jeffreyamell@comcast.net

This was so helpful, i know that this was posted years ago but i just bought a used 2017 A4 and was told the same thing...that manuals were no longer printed. i was VERY happy to find it in that little secret compartment. Amazing that it looked like it was never touched and the car has been in service 4+ years! Thanks!!

SDakota

Never discount the possibility that the dealer is lying to you about what is or is not included with the vehicle. When I picked up my new allroad there were no roof rack crossbars even though they were itemized on the window sticker. My dealer had traded the vehicle with a nearby dealer and claimed that the other dealer must have kept them - but only after I pointed out that they were missing. So my dealer grabbed a set out of a different allroad on their lot and I expect they hoped that the buyer of that vehicle wouldn't notice the missing crossbars. When I got my vehicle home I saw that there was no owner's manual either (not even in the compartment by the steering wheel or by the spare tire) so I asked my dealer to send me one. They also blamed that on the other dealer and complained about the cost of ordering a replacement but eventually did so. But they sent the manual only without the vinyl folder and then claimed that the folder had been discontinued. Whatever.

I also noticed elastic straps hanging down underneath my new car, which were the attachments for the protective covering from the factory. The first dealer had apparently just cut the straps with a knife instead of removing the brackets which easily pull off, and the second dealer didn't bother to prep the car properly either or they would have noticed the straps and the missing items. And the first time I waxed my car I found residue from graphic letter stickers that the first dealer must have applied to the bottom of the doors as an upsell attempt and then removed before they sent it to my dealer.

What are the odds of a dealer neglecting vehicle prep procedures or swapping items between cars? If my experience is any indication, those odds are pretty high - at least if you're buying a new Audi in the Denver/Boulder area. And one of those dealers also sells Porsches from the same showroom, so shady sales practices are rampant across brands. Previously I have ordered most of my new cars from the factory (including three Audis) and picked them up as soon as they arrived at the dealers without encountering these problems. After this experience I will try to avoid buying cars from dealer stock to minimize the amount of time they have possession, and will always take careful inventory before driving off the lot.

TL;DR: Great cars, crappy dealers.

PghRich

Denigrating 300+ dealerships, in the US alone, based on one experience at one dealer with one car is a bit of a stretch.

SDakota

Fair point, but I've owned four new Audis and dealt with six dealerships. One dealer was great, three were mediocre and two I would never visit again. The newest dealership was the best, and the most established ones were the worst. It's not just Audi - the traditional dealership model is toxic.

Magnit

Service should stay - sales should adopt online Tesla business model...

TwoRavens

Just brought my 2017 home today, dealer couldn't find the manual. Thanks to this post I found the secret compartment with the never-opened manuals, case, and missing extra key still in the factory package after 4 years. Funniest thing I ever saw. Thanks for the help lol.

Dan in St. Louis

ROFL!

Aviator6

I hope that wasn't an Audi dealer that didn't know the location of the Owner's manual!

TwoRavens

To be fair, I bought it used from a VW dealer. I just thought it funny that the previous owner never cared enough in 4 years to look for it.

Prof

Thanks for this PDF link for the B9 owners manual.