Hi all,

I am considering purchasing a 2009 Audi A6. Either the 3.0T or the 3.2 liter version. I currently have a Subaru Outback, so getting the all wheel drive model is going to be a must.

I've heard that maintaining an Audi is quite expensive. I understand parts are, it's german and not really popular in the US. But is it really 5K+ a year? Even if you are doing your own oil changes, etc? Besides oil changes, occasional filter changes, tune ups, fluid changes and tires, my subaru doesn't require a lot of maintenance.

Thanks for your help. Hoping to own a new to me Audi soon.

 

I think a lot of us here with older (2005 and older) models probably allocate around $2000 a year for repairs and service. The dealership shop rate by me is about $105 per hour, and I've heard rates as high as $120 per hour for Audi dealerships. A good independent shop that knows German cars will charge around $80 per hour.

Me personally, I wouldn't say Audis are a real pain to take care of. A lot of us - myself included - do all of our own servicing, and the key to success is patience and setting aside enough time to get the job done. A lot of the work on Audis is simply time because of the manner in which the repair must be carried out (IE: the infamous 'service position').

 

Thanks for the information. Really? 2K a year? Seems like they require a ton of maintenance beyond Japanese cars (Toyota, Subaru, etc). I had my heart set on a 08 or 09 A6, but not at that cost.

 

An Audi out of warranty is affordable if:

You avoid an authorized dealer. Their prices are very very very high.

Go by your owner's manual for what to service and when. Don't take an other advice offered by a dealer or a service station.

Find a good independent service station that knows how to work on an Audi.

I just had bad front axels and the quarto front to rear drive shaft. Audi dealer wanted almost $4,000.00. (Not a miss print). The drive shaft alone was $1,300.00 and the front axels were almost $400.00 each, parts only. Said the front to rear axel could not be fixed.

My local service guy did the front axels for $350.00 and I had the front to rear axel rebuilt (bad front bearings, no grease left) for $325.00, labor included. What more is there to say. Oh yea, the Audi did not properly spot the axel problem, said the rebuilt front axels my service guy installed were not any good since they did not come from Audi.

 

Thanks! Seems like I should look for a good local Audi mechanic first. Compared to other cars though, 2k a year seems ... expensive. Is there a reason why it's more? Because it's german?

 

The amount of time needed to properly diagnose and then get to the necessary components is a lot more involved than when dealing with say a Ford or Chevy. True, the parts are generally a little more expensive because of the fact that most of the time they are imported as opposed to coming from a domestic location, but the bulk of what you'll be paying for is the labor. Even at a good local private Audi shop they will still be charging you 60/70% of your bill in labor charges because of the time needed to do stuff.

They are great cars, but they certainly take a lot of know how or a lot of money to properly maintain them as they age. If you properly maintain one however, there's no reason why you shouldn't see 225,000 miles out of one without anything crazy (Piston rings, valves, etc) I have a 2003 2.7T and aside from a leaky passenger side valve cover that I will be addressing this spring, it's still going strong and rides great with 135,000 miles on the clock.

 

Example: I took possession of a 2000 A6 2.7t with 110,000 miles last year. Since then I have done the following"

Changed power steering pump: $650
4 New tires: $550 (Goodyear Eagle) self
4 New Rotors: $200 (slotted) self
Renewed drive shaft bearings (quarto): $325
New front axels: $350
New resonator: $300
Replacement instrument panel: $100 self
Replacement rear caliper: $80 self
Dealer set radio to a Bose setting: $60
Replacement tie rod ends: $150
Polish headlights: $40 self

As you can see; this is about $2,500 but most of those repairs will last for many years. I hope to avoid any repairs during my 2nd year of ownership. This cost did not include expendables such a brake pads, bulbs, oil and filters.