Tom

Hello everybody:<br>I have a 97 A4 1.8T and a first-year Jetta IV GLS 2.0 that I took delivery last December. My A4 is virtually trouble-free even if its the first year 1.8T engine in North America. My car doesn't have any turbo-rod problem or any mechanical problems. The only problems are wachy Delta Stereo and oil leaking due to the leaking oil filter (once again, not mechanically). The only problem that I am going to bring to the service is the paint chipping on the Aluminum silver paintwork.<br>The Jetta IV has much...much more first year pain than I expected. First, factory recall for flamming materials behind the seatbelt. 8th times dash rattles since January, they finally fixed it the 9th by replacing the stereo/HVAC/cupholder unit. The most horrible is the towed-in earlier last month because the car won't shifted from P to other gears in automatic. Now question is: should my dad get a BMW E46 323 since the car has so many problems from brake failure (my dad doesn't believe me and the news for this!), side airbags problems and so control arm problem. One person at E46.com had 8th steering problem but BMW still unable to fix it.<br>I know the E46 should be the new car problems as my Jetta IV, but as I have experienced the first year pain on my previous E36 318iM (traded-in for A4). Should I recommend him to get this car or not.<br>Tom<br>97 A4 1.8TQMS<br>99 JETTA IV GLS 2.0<br>00 BMW E46 323iA (should we get it cause of its long lists of problems??)<br>PS: Jetta IV cannot shift from P to other gears was because of a BURNED-OUT light bulb at the back.<br>

a44u

If you only visit the E46.com board, which is strictly a sounding board for gripes, you'll come away with bad vibes for sure.<p>Check the e46 board at bimmer.org and scroll through the posts. MOst people there rave about their car, and the few that complain admit that it's minor stuff and they are overly technical to begin with.<p>The bimmer I have I bought because it was sheer fun to drive (isn't that what it's all about, anyway?) and

tim reynolds

The first model year of most cars are marked by some minor problems. The recall will be a quick fix for the '99 models and by 2000 there won't be any problems.<br>The car itself is awesome. There's not much else as fun to drive- especially at that price.

nealr

burned out bulb????? HUH???

Mitch

Have your dad go to bimmer.org and select the E46 forum. Have him do a FIND for all references to brakes and he will see that there are pulling problems that the factory is still working on for the MY2K.<p>Also there is a steering directional instability problem that he should also do a search on. BMW claims they are working on new control arms but they aren't yet placed in production for the MY2K.<p>Tell him to wait until those problems are solved.<p>I have bought first year models and most of the time I wished I had waited until the car had been out two years.<p>Mitch 99.5 1.8tqms

Marcus Frost

That is so strange. I had the same thing happen on my 1990 Nissan Maxima, and it would not come out of P either! Strange.

Scott

since I am an E46 323 owner who also likes the A4 a lot. But with regard to your first year 323 problems, I worried about the same thing. I came out of a '97 Jetta GLX that was absolutely faultless (not in the shop for anything other than scheduled maintenance for the 2 1/2 years I owned it). I have not had one single problem with my 323, other than taking it in to get the steering wheel centered. Granted, I've only had it 6 months and only 5000 miles, but so far I've been lucky. There are, however, more than a few people on the 3 board with steering/braking problems. I really don't know how widespread the problem is. I certainly would buy another one, though.<p>I wish Little Rock had an Audi dealership; I would have loved to have driven the A4.

DSmith

The burned out lightbulb, no shift problem happened 2X to my father in laws 1996 A6.