Bought the car for $5,500 used and in great shape. Red, sleek, comfortable, and powerful, it was a dream come true for a kid upgrading from a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser. You know, those cars that your grandparents buy with the doors that look like fake wooden panels, and the cheesy flame designs on the hood? Sometimes with a wild stallion or tiger painted on for flair??!? Alas, I digress. Little did I know the beautiful red paint on this 3.2L Quattro beast was a literal RED HERRING to distract me from the issues to come...
The torque converter has a known faulty seal which can wear down over time and cause slipping and hard shifts between gears. I probably had the car for a month before it started to show symptoms of its eventual decline.
At first, it had a hard shift between the 4th and 5th gears with excessive acceleration applied. This meant driving on the freeway was a bit of a hassle, as the car would enter into a 5th gear limp mode while in motion. This was characterized by a very noticeable kick, followed by high rpms and the lack of gear changes. (At first i thought it was some sort of special "sport mode").
I took it to the Audi dealership and they wanted $7,000 to replace the entire transmission. Other sites quoted me the same, since the cost of the new transmission is around $5,500 - $6,000 itself. I decided against it, and instead chose to put up with the problem because I thought it couldn't get much worse.
Eventually it got worse: slipping between 3rd and 4th gears, entering into 3rd gear limp mode, hard shifts between 2nd and 3rd gears, and less torque and acceleration overall. I might as well be driving an electric scooter, because the highest speed I can achieve is 45 mph.
The cost of solely replacing the torque converter shouldn't be too expensive, as the part itself is anywhere from $300 - $500. I would even do it myself (myself meaning my dad with lots of encouragement from me), but to replace it you have to separate the tranny from the engine. That kind of work is a bit much even for me (my dad). Most places either never got back to me about a quote for this repair, or strongly recommended against it. One guy couldn't even guarantee me that my car would last after replacing the converter, since he's seen Audi transmissions fail anywhere from 80,000 - 200,000 miles.
As of the time of writing I am looking into purchasing a more reliable car, since replacing the converter is costly and couldn't guarantee the car to last much longer. Considering that I hate the car for not having AUX capabilities, and I've been stuck with the local radio (more like local commercials 24/7) and one good CD (Bad Suns - Disappear Here: highly recommend them), the car is not worth my time and money anymore.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Bought the car for $5,500 used and in great shape. Red, sleek, comfortable, and powerful, it was a dream come true for a kid upgrading from a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser. You know, those cars that your grandparents buy with the doors that look like fake wooden panels, and the cheesy flame designs on the hood? Sometimes with a wild stallion or tiger painted on for flair??!? Alas, I digress. Little did I know the beautiful red paint on this 3.2L Quattro beast was a literal RED HERRING to distract me from the issues to come...
The torque converter has a known faulty seal which can wear down over time and cause slipping and hard shifts between gears. I probably had the car for a month before it started to show symptoms of its eventual decline.
At first, it had a hard shift between the 4th and 5th gears with excessive acceleration applied. This meant driving on the freeway was a bit of a hassle, as the car would enter into a 5th gear limp mode while in motion. This was characterized by a very noticeable kick, followed by high rpms and the lack of gear changes. (At first i thought it was some sort of special "sport mode").
I took it to the Audi dealership and they wanted $7,000 to replace the entire transmission. Other sites quoted me the same, since the cost of the new transmission is around $5,500 - $6,000 itself. I decided against it, and instead chose to put up with the problem because I thought it couldn't get much worse.
Eventually it got worse: slipping between 3rd and 4th gears, entering into 3rd gear limp mode, hard shifts between 2nd and 3rd gears, and less torque and acceleration overall. I might as well be driving an electric scooter, because the highest speed I can achieve is 45 mph.
The cost of solely replacing the torque converter shouldn't be too expensive, as the part itself is anywhere from $300 - $500. I would even do it myself (myself meaning my dad with lots of encouragement from me), but to replace it you have to separate the tranny from the engine. That kind of work is a bit much even for me (my dad). Most places either never got back to me about a quote for this repair, or strongly recommended against it. One guy couldn't even guarantee me that my car would last after replacing the converter, since he's seen Audi transmissions fail anywhere from 80,000 - 200,000 miles.
As of the time of writing I am looking into purchasing a more reliable car, since replacing the converter is costly and couldn't guarantee the car to last much longer. Considering that I hate the car for not having AUX capabilities, and I've been stuck with the local radio (more like local commercials 24/7) and one good CD (Bad Suns - Disappear Here: highly recommend them), the car is not worth my time and money anymore.
- Gideon D., Elk Grove, US