# Looking to buy my first used Audi TT MK2 - advice please.



## MrWriter (Feb 22, 2020)

I'm looking to buy a used Audi TT and I have I have £6,500 to spend.

Looking around the web it would appear that I could get a 2007/8 model with about 70/80k on the clock for that money.

Just wanted to ask the experts on here if there were any suggestions on engines/gearboxes and if there is anything I need to look out for on a used one. I'm sure certain model TT cars have specific problems?

I was thinking a 2 litre TT with the TFSI petrol engine and Automatic.

But, I've heard from a local independent Audi specialist garage that the 2 litre TFSI engines are troublesome for timing chains, cams and oil leaks and they also use a lot of oil. He also advised me to avoid the auto box as it is a DSG thing that is a complicated design (something about a Mecatronic computer bolted to the bottom of it) that goes wrong often and cost thousands to fix when (and it will, according to him) it goes wrong.

After spending this money and buying one I won't have funds left for expensive repairs so if anything mega did go wrong with it I'have to stick in through the auction and hope I don't lose too much.

I must admit, I'm a tad scared about doing this as I'm used to driving an Astra, which has the mechanical complexity of a knife and fork and if it goes wrong (which it rarely does) it is usually no more than £100 to sort it.

I'm a tad worried that an Audi TT will keep my bank balance empty and me sitting in garage waiting rooms waiting for a guy to tell me that the little orange light that came on on the dash will cost me £1800 to sort out!

I've driven my friends 2009 TT, the TFSI 2 litre petrol manual and loved it, such a super car and super quick too.

I prefer an automatic, but if they are trouble I'd tolerate a manual. But, I've heard manual gearboxes have a DMF (can't remember if this is just diesel, or petrol, or both), whereas an auto has no such DMF to go wrong, so it is swings and roundabouts?

I'm based in Cambridgeshire, England and most of my driving is around B-roads and the occasional A road stretch. Every now and then, not very often, three times per year perhaps, I do a bit of motorway driving. I know the TT cars are a little louder in the cabin than say a Ford Focus, but as I don't do much motorway driving I don't mind if it is not as refined as a BMW 3 series.

Any advice would be very much appreciated on which engine/gearbox/petrol/diesel model to go for and with what specs?


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, Welcome to the TTF.
My standard reply for would be MK2 owners
Any Audi out of warranty unless you can DIY will be expensive if things go wrong, so think again if funds are low.
I am a Vauxhall Nurburg owner & it hasn't missed a beat in 7 years.

Common Mk2 probs, saggy leather seats, noisy/failing window regulators, knocking steering racks, bonnet opening lever snaps & poor connections to rear lights, making them dim or loss of lights.
Recent reports of rear chassis/floor corrosion.

DSG, Get it nice & hot, check there is no delay on pulling away & no juddering when traveling very slowly, reversing up an incline or pulling into parking spot etc. Expensive to repair, but probably no more than a manuals clutch.

Check roadster roof op. thoroughly & for any damp as roof drains block easily & any damp can cause future electrical prob.

Hoggy.


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## MrWriter (Feb 22, 2020)

Thanks Hoggy

Ok, to clarify, I don't want a roadster, just a coupe so roadster roof damp/drain issue won't be an issue for me.

When you say DIY, I can do bits and pieces myself such as service: oil change, oil filter, spark plugs, cabin filter, break pads, break discs and other similar stuff to this. But, I can't do more complex stuff like drop a gearbox out and replace the Mecatronic for example, that sort of stuff is beyond my 'basic servicing' DIY skills.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, I wasn't trying put you off just the worst scenario it funds are low, as a MK2 must be a nice, but any 12 year old car could have it's probs. Check it out thoroughly. 
Hoggy.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

While the price of the Mk2's have dropped, the cost of maintenance has not. You're still going to have to deal with Audi prices for parts and service. Keep in mind, this is a luxury sports car, not a Mazda MX5, so everything about it is going to cost you.

You may find a good indy to do most of the work, but buying a 10-year old TT with over 150,000 on the clock is still just an old car with high mileage. If you run through the Knowledge Base, you can read up on various issues people are dealing with. You can expect to see some expensive repairs down the road if the previous owner wasn't meticulous about the maintenance and garaged it.

*FAQ - Mk2 TT Recommended Maintenance*
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1932049

If you're interested in a Roadster, you might enjoy this post. It also touches on some of the issues you may want to be aware of for a Coupe too -

*The Ultimate Audi TT Mk2 (8J) Roadster Compendium*
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1813258


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## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

MrWriter said:


> After spending this money and buying one I won't have funds left for expensive repairs so if anything mega did go wrong with it I'have to stick in through the auction and hope I don't lose too much.





SwissJetPilot said:


> While the price of the Mk2's have dropped, the cost of maintenance has not. You're still going to have to deal with Audi prices for parts and service. Keep in mind, this is a luxury sports car, not a Mazda MX5, so everything about it is going to cost you.


+1
The care and feeding of sports-cars in general, and Audi's specifically can get expensive. You _'may'_ get lucky and have a trouble-free experience, but personally, I would not recommend buying any car that taps your finances to the point where there is nothing left for repairs.

A failed turbo, transmission, DMF, etc will set you back $100's if not $1000's. Hell, a decent set of tires could cost $1k by the time they're mounted and balanced.


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## Delmarez (May 12, 2014)

Ive owned 4 Audi TT's, only 1 mk2 though (current car). My advice would be;

Definitely shop around. The TT isn't a rare car. There are plenty of cars available in your price bracket so make sure you view a good handful of examples. Especially as your location means you could view several in a 100 mile radius. Travel for a nice clean version, the effort and fuel/train fare is nothing compared to an Audi repair bill.

I'd avoid heavily modified versions unless the car is in a really good condition with lots of paperwork and maintenance history. Modifications aren't massively expensive with lots of tuning companies around so a standard one can be personalised quite easily.

If you are worried about expensive bills, I'd recommend buying one from a good used dealership. Yes, you pay a premium off the forecourt, but any major issues that the car already has will be apparent quite quickly after purchase. I bought my 2012 TFSI from a local main dealer as an approved used car. New brake discs and pads, MOT and full service on purchase. Within a month it became apparent that the water pump was leaking (probably why it was part exchanged to them for a new model in the first place) and changed under warranty. Invoice was for nearly £600.

Like any car, there are some really nice cars available that won't be money pits. You just need to sort through the crap to find them. Mine has never used a drop of oil in between oil changes. Other than tyres and servicing it hasn't been any more expensive than a Ford/Vauxhall/VW.


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## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

Let me begin by saying I am not an expert and there are many others on here with more experience and expertise with these cars. I bought an 09 2.0 T FWD with DSG with 73,000 kms just under two years ago and have done 50,000 kms since as I use it for my business which includes a lot of city and regional driving. The only failures was one exhaust sensor and an oil cooler with the latter quite unusual for a TT.

Most of the money I have spent has been on future proofing the engine by replacing the weaker parts over time and having it serviced every 10,000 kms. It does use a lot of oil (1 liter every 5,000 kms) which is not unusual for these engines but for some is unacceptable and not their experience.

I would go with DSG gearbox as unlike the advice you have received it is not a known weak point and if anything are quite bullet proof. I have been on this forum for the last two years and don't recall seeing any significant, recurring issues with DSG's even on older cars.

There are other well known weaker parts (not overly expensive individually) that you could replace overtime to avoid larger issues and to maintain performance. If you are handy with the spanners most of these you can do yourself.

As it ages further I expect I will need to replace/upgrade the suspension, mounts and brakes but this would be normal for any performance car that is ageing. If you are buying privately I would invest in a OBD reader of some kind and see what faults may be recorded in the ECU as part of your due diligence. This way you may pick up a problem that has yet to result in a dash board warning light and could provide an insight into something more serious. A compression test may also be a good idea prior to purchase.

For an older car a good service history would be critical and you would want to see things such as
Cam belt/chain replacement
Tensioner replacement
gear box oil and filter replacements
Cam follower replacement/checking 
PCV valve replacement
Diverter replacement
Coolant replacement
Brake fluid replacement

Good luck and your right they are great cars to drive and put a smile on my face every time.


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## MrWriter (Feb 22, 2020)

Thanks guys. Good advice so far.

Any advice on a decent (but not too expensive) OBD reader?

Also, what about if I purchase a warranty from a company (I'm UK based) such as Warranty Direct, or Warranty Wise, this way I'll be covered and can get on with life and just relax while driving my car.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

For a low cost solution, an OBDeleven is worth looking into. It's a good system, but has it's limitations. The software is cloud-based so you have to have a WiFi connection. It's a credit-based system, but you can get plenty of credits to do what you need to for free.

*FAQ - OBDeleven Open Box Review + Q&A*
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1926901

For really 100% "does it all" system, Ross Tech VCDS is THE go-to system. Stand alone software with free updates, they have tons of resources including fault code lists with recommended repairs, they have their own Forum and Wiki page and are really good at answering emails.

*FAQ - VCDS Open Box Review*
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1928927

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.


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## BlackTipReefShark (Jun 1, 2016)

take your time, dont let your heart right rule, especially if it not quite right but the right colour or you like the alloys etc

get quattro, petrol, auto.

it can take months to find the right one, its worth the waIT


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## MrWriter (Feb 22, 2020)

I was just wondering. A few folk on this thread have said that the TT is a sports car and this is expensive to run and maintain as it is not like a 'regular' car. But, correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't the TT just an A3 or VW Golf - same drive chain, engine, gearbox, chassis, subframe - only with a different mould of metal dropped on top and a different moulded dashboard and perhaps slightly different seats? For the most part the TT is an A3/Golf. Now, I'm sure if I had posted this same question on the Golf forum I would not get inundated with answers saying this is a super expensive sports car with super expensive maintenance requirements?

So, if the TT is basically a Golf or A3, how come all this mega expense? or are Golfs mega expensive cars to run and maintain also?


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## C00P5TT5 (Jul 10, 2016)

Being a first tt mk2 owner myself I would say that the running costs are not unreasonable. Yeah it burns oil but is that going to brake the bank.. Just make sure that you check it.

My advice is check what has been done... Is it standard, has the cambelt been changed regularly, if its a quattro has the haldex service been done.

The biggest cost I have had is fuel injectors coking up due to my short journeys.... A bastard to do on the tt and I'm guessing a fraction of the price to do on a vw.

Service manuals are on this site so check out how much its been looked after.. If we'll, then you should have no problem..... Hoggy has a mk1 that will no doubt keep trucking for another 10 years because of the maintenance on it.

All cars will need a fix every now and again, but if you buy a tt I garantee you will find the solution on this site... Just don't take it to audi 8)


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## Graham'sTT (Dec 6, 2014)

You've had one reply (which I would normally endorse): "get quattro, petrol, auto". Two of these will add to the maintenance costs over a "normal" Golf/A3. Get these on a Golf or A3 and service/repair costs go up.
If you get a 2.0 TFSI coupe with FWD and manual transmission you will help to keep things simple and costs down. As opposed to a TTS or RS, both of which are loaded with expensive kit when it comes to repair / maintenance, viz Haldex clutch for the 4WD, option of S-tronic transmission, mag-ride dampers, increased power and therefore uprated brakes and suspension.
Some of the above can be found on some of the 2.0 TFSIs also (see mine below). And from that list you can see 3 major cost items if/when things fail - convertible roof, S-tronic and quattro 4WD.
Add to that most of the body and parts of the underfloor is aluminium and that can inflate repair costs.
Mine was a low mileage 5 year old when I bought it, 5 years ago. In that time I have had one door lock fail, and a repair to the roof mechanism which is quite common on the roadster. Normal servicing and tyre costs I would say have been on a par with the car's VAG cousins.
Provided all servicing has been done to the book and the car not neglected I would not be put off by S-tronic (auto).
Very relaxing to drive in auto in town and heavy traffic, but quick manual shifting when you want it.
As others have said look at lots of examples, check the service history, take your time, and let your head decide.


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## Taylortony (Feb 10, 2012)

Check the prices of warranties they can be expensive, failing that are you in the AA? if not then think about this

https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/

for the lowest at 7-50 a month you can add parts cover which on mine takes it up to £15.74 a month, this adds

https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/b ... pair-cover



> What's Parts and Garage Cover?
> 
> We know that repairs can be an unexpected cost. That's why we created Parts and Garage Cover (also known as Breakdown Repair Cover) to help with these.
> 
> ...


Now it wont cover amber lights etc fair wear and tear ... but i had a brake line behind the engine fail, it covered it though i had a bit to pay over the £500 as a lot of engine bits had to come out to get to it. it will need to be serviced regular though.


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