'96 AUDI engine stopped

2.7 Liter v6, Cabrio, auto running fine on the highway and squealed real loud then immediately stopped running altogether. Am hoping this was the timing belt or something affordable.

Sounds like something locked up.

When was the last time you changed the oil? checked the oil? checked the belts? coolant? brakes? trans fluid level?

How many miles on the car? Has it had regular maintenance?

Was anything leaking from underneath before of after this occurred?

A timing belt would not be something affordable on this car. You have an interference engine, which means that when the timing belt fails, valves meet pistons and very expensive things happen. It sounds like your water pump may have locked up, burnt up the timing belt, thus causing it to fail. Will the engine crank when you turn the key? If it does, does it sound different than it used to?

A squeal could have been from any one of a number of things locking up (idler or tensioner pulley bearing, water pump, alternator, or who knows what) or an engine screeching to a halt from lack of oil.

You haven’t given us any info to work with but if it involves lack of oil or a broken timing belt you can delete the word “affordable” from your copy of Webster’s dictionary.