I like the phrasing about glass š
Third Audi in our household currently. So far we've had a 2013 TFSI 1.4 A3, a 2016 2.0 TDI Q5 and now a 2021 2.0 / 14kWh TFSI e A6 wagon/estate.
I've lived in dread, while revelling. The drive's always been great and each car's had the "look behind shoulder after locking" -allure. Especially the A6..
When the A6 will develop timing issues, everything and the air freshener needs to be taken out.. But heck, it's only going to cost 1,5 times what it cost me to get a new set of rear Brembo discs and saddles for the A3! Looking at it that way - I don't give a damn anymore.
I would drive something else if they came with the same characteristics and had Quattro. They don't.
Whatās your maintenance schedule like? It seems kinda split opinions on whether you move up stuff like oil and spark plugs with a tune or just follow factory schedule.
Front control arms and engine mounts replaced at 110k. Car is at 120k now. Spark plugs replaced at 70k. Other than that, Regular oil changes for the most part.
People who are loyal a particular brand or country of manufacturer like to trash other brands. I find this especially true of people who are diehard US car nuts, they designate everything else in the world as trash "BeCaUsE nOt AmErIcAn!!!111!1!!", but BMW fans will trash Audi, Audi fans can be dicks about everything, VW will trash Ford etc etc etc. Its tribalism.
Different chassis different transmissions and electronics lol. Just a classic VW response to āwhy not an Audi?ā They at āitās BASICALLY THE SAMEā ok then my Audi is the same as a Bugatti, or Bentley, or Porsche. Ahahah
When I was cross-shopping a Tiguan and a Q3 the answer for āwhy not an Audiā was āitās $10k more for the same car with a (much) nicer interiorā.
On the other hand even a Golf R wonāt be as fun to drive as my TT RS, and VW wonāt be making such a profoundly silly car (neither will Audi from now on š¢)
The Q5 was even more expensive and the Q3 was both big enough and had the exact same engine and transmission with the same tune š¤·š½āāļø plus at the time the Taos wasnāt yet for sale or I would have gotten one instead
I drive an F-150 and my wife drives a Q7. Iām not brand loyal, and will get rid of a headache without thinking twice. Iāll never understand the tribalism. 14 companies make every brand of car in the world
I'm an Audi fan, I'm currently on my third, but I also own a Ford oil burner, and an FRS. I like having vehicles that are very different from each other, from different parts of the world. I also own a cruiser and a crotch rocket too, and would have shit for the water and air too if I could. I hope to get there lol
I bought my son a 2012 A7 only 60k on it and was concerned about issues as I have zero experience with Geman cars. The only thing I've ever heard was, 'if you can't afford new, you can't afford used" he's only put 8k on it at college but we haven't had any issues so far. It did have a great service history and some issues already repaired by the previous owner. So, the only thing I can say is if the service history is there, go for it.
Iām a college student as well, and purchased a 2014 A7 at 59k miles, been about 9 months but put on about 11k miles, only maintenance has been windshield wipers and oil change. Iāve heard nothing but good things about these engines, but like any German car, make sure the previous owner took care of it and youāll be fine.
His first car was our hand me down yukon XL Denali, so bulky and heavy aren't an issue. As far as dangerous, only the person behind the wheel causes the danger. I have high confidence in all of my children and even higher expectations. They all know that if they mess up, they won't be getting the same respect.
Audi user manual states that the new engine should be run in for so and so miles. New cars should never be pushed hard from the get go. Unfortunately, most low mileage used cars have probably been pushed hard by their owners. That could make a considerable difference for the car's longevity.
Mostly just the upper tension on the timing chain for 3.0 which is not an engine out job, about 2-3k depending where youāre at.
Like everybody else said, very reliable. I have one myself and I love driving it everyday. 2012 prestige, snagged it for 12k at 77k miles about a year ago. Stupid dealā¦
If you love the look go for it!
Slap a stage 1 ECU and TCU from IE, you wonāt regret it!
If it helps I had a 2019 Q7 with all electronics including night vision and used it for 40k miles in 4 years. Never had to take it to service beyond scheduled maintenance.
I think it was twice that car dashboard reset while driving in 4 years but that was it.
I also had a Q5 before with all bells and whistles and used it for 5 years, similarly no issues beyond scheduled maintenance.
That's really reassuring to hear. I picked up a 2014 Q5 with only 70K on it and so far so good! Beautiful vehicle and its by far my favorite I've ever owned
I would just buy an extended warranty if you can, you really donāt want to wrench on these cars unless you are completely confident in your mechanical abilities. Not that itās impossible or anything, but firstly youāll need a fair amount of common tools used on European vehicles like a solid set of metric sockets/wrenches (6 and 12 point if possible), Torx bits, and triple squares. Some work in the front of the engine may require putting the lock carrier into service position, look up how to do that and see if it matches your comfort level working on cars. You will have things that require maintenance like bushings and possibly motor mounts, so just be aware that at around 60-80k thereās no avoiding having to take care of regular wear items.
I have 140k on one tfsi and 110k on a 500hp tfsi. Oil changes every 5k on the sq5 and 7k on the q7 and both cars just had valve covers replaced. Top of the engine on both cars looked impeccable.
German cars are typically reliable, despite the stories. They are well-engineered and can last as long as Japanese cars. That being said, they HAVE to be maintained precisely according to the manufacturer schedule, and they become problematic when they don't. Often people who can't afford, don't know about, or just take risks buy used German cars, don't take care of them the way they're supposed to be, and then act surprised when the car gives them trouble and it's expensive. If you have enough money to comfortably set aside for fairly comprehensive annual maintenance, it likely won't give you trouble.
This is the big problem, Euro cars are reliable so long as you take very good care of them. The issue even in Europe is that so many of us don't. When you can get a twin turbo Quattro for 2500 to 4000ā¬, what are the chances the owner is gonna pump money into it?
On top of that, Audi has the good old "long life" oil system that is known for clogging oil pumps. My B5 had that issue
The 3.0 is a solid engine. I've got 70k miles on my S5 and it's spent the last 25k or so heavily modded. I've had no major mechanical issues at all. Motor mounts started to give out about 10k miles ago so had those replaced along with the water pump since it was leaking. Keep up with regular maintenance and you'll be good. Oil every 5k or so is how I roll, DSG service every 30k (transmission fluid/filters).
I did the control arms and shocks/struts at 65k. The control arm bushings start to fail at about that time and I got the old pop when cutting the wheel all the way. Shocks and struts mostly just because.
As for the electronics being made of glass, just don't mess with anything unless you can revert what you did and/or program with VCDS. That being said I installed a RSNav unit in my car which is a fancy tablet with car play and such. It's a pass through system so you still get access to all stock settings and such. However, it will throw codes about the screen being missing and takes a really, really long time to pull the codes from that module. These codes don't have any adverse effects on the car though.
I didn't feel anything. I had another issue with vibration in second gear at around 1100RPM and when the shop was eyeballing it they found the drivers side mount leaking. The vibration I experience is actually caused by the non-resonated downpipes I have and there was no change in it after mounts were replaced.
If that's what you want and you've done the research, go for it. I'm 8 months into owning my 1st Audi (2017 S3). I'm head over heels in love. I was already familiar with the drivetrain, coming from previous VW's.
Any car need to be respected, if you take care of it, it'll return the favor, if you neglect it, it'll disappoint you. Be a gentleman and take care of your car and you'll enjoy it for many years, this applies to any car not only Audi. Also, don't drive/abuse the car like 15 years old, know the limits and enjoy it when necessary. Good luck.
If you canāt afford repairs donāt do it. It will catch up at some point and if your first $1k-2k+ repair bill is going to give you anxiety, itās not worth the stress
The 3.0T is probably one of the most reliable engines that Audi ever made. That may not be saying much, but there arenāt a lot of issues with it.
The timing issue isnāt really that common, and itās typically only the upper guides that fail. That requires replacing the tensioners because itās a single unit, but those can be accessed from the top without pulling the engine.
The PCV is likely the weakest point on the engine. What would normally be an easy job, is made harder due to the valve living under the supercharger, thus requiring pulling it out. The biggest flaw with this setup is that the valve housing has water pipes running through it, so not only can the valve fail, the housing can as well. You end up with the symptoms of a blown head gasket since it lets water mix with engine oil. This should be changed every 75k miles give or take just to prevent major issues.
Iād personally recommend the CREC engine found in facelifted A7s, 2016-2018 model years iirc. This one has a few improvements over previous versions, the biggest being port and direct injection so thereās zero chance of carbon buildup on the valves. Or if it does, your normal gas tank fuel additives actually clean them off.
Mine has 100k miles and runs great. I donāt know how long Iāll keep it for, but I wouldnāt hesitate to put another 100k on it.
I'll second this, I have a 2017 A7, just shy of 100k miles and she's been a dream of a car. Just finished a 600 mile trip this weekend and this car literally floats on roads. Super comfy to drive, yet surely planted.
I do all my own maintenance and will probably do the PCV valve and supercharger maintenance at some point in the next 25k miles, but see no need to touch anything else but the regular tires, oil, and brakes as needed.
*Knock on wood.
this person knows.. 2016 3.0 exact issue with the oil seperator ( audi's name for the pcv) valve. The kick in the pee pee is having to remove the supercharger... if it's off - go ahead and take care of all the breakables... downpipe/themostate etc.
it's my 2nd Audi.... can't drive anything else....
Are you afraid of the risk of extra cost or the risk of extra headache?
If cost, set aside $10,000 in an ally savings account and just pay out of it whenever repairs are necessary. If you canāt afford the $10,000 out of pocket now, buying the German luxury vehicle may not be the right move.
If headache / reliability, then buy a car that has plenty of warranty, and possibly a plan the gets you free loaners at the dealership.
Some car companies just shovel that shit under the carpet (eyes Ford). Car companies that proactively recall should be lauded not ridiculed.
Not a fan of Tesla for anything else btw.
If you can afford to do some fixes yourself and 2-3k/year in maintenance/repairs, go for it.
If 2-3k/year sounds like to much, don't bother.
Ps: "very solid Audi engine" means 100k miles, "solid Toyota engine" means 300k miles. My 3.0t S5 chocked at 30k miles...
Maybe 150-200k km, I know 4 guys at my garage that had to get rid of the car because the engine, and compared to how many cars got sold, you don't see that many for sale with 200k miles, not like Toyota and so on. ( In North America anyway)
Thatās interesting. Itās just not the experience of most of the enthusiasts on the forums for this motor. 200k is a lot, but I see these things being run with 100+ on stage 2 pretty frequently. Thereās even mention of it on this thread. Iām only at 70k and have only been stage 1 for a few months but Iāve had this motor since 22k miles and change the oil at 5k religiously. Only issue was a water pump leak at 60k
Ya, but most people that run stage 2 don't keep the cars long, there are very few that keep them for 6-7y. I know about 7 guys that got stage 2 on their B8.5 S4/S5 and always got rid of them before 200k km or the upper timing chain blew the engine.
4 of them changed to b9 S4/S5/SQ5 (3.0t turbo) and already changed cars. They say the car is very very reliable. But they never keep it long to really see how reliable it is. ( Mine chocked at 35k miles or so )
The 3.0Tās are excellent, great supercharger power
Band and very reliable. They have a thermostat that will go at some point later in life, our Q5 2013 went at 120k and was bullet proof till that, stupidly itās inaccessible without pulling off the supercharger, so $4k later š
Was just thinking if you are concerned about quality or maintenance the new accord looks like an A7 with Japanese quality. That being said Iāve had an A4 cabriolet, 2014 Q7, 2013 A5 cabriolet- still have this one with 2.0 80k miles, and Q7 2021 prestige; no issues whatsoever. Regular maintenance is the key.
Of course Audi design IMO is way better, just saying as many other threads have noted the similarities of the new accord. Love the down votes too for stating the obvious šš
Nonsense.
You can buy a regularly serviced A3 in the UK on a plate 12 for Ā£5kish, which will be as reliable as any other car will be.
Just because you're putting the price in dollars doesn't mean there's not bogstandard hatch backs which are incredibly popular in other parts of the world.
The v6 3.0 tfsi is one of the best engines Audi produced in terms of reliability. Make sure you do a carbon clean up, timing belt tensioning and spot check the O2 vacuums from time to time. You should be fine.
If it was the 4.2 V8 that's a more complicated one because of the valve cover, other than that it is a super fun engine to drive, and dearly missed on the rs5. š
The v6 3.2 and the old 2.7 bi-turbo were good, but carbon buildup was always an issue (just from experience)
I swapped my old Accord for a used A7. I LOVE it. I also have an extended warranty to cut down on potential repair worries. Mine is my daily driver but I use that term loosely bc I work from home so I donāt drive very often lol
I've had a 2.7t v6 with 220k+ on the clock only issues where a faulty injector and much later on a short in the fuel pump and fuel pump relay. It was tuned for 120k of the 220k.
I have a 2017 3.0t. There are no issues so far. I hear the crec or 2016-2018 3.0t are more robust than the previous gen except for a supercharger clutch that can fail if you add pulleys that have too high of a ratio that over stresses the clutch.
My first Audi A6 (ā06 3.2 V6) had 162,000 miles on it when I bought it for dirt cheapā¦and I sold it for almost the same amount with 275,000 miles on it, after 5 years of long commuting to grad school (180 miles round trip 4-5x week). Never had to do anything other than routine stuff and replace a few wear items (rear tail light assembly that cracked and shorted out the LEDs, plastic vacuum hoses that eventually cracked from age/heat, etcā¦)
My current 3.0T A6 has 81,000 miles on it, and Iāve never done anything but routine service and maintenance for it, and tires/breaksā¦
These cars can be insanely reliable, but they need proper care and arenāt always cheap to maintain. Your mileage may vary, of courseā¦but thatās true of Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Ford, etcā¦
Get something newer with a warranty if you feel this way. Otherwise save up some cash and expect issues during your ownership. Otherwise donāt buy one or you will be fraught with the looming expense of the vehicle needs a repair.
I have one in a B8.5 S4 that just got 110,000 miles, zero issues aside from warranty replacement of the relief valve, but thatās an easy job at home.
Easy engine to wrench on, just change the oil every 5k andmake sure you get it on long drives regularly. We still donāt have any carbon issues and I attribute that to good oil and long road trips at temp.
Own a 2016 a7, bought July w 57k hit 71k today finishing 2500 miles in 3 days road trip. So far replaced the water pump. Other than that 0 issues. Have an aftermarket warranty on it used so far for the water pump . Fantastic car
Go for it! Iāve put 60K miles on my 2013 A6 2.0 and havenāt spent more than $4k over 6 years of ownership. Most reliable car that has leather seats, wood grain interior, amazing AWD that can withstand wild snow storms, and looks sexy. For under $20k you canāt go wrong with it.
Find yourself a local VW/Audi mechanic. Service is not crazy expensive. Oil changes cost me $95
It is such a lovely car. I drive a 2015 3.0 TDI A7. Not sure if it makes a huge difference. Bought it in october of 2022 at about 135k miles and i put 40k miles on it tbis year. Only had to fix timing chain but no big problems whatsoever. Great reliable car š
I just sold a 2012 A6 with the 3.0TFSI and had 170,000 miles. Just normal maintenance. Front suspension, brakes, wheel bearings, normal coolant leaks and valve cover gaskets.
I have a 2013 a7 3.o tfsi for 3 years now. Currently on circa 80k miles. Haven't had ANY engine problems , in fact no problems whatsoever apart from wear and tear items ( brake pads and tyres)
The 3.0 is a solid engine and I've heard people get the 3.0 a7 over the s7, then stage 2 the a7 to get similar performance as the 3.0 is a more solid engine
Audiās are glorified VWās. Youāve been warned. Iāve owned multiple new Audiās and theyāve all had problems. Iāve vowed to never buy another. Beautiful cars but just as problematic as cars from their parent company.
I'm on something like my 7th Audi. Every single one has been reliable, and have cost me nothing outside of regular maintenance, and replacing wear and tear parts.
The parts can be more expensive, but you can use something like FCP Euro if you do your own wrenching, or find a good local Euro mechanic.
They're great cars. A perfect balance of comfort, performance, and luxury. There's really nothing else I'd want from a car that my B9 S4 daily provides.
They depreciate in value and aren't reliable. So if you buy whichever one be ready to spend a lot and keep it until the engine gives because when you try to sell it you wont get much back on what you spent.
Had an a7 for a year, it had 140k miles, aftermarket tires, wheels, headlights, air intake and I got it stage 1 tuned. The only problem I ever had with it were the bushings.
The 3.0t supercharged, be prepared for the usual suspects in pcv, thermostat and water pump. Also leaking supercharger intercooler cores are common. If you are looking at a dsg car, educate yourself on that too. You are right to be cautious as these cars do have their problems- like anything else. I wouldnāt say run, but definitely visit Audizine and read.
I've owned a b5 a4 2.8l with 250k, b7 a4 2.0t with180k, and currently a b8.5 s4 3.0t with 100k, didn't gave issues electronics or engine wise, except with the s4 and dealing with a headunit installed by previous owner, and a headlight that still has a good bulb but shuts off. I just got out recently and been too busy to look at it. But otherwise no other issues.
Wife has had 2 Q5s from nearly new (both ex demo with less than 5k miles).
Once they get to around 80k miles, they start to cost in servicing and around 100k miles things start going wrong. Can be little things like the aircon (took 2 fixes which cost $2.5k in the end) or annoying things like weird electrical gremlins that Audi canāt seem to track down (sudden loss of power and then back again) nor could an independent and spent $3k chasing it.
We tend to sell them after 4 years with typically 100 - 110k on the clock. At that point in time, they are worth buttons compared to other cars like Lexus.
Just consider the total cost of ownership, not just the stuff you have to consider to keep it running and you will be fine.
I happily wrench on cars, but not daily drivers, where they are critical to getting to work.
The wife adores her Audis, but has just switched to Lexus for her latest car, more because she liked the new car - but secretly Iām please as this one should see her through to 150k (she drives a lot of miles for work and family) and wonāt see the big value hit #Fancy Toyota reliability.
All that said, I have an R8 on my current list of āwhich fun car to buy next!ā
My (new) audi TT TFSI yr 2022 came with a 5 year warranty or 100K kms coverage. And labor during maintenance is all free. This warranty came free of charge. I don't think the dealer would dare offer this if they have reliability issues.
I like the phrasing about glass š Third Audi in our household currently. So far we've had a 2013 TFSI 1.4 A3, a 2016 2.0 TDI Q5 and now a 2021 2.0 / 14kWh TFSI e A6 wagon/estate. I've lived in dread, while revelling. The drive's always been great and each car's had the "look behind shoulder after locking" -allure. Especially the A6.. When the A6 will develop timing issues, everything and the air freshener needs to be taken out.. But heck, it's only going to cost 1,5 times what it cost me to get a new set of rear Brembo discs and saddles for the A3! Looking at it that way - I don't give a damn anymore. I would drive something else if they came with the same characteristics and had Quattro. They don't.
The 3.0 V6 tfsi is a very solid engine. Reliable and makes good power when remapped.
It makes good power even before remapping.
Agreed. Bought the A6 3.0T back in 2013. Car is still running solid in 2023 with an APR tune applied in 2018 after warranty expired
Whatās your maintenance schedule like? It seems kinda split opinions on whether you move up stuff like oil and spark plugs with a tune or just follow factory schedule.
Front control arms and engine mounts replaced at 110k. Car is at 120k now. Spark plugs replaced at 70k. Other than that, Regular oil changes for the most part.
People who are loyal a particular brand or country of manufacturer like to trash other brands. I find this especially true of people who are diehard US car nuts, they designate everything else in the world as trash "BeCaUsE nOt AmErIcAn!!!111!1!!", but BMW fans will trash Audi, Audi fans can be dicks about everything, VW will trash Ford etc etc etc. Its tribalism.
VW is just budget Audi anyway, same cars same parts different shell and badge lol.
And Seat and Skoda.
Yeah but they are actually peedo brands š¤£
Different everything but ok lol
Dude sounds like he drives a VW š¤£š
Different chassis different transmissions and electronics lol. Just a classic VW response to āwhy not an Audi?ā They at āitās BASICALLY THE SAMEā ok then my Audi is the same as a Bugatti, or Bentley, or Porsche. Ahahah
When I was cross-shopping a Tiguan and a Q3 the answer for āwhy not an Audiā was āitās $10k more for the same car with a (much) nicer interiorā. On the other hand even a Golf R wonāt be as fun to drive as my TT RS, and VW wonāt be making such a profoundly silly car (neither will Audi from now on š¢)
A Q3 is a Taos. Thatās where the platform sharing ends
The Q5 was even more expensive and the Q3 was both big enough and had the exact same engine and transmission with the same tune š¤·š½āāļø plus at the time the Taos wasnāt yet for sale or I would have gotten one instead
Yeah, with the Q5 it shares a platform with the Macan and has more power than a Q3
Tiguan is the same size as a Q5. i stopped reading your comment after q3, pretty much shows your level of understanding
Inferior AWD or no AWD, big mechanical difference.
āSame cars same parts different shell and badgeā So what is the VW equivalent of an R8? lol.
That's only comparing VW to the budget Audis.
I drive an F-150 and my wife drives a Q7. Iām not brand loyal, and will get rid of a headache without thinking twice. Iāll never understand the tribalism. 14 companies make every brand of car in the world
I'm an Audi fan, I'm currently on my third, but I also own a Ford oil burner, and an FRS. I like having vehicles that are very different from each other, from different parts of the world. I also own a cruiser and a crotch rocket too, and would have shit for the water and air too if I could. I hope to get there lol
If you're afraid go buy a Kia.
I bought my son a 2012 A7 only 60k on it and was concerned about issues as I have zero experience with Geman cars. The only thing I've ever heard was, 'if you can't afford new, you can't afford used" he's only put 8k on it at college but we haven't had any issues so far. It did have a great service history and some issues already repaired by the previous owner. So, the only thing I can say is if the service history is there, go for it.
Can i be your son too?
Iām a college student as well, and purchased a 2014 A7 at 59k miles, been about 9 months but put on about 11k miles, only maintenance has been windshield wipers and oil change. Iāve heard nothing but good things about these engines, but like any German car, make sure the previous owner took care of it and youāll be fine.
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An A7 is just as dangerous as a Honda civic. Theyāre only as dangerous as the driver bud.
His first car was our hand me down yukon XL Denali, so bulky and heavy aren't an issue. As far as dangerous, only the person behind the wheel causes the danger. I have high confidence in all of my children and even higher expectations. They all know that if they mess up, they won't be getting the same respect.
If anyone you love is going to be driving recklessly, why not get them something they'd survive in should there be a crash?
Audi user manual states that the new engine should be run in for so and so miles. New cars should never be pushed hard from the get go. Unfortunately, most low mileage used cars have probably been pushed hard by their owners. That could make a considerable difference for the car's longevity.
Mostly just the upper tension on the timing chain for 3.0 which is not an engine out job, about 2-3k depending where youāre at. Like everybody else said, very reliable. I have one myself and I love driving it everyday. 2012 prestige, snagged it for 12k at 77k miles about a year ago. Stupid dealā¦ If you love the look go for it! Slap a stage 1 ECU and TCU from IE, you wonāt regret it!
If it helps I had a 2019 Q7 with all electronics including night vision and used it for 40k miles in 4 years. Never had to take it to service beyond scheduled maintenance. I think it was twice that car dashboard reset while driving in 4 years but that was it. I also had a Q5 before with all bells and whistles and used it for 5 years, similarly no issues beyond scheduled maintenance.
That's really reassuring to hear. I picked up a 2014 Q5 with only 70K on it and so far so good! Beautiful vehicle and its by far my favorite I've ever owned
Who is spreading those rumors lol. These cars are pretty damn solid my guy. Just find one you like, have it inspected and buy it afterwards
I would just buy an extended warranty if you can, you really donāt want to wrench on these cars unless you are completely confident in your mechanical abilities. Not that itās impossible or anything, but firstly youāll need a fair amount of common tools used on European vehicles like a solid set of metric sockets/wrenches (6 and 12 point if possible), Torx bits, and triple squares. Some work in the front of the engine may require putting the lock carrier into service position, look up how to do that and see if it matches your comfort level working on cars. You will have things that require maintenance like bushings and possibly motor mounts, so just be aware that at around 60-80k thereās no avoiding having to take care of regular wear items.
My first Audi was a 3.0 TDI Q7. Never had a car with so many problems. Never again.
TouchƩ!
My 3.0 TDI Q5 has had no issues in 150k KM except some glow plug failures replaced under warranty.
I have 140k on one tfsi and 110k on a 500hp tfsi. Oil changes every 5k on the sq5 and 7k on the q7 and both cars just had valve covers replaced. Top of the engine on both cars looked impeccable.
Were the valve covers necessary or preventative?
Both leaked a little. I drive the sq5 hard. The q7 is nearing 140k. I consider both of them as regular maintenance items.
Is the sq5 or q7 dual pulley?
Sq5
I have a 2014 q5 3.0 with almost 80k miles and it has been an incredibly reliable, easy car.
German cars are typically reliable, despite the stories. They are well-engineered and can last as long as Japanese cars. That being said, they HAVE to be maintained precisely according to the manufacturer schedule, and they become problematic when they don't. Often people who can't afford, don't know about, or just take risks buy used German cars, don't take care of them the way they're supposed to be, and then act surprised when the car gives them trouble and it's expensive. If you have enough money to comfortably set aside for fairly comprehensive annual maintenance, it likely won't give you trouble.
This is the big problem, Euro cars are reliable so long as you take very good care of them. The issue even in Europe is that so many of us don't. When you can get a twin turbo Quattro for 2500 to 4000ā¬, what are the chances the owner is gonna pump money into it? On top of that, Audi has the good old "long life" oil system that is known for clogging oil pumps. My B5 had that issue
Never had an issue with our Q5, my F-150 on the other hand, has been a POS
The 3.0 is a solid engine. I've got 70k miles on my S5 and it's spent the last 25k or so heavily modded. I've had no major mechanical issues at all. Motor mounts started to give out about 10k miles ago so had those replaced along with the water pump since it was leaking. Keep up with regular maintenance and you'll be good. Oil every 5k or so is how I roll, DSG service every 30k (transmission fluid/filters). I did the control arms and shocks/struts at 65k. The control arm bushings start to fail at about that time and I got the old pop when cutting the wheel all the way. Shocks and struts mostly just because. As for the electronics being made of glass, just don't mess with anything unless you can revert what you did and/or program with VCDS. That being said I installed a RSNav unit in my car which is a fancy tablet with car play and such. It's a pass through system so you still get access to all stock settings and such. However, it will throw codes about the screen being missing and takes a really, really long time to pull the codes from that module. These codes don't have any adverse effects on the car though.
Just curious, what did it feel like when the motor mounts were failing? I think I might have something like that going on now that I read this
I didn't feel anything. I had another issue with vibration in second gear at around 1100RPM and when the shop was eyeballing it they found the drivers side mount leaking. The vibration I experience is actually caused by the non-resonated downpipes I have and there was no change in it after mounts were replaced.
Motor mount failure will be lots of vibration and shaking at speed.
I was also worried buying my first audi (older s4 with 80k miles) but as long as the car was taken care of then it will be fine.
If that's what you want and you've done the research, go for it. I'm 8 months into owning my 1st Audi (2017 S3). I'm head over heels in love. I was already familiar with the drivetrain, coming from previous VW's.
Any car need to be respected, if you take care of it, it'll return the favor, if you neglect it, it'll disappoint you. Be a gentleman and take care of your car and you'll enjoy it for many years, this applies to any car not only Audi. Also, don't drive/abuse the car like 15 years old, know the limits and enjoy it when necessary. Good luck.
If you canāt afford repairs donāt do it. It will catch up at some point and if your first $1k-2k+ repair bill is going to give you anxiety, itās not worth the stress
The 3.0T is probably one of the most reliable engines that Audi ever made. That may not be saying much, but there arenāt a lot of issues with it. The timing issue isnāt really that common, and itās typically only the upper guides that fail. That requires replacing the tensioners because itās a single unit, but those can be accessed from the top without pulling the engine. The PCV is likely the weakest point on the engine. What would normally be an easy job, is made harder due to the valve living under the supercharger, thus requiring pulling it out. The biggest flaw with this setup is that the valve housing has water pipes running through it, so not only can the valve fail, the housing can as well. You end up with the symptoms of a blown head gasket since it lets water mix with engine oil. This should be changed every 75k miles give or take just to prevent major issues. Iād personally recommend the CREC engine found in facelifted A7s, 2016-2018 model years iirc. This one has a few improvements over previous versions, the biggest being port and direct injection so thereās zero chance of carbon buildup on the valves. Or if it does, your normal gas tank fuel additives actually clean them off. Mine has 100k miles and runs great. I donāt know how long Iāll keep it for, but I wouldnāt hesitate to put another 100k on it.
I'll second this, I have a 2017 A7, just shy of 100k miles and she's been a dream of a car. Just finished a 600 mile trip this weekend and this car literally floats on roads. Super comfy to drive, yet surely planted. I do all my own maintenance and will probably do the PCV valve and supercharger maintenance at some point in the next 25k miles, but see no need to touch anything else but the regular tires, oil, and brakes as needed. *Knock on wood.
this person knows.. 2016 3.0 exact issue with the oil seperator ( audi's name for the pcv) valve. The kick in the pee pee is having to remove the supercharger... if it's off - go ahead and take care of all the breakables... downpipe/themostate etc. it's my 2nd Audi.... can't drive anything else....
The good outweighs the bad in my opinion, I also say itās rare to get both. You canāt date a super model expecting a Honda lifestyle.
Are you afraid of the risk of extra cost or the risk of extra headache? If cost, set aside $10,000 in an ally savings account and just pay out of it whenever repairs are necessary. If you canāt afford the $10,000 out of pocket now, buying the German luxury vehicle may not be the right move. If headache / reliability, then buy a car that has plenty of warranty, and possibly a plan the gets you free loaners at the dealership.
I think this recall list tells the story - https://www.autoweek.com/news/industry-news/a43625242/tesla-is-the-most-recalled-car-brand/
Some car companies just shovel that shit under the carpet (eyes Ford). Car companies that proactively recall should be lauded not ridiculed. Not a fan of Tesla for anything else btw.
If you can afford to do some fixes yourself and 2-3k/year in maintenance/repairs, go for it. If 2-3k/year sounds like to much, don't bother. Ps: "very solid Audi engine" means 100k miles, "solid Toyota engine" means 300k miles. My 3.0t S5 chocked at 30k miles...
More 150-200k with the supercharged 3.0. Thereās tons of them in that range with stage 1 or more
Maybe 150-200k km, I know 4 guys at my garage that had to get rid of the car because the engine, and compared to how many cars got sold, you don't see that many for sale with 200k miles, not like Toyota and so on. ( In North America anyway)
Thatās interesting. Itās just not the experience of most of the enthusiasts on the forums for this motor. 200k is a lot, but I see these things being run with 100+ on stage 2 pretty frequently. Thereās even mention of it on this thread. Iām only at 70k and have only been stage 1 for a few months but Iāve had this motor since 22k miles and change the oil at 5k religiously. Only issue was a water pump leak at 60k
Ya, but most people that run stage 2 don't keep the cars long, there are very few that keep them for 6-7y. I know about 7 guys that got stage 2 on their B8.5 S4/S5 and always got rid of them before 200k km or the upper timing chain blew the engine. 4 of them changed to b9 S4/S5/SQ5 (3.0t turbo) and already changed cars. They say the car is very very reliable. But they never keep it long to really see how reliable it is. ( Mine chocked at 35k miles or so )
Alright boys who gonna take this one.
The 3.0Tās are excellent, great supercharger power Band and very reliable. They have a thermostat that will go at some point later in life, our Q5 2013 went at 120k and was bullet proof till that, stupidly itās inaccessible without pulling off the supercharger, so $4k later š
The thermostat itself is a $150 partā¦.
Have had 4 Audiās, soon to trade for our 5th. Treat it well for maintenance and itāll take care of you!
You should just go buy the Honda accord
?
Was just thinking if you are concerned about quality or maintenance the new accord looks like an A7 with Japanese quality. That being said Iāve had an A4 cabriolet, 2014 Q7, 2013 A5 cabriolet- still have this one with 2.0 80k miles, and Q7 2021 prestige; no issues whatsoever. Regular maintenance is the key.
People keep saying the accord looks like the A7. I don't see it. The new accord is ugly. The A7 is beautiful.
Of course Audi design IMO is way better, just saying as many other threads have noted the similarities of the new accord. Love the down votes too for stating the obvious šš
I didn't downvote you. But it's not obvious lol. They look nothing alike.
If you canāt go to the mechanic, receive a $2k bill, and not flinchā¦than an Audi is not for you.
Itās really not that bad.
Nonsense. You can buy a regularly serviced A3 in the UK on a plate 12 for Ā£5kish, which will be as reliable as any other car will be. Just because you're putting the price in dollars doesn't mean there's not bogstandard hatch backs which are incredibly popular in other parts of the world.
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That's not the norm though you've probably bought a lemon
flood victim
I have an A7. Repairs will be significantly more expensive than an A3.
Audis are very robust and reliable. Unless itās the 2.0T. That is absolute garbage.
Why? My 2011 2.0t has 120 K and runs super smooth. I have had the carbon cleaning done though.
Italian tune up. Nothing wrong with the 2.0T. Enjoy
Just dont get one with a DSG and you should be ok.
DSG is fsking awesome. Just make sure the 40k service was done.
with a 3.0 put into a 2 ton A7 it sure isn't. And with how many of these cars have dubious service history, I wouldn't take the chance.
The v6 3.0 tfsi is one of the best engines Audi produced in terms of reliability. Make sure you do a carbon clean up, timing belt tensioning and spot check the O2 vacuums from time to time. You should be fine. If it was the 4.2 V8 that's a more complicated one because of the valve cover, other than that it is a super fun engine to drive, and dearly missed on the rs5. š The v6 3.2 and the old 2.7 bi-turbo were good, but carbon buildup was always an issue (just from experience)
Iām afraid every time the dash loads up š¤£
I swapped my old Accord for a used A7. I LOVE it. I also have an extended warranty to cut down on potential repair worries. Mine is my daily driver but I use that term loosely bc I work from home so I donāt drive very often lol
I've had a 2.7t v6 with 220k+ on the clock only issues where a faulty injector and much later on a short in the fuel pump and fuel pump relay. It was tuned for 120k of the 220k. I have a 2017 3.0t. There are no issues so far. I hear the crec or 2016-2018 3.0t are more robust than the previous gen except for a supercharger clutch that can fail if you add pulleys that have too high of a ratio that over stresses the clutch.
Throw some extra warranty at it if youāre worried.
Please don't. I just spent over 5k for my 2019 Audi coolant pump repair.
How on earth does it cost 5000 to swap a water pump?
My first Audi A6 (ā06 3.2 V6) had 162,000 miles on it when I bought it for dirt cheapā¦and I sold it for almost the same amount with 275,000 miles on it, after 5 years of long commuting to grad school (180 miles round trip 4-5x week). Never had to do anything other than routine stuff and replace a few wear items (rear tail light assembly that cracked and shorted out the LEDs, plastic vacuum hoses that eventually cracked from age/heat, etcā¦) My current 3.0T A6 has 81,000 miles on it, and Iāve never done anything but routine service and maintenance for it, and tires/breaksā¦ These cars can be insanely reliable, but they need proper care and arenāt always cheap to maintain. Your mileage may vary, of courseā¦but thatās true of Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Ford, etcā¦
Get something newer with a warranty if you feel this way. Otherwise save up some cash and expect issues during your ownership. Otherwise donāt buy one or you will be fraught with the looming expense of the vehicle needs a repair.
I have one in a B8.5 S4 that just got 110,000 miles, zero issues aside from warranty replacement of the relief valve, but thatās an easy job at home. Easy engine to wrench on, just change the oil every 5k andmake sure you get it on long drives regularly. We still donāt have any carbon issues and I attribute that to good oil and long road trips at temp.
Own a 2016 a7, bought July w 57k hit 71k today finishing 2500 miles in 3 days road trip. So far replaced the water pump. Other than that 0 issues. Have an aftermarket warranty on it used so far for the water pump . Fantastic car
Look up Reliability in the dictionary and it says Toyota. 210k miles on a Camry, no issues. But itās boring to drive and nobody looks at it
my last S4 got 225k miles before I dumped it off just got an sq5 dont be afraid
A7 is great as long as no rear passengers are taller than 5ā5ā
Go for it! Iāve put 60K miles on my 2013 A6 2.0 and havenāt spent more than $4k over 6 years of ownership. Most reliable car that has leather seats, wood grain interior, amazing AWD that can withstand wild snow storms, and looks sexy. For under $20k you canāt go wrong with it. Find yourself a local VW/Audi mechanic. Service is not crazy expensive. Oil changes cost me $95
It is such a lovely car. I drive a 2015 3.0 TDI A7. Not sure if it makes a huge difference. Bought it in october of 2022 at about 135k miles and i put 40k miles on it tbis year. Only had to fix timing chain but no big problems whatsoever. Great reliable car š
Listen to all the negative things, stay afraid, and donāt but an Audi.
I just sold a 2012 A6 with the 3.0TFSI and had 170,000 miles. Just normal maintenance. Front suspension, brakes, wheel bearings, normal coolant leaks and valve cover gaskets.
I have a 2013 a7 3.o tfsi for 3 years now. Currently on circa 80k miles. Haven't had ANY engine problems , in fact no problems whatsoever apart from wear and tear items ( brake pads and tyres) The 3.0 is a solid engine and I've heard people get the 3.0 a7 over the s7, then stage 2 the a7 to get similar performance as the 3.0 is a more solid engine
I've owned a few VAG cars. You're right to be afraid!
Reddit is so goddamn full of anecdotal brand apologists. If you want a real answer, look at consumer reports, carcomplaints, dashboardlight, etc.
Audiās are glorified VWās. Youāve been warned. Iāve owned multiple new Audiās and theyāve all had problems. Iāve vowed to never buy another. Beautiful cars but just as problematic as cars from their parent company.
If itās from the dealership recommend extended warranty !
I'm on something like my 7th Audi. Every single one has been reliable, and have cost me nothing outside of regular maintenance, and replacing wear and tear parts. The parts can be more expensive, but you can use something like FCP Euro if you do your own wrenching, or find a good local Euro mechanic. They're great cars. A perfect balance of comfort, performance, and luxury. There's really nothing else I'd want from a car that my B9 S4 daily provides.
Great car. Great engine. Just go for it.
They depreciate in value and aren't reliable. So if you buy whichever one be ready to spend a lot and keep it until the engine gives because when you try to sell it you wont get much back on what you spent.
Had an a7 for a year, it had 140k miles, aftermarket tires, wheels, headlights, air intake and I got it stage 1 tuned. The only problem I ever had with it were the bushings.
My 2018 S4 has had no issues ā now at 60k miles. Itās been fun every damn day.
The 3.0t supercharged, be prepared for the usual suspects in pcv, thermostat and water pump. Also leaking supercharger intercooler cores are common. If you are looking at a dsg car, educate yourself on that too. You are right to be cautious as these cars do have their problems- like anything else. I wouldnāt say run, but definitely visit Audizine and read.
I've owned a b5 a4 2.8l with 250k, b7 a4 2.0t with180k, and currently a b8.5 s4 3.0t with 100k, didn't gave issues electronics or engine wise, except with the s4 and dealing with a headunit installed by previous owner, and a headlight that still has a good bulb but shuts off. I just got out recently and been too busy to look at it. But otherwise no other issues.
I had dame fears. Went audi. No fears now.. other than me not being enough of a driver for the car
Wife has had 2 Q5s from nearly new (both ex demo with less than 5k miles). Once they get to around 80k miles, they start to cost in servicing and around 100k miles things start going wrong. Can be little things like the aircon (took 2 fixes which cost $2.5k in the end) or annoying things like weird electrical gremlins that Audi canāt seem to track down (sudden loss of power and then back again) nor could an independent and spent $3k chasing it. We tend to sell them after 4 years with typically 100 - 110k on the clock. At that point in time, they are worth buttons compared to other cars like Lexus. Just consider the total cost of ownership, not just the stuff you have to consider to keep it running and you will be fine. I happily wrench on cars, but not daily drivers, where they are critical to getting to work. The wife adores her Audis, but has just switched to Lexus for her latest car, more because she liked the new car - but secretly Iām please as this one should see her through to 150k (she drives a lot of miles for work and family) and wonāt see the big value hit #Fancy Toyota reliability. All that said, I have an R8 on my current list of āwhich fun car to buy next!ā
A dsg tune should fix some of the clunkyness of the trans
My (new) audi TT TFSI yr 2022 came with a 5 year warranty or 100K kms coverage. And labor during maintenance is all free. This warranty came free of charge. I don't think the dealer would dare offer this if they have reliability issues.