The front suspension of the longitudinal engine Audis (and the Seat Exeo derived from them) works with four control arms per side: two above, two below.
It can affect every car in this generation.
vinkodex.Audi Allroad C5 common faults.
1997–2004. The fault list covers this generation and the engines in it. If the listing gives the exact version, pick it below.
M 93 / CC BY-SA 3.0 de
What to watch for
What can go wrong on this car?
The list covers the generation, the engines and the transmissions. Once you pick the version, only the faults that apply to it stay.
expensive3
Dual mass flywheel: diesel
expensiveThe internal springs of the flywheel tire, and the two discs knock against each other.
Applies to the engine BAU, BDG, BDH and 3 more.
The vanes of the variable geometry turbo are glued together by soot and oil arriving through the EGR.
Applies to the engine AKE, BCZ, BFC.
comfort2
The G62 sensor tells the engine control unit how hot the coolant is.
Applies to the engine BAU, BDG, BDH and 5 more.
From the late nineties to around 2006, petrol engines used a secondary air pump to blow fresh air into the exhaust on a cold start, so the catalytic converter reaches operating temperature faster.
Applies to the engine ARE, BES.
Engines and transmissions in this generation
A fault is often tied to the engine, not to the whole generation. You find the engine code in the registration document.
C5 · 1997–2004
Pick the version.
The fault list opens on the version page.
18 versions
EngineVersionPowerFuel · transmissionBody
2.5 l · 2496 cm³
BCZ · BDG · ML310
2.5 TDI 163hp
2000–2006
163 HPdiesel · manualestate2.5 l · 2496 cm³
BCZ · BDG · ML310
2.5 TDI 163hp Advance
2000–2006 · Advance
163 HPdiesel · manualestate2.5 l · 2496 cm³
BCZ · BDG · ML310
2.5 TDI 163hp Pro Line
2000–2006 · Pro Line
163 HPdiesel · manualestate2.5 l · 2496 cm³
AKE · BAU · ZF5HP
2.5 TDI 180hp
2000–2006
180 HPdiesel · automaticestate2.5 l · 2496 cm³
AKE · BAU · ML450
2.5 TDI 180hp
2000–2006
180 HPdiesel · manualestate2.5 l · 2496 cm³
AKE · BAU · ML450
2.5 TDI 180hp Advance
2000–2006 · Advance
180 HPdiesel · manualestate2.5 l · 2496 cm³
AKE · BAU · ZF5HP
2.5 TDI 180hp Advance
2000–2006 · Advance
180 HPdiesel · automaticestate2.5 l · 2496 cm³
AKE · BAU · ZF5HP
2.5 TDI 180hp Pro Line
2000–2006 · Pro Line
180 HPdiesel · automaticestate2.5 l · 2496 cm³
AKE · BAU · ML450
2.5 TDI 180hp Pro Line
2000–2006 · Pro Line
180 HPdiesel · manualestate2.7 l · 2671 cm³
ARE · BES · ML450
2.7 5V Turbo
2000–2006 · 5V Turbo
250 HPpetrol · manualestate2.7 l · 2671 cm³
ARE · BES · ZF5HP
2.7 5V Turbo
2000–2006 · 5V Turbo
250 HPpetrol · automaticestate2.7 l · 2671 cm³
ARE · BES · ML450
2.7 5V Turbo Advance
2000–2006 · 5V Turbo Advance
250 HPpetrol · manualestate2.7 l · 2671 cm³
ARE · BES · ZF5HP
2.7 5V Turbo Advance
2000–2006 · 5V Turbo Advance
250 HPpetrol · automaticestate2.7 l · 2671 cm³
ARE · BES · ZF5HP
2.7 5V Turbo Pro Line
2000–2006 · 5V Turbo Pro Line
250 HPpetrol · automaticestate2.7 l · 2671 cm³
ARE · BES · ML450
2.7 5V Turbo Pro Line
2000–2006 · 5V Turbo Pro Line
250 HPpetrol · manualestate4.2 l · 4163 cm³
no engine code
4.2 V8
2000–2006 · V8
300 HPpetrol · automaticestate4.2 l · 4163 cm³
no engine code
4.2 V8 Advance
2000–2006 · V8 Advance
300 HPpetrol · automaticestate4.2 l · 4163 cm³
no engine code
4.2 V8 Pro Line
2000–2006 · V8 Pro Line
300 HPpetrol · automaticestate
Neighbouring generations
C5 · 1997–2004
C5 (1997-2004). If the listing is from the changeover year, look at the neighbour too.
Common questions
About this generation
Which years does this page cover?
1997–2004. The changeover year can fall in two generations. If the listing is from that year, look at the neighbour too.
Does the fault apply to every car like this?
No. It depends on the engine and the transmission too.
Is it free?
The fault list is.
Information, not an expert opinion
We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.
- A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
- A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
- You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.