Are Audi's Good Cars (Mechanic tells all)

My father owned an Audi 100 when I was a kid and one of my earliest memories is helping him wash and wax it on a Sunday morning. The two-tone yellow over brown Audi was his pride and joy and truthfully I’ve always had a soft spot for them.

Audi’s are good cars, they are a sporty luxury brand with a full model lineup. They score highly for innovation, design, and build quality. However, Audi’s image has suffered from the VW diesel gate scandal and some of their gas-powered engines suffer from serious design flaws.

In this post, you’ll learn why I think Audi’s are good cars despite some lemons in the lineup. You’ll learn which models are lemons, years to avoid, and which ones I would buy.

Is Audi A Reliable Car?

Ask two Audi customers with different models if their cars are reliable and they may give very different answers. While both may agree the cars are wonderful to drive and the interiors are a very special place to be, their admiration might diverge there.

According to JD Power (automotive reliability study) Audi’s dependability rating has for the first time in five years failed to beat the industry average. It should be noted JD results are based on three-year-old Audi’s, not new cars. Consumer reports give Audi a kicking too, they say avoid older Audi A4 and Q7, siting worse than average reliability.

If you’re considering buying a pre-loved Audi A4, definitely check this post out “Are Audi A4 Good Cars”.

Before buying any vehicle, it’s always worth investing few dollars to check the VIN number against a database. An audit with a company like VinAudit (links to VinAudit) will guard against Mileage fraud, Salvage rebuilds, Title washing, and Vin cloning.

Personal experience

I’ve owned a Audi A8 Quattro for several years, I bought it at four years old. Audi’s are special, I always look forward to driving the A8. It’s effortless, confident in corners and its business-like approach is addictive. I love it and will likely buy another.

However, you should know, servicing and repairs are expensive. These cars are heavy and built to perform, under the hood it’s function over form.

The Audi will require a ton more labor to access maintenance components, especially the larger bulletproof V6, V8, and V10 power plants. These cars can’t be maintained for the cost of an Asian car.

Common Audi repairs over and above the usual service items include:

Front suspension components
Brake pads and rotors
Tires
Regular intake system cleaning
Coolant flush
Tranny flush

Best Audi Engines

Criticism of some models is without doubt justified, but writing off the whole brand isn’t. Audi is as you know owned by parent group VW. Engines, transmissions, and many other components are used across the group. A fault at VW is therefore a fault at Audi and the recent Diesel-gate scandal is a prime example. See below.

The very best engines despite diesel gate are the Tdi units, these engines are frugal, powerful, and will easily hit 200,000 miles without major work.

Common Tdi complaints include:

Blocked Dpf filter
Faulty EGR valve
Clogged EGR cooler
Noisy dual mass flywheel (manual transmissions)
Turbo faults
3.0 Tdi will require timing chain replacement at 200k

The very best gas engines are the V6, V8, and V10s. However, they aren’t without complaint. The most common complaints include:

Carbon choked intake system
Faulty intake system
Faulty engine coils
Faulty injectors
Faulty fuel pumps
Oil leaks

What’s Diseselgate?

In a nutshell, Dieselgate is a VW group-wide scandal that broke in 2015. VW engineers had developed special software to cheat diesel EPA and Federal legal requirements on emissions. The cheat software was used in many of the TDI diesel engines from 2009-2016.

Engineers concealed the true emissions figures because they struggled to make the TDI range of engines efficient and at the same time clean. Some Audi models are fitted with the TDI engines and so were caught up in the scandal. If you’re considering a diesel model Audi, definitely check out this post I wrote on the diesel gate scandal.

The Audi models affected include:

2010–2015 Audi A3 2.0L TDI
2014–2016 Audi A6 3.0L V-6 TDI
2014–2016 Audi A7 3.0L V-6 TDI
2014–2016 Audi A8/A8L 3.0L V-6 TDI
2014–2016 Audi Q5 3.0L V-6 TDI
2009–2015 Audi Q7 3.0L V-6 TDI

Before rushing out to buy a Tdi, do some homework on the current legal status of the cars. Some states talked about banning them from their roads. Check out Audi USA for the latest news on the subject.

Faulty Audi Engines

VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) have had some problems with their small gas-powered engines, fitted to the VW, Audi brands worldwide including the Skoda and Seat brands in Europe.

Audi’s fitted with the 2lt 4 cylinders direct fuel injected Fsi, Tsi and Tfsi engines come with a whole host of issues, these included…..deep breath:

Intake manifold failure
Carbon build up
Timing chain tensioner failure
Oil leaks
Water pump leaks
Coil failure
Turbo faults
Fuel pump faults
PCV valve failure
Excessive oil consumption
Faulty injectors

The two most serious being engine failure caused by timing chain tensioner failure and excessive oil consumption.

Faulty Tensioner

The timing chain tensioner’s job is to keep the chain taught, when it fails it allows the timing jump teeth which in turn allows the pistons to collide with the valves. repairing this type of failure requires major rectification work and in some cases requires a replacement engine.

Excessive Oil Consumption

Oil consumption is an issue for some Audi’s fitted with the 20 lt gas engine from 09 to 2013. Audi claim oil consumption of 1 quart per 1,000 miles is acceptable, many owners disagreed. Audi has a process of measuring your oil consumption and if it finds it excessive it initially offered to replace the pistons and rings.

However, latterly that recall was downgraded to a revised PCV valve and software update. As these cars are getting older they’ll obviously become less of an issue for both Audi and owners.

Audi Recalls

When a manufacturer admits to a flaw in their product, they launch a campaign to repair all affected models. Many campaigns are safety-related and are given priority. As of writing, there are 83 pages of Audi recalls logged NHTSA website.

This shouldn’t alarm you, campaigns are common because the truth is, all cars are flawed. Don’t believe me? Check the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Administration), use whichever manufacturer you like, you’ll find a ton of recalls.

I’ve worked in main dealerships on luxury brands like Cadillac, Jaguar, Range-Rover, Volvo, Audi and some of the recalls can only be described as disappointing. The majority of recalls are caused by design flaws, rarely a manufacturing issue. I say disappointing because these companies are making cars for many decades, they have a ton of experience. Some of the faults I believe are simply sloppy oversights.

Here’s just a flavor of the type faults and the approved repairs

Faulty wheel nuts – Remove wheel nuts and replace with revised nuts
Airbag light on – Eliminate airbag block connector and solder connections
Door water leak – Duct tape off surplus stamped door frame hole
Grinding & tramping drive-line – Replace rear differential control module
EVAP fault – Reroute vent valve intake
Interior creaking noise – Bend B pillar sheet metal to prevent vibrating
Interior cracking noise – Remove dash board and fit insulation
Interior center consul scuffing – Fit felt tape to seat belt anchor
Tow bar fault – Replace with revised tow bar

Infotainment software re-flashing, engine software updates are common unofficial running bug repairs. Software is typically uploaded to vehicles free of charge during scheduled maintenance.

Are Audi’s Good After 100k Miles?

Some Audi engines are capable of covering 200,000 miles before requiring some semi-major maintenance. However, some of the engines in the lineup are simply not up to the job without some major rectification work.

If you want longevity in your engine and you intend to clock some big numbers aim for a diesel TDI. If an oil burner isn’t your thing aim for the 3.0l Tfsi V6 engine.

If you’re are buying a used car, definitely check out this post to drive a better bargain “How to buy a used car from a dealer”.

Audi is not bad cars, with all the bad news surrounding VW, you’d think buying one is a terrible idea. Not at all, it’s a lot like a stock market sell-off – it’s actually a great time to buy, once you know what you’re buying. You can check out Hot Audi deals on offer right now by checking out the Edmunds.com Audi link below.

Audi

Engines

The Audi 2.0lt Tdi diesel engine will cover this type of mileage with just routine maintenance. But it will need a timing belt and water pump kit every 85,000 miles. The 3.0l TDI is a timing chain and will need it replaced at about 200,000 and be warned, it’s an engine out procedure.

The larger gas engines are plenty capable of surpassing the 200,000-mile mark but require more maintenance than a diesel. The gas-powered are all direct injection and this, unfortunately, causes carbon build-up inside the intake and combustion chamber.

If left untreated it causes misfires and rough running. Using top-quality gas, regular oil changes with Audi-approved oil, and regular intake system cleaning will help keep carbon to a minimum. If it builds inside the engine, the intake system will need to be removed and physically cleaned. Remember the V engines are large and often require engines out for some repairs.

Transmissions

Common transmissions include DSG (Direct shift gearbox), it’s a semi-auto box, it’s durable but requires timely maintenance.

Tiptronic is a fully auto box that’s clever enough to adapt to your particular driving style. Audi list some Tiptronic tranny’s as oil for life, don’t believe them. Oil is relatively cheap compared to a tranny, go ahead and have the oil and filter changed.

Prior to 2014 CVT (Constant Variable Transmission) was common and has since been discontinued, avoid the CVT system.

Manual transmissions are close to bulletproof and a worn dual-mass flywheel is however common.

Why Don’t Audi Hold Their Value?

I’m a mechanic for over twenty years and cars are without a doubt getting a ton more complex. Higher-end luxury cars will obviously have more technology packed in, after all, that’s how they sell cars. And you won’t be surprised to learn, more gadgets mean a greater chance of faults as the car ages.

Most luxury brands suffer from the same problem, massive depreciation. The average family car loses about 40-50% of it value over 5 five years. A luxury brand may be more like 50-60% and more.

Depreciation

About 45% of vehicle price disappears over the first 5 years

15-20% depreciates by the end of year 1
About another 10% off the residual by the end of year 2
Another 10% off the residual by the end of year 3
Same for year 4 and 5

The reasons Audi among other luxury brands lose so much on depreciation is quite simple. Older luxury cars are packed with sophisticated systems that cost ever-increasing amounts of money to maintain as they age. Add to that a layer of complexity and the fact a mechanics hourly labor rates are the same (or more) for older cars as for new ones.

Very quickly a workshop bill can run into thousands. Consider the following an Audi S4, S6, A7, A8, S8 Q7 fitted with a V6, V8 or V10 engine will require a timing chain kit at about 200,000 miles or sooner. That means the engine out because the chains are fitted to the rear of the motor. Depending on the model, 20 – 40 hours plus is the norm, that’s a labor bill of 2-$4,000 plus parts.

This isn’t particular to Audi, most luxury brands will require engine out maintenance for a lot less than timing chains. As a technician, I’ve removed engines for seemingly simple tasks such as replacing starter motor, air conditioning pump, O2 sensors, turbochargers.

Luxury Audi’s don’t hold their value because owners don’t want to be stuck with bills larger than the value of the car.

Are VW Parts Cheaper Than Audi?

Volkswagen or VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) is a vast enterprise, as you know it owns various other auto brands, some in the value niches and some at the luxury end of the spectrum. VW auto brands include:

VW
Skoda
Seat
Audi
Porsche
Bentley
Bugatti
Lamborghini

VAG cleverly leverages its resources by deploying VW parts, components, and technology right across the group. It is possible therefore to find many VW parts on say a Lamborghini or Bentley. And yes the parts may be identical, same part number, differently branded packaging, and of course a very different price. You bet they’ll charge you more for VW parts in Audi packaging.

I know what you are thinking, could you buy VW parts, fit them to your Audi, and beat them at their own game? The answer, in many cases, is yes.

Many brands share chassis, engines, transmission, sensors, control modules, switchgear, etc. Suspension, body panels, interior trim, etc will be different, but you’ll find many of the components you can’t see are identical.

Buy your Audi parts from VW

Take for example a very common failure across the group – A misfiring gas-powered engine caused by a faulty coil. The coil, also known as COP (Coil On Plug) fitted to the iconic VW bug is the very same coil fitted to the Audi. It pays to do your homework when it comes to VAG parts, the lesson is to search for your replacement parts by part number, not by brand.

Check out the site links below for VW/Audi parts comparison. The sites may be affiliated with each other as they look similar. Comparing identical part numbers in the search box shows identical parts at VW is clearly cheaper.

I checked the prices of a fuel injector, ignition coil, and toothed timing belt, buying identical parts from VW would save $30.

VW Parts Denver

Audi USA Parts

What Does An Audi Major Service Include?

A major Audi service will vary by engine type, model, and fuel. The larger engines will understandably require more maintenance. A major service on a standard Audi includes the following:

Fluid levels check and top-up
Exterior and under-body visual check
Tire, brake, suspension and steering inspection
Oil filter replacement
Engine oil replacement
Air filter replacement
Fuel filter replacement (diesel engines)
Spark plug replacement (petrol engines)
Cabin filter replacement
Tire pressure check and adjust
On-board computer DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code) scan
Reset service reminder message
Update control module software if applicable
Check battery
Door lock & hinge lube
Vehicle road test
Written condition report
Audi Service history stamp/record
Wash and vacuum

Can You Take An Audi To A Regular Mechanic?

Some smaller engine Audi models may be serviced by a regular mechanic, the technology and tools needed are conventional. Larger engines will require a ton more knowledge, tools, and time to complete seemingly simple tasks.

Mechanics are the can-do kinds of people we have to be, we meet immovable objects all day every day. Most mechanics are capable of working on your Audi, but there’s plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t.

You are correct to ask the question, should you take your Audi to your local mechanic? I would say no, it’s much better to take your Audi to an independent Audi specialist, and here’s why.

A specialist will have:

Audi knowledge
Audi experience
Audi specialized tools
Audi specialized equipment
Audi quality parts

Product knowledge is really important, your local mechanic as said is capable I’ll bet of doing the work. But it’s always preferable to have a product-experienced mechanic on the job.

Very often the specialist mechanic can diagnose your particular Audi issues from how you describe the problem and his wealth of product knowledge. In my experience, this translates into smaller bills.

Contact your local Audi owners club, they’ll be only too happy to recommend an Audi specialist in your area. Cultivating a good relationship with a specialist mechanic will pay off in the longer game.

Are Audi’s Good Cars (Mechanic tells all)