2003 Audi A3 1.8T Sportsback

[jimbo01 0]

I'm looking at a NZ new 2003 Audi A3 1.8T Sportsback as a commuter car 60km a day. It's the 1999-2003 model, 5 door, with tiptronic gearbox. No modifiactions so I'm assuming its the 110kw version. It's not quattro. I know they share a lot of parts with the VW Golf.

So are these any good?.

Still keeping the E38 740, and the SLK (and the Honda Odyssey).

[BM WORLD 1286]

yes pretty much the same as a golf gti etc .

all the trans fail on them , window regs , mirrors , abs units , trans ecu , throttle bodies ,ign units , coils ,ac pumps etc etc

but you might be ok for a little while , but beaware

[kinetik 4]

all the trans fail on them , window regs , mirrors , abs units , trans ecu , throttle bodies ,ign units , coils ,ac pumps etc etc

Sounds like a modern BMW.

[318Touring 40]

Cambelt? Coming up at 100,000kms.

I had an A3 as a loaner for a week. Personally if I had to pay, I'll buy a 3 series Compact over an A3.

[*Glenn* 855]

Cambelt? Coming up at 100,000kms.

If there is no evidence (receipts) of replacement, the cambelt is overdue... its every 5 years or 120k whichever occurs first... and 5 years is critical

[Grant 4]

If there is no evidence (receipts) of replacement, the cambelt is overdue... its every 5 years or 120k whichever occurs first... and 5 years is critical

Glenn, correct me if I'm wrong, but I have the same engine in my Passat and at the same time as you are doing the cambelt you should also replace the tensioner and water pump. All three were replaced on my Passat when I bought it.

The other common issue I have read about (and sure enough I had it too) is a leaking valve cover gasket. I just replaced mine on the Passat, and it is nice to no longer have the smell of burning oil wafting into the car.

In saying that, my Passat has 144,000 miles on the engine, and it just flew through the very thorough California smog test (I had to have the most comprehensive test as well, as it is classed as a "potential gross polluter"). The readings from the machine read 0.0, or barely registered on all of the tests. As Sacramento is in the California's Central Valley (so has bad air quality), I'm ptretty sure that the exhaust emissions are cleaner than the air that the car breaths in.

As far as all of the things Brent mentioned, I'm not sure what components are shared between the A3 and Passat, but none of these have failed in my car (although mine is a 5 speed manual, and not a tiptronic).

[*Glenn* 855]

Thats correct Grant. We do the cambelt , tensioner, water pump, rocker cover gasket, T/chain tensioner gasket kit etc and always do the thermostat and housing on the V6's as these sit behind the cambelt.

[CamB 48]

MY brother-in-law has a Golf GTI that my father bought new and I owned in between - its at about 150k km. In addition to scheduled maintenance (including the cambelt combo Glenn mentioned) it has needed a wheel bearing, clutch (don't tow a heavy trailer ), door closed sensor and a window regulator.

At slightly fewer km, my car has had the aircon pump rebuilt, abs unit fail, a seized caliper, a coupla leaking engine seals, brake light switch fail, a window regulator, leaking window seal, water pump, new bushings, more new bushings, more new bushings (and from the previous owner - more new bushings and a clutch at a minimum - that's just what I know about). It still needs some more bushings (front shock mounts). Blah blah blah.

I don't think the Golf is any worse...

Mind you, my wife's Skoda exploded the gearbox (like really - the ring gear came away from its carrier).

[Grant 4]

On the Passat, I have had a couple of worn front suspension pieces replaced as well, and a new wheel bearing, and other minor bits and pieces replaced but these have been nothing outside of normal wear and tear items for the mileage, like changing brake pads, or changing the oil.

The only time that it has let me down was my own fault. I wasn't worried about the valve cover gasket leak, as it wasn't using sufficient oil that it needed topping up between changes. However where it was leaking, it leaked onto the starter motor and caused it to fail. So althuogh it failed prematurely, it was due to me and not the component being bad. Even that wasn't too bad. I just gave the starter a whack with a hammer and it loosened up enough to start the car (otherwise I could have also push started it).

Again, I'm not sure what components are shared between the A3 and the Passat, I know that the Passat and the A4 share a lot of components (in fact nearly everything I have seen on the car has both Audi and VW branding on it)

Edited February 16, 2011 by Grant

[jimbo01 0]

Thanks for the feedback. I viewed the car, and took it for a test drive.

The car has the EPC light on permanently, indicating a fault with the Engine management System. The oil was very dirty, and barely showing on the dip stick. The service light was on. While it had the manuals the service records were conspiculously absent. No sigh of the cam belt having been changed. Oh and the front discs had about a 3mm lip on them. Oh and when it was idling it was almost stalling every 5 seconds or so.

Otherwise a nice car, in that it felt nice and tight, and went well despite the EPC light which indicates the engine is operating in a default reduced power mode.

I certainly won't be touching it, but I'd consder one if the previous owners actually looked after it!

Apparently wholesale cars direct want to buy it (but there offer was too low). I guess they would tart it up, give it a service and sell it to some unsuspecting buyer.

[BM WORLD 1286]

oh and air flow meters fail and turbo's and all the central lockings systems.