From: sreit@ctp.com (Stefan Reitshamer)
Subject: Re: 1990 Audi 100 SUCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!e+10
Organization: Cambridge Technology Partners
Distribution: ctp
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 22:10:21 GMT

In article <8f=VQ4e00WBLQ2pHET@andrew.cmu.edu>, "Joseph D. Mazza" <mazz+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
|> 
|> Sounds like deja vu!  Back in 1970 I bought an Audi 100LS in its first
|> model year.  BIG mistake.  EVERYTHING, and I mean literally EVERYTHING
|> went wrong with it.  Here's a partial list, from what I haven't managed
|> to block out of my memory after 20 years:
|> 
|> Temp & Fuel guages either dead altogether, or else erratic and inaccurate.
|> 
|> Windshield washer inop.
|> 
|> Air conditioner noisy and completely useless.  Warm air only.
|> 
|> Hubcaps kept falling off -- literally.
|> 
|> The car didn't merely hesitate -- it LURCHED every time you even looked
|> at the accelerator --  IMPOSSIBLE to drive smoothly.
|> 
|> Alternator mounting bracket failed repeatedly, as did the alternator.
|> 
|> OFTEN failed to start.  It got so bad that after the fourth time the
|> dealer brought me out a new loaner 100LS one evening while he towed mine
|> back to be fixed.  The next morning the LOANER wouldn't start!  (Late
|> for work yet again...)
|> 
|> An engine mount failed allowing one corner of the underslung engine to
|> shift downward and screw up the drive train alignment.
|> 
|> The exhaust BURNED A HOLE INTO THE TRUNK when a leak developed in the
|> top of the tailpipe where it jogged upward over the rear axle.
|> 
|> IMPOSSIBLE to keep the front end aligned.
|> 
|> Etc., etc., etc.
|> 
|> From what I've read, the 100LS was so bad that Audi banished its name
|> from the U.S.  The "100" continued in Europe, but here it was the
|> "5000." (Apparently, even the mere mention of the 100LS sent shivers up
|> Audi's corporate spine!)
|> 
|> Ever since my 100LS experience I've avoided Audi's like the plague --
|> despite their seemingly high quality/cost ratio and many testimonials
|> about how much they've IMPROVED over the years.  Forget it.  They had
|> their chance with me.  I had a friend at the time who was car shopping
|> along with me.  On the same day that I bought the Audi he bought a BMW
|> "Bavaria."  His cost about $1500 more than mine at the time, but he had
|> NO problems with it -- and I had to endure his constant raves about how
|> great a car it was while mine was limping (or being towed) into the shop
|> every couple of days.  Long story short: Two BMW's later I've never
|> missed the Audi for an instant.  
|> 
|> I'm sorry about all your problems, but not surprised.  It's just the
|> "100" living up to it's proud heritage!

My 1981 Audi 4000 has 170,000 miles on it (city and highway
in the Northeast). Nothing has rusted through yet (though some pieces are
close) and the only major things I've fixed during its lifetime are the
muffler (twice), the alternator and voltage regulator (Bosch model) and the
rear brake pressure regulator.
It burns about 5 or 6 quarts of oil per year, and no valve/head work was
EVER done on it.
Rather reliable, I'd say.

Large-scale generalizations based on a single experience may not hold true
for all of the millions of other single experiences.
-- 
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Stefan Reitshamer      sreit@ctp.com       Cambridge Technology Partners, Inc.
     Opinions expressed herein belong to no one at all (just to be safe).
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````