Edit 11 Jul 24: This is now less tentative. The Audi (2008 A6 Quattro S-Line, 3.2/ 6spd auto w/ paddle shift) went in for normal service and came back with a list of things, including a couple that will cause it to fail state inspection in November. My brother has decided he doesn't want to deal with the uncertainty anymore, so I'm helping him get into something new in the near term.
Everything I posted originally still holds, but I can now give some more specific information and some photos. The car is currently at 114k miles.
(photos deleted - new ad with updated photos coming soon)
There are some minor body imperfections scattered around, as to be expected on a car that's lived in Manhattan for the last four years, but no rust. The interior is a little dirty, but aside from the seat backs, everything is intact including the driver's seat upholstery. It drives well, shifts well, and makes good power.
There are, however, things that want attention:
Rear brake pads are worn (I have new ones waiting to go on, and they will likely be done by time of sale)
There is a code for large evap leak. I suspect the gas cap is bad, as there is no smell of fuel and no symptoms other than the code.
The valve cover gaskets are leaking (Again, I have new ones waiting)
TPMS fault because the current wheels do not have working sensors. The system functions normally with the original wheels.
The dealer identified the following additional items:
Front engine mount(s) are bad (no obvious symptoms)
Serpentine belt worn (it doesn't look bad to me - certainly non-critical)
Rear timing chain covers leaking (I think this engine has the timing chain in the front, so I'm not even sure where to look for this)
Upper control arm bushings are failing
Wishbone control arm bushings are failing
Broken exhaust clamp (exhaust is quiet, so again, non-critical)
Tie rod ends need replacement (steering feels fine)
Finally, I pulled DTCs and the following are persistent (come back after being cleared):
P0455 - Large evap leak
01134 - Alarm horn - fault in circuit
02116 - Pass. mirror adjusting motor - short
It's also worth noting that on one occasion I got these two seemingly related codes:
00166 - Access/start authorization switch - defective
01176 - Key - no signal
These have no reappeared and the car starts normally.
Original post:
My brother's Audi, after several years of needing nothing but oil changes, has been acting up lately. He knows nothing about cars, but he's got two active kids to run all over tarnation, and the unscheduled repairs are becoming problematic. He's 100% not a car guy, so he's been asking me a zillion questions about whether or not to keep it. If it were me, I'd absolutely keep it, but he lives in Manhattan and is never going to do anything but take it to the dealership for work (unless I have time and our schedules align). More out of curiosity than anything, I'm posting it here to see if there's any interest. If there is, I'll tell him and see what he thinks, but I imagine the thought of an easy sale would be appealing.
Backstory: The car is a 2008 Audi A6 S-line sedan with the 3.2 and an automatic, dark blue over tan, with about 100k miles on it. My mother bought it as a CPO car in maybe 2011 or so. She drove it locally (hence the low mileage) until COVID hit, when she retired. At that point, my brother had no car and suddenly needed one to escape from NYC, and she didn't need to drive to work, so the car went to him. He's been driving it since, parking in the garage under his building, and coming up here to the dealership for maintenance.
The good: It's been kept up to date on maintenance, has fresh brakes, new tires (General RT43s, IIRC, not Chinese junk; on 17s now because the 18s couldn't take city potholes, but I still have the 18" wheels), and runs quite well. It's a nice spec, with full leather and wood trim. I believe it has xenons.
The meh: It's a solid car, but it's lived in NYC and had two kids riding in it regularly. Both exterior and interior show plenty of signs of use, but it's all cosmetic. Upholstery is good, but the seat back panels are loose. There are a number of dings and small scrapes. A good detailing and a bit of TLC would do wonders, I think.
The bad: It needed a couple of front control arms last year, which ended up being an extended PITA because one ball joint wouldn't come out of the knuckle, so that had to be replaced as well. Now it's making a noise that from his description (I haven't been able to inspect it yet) is probably a front CV joint.
No pictures right now, but I can get some next time he's up if there's any interest.
Edmund's says ~$6000 private party. I think he's be happy with a GRM price of $5k. If anyone's interested or has questions, let me know.
