A4 Build Quality

[Fringe Ryder <Fringe@ai.net>]

My A4Q has been great.  I've had a grand total of three things go wrong:

1) The trunk light didn't always go on when the trunk was opened.  This
problem was sporadic, and cleared itself up after about two months.  

2) One of the rear light switches has the detent misaligned with the
on-position.

3) A rattle developed near the dashboard, only at 50-70mph on I-5 (i.e. a
rough freeway.)

I mentioned the first two problems and service ordered new switches, but
they haven't been installed yet because #1 cleared up and #2 is only ever an
issue if somebody uses the rear switch to turn it on for reading and then
doesn't quite get the right position returning it to the home position.  A
nudge and it's fixed.

#3 was a problem.  It was in the shop a total of four times, gone for a
total of about two weeks cumulatively.  The servicemen couldn't easily
reproduce the problem (until they listened and got on the 5), and then they
had some trouble tracking it down.  The wrong door panel also came in at one
point for it.

Overall, the car has been incredibly defect-free.  The rattle was the only
annoying problem, and it didn't even start until perhaps 6K, after hard
washboard winter driving.  The car is currently near 10K.

>Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 09:33:45 -0500
>Those who own A4Qs...
>
>How has the reliability and frequency of "little annoying things" been on
>your vehicle?  I currently own a GTI-VR6 which is annoying me to no end with
>a continous stream of "little things" that simply should not occur on a
>vehicle with 29k miles (including a leaking head gasket).  My concern is
>that VW and Audi are well, you know, related and that some of the bad blood
>may exist in the Audi as well.    

Fringe
'97 2.8L V6 A4Q, std tranny, blk/blk leather.