Q: Wondering if repairs are likely in the near future

Hi there. Most cars are reliable under 100,000 miles. Among the range of cars on the market, Audi is about mid pack in regards to reliability at best. Most Audi’s are VW’s. In the case of your TT, the 2.0l Turbo motor in that car has some oiling issues. The key is frequent oil changes. If the previous owner hasn’t kept up on the oil changes and they don’t have proof, I myself would not purchase this car. In many cases, when the oiling issues occur, it is a motor rebuild or something close.

The oiling issue is the largest of the problems, but this isn’t a factor as long as the oil has been change on schedule for its entire life. The next issue I have with Audi’s and VW’s is the plastic parts they use under the hood becoming very brittle as they approach 100,000 miles. This is a factor of heat cycling. This is the process of heating up and cooling down many times over the years. Again, how bad this car suffers from this is dependent on the previous owner or owners.

If I were inspecting your car for a pre-purchase inspection, my first point of contention would be how well it has been taken care of. If it appears as though owner has taken excellent care of the car, it would likely be a good buy. Even so, it is always going to be susceptible to multiple oiling issues and brittle plastics. Audi’s and VW’s are prone to these problems. Owning this car has a higher cost of maintenance in comparison to a Toyota Camry, but of course, this is a sports car and things like this are to be expected. So if you feel the car is well kept, go for it. Otherwise, if you get a hint of any lack of maintenance, I would pass.

It will need a timing belt around 100,000 miles. This is normal maintenance. Many stock water pumps have plastic impellers that suffer from the same brittleness as other plastics on these cars. This should be replaced with the timing belt. Make sure the replacement is a metal impeller water pump. This is a normal replacement upgrade. If you are serious about the car, I recommend having a certified expert conduct a pre-purchase inspection on the car for you. They will be able to provide a report on the condition of the car and disclose any repairs that may be needed in the near future.