A post by "mikeys01tt" on the TT Car Club of America website sums the situation up well. "Audi does not want to have anything to do with my claim, they shut me down hard. If they would have let us know we should have changed the belt at 50,000mi I would have dropped the $700 or so to do it, now I am out $5,000."
Other troublesome areas of the little German sports coupe are fairly minor. The CD player may buzz if used with the window defogger, for instance. A rough or sporadic idle can be caused by a dirty throttle body and / or throttle control module. There's a possibility for V6 models to have faulty wires and plugs which may cause backfiring, and in turn dislodge an idle control damper from the engine, resulting in a bad idle. The V6 engine is also known to leak coolant because of a cracked O-ring or housing around the thermostat. Really, the high-output 1.8 litre engine seems a more logical choice for most, and 225 horsepower would prove plenty in this little machine.
Be sure to check underneath your possible used TT for signs of damage or rust- and pay special attention to the sill panels- namely the portion of the car's underbelly just beneath the doors. On early models, these sills were easily damaged by jacking or lifting the car, and if the paint and metal underneath were damaged, rust could easily occur.
Recall-related items aside from handling modifications are fairly minor as well. 2000 model year cars may have a leaky section of fuel line that needs to be replaced. Additionally, Quattro-driven models may have a corrosion issue with a rear control arm mounting bushing, which could snap and result in a loss of control. Take the car's VIN number to a dealer to see if the recall work has been completed.
Here's a quick note on a less obvious issue you may encounter with a used TT. These are popular tuner cars in some circles, especially in four-cylinder turbocharged form. A turbo engine means higher-than-factory levels of horsepower are available from installing a simple computer upgrade and making minor modifications. Fun as this is, it can be hard on the engine- so be weary of a used TT that's been modified under the hood unless you know exactly what you're getting into.
But if you find a good deal on a used one and the timing belt checks out, don't hesitate to snatch it up.
photo:Audi
Other troublesome areas of the little German sports coupe are fairly minor. The CD player may buzz if used with the window defogger, for instance. A rough or sporadic idle can be caused by a dirty throttle body and / or throttle control module. There's a possibility for V6 models to have faulty wires and plugs which may cause backfiring, and in turn dislodge an idle control damper from the engine, resulting in a bad idle. The V6 engine is also known to leak coolant because of a cracked O-ring or housing around the thermostat. Really, the high-output 1.8 litre engine seems a more logical choice for most, and 225 horsepower would prove plenty in this little machine.
Be sure to check underneath your possible used TT for signs of damage or rust- and pay special attention to the sill panels- namely the portion of the car's underbelly just beneath the doors. On early models, these sills were easily damaged by jacking or lifting the car, and if the paint and metal underneath were damaged, rust could easily occur.
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| 2002 Audi TT Roadster |
Recall-related items aside from handling modifications are fairly minor as well. 2000 model year cars may have a leaky section of fuel line that needs to be replaced. Additionally, Quattro-driven models may have a corrosion issue with a rear control arm mounting bushing, which could snap and result in a loss of control. Take the car's VIN number to a dealer to see if the recall work has been completed.
Here's a quick note on a less obvious issue you may encounter with a used TT. These are popular tuner cars in some circles, especially in four-cylinder turbocharged form. A turbo engine means higher-than-factory levels of horsepower are available from installing a simple computer upgrade and making minor modifications. Fun as this is, it can be hard on the engine- so be weary of a used TT that's been modified under the hood unless you know exactly what you're getting into.
But if you find a good deal on a used one and the timing belt checks out, don't hesitate to snatch it up.
photo:Audi
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