Looking at Jake's "Rate your TT's Reliability"
poll I've been very surprised that about 80% rate their TT highly.  This
seems more of an emotional response that anything having to do with the
true unreliability of the Audi line.  One need only peruse the
discussion archives to get a feel for what users are going through,
from major issues such as timing belt reliability ot simple things such
as glove compartments falling off, windows that won't roll up and
a crappy remote system that become un-programming.

I like my TT.  It's a lot of fun to drive and it is a good looking car.  However much me may like them -  and this forum is a testimony to the strong following - we shouldn't be complacent and accept that Audi is sticking up with a great number of problems they refuse to acknowledge and/or are unable to resolve.

and while agreeing with you, I still feel there won't be much of a performance or quality comparison between the TT-RS and a Porsche Carrera.  If I'm going to put $75K into a sports car I'll go with the Porsche!

Previously mtndriver wrote:

Looking at Jake's "Rate your TT's Reliability"
poll I've been very surprised that about 80% rate their TT highly.  This
seems more of an emotional response that anything having to do with the
true unreliability of the Audi line.  One need only peruse the
discussion archives to get a feel for what users are going through,
from major issues such as timing belt reliability ot simple things such
as glove compartments falling off, windows that won't roll up and
a crappy remote system that become un-programming.

I like my TT.  It's a lot of fun to drive and it is a good looking car.  However much me may like them -  and this forum is a testimony to the strong following - we shouldn't be complacent and accept that Audi is sticking up with a great number of problems they refuse to acknowledge and/or are unable to resolve.

and while agreeing with you, I still feel there won't be much of a performance or quality comparison between the TT-RS and a Porsche Carrera.  If I'm going to put $75K into a sports car I'll go with the Porsche!

Truth be told - as much as I admire Audi's engineering achievements since the ur quattro of 1980 - I'd also go for the Porsche! Now...if only I could remember where I put that $75,000???

I think MTNDRIVER is suffering from a form of confirmation bias.


You are not gonna see any forum where folks repeatedly post threads about the problems they are NOT having.

Folks who have attentive dealers who take care of their needs will not be posting complaints...


What I see on this and other TT forums is TWO persistent issues that AOA has been loathe to address. Keep in mind that this is the result of republican de-regulation of the auto industry...Audi in europe has been more responsive because European nations actually regulate their industries and won't tolerate screwing the consumer. Here, the republican party fully endorses screwing the consumer in every possible way.

These two issues seem pretty well confined to earlier TT models, and one of them has been resolved in the courts. ( and the timing belt issue is not a problem for 3.2 owners, whose engines have a timing chain)


Other than that, I hear a litany of small quality issues, like the infamous plastic nub on the glove-box latch...squeaks and rattles that are GONNA occur in any car driven hard, and the usual leaky rag tops that you hear on any forum dealing with any ragtop car.

The quality complaints from GM and Ford car owners are as numerous and far more varied, ranging from transmissions to alignment to sit and finish. My GFoird truck literally shed its plastic trim parts like a cat sheds hair.



As to Porsche... I know a few porsche owners... they seem pretty happy with quality overall... but complain bitterly about the cost of the smallest incidental part.
A friend of mine who has a twin turbo carrera has to pay $8,000 for a 60,000 mile tune up.... ( nothing wrong with the car--- just a normal scheduled maintenance)


Audi's quality overall is identical to that of VWs, if not slightly better.

Its not a porsche... but then, I drove the Porsche... their transmission sucked ass compared to Audi's DSG ( which is why Audi is developing Porsche's next transmission )
And not one of their sports cars had a usable load space....
And it was considerably more costly than the TT.

I am sure the Z4 is a fun car to drive... I drove one... I am sure it is well built... but it wasn't 18 thousand dollars better than the TT, which was the price difference.

I can spend $18,000 more than any Z4 owner on repairs before I am on the losing end.

And I think a good number of TT owners overlook that their cars are unreliable, given the high number of complaints on this (and the AudiWorld) forum, vis-à-vis the poll results found here.  There is no cognitive bias or inductive inference deluding me, simply an observation of the substantial number of problem complaints by many members and results of the reliability poll here. 

It would not be too surprising that the bliss of ownership, not to mention the substantial investment, might mask the reality that Audi produces a car with considerable number of ailments. 

Then, it might also be possible that some members might refrain from posting
the truth on the reliability poll.  After all, it can affect resale
value!  Smart, perhaps, but it just doesn't jive with the number of problems repeatedly being reported - instrument cluster failures to mention just one more sore spot shared by many.

And notwithstanding Republican-caused loosening of consumer protection laws that you attribute as the problem, does it not point to AoA's lack of corporate ethics that they should scurry to take advantage of every loophole available to screw their customer base?  Your political position, it seems, blinds you.

mtndriver

Previously mtndriver wrote:

And I think a good number of TT owners overlook that their cars are unreliable, given the high number of complaints on this (and the AudiWorld) forum, vis-à-vis the poll results found here.  There is no cognitive bias or inductive inference deluding me, simply an observation of the substantial number of problem complaints by many members and results of the reliability poll here. 

It would not be too surprising that the bliss of ownership, not to mention the substantial investment, might mask the reality that Audi produces a car with considerable number of ailments. 

Then, it might also be possible that some members might refrain from posting
the truth on the reliability poll.  After all, it can affect resale
value!  Smart, perhaps, but it just doesn't jive with the number of problems repeatedly being reported - instrument cluster failures to mention just one more sore spot shared by many.

And notwithstanding Republican-caused loosening of consumer protection laws that you attribute as the problem, does it not point to AoA's lack of corporate ethics that they should scurry to take advantage of every loophole available to screw their customer base?  Your political position, it seems, blinds you.

mtndriver

My friends (sorry to use a McCainism!),

I think you are missing the point - you either "buy" into the engineering & design legend that is at the core of the "mystic" of Audi or you buy something without an outstanding automotive pedigree but which is built to satisfy a different need. I grew up in the UK and I can tell you when Audi introduced the ur quattro at the Geneva motor show in 1980 it caused a sensation...4-wheel drive, turbo-charged 5 cylinder engine...200 bhp and 200 ft lbs (or is it lbs ft?) of torque - 28 years ago!

When the quattro started murdering the opposition in Rallying, Audi went from being an "also ran" car company to become a major player in the automotive world. Before the quattro, 4-wheel drive and/or turbo-charging were limited to a small number of very expensive road vehicles...Audi has continued to produce products incorporating advanced engineering and, without doubt, some of the most stunning cars on the planet.

So, do you buy an Audi TT because you want to compare it to a Toyota or because you love the design and "delight" in the history of the company that had the vision (not to mention the balls) to put it into production? Audi have built more than their fair share of iconic cars incorporating elegant engineering; copied around the world - just count the number of current cars that incorporate 4-wheel drive or turbo-charging. Audi didn't invent these technologies but they made them "common place" and widely adopted by major car manufacturers.

I don't know about you but when I drive my TT I know I am in a landmark car with an automotive history second to none...is it perfect - absolutely not - is it exciting and fun to drive - yes! The real problem would seem to be the deplorable attitude of AoA toward their customers and their unacceptable treatment of serious warranty issues.

Does anyone have the email address of the CEO of Audi in Germany???