at the XF Sportbrake yesterday, but it is too small for is now. What I really want is an A6, but do I want the usual hassle.

[SattyA4]

You need to have a look at BMW issues and repair costs. Their 118d, 120d, 320d, 318d engines are riddled with a lot more issues than Audis.

[theskyfox]

Just my opinion, but personally I'd take the money and walk. Like previous people have said..you have no idea how the new engine is going to be, and it opens new cans of worms. E.g. Technically its a modification - if it isn't the same engine, do you tell your insurance? Secondly when you come to doing maintenance/servicing, the part numbers wont be the same - its a 2012 engine going into a 2008 body.

Might be better taking the money and buying a newer Audi (if you want to stick with the same brand) and getting one under manufacturers warranty still.

-Andrew