Re: V6 owners: reliability so far?

[Shaun Mullen <smullen@philly.infi.net>]

> Carl DeSousa wrote:
> > To all Audi V6 owners, how has reliability been with your cars?
> > Can you tell me what your experiences are so far, especially for
> > higher milaege cars?

With a conspicuous and apparently unusual exception, the V6 in my '92
100CSQW continues to perform flawlessly at 160K.  The conspicuous
exception: The Check Engine warning light came on at 54K, and the engine
was found to have a bad main bearing.  Audi did a major, horribly
expensive replacement at no charge.  My mechanic, who has worked on
Audis for 15 years, and other mechanics to whom I have spoken since then
had never heard of a V6 bearing going.  The engine has been religiously
maintained.  The car has been on extensive trips from the Middle
Atlantic through the Southwest and Colorado mountains some three times
with no problems.  It gets slightly better gas mileage at 160K than when
new.  There is some lifter clatter for a brief period immediately after
start-up, and the V6 lacks the oomph off the line many of us would like,
but that is more than made up for in long-term reliability and the
effortless pulling power through to 120mph-plus.