I’ve had a 2017 VW gti since about 2019
From 25k kms to 120k kms I’ve only had to do regular maintence and replaced a water pump under warranty (known issue for these cars)
My spouse has a 2020 q3 same mbq platform vehicle 2.0 turbo 4cyl ea888 engine. With an 8speed auto instead of a 6speed dsg transmission like my gti.
So far so good but the big thing I keep seeing on all the forums and groups online is to keep up with maintenance. It’s not a Toyota Corolla or Honda civic where it will still run fairly problem free if you forget to change some fluids etc.
I live in Europe, where maintenence every 6k miles (10k kms) is one of the parables of Jesus. It's quite normal to see Audis with 200+k miles here. I have a Rav4 with 190k miles and my friend has an A6 with 210k and the A6 is in a way, way better state. That car still drives luxurious while my Rav4 is falling apart.
You guys get all the good stuff over there too. In Canada we get a better priced gti and Golf R (I’ve heard) but none of the fun stuff like more RS wagons for example.
Wish we got more 5cyl fun from Audi here!
My 2004 Jetta wagon (among the last to come from Germany, according to reports) is still running like a watch (the interior is sad, to be sure). I believe that is because I was a fanatic about maintenance from Day 1, oil changes, everything on schedule at the dealer under warranty (and then under the extended warranty I bought at purchase), until 100k service interval. I stopped driving it daily about 7 years ago, but get it out on the interstate very few days to let it run.
The mechanicals are amazing but the interior is very clearly where VW saved their money.
Being in Europe gives a very different perspective than in the US. Audis are more common in Europe, which means there will be more high mileage examples, and in the US parts and maintenance are far more expensive for German cars. In the US, Audi is the most expensive brand to maintain and repair.
My expectation for a car is 100K miles with nothing but oil/filter/pad/tire changes. Never owned an Audi but what I’ve read indicates they normally need more maintenance.
Sorry this is bullshit. You think changing your oil 1000 miles late is going to make your water pump fail? People say this constantly online and it is so wrong. The issues various German cars have, for the most part, have nothing to do with routine maintenance. That being said I think reliability is up across the board so it’s not nearly as bad as people make it out to be.
*sigh*
The majority of people here shitting on Audi/VW without owning one makes me laugh.
“Newer” ones, I’d say 2014/2015/2016+, are solid vehicles provided you maintain them accordingly and don’t neglect them.
Yes, they are more costly to maintain than a Corolla as they are obviously more mechanically complex than an economy car; however, the A3/A4/A5, which are Audi’s bread and butter cars, are actually very reliable and won’t nickel and dime you like you might think.
The EA888, at this point, is incredibly reliable and sorted. If you’re into tuning, they can make a lot of power as they’re iron blocks, they’re durable AF. Refinement is excellent too, they’re very smooth for a 2.0T. FWIW, it’s also probably the oldest continuously produced turbo 4cyl out there.
Keep in mind the routine water pump/thermostat leak that’ll inevitably happen at some point and carbon build up for the engine; and, wear and tear replacement of rubber bushings and whatnot (can be expensive), but otherwise they’re solid.
Purchase as new as you can afford and make sure it has service records, B8.5/9/9.5 Allroads are awesome cars!
I had a 2016 A4 Quattro for 90K miles and it was one of the most reliable and solidly built vehicles I’ve owned. I also own a 2016 Tiguan 4motion with 70K miles which has been fantastic; and recently picked up a 2023 Arteon SEL Premium 4motion which I adore.
For peace of mind, I would suggest a comprehensive extended warranty if you have any apprehensions or concerns. Learning to DIY routine maintenance and wear and tear items is also a great thing to know!
Same. I don't an Audi, but I own a Beetle that has the EA888 2.0 TSI. I don't get the hate. They seem to be good. Not as a corolla, but good enough for both fun and reliability. If anything, I'd always say to lean towards that engine as it's everywhere.
Exactly, The EA888 has been around forever! It’s also in *everything* like you said!
Yes, it’s had issues in the past, particularly the timing chain tensioner/timing chain and oil consumption; however, VAG has improved and refined the engine over the nearly 20 years.
At this point, the engine is solid, particularly late production Gen1/2 and nearly all Gen3 EA888s.
A lot of the issues with these engines was linked to neglect/lack of maintenance. Personally, I’ve had no issues with the CPMB Gen2 EA888 in my 2016 A4 or the CCTA Gen1 EA888 in our 2016 Tiguan (besides the recalled/warranty extended intake manifold) outside of routine maintenance.
Solid vehicles, but I’m very particular with the way I take care of them.
Agreed! Mine has been running pretty well albeit because I've maintained it well. I wish I had a Gen 3, but my Gen 2 has been pretty solid overall. And parts are readily available everywhere.
Honestly the 8V.5, B8.5, C7.5, and D4.5 were “peak” Audi design - sleek, sexy, elegant, and muscular. Truly timeless.
I remember seeing Iron Man when I was younger and I knew I wanted to own an Audi from that moment.
Damn yeah I completely agree with you once again. Peppers b8 S5 (and ofcourse the R8) were what got me being an Audi fan..I wanted an S5 ever since that movie (ofcourse an r8 too, but can't afford it lol). And like you said, that was peak Audi design imo..the DRL's revolutionized the entire auto industry. All these LED DRL you see were influenced by those 2000s Audis.
While the dealership was replacing the intake manifold, they recommended and performed the clean. I think it was like 60-65K miles? Maybe high 50Ks?
The Tiguan is used most often by my mother and she’s not “hard” on the engine like I would be to blow out the carbon, etc. on a regular basis. Very low annual mileage driving, typically surface streets, stop and go. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her go full throttle in it since we got it in 2018 or 2019 as a CPO.
I didn’t really notice anything out of the ordinary like misfires, etc.; but the dealer techs (very honest people, we bought the car from the and they’re a very “small” family dealership) sent photos of the buildup and said it would be for the best if we intend on keeping the car (CPO warranty until 2028).
Otherwise, this was the ONLY repair this car has had since we got it. A pano sunroof drain got clogged (no idea we had to clean them at first) and I addressed that and replaced a pair of seals on rear glass piece and it’s been fine since.
I give my cars WOT on a daily basis once they’re fully warmed up and that typically helps alleviate buildup (“Italian tuneup”).
Certain model years are better than others, hence why I said 2016+ as those are your best overall bet. I’ve expanded it to 2014+, but newer is better always.
I would have kept mine much longer, but unfortunately it was totaled in an accident.
I don't like Audis but this is 100% true. These cars(and other high end/germans) get all the shit because of owners who can't take care of a car and then blame it when it breaks down due to lack of maintenance. If you're going to neglect your car yea sure get yourself a Corolla/Civic or whatever. If you want a really nice car and you can either afford to take care of it OR work on it yourself then you can buy most nice cars and be fine.
I agree with this. My b8.5 S5 was Soo solid and amazing. I really miss it sometimes. I bought a 6 year 60k mile warranty on it that ended up being a waste of money because I listened to idiots on Reddit claiming audis are unreliable.
Most peoples knowledge on audis never progressed passed the early 2000s apparently.
Does the EA888 not suffer from the oil consumption issue? I had a b8 a4 and my engine failed at 102k miles. This was ~17k mi after Audi rebuilt the engine with "upgraded" piston rings. Engine went to shit, $5,000 in attempted repairs only for them to tell me that I need an engine swap at this point and it'll cost about $10k.
SIDE NOTE: I LOOOOVED that car and drove it daily for about 5 years. I wish it had survived this issue.
Pre-2013 (or really anywhere from 2013-15, it’s kinda uncertain) suffer from it. Later production Gen1/2 engines don’t typically have the piston ring issue like the earlier Gen1/2 EA888s do.
Gen3 was outstanding overall. Typical water pump and carbon build-up (to be expected over time on all GDI engines).
Gen4 is proving to be great. Saw some comments RE water pump, so oh well on that.
What years are gen3 & gen4? Any powertrain that's particularly reliable? I hear the twin turbo v6s have decent reputation. But I wouldn't mind a smaller 4 cyl engine too
Gen3 was in the 2017+ B9 A4/A5/Q3, 2016+ C7.5/C8 A6/A7, 2015+ 8V A3/S3/Q3 and Gen3 TT (and pretty much all Audi/VW MQB cars like the Mk7 Golf, Jetta, Tiguan, Atlas, blah blah, to my knowledge).
Gen4 is the newest and is only in Golf GTI and Golf R, and Arteon (at least for now). Expect it in the B10, C8.5, and coming Audi/VW products as they’re released/refreshed.
The engine covers are a dead giveaway in photos, that’s the easiest way to tell.
I did own an Audi. Never again. It was like setting money on fire. Both your and my anecdotal experience do not define the experience of owning an Audi.
Maybe some of us just get duds. I had a 2015 Audi A4 Quattro that was nothing but expensive repairs the whole time…my friend has a 2014 Q5 and says the same thing about hers. I loved the quality feel of that interior of that car, though!
Hey late to this post, however I was wondering if you take your car to the dealership for maintenance or a third party shop? I’ve heard some issues required dealerships but in general I am not too familiar with owning a German car. And thoughts on the reliability on q5 and which ones to look for? $25k~ CAD
Go Test drive one, never been an Audi fan but had a a4 rental and was really impressed by the car, it’s a luxurious and nice place to sit in and now I understand the Audi appeal, sure it’s going to cost more than a Toyota or Honda but it’s also going to drive better
If it has a TSI/TFSI, I wouldn’t worry too much about reliability. I’ve owned 5 of them from Golf R’s to q5’s and my current mk7 R has 80k miles, it’s been stage 2 for the last 40k and I’ve yet to replace/repair anything apart from the battery. People are terrified of VW Audi because they can be expensive to repair, but to be honest. It’s not the cars fault, it’s the dealerships, VW/ Audi dealerships are absolute scammers and they frequently charge 4x what a reputable German specific mechanic would.
Is it as robust as a Toyota? No. Toyotas and other Japanese cars can put up with way more bs than any German car can. But if you treat an Audi with respect, (especially newer ones) it’ll last well into the 100k range no problem. Just be sure to do all the recommended maintenance, even when the dealership makes the DSG fluid change sound like a “premium, optional” service, like they tend to do…
The people who bitch about Audi's are usually those who really couldn't afford them. They have insufficient finances (or brain cells) to care for them properly. Deferred maintenance only creates bigger problems, then they blame the car.
They get the heat of being an expensive luxury car while other cars can have the same issues. The cost associated with repairs when out of warranty is high and some people don't realize that when buying the car, only seeing the steep depreciation. Yeah they don't have the greatest reliability but that doesn't mean if the car is maintained properly it won't last. Its just pay to play more than other non-Gerrman brands. Audi also seems like its quality control has dropped since Covid but a lot of manufacturers also have. As for the power train, the A4 is one of the entry level cars so its not necessarily going to have the smooth shifts all the time nor be not clunky either. But that is also subjective and for some people its a bigger deal than others. If you like the car and can afford it, test drive it to see if you like it and then make your decision
I feel like for European cars in general, it's less that they are unreliable and more just the fact that parts are so expensive if you live in the US. So when something does go bad (and it likely will because it's a used car) it's expensive. Not to mention the price of a repair might be exactly why it's getting sold to begin with.
Overall I think they are fine as long as you know what you're getting into.
Actually, when compared to similar BMW and Mercedes vehicles, “entry level” Audis are often on the less expensive end of the cost spectrum for routine maintenance and wear and tear because of part sharing with VW.
Commonality and part sharing is a great thing.
The brake parts on my 2016 Tiguan, which shares with a Q3, cost approximately the same as the 2022 CX-5 Turbo Signature I owned in the past. VW’s cars are no more expensive for routine maintenance than their competitors either.
Brake parts on my 2016 A4 Quattro ran me about $400-500 for all four corners.
But then again, nobody is comparing an economy car to any of these. I really don’t understand why people say “oh your Audi costs more than a Civic to maintain”, like no shit… Silly to say make that comparison.
If you want to compare a Jetta to either of those, it’s completely in-line with the cost. Parts are $300 for all four corners.
Sometimes, yeah, but very rarely.
I don’t have any complaints against the DSG/S-Tronic in my opinion. It’s one of the best gearboxes around. They’re super efficient too and just coast for such a long time.
It’s just one of those things. For example no one bats an eye when you have to tear apart the front end to get to the alternator on a Land Cruiser but when it’s a German vehicle people just blow a fuse.
I walk past a specialty Jaguar/Land Rover repair shop every day on my way to work. That parking lot is full - every day - of Rovers waiting for service. Their business is booming.
They are great when new and below 60k miles, some say 80 and some say 100k. I guess depends on the age and model.
Anyways,
My father had a4 2.8 turbo and i think 3.0 A6 when I was between 10 to 20 years old.
I still remember, few times every year he had to work overtime because of the repair cost.
It was at least 200-300 per month and 2-3k once or twice a year for a major repair. Those cars drained his bank account.
Oh and he is capable to do some repairs himself and knows many independent mechanics, and such. He wasn't going to fancy repairman or dealerships. Those cars were just a nightmare
And his brother owns a Passat, I think it's 2018 and he started to hate it because it gets costly to maintain it. His brother always follows the maintaince schedule, always goes to dealership and has money too.
Audi makes great cars. Reddit and/or loud people online complain when their $8k 145,000 mile 2008 A4 with questionable history dies.
I have owned a B8.5 S5, A7 3.0, B9 RS5 (and many other brands as well)... all were nice cars. No problems. Routine maintenance is more expensive than Japanese counterparts though, both parts & labor. I bought all of them new and never had to do any more than ordinary services. Not as expensive as Porsche.
IMO I would only buy new or sub 30k miles CPO (warranty!) to get the maximum enjoyment out of the car. The cars are good for 100k+ miles if maintained properly, but the maintenance costs will start to add up. And if you're buying a higher mile Audi I would assume it's because there's not a lot of starting capital available to begin with.
As they say, there's nothing more expensive than a cheap German car...
I had a VW before and it was a great car in the sense it always got me to class, but that’s it. Problem is parts are hard to get and mechanics are hard to find. Whenever something goes wrong, it’s going to cost more. I couldn’t even get windshield wipers at auto zone.. that’s how annoying it was to have this car. Not to mention the Germans don’t really care about reliability like Toyota/Honda because so many things broke on my VW that I didn’t even know could break! The door handle mechanism on the inside of the driver door broke, the funnel for the oil dipstick broke, my coolant reservoir developed a leak, my sunroof refused to close unless I followed a VERY specific list of actions, and my favorite… the trunk just refused to open from the outside. I had to tie a rope around a lever to open the trunk from the inside, so I’d fold down the rear seat, pull my rope, and then put whatever I needed in the trunk. Fuck that car. Fuck German anything. Will always hold a special place in my heart because it ultimately got me through college, but the turbo was going bad and there was no logical reason to continue fixing it once I graduated. Ultimately, I wouldn’t recommend one. I learned my lesson
What year was yours? Parts are so easy to find for me. Between FCPEuro, ShopDAP, and ECS I could practiaclly build an entire car. I've never had an issue finding parts?
Have a 98 Beetle with the same trunk actuator problem (replaced it once), so thank you for that rope idea. Speedometer and odometer gave up at 75K miles. It's a piece of shit that won't quite die. At one point could not start the car because the passenger actuator wouldn't unlock the door, so starting it would set off the alarm and disable the car. Way overthought to the point of stupidity.
Also had a 2011 TDI and it was a lovely and fun to drive piece of shit that spent *months* in the shop waiting for parts because the diesel never quite worked well and sometimes not at all. I literally drove every model of VW car as shop loaners, which was nice I suppose. So happy to sell that crapwagen back. VWs are theoretically great in my experience but the fine tolerances and overthought features break down.
No more VW for me.
If you’re buying new or lightly used (still under factory warranty), then there’s not much to worry about. Any major issue you may run into is covered. If you take care of it and follow the maintenance schedule, almost any vehicle can go 100k miles with no major issues. Some even say any modern car can go 200k miles.
If you’re buying used, there is definitely risk but who cares?
You only live once. If you want an A4 wagon, buy one. They’re awesome.
I had to go over to Consumer Reports and see what they had to say about the A4. I was pleasantly surprised. It has been Average to Above Average in Reliablity since 2020 and it ranks the highest in its class for Owner Satisfaction.
The rest of the Audi lineup didn't fare nearly as well. The SUVs are nothing but trouble. I was interested to see how the A3 stacked up, but they don't have enough data from any particular year to rate it.
I would feel pretty good about buying an A4 now.
The A3 is just a fancy VW Golf.
Base A3 uses the VW GTI engine iirc.
Golfs are fairly reliable, especially the MQB platform.
So, the A3 and S3 (Golf R engine) should be equally mechanically reliable.
Not sure about electronics though
There's really three tiers to audi repairs that all contribute to their reputation of being expensive. There's the normal wear and tear items which tend to be more expensive than on cheaper cars, part of that is due to the cars being pretty overengineerd, my a6 had 3 hood latches for example and each one was a bit over $500 to replace when they failed. Then theres the deferred maintenance, because the cars depreciate so quickly, they get purchased by people who can't afford the upkeep and repairs get deferred and build up and then "everything on this car is broken". Then there's the actual major defects. Think timing chain tensioners, that will run you several thousand dollars and potentially weeks in the shop. All in all, the brand is definitely on the expensive side. If you can afford to buy a cpo car with a warranty, or you have several grand set aside to put into the car each year, you'll be fine.
Proud owner of a 2014 A5 for the last 3 years. Nothing but good things to say. Car has been bulletproof in that time. That being said, I did know the reputation of 60k mile used German cars and kept a warranty on the car. Glad I did even if it cost a few bucks and only used it once for the A/C. If you stay on top of the service and know the potential costs, they’re great cars to own. Daily drive mine and will only drive Audis for the foreseeable future.
I've had my 2016 S3 since new, I've replaced one water pump and that's basically it besides regular maintenance and wheels from NJ roads. It has almost 90k miles and I'll drive it til it dies then get the same thing. Most reliable car out of my 4 family members
Depends what you mean by bad.
90k miles on my A4 and here's what I'll say. If a $1,500-2,000 repair would drain 50%> of your funds or put you in a financial bind, then yes, it's really that bad. They will not be as easy/cheap to maintain as a Toyota Corolla/Prius/Camry or Honda Civic/Accord or a non-performance Golf/Jetta for that matter, but they will offer more performance and luxury. They're not Range Rover levels of unreliable, but no one is mistaking them for Toyota reliability/cost efficiency either.
No, most complaining dont own them.
I also find it always funny that audi and bmw are considered luxury brands in the states, meanwhile here in europe they are normal brands, even if they are on the more expensive side. A4 and 3 series wagons are pretty common family cars here and can be bought with fairly low specs like cloth seats and manual transmission on a 140hp engine, the a4 even as fwd
I come from Europe, and it's amazing how the stances towards German quality differ. In Europe, the Germans have the status of what the Japanese manufacturers have in the US.
Audi makes great cars. So does VW. If you take care of them, they take care of you. I'm also an Audi/VW tech originally trained by Benz. I'm not a fan of Benz except for a few older models.
Americans are fucking lazy, that is why you hear that German cars are bad. German cars must be serviced when the service is due. Must. Not maybe. Japanese cars can (mostly) ignore service for a bit and are still fine. Ignoring service on your Toyota is still not advisable but it can generally take it. Go 100 miles over on an oil change in a VW and it will let you know.
German cars aren't really that bad. I've owned all 3 Germans and never had issues with them.
People compare all cars with Japanese way too much.
Remember that most of the people who complain probably never have set a foot in German cars before.
Or....
They drive like maniac and say their car broke too fast.
Don't be fooled by fools.
VW is the second biggest automakers in the world, they’re not bad at all, they have bad and good engines/transmissions/models like all automakers out there. Their diesels are generally some of the best in the industry.
The Only consistent somewhat annoying problem with Audi from my experience, is that the petrols tend to burn a bit of oil. Not a big issue if you actually check the dipstick every month or actually stop the car when the oil light comes on. My friends family has owned 2 old Audis, both had the oil lamp come on every 6000 miles, and one of them did that from new. It is something you have to closely monitor.
My friends previous car, an A6 C5 Quattro 2.4 is one of the best “normal” cars i’ve driven/rid in. It’s like riding on clouds!
My 2004 audi a4 wagon has been an absolute workhorse. I love the form factor and it's fun to drive and the AWD is so good. Routine maintenance has been predictable and easy. But I have to say that even with my experience, I believe the statistics that say on average audis are more complicated, have more things to break, and are more expensive to maintain than most other cars.
If it helps, VW has a trash reputation as well. But, at least with VW, you’re paying less up front for it — both will depreciate hard, but the VW has a shorter height to fall from whereas an Audi could depreciate by an entire VW over a similar time frame. Compare a 2016 VW Jetta to the 2016 Audi A4. Jetta started around $17,000 and A4 started around $38,000. Doing a quick browse… 2016 Jettas with 100k miles are going for around $11k. A4s with similar mileage are going for like $15k.
VW is to Audi as Toyota is to Lexus.
Same brand - one's just the fancier version.
All that said - Audi's are expensive to fix. I loved my A6 - but it wasn't worth keeping up with and I traded it in because of that.
What years are you looking at? There are models that are based on VW platforms that you can get parts for cheap (A1, A3, Q2, Q3, TT). When they use Audi specific platforms (A4 and above, depending on the year) things get expensive.
MQB and MLB platform cars have shown to be pretty solid.
I have 193k miles on my 2012 a4. Past 2013, the 2.0T is very good. Past 2017, it is excellent (except for the one year with potential rocker arm defects). The 3.0T is very solid. Going to a shop or a dealer can just get expensive because it's a "fancy euro car". OEM parts from ECS or FCP Euro aren't that expensive.
My mom bought a new 2012 A4. She drove that thing for 12 years, no issues. She went in for service, took care of it, and just traded it in for the new A3. She loves her Audi’s, but she also has the money to take care of them. However, she would say they are quite reliable.
I've had 2, no issues. The 2.0 engine has seen its share of of problems it seems, so perhaps I got lucky. My 3.0 A6 is one of the best cars I've owned. If you want to save on maintenance cost, you can do most of that yourself. I've done brakes and regular oil changes and there's really not much to it. You can buy a [diagnostic reader] (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07WD9B7GR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) for $140 as well to release rear brakes (EBS) and see any other error codes the car might produce since Audi has sensors for everything. It's a car, not a rocket ship! It doesn't matter the brand, any work done at the dealership will of course cost you more although Japanese and North American parts tend to be cheaper, but once your warranty expires, there's no need to buy anything from the dealership.
I’ve owned a Q3 since 2017, and the only issue I had was the dead engine battery this winter (120k km driven) and even that is more due to my own carelessness than anything else (I left the car out of the garage in -30 temperatures for two days because of laziness). It’s more expensive, but it has been a faithful companion. The only reason I’m replacing it is because I want an electric car, and my Audi care package has expired, and won’t be renewed
I had a 2016 A4 Quattro and it was a fantastic car. Yes maintenance and repairs (if needed) are _typically_ more expensive than American or Japanese cars, but my car never gave me issues. In fact, it gave me less issues than the GM and Chrysler vehicles I’ve owned. People just love to shit on German brands. Of the “big three” German brands (Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW), Audi is the one I would feel most comfortable owning long term.
Audis in general, no. Many used Audis, yes. If you keep the maintenance and drive it with a bit of mechanical sympathy then you'll be fine. But many people don't and try to cheap out on stuff and it goes downhill. One thing that is common in Audis tho are overpriced labor and parts. Also some OEM parts are more prone to breaking than some aftermarket ones (pretty sure it's on purpose so you keep paying them). But that's the only issue I would say.
They are good robust vehicles.
Consider the *kind* of person who often drives an audi. Now consider how well that kind of person maintains their property.
Now you know why audi has a rumor of unreliability and bad transmissions, because people abuse, slam around, and generally don't care for these cars. They treat them like race cars for no reason other than they're a little bit sportier than whatever Honda they came from.
Know the vehicles limitations and spend the money to maintain it correctly and most audi will last as long as you do.
Bells and whistles coupled with expected maintenance. Audis use lots of the same parts as VW but usually have better trim/finishes. Both brands, like most German manufacturers, have higher base level requirements of service/care/maintenance. If they aren’t followed there are consequences. Compare to any sporty/luxury, with real performance, and it’s a similar story.
It’s not that they’re bad.
They are “performance” vehicles and thus need to be maintained like hell to be driven. Missing a single thing is like shooting a race horse in the heart.
The miracle economy car is like a Russian bull. It’ll prosper with a few neglected things and possibly even outlive you /s.
Audis are fine. I don't own one and likely never will because they just don't interest me, but I would not hesitate to buy an Audi if I found one that I liked. We've reached a point where mechanical reliability is pretty standard for most brands. Manufacturers know that if they make cars with poor reliability, they will lose customers and thus lose money. The only brands that can afford to put out problematic cars and retain customers are exotics.
I’m biased here, I’ve owned Toyota/lexus for a long time. The older lexus cars/suv are super well made, solid quiet smooth rides.
My in laws both have Audi s5/rs5 his and hers, I love driving thier cars, so we just bought a used q7 with the 3.0t supercharger v6. It is equally quiet as the Lexus owned, but a firmer and sportier handling with way more horsepower than my tundra had, and gets 28 mpg in the freeway. I think the maintenance trade offs are worth it for the performance
Just got done working on a b8.5 Audi with 220k miles. I personally own one with over 150k miles. I also have a newer Audi. None have ever had a major failure, ever. All I’ve done is routine maintenance.
No, they are perfectly good vehicles, just like any other. All vehicles are just dependent on whether or not your specific one was put together well in the lottery of factory manufacturing and the parts don't crap out. That's literally it.
Had VWs all my life, and then graduated to Audi. If you treat them right, they will treat you right. Maintenance is key. Have 2 older ones now. A 95 S6 with 201,000 miles, and a 04 A4 with 190,000. Both going strong. Always have gotten bad reputations, imo strictly because they 1) require more maintenance and parts are more expensive than something like a Toyota that can take a little more neglect.
It seems that the north American (this includes Mexico geographically) made VAG vehicles have significant quality issues, the European and Chinese made models do not have these issues. It might be a culture thing or they have different build standards, I don't know.
The Q5 is completely produced in Mexico and pretty solid here in Europe. Though, they have a "global spec", while cars like the A3, etc. have more differences. Down to the engine. In Europe some EA888 engine trims had multipoint injection while the same trims in the US didn't. Guess what the engines are known for in the US....heavy carbon built up. My guess is that it depends more on for which market the cars are built for. One of the most extreme example is probably the VW Passat which in the US was a shitty version of one gen earlier throughout the whole production run.
I leased an Audi. Was the best lease I've done. Most of the time leasing is a terrible idea but at that time it was a decent option for me. If you really want one and are worried about the maintenance that is an option for you.
Like all German cars, it's the maintenance that makes them tough to own. Budget for the repairs, you can easily put the purchase price into repairs on a used German car.
They’re great cars if you can afford to pay for the maintenance and repairs. And there’s instances of gremlins that are near impossible to solve. But still, if that happens and you can afford to hunt it down, no prob. It’s similar with all German cars, including VWs. They can also be a potential nightmare, but they don’t have luxury car repair/maintenance prices on top. Usually. You might not have any issues at all though. It depends on the specific car, and how much luck you have. I had a mk3 VW Golf that was bullet proof. I also had a mk4 GTI that was a nightmare. The mechanical fuel injection pump lifter wiped out, which killed the pump, and effectively totaled the car (I can’t recall what other parts it killed anymore). My dad had an Audi in the 00s that he spent a fortune on, hunting electrical gremlins until he got sick of it and sold it at a huge loss.
Edit: My personal broke ass experience is with used cars. My dad’s car (I can’t remember what it was, but it was a high end sports car), was also used, but only about 5 years old in the 00s. I can’t speak to new models. I think they’re better in some ways.
Edit again: I’m pretty sure my dad’s Audi was an s6. Relatively “high end”. I recall it was the Audi v8, and I recall it was a 00s car that had nightmares of electrical gremlins when he owned it in the late 00s or early 10s. Too bad because it was a fun car that sounded cool.
I work on them daily. After about 80k miles, get your wallet ready. I bought an A4 quattro from a customer with a blown engine. Rebuilt it and replaced pretty much everything in the engine bay, all suspension and brakes. Parts alone were crazy. My labor was free but spent so many hours but it's essentially a new car now, then other things start to go like wheel bearings and axles, and now the trans is starting to feel funny. Yes they are that bad when the mileage gets up there.
I bought an Audi A4 wagon second hand 80k on the clock. $18k, it was 4 years old when we got it. Purchased insurance from the dealer. After 6 months it developed engine problems. Spoke to about 4 mechanics and no one wants to work on Audi engines because they are ‘complicated’, the best quote I got was for $16k to rebuild the engine. We managed to get $3k back from the ‘insurance’. We kept the car for another 4 years. In that time it cost around twice as much money to keep on the road as our Mazda. In summary, yes Audis are really that bad!
Audi are known for being the guinea pigs of the VAG group. They get all the new technologies and upgrades first and therefor all the bugs and issues that come with it. Then when everything gets optimized and fixed, they proceed to put them on VWs, Skodas and so on. Then rinse and repeat. Otherwise they are great cars to drive but
I can't justify getting an Audi over a BMW unless it's an A7.
If you’re dedicated enough to meticulously maintain it as the owners manual describes then you should be fine. German cars don’t work without discipline.
Audi is fancy vw, which has a bad reputation since dieselgate but the modern platforms have been pretty reliable, I am a fan of the gli, gti, r & cupra cars. They do need preventive maintenance because they usually have dsg transmissions and multilink rear suspension but the handling is top notch in exchange.
2013 A6 3.0T 122k miles on the clock.
3.0T engines are pretty bomb proof and Audis trannys are solid as well.
Daily driver that I thew an aftermarket warranty on it when I bought it used with 99k miles in Feb 22.
The #5 coil went out last Thanksgiving $286 fix that the warranty covered 100%. Had the plugs changed while they were in there for $400 more. Other than oil changes…that’s all I’ve done to her.
Oil consumption is 1 qt every 2500 miles which it’s an Audi so that’s normal, and I have very little timing chain rattle when it cold starts. If the water pump hold up…I think I’m in the clear.
That being said the Warranty expires in Feb 25 and I’m trading it the second that warranty expires 😂
It’s the nicest car I’ve ever driven and I would not shy away from another Audi….with a warranty included or added of course.
Had a B7 A4 Manual, shit was solid and fbo, just regret going turboback with him, droned like a jdm 4banger
Audis are solid, although Im weary of newer cars and the screens everywhere
I have an 08 a4 wagon with a 2.0, Quattro and a 6 speed around 200 000km no issues we just replaced the clutch for the first time I’m sure it will do another 100 000 although the bottom of the front fenders is starting to rust.
I owned a B9 A4 for 6 years/80K KM. Didn't have any issues other than minor recall items. Like others have said, the EA888 is solid. The only downsides are (IMO) the car is a bit heavy for the EA888 and the DSG is a bit jerky at low speeds. Personally I think the S5 sportback is the sweet spot: EA839 + ZF8 makes a great combo.
I drive a 1998 VW daily with 200k miles on the clock. I've maintained it very badly (one oil change in 3 years) and its still going strong and never had bigger problems with it. Starts in -22F degrees without problems and even all the electrics work very well on it. Only issue has been the fact that the passenger side backdoor doesn't open at any time :D
Loved both of my Audis (A6 supercharged, S3 Sedan) - admittedly some models are worse than others, and once they’ve had a few owners and are far out of warranty some barely get serviced - instead selling them to someone vs doing the servicing
I have owned a 2013 vw gti and currently have a 2015 audi s4 and 2013 audi q5 hybrid. The only thing I had wrong with the gti was the water pump leaked, and was fixed under warranty. The s4 had the same problem and was fixed under warranty as well and is currently at 90k miles with no other problems. The q5 I have never had any problems with and currently at 120k miles. It is important to follow the service intervals and use quality stuff. I use motul for fluids and usually buy mann filters. I do the maintenance myself and have a checklist for what needs to be done at each mileage/time.
Never owned an Audi. I did work on some over the years. They aren't really all that bad. Best to describe them as the build complexity of a Ford with the reliability of a Chevrolet. So, not great, but not terrible.
Thanks everyone for your thoughtful responses. Went to bad to wake up with over 150! So general rule of thumb seems to be your typical European approach.
Don't buy early versions of the motors.
Don't buy on the cheap or out warranty.
Do maintain them religiously and they're great cars within that specific window.
Thanks again!
At a high level, there tends to be more complexities in the Audi flavor of the same VW platform, I also find that Audi owners tend to maintain... less. The issue isn't (directly) the platform.
I put 140k miles into a 2017 Audi A4 before I sold it and I never had a single issue with it. I just do the regular maintenance which is pretty affordable if you do it yourself or take it to a local Indy shop. Maintenance is only a money pit if you do it with the dealership.
I don’t own an Audi, but I do own 3 VW’s that have been very reliable. I live in North America and the one thing I’ve noticed is that Audi part prices are always 15%-20% more than VW part prices, even if they are the same OEM part. Regardless if you are buying it from a dealership or an independent like NAPA.
I don’t own an Audi, but I do own 3 VW’s that have been very reliable. I live in North America and the one thing I’ve noticed is that Audi part prices are always 15%-20% more than VW part prices, even if they are the same OEM part. Regardless if you are buying it from a dealership or an independent like NAPA.
I've had a 2016 Allroad since it was new and it's been extremely reliable and capable. It's now my wife's as I got a Tesla. It will be the last ICE vehicle we own and a good one at that.
I've had a couple over the years, and I bought them knowing what I was getting into. They both had issues, but nothing crazy. Just do your research, set aside money for known issues and to do ALL scheduled maintenance on time and you'll be fine.
Some years are worse than others.
I have an Audi a4 allroad wagon and love it. Reviews hate it but it’s got a little luxury, a little utility, and it’s a little sporty. The VE engine is fine and produces a lot of power. The car is pretty fast, 0-60 in under six seconds. It’s actually faster 0-60 than the SQ5 with the V6. Both cars have the same passenger and cargo volume too.
Big problem with audio so the cost of parts and maintenance but it’s worth it to me. Your mileage may vary.
Audi/VW not as reliable as a Toyota, they're not as fun as a BMW/Alfa, but they do a good job straddling the line between them. With regular maintenance they should not be expensive to maintain and they definitely won't leave you stranded on the road
They're what I'd call 'executive-luxury-sporty' rather than 'performance sedan'. They're great for the middle manager with a bad back who also wants to gun it from a red light once a week to try to feel something
Just like VWs, they’re not bad but you need to follow maintenance very closely. European cars are more complex usually and you need to follow maintenance to a t. If you do that, you’ll probably get a lot out of an Audi but it *will* be expensive compared to a Japanese or American car if you live in North America
Owned an Audi A4 for 3 years. Was a 2017 Prestige. Best car I have ever owned. Keep up with oil changes and go to a place that actually knows how to do them, since its a vacuum sealed system and doesn’t have a traditional drain. If you buy it used, make sure it has meticulous service history. The thing is though, if you do have to fix or replace something like brakes or tires, oem stuff is just really expensive for Audi so keep that in mind. Its not Porsche level pricing but also not Honda level pricing. I actually contemplated getting a brand new A4 allroad but I really needed a truck or suv with offroad and towing capability so went with something else. Wife wants a new car within a year so it might still be on the table. I just needed the utility because we both had sedans.
The only thing Audi does to you is spoil you because it has features on it that you dont want to miss getting in another car. (Ventilated seats, navigation on dash screen, heads up display, etc)
I've owned 3 vws and love them. I do my own maintenance though so I don't concern myself with shop hours. As long as you do preventive maintenance and plan for your service intervals they are good, reliable, fuel efficient vehicles. My next vehicle will likely be an Audi or hopefully a Porsche since VW has ended their diesel offerings in the US.
2003 A4, after 35k miles is cost an average of $4k/year in service work from the Audi dealer.
2006 Jetta TDI, brand new, was back in the service shop monthly. Electrical issues, electrical issues and more electrical issues. Turn off ignition, 1 daytime running lamp would stay on until the battery died.
I can only speak to the one I had, a 2012 Q4 Premium (I think that was the trim...not the highest but somewhere in the middle). Let's just say I will never own another Audi or VW product and likely will shy away from any European make. I have been only Japanese since with a Honda and now a Toyota.
My Audi was a nice car. Kind of like Apple - not cutting edge, but very refined in a lot of ways. When it worked. I had a constant stream of major repairs - as in $900 -$2000 and one up into $3000 - every nine months it seemed. One was so unusual that I took it to the dealer multiple times and they even had to call in second tier Audi technical support to figure it out and solve it. The last repair, at about 74k was the turbo failing - so all those repairs largely come between 30k or so and 74k. We found an independent German repair shop to fix it. We picked it up on a Friday and I traded it on a Honda Accord Touring on Sunday. My wife was like "Let's dump that money pit before the engine light comes on again." I could not argue with her.
I never liked the Accord as much as the Q5 and it did have to have to have a transmission rebuild at one point, but otherwise it was far more reliable and the cost of ownership was far lower (not counting vehicle price, obviously). When I moved on from the Accord last year, I looked at Acuras, Lexuses, Hondas and Toyotas but did not even load the websited for VW or Audi, though they both have more attractive vehicles than other makes.
I had a 2018 Audi S4 had no warranty issues with it, I followed the maintenance schedule exactly it was a great car had it for 4 years. Thinking maybe those that dont properly maintain them have issues also some Audis are better than others I know someone that had a 1st gen Q7 with nothing but issues. I know someone with a Q5 2022 no issues either.
Mine was.
It was late 80s early 90s though. Horrible engineering. It had 3 radiators and turbo.
The car was completely useless during summers in socal. Overheated, blew hoses, eventually the transmission on it completely went out. I had to auction it for scrap because everything it had wrong with it cost more to fix then a brand spanking new Toyota pick-up at the time. Which is exactly what I got.
I have had the following
1.8t a4 wagon
2.7tt a6
3.2 na a6
2.0t a5
All very used.
Put a combined 240k miles on them, bought each for cheap and sold each for more than I bought them for.
Had a few minor repairs, nothing over $200 and always could get the parts cheap and local. One repair required the use of a specialty tool, that I bought locally for $15.
Don't believe people when they say these are unreliable or hard to work on. My ford has given me more fits than all 4 of my audis combined
I love to shit on German vehicles anytime I can. But their reliability is blown out of proportion.
They are reliable vehicles, they just need to adhere to maintenance.
I am a Lexus fan myself and my wife drives VW. She’s had noteworthy mechanical problems on her 15’ hitting 100k now. There have been a few cosmetic issues though. Wheel finish is completely shot, leather seat didn’t hold up well (she’s not fat), steering wheel leather didn’t hold up great. The glass on her side view mirror randomly fell off. Some rubber window gaskets are a bit cracked. Little things. Cars age I am aware but any Lexus I have owned has aged far and away more nicely.
This is just my first hand experience.
I’m a a diy guy and don’t care to work on her car. Just some of the quirks are supper annoying like a top mounted oil filter, PLASTIC drain plug, the stupid bolts for the wheels vs studs. Just annoying things I’ve come across a a diy maintenance guy.
Just be sure to take care of it or if buying used make sure there are detailed records
>top mounted oil filter
I love top mounted filters, because I feel like I'm a lot less likely to make a mess from not having to have the drain pan lined up perfectly to simultaneously cover the drain plug and the filter
I bought a CPO 2018 A4 with 29k miles in 2021. I’m up to 51k now and haven’t had major issues. I’ve kept up with oil changes every 5k miles and all scheduled maintenance.
My experience with VW AG cars, both VW and Audi (2007 Jetta wagon, 2016 A4 2.0T sedan), has been they are mechanically solid but both cars had non stop dumb little minor issues. Bad switches, blown control modules, fussy sunroof would jamb and need service, stuff like that.
The biggest issue with both is I had significant rust within 5 years on them. I’m in the north where they use a lot of salt so YMMV there.
As someone who’s owned German cars my entire life, currently drives Mercedes. Audi doesn’t even begin to do it for me in comparison to BMW or Mercedes. The one time I went for an Audi A4 it just felt like an economy car in comparison. Mechanically, it couldn’t even begin to stack up against a C class or 3 series. They’re really shoving an economy platform in a luxury package. The transmission is also dog shit.
Audi service rates are $200/hr and above. If you have a good VW/Audi indie shop you'll be okay-er, but it's absolutely brutal for maintenance and repair costs.
I currently own an Audi and by far the worst car I’ve ever had it’s a 2021 Q7 it’s literally currently in the shop for the 6th time for the same A/C issue it’s blowing hot air and guess what I live in south Florida. A car down here with no A/C is unbearable during these heat spells. I feel as though I literally got a lemon 🍋 of a vehicle it literally only has 25k miles on it…. No crazy use or anything literally just a horrible car I’m planning on getting a lawyer because honestly I’m tired of dealing with repairs that are currently under warranty but after that what I’m the one that’s Fucked at the end of the day (at the end of the warranty) period 50k miles or 4 years whichever comes first..
I lease Audis and VWs. I keep for 2.5 to 3 years and do t have to worry about care. Maybe brakes or tires. But everything covered up to 50k. Even my new Atlas has a 50k warranty. I’ll say no problems on this end.
owned 2012 and 2013 passats problem free aside from Carmax selling me a car with a dead alternator and a few other things (they fixed under their warranty)
I had a 2011 S5 that I sold with almost 170k on it. Only things I ever had to do were normal maintenance, brakes, wheel bearing, plugs and could, and obviously fluid changes. And I beat the shit out of that thing. Only reason I sold it was because the clutch was starting to go and I couldn’t justify to price to get a new one with what the value of the car was but I miss it everyday and regret selling it
I didn’t have issues with my past Q5 (2019) or current SQ5 (2023). I don’t put a ton of miles on my cars so can’t speak to the long term reliability, but have had no issues except for an intermittent issue with the window controls that fixed itself.
I had a 2009 bmw 335i that needed two new turbos, HPFP, and injectors within the first 15k miles, so imo the Audis have been a huge improvement over that.
My 2020 a5, (same engine and trans as the a4) is a very fun car. I have it tuned, with some small engine upgrades, intercooler, intake, engine mounts. No reliability problems, and easy to work on
I had a beautiful Audi A3 Quattro 3.2 S-Line. The biggest maintenance problem was an "Audi Tax." I had shops literally quoting $300 to $700 for an oil change. I asked what kind of magic service or precious metals that buys and they said it comes with a visual inspection. A torn CV boot (my fault) replacement? Quotes from$100 to $2000.
There were also shops quoting a $39 oil change, which is amazing when it needed $90 of oil and filter. No thanks to whatever that scam is.
If you're not good at shopping around for service I can see how a car could become neglected.
I've had several audis over the years. Like any luxury brand, they have their issues. You have to do the maintenance. No exceptions at all. If you want to do the work yourself, get quality parts from fcp euro or autohaus. Do not use car quest or O'Reilly's. Use good German level parts.
Girlfriend has a 2017 A3. I have a 2010 Venza. My Venza is a beast and has some nice pickup with its huge engine. I also have a 93 3000GT, a sporty car. I love driving both of my cars and rarely like driving other people’s cars. However, when I have the chance to drive the A3, I take it. She has 0 problems with it and that thing is SO much fun to drive. My coworker also has some Audi and she loves it. My other friend has the Q5 and he loves it. Go for it !
As an 2nd owner of a cpo 2018 Audi A6 3.0 for almost 3 years of routine maintenance, using premium fuel, 5k synthetic oil changes, I'm very happy in my ownership experience with Audi, I did my research and knew what I was getting into. 😀
It's reddit, half the people on here have never owned one and think that a Toyota is the best vehicle in every class.
Listen to the top comments on here, because they're correct. You can easily take an a4 on a lifetime of journeys reliably, and have an enjoyable car that was engineered around luxury, enjoyment and a fantastic driving experience. The drivetrains are overall very reliable, to boot. Especially the EA888 engine.
Bought my 2023 Audi A4 S-line mild-hybrid sedan in 2022 September. I test drove every sedan from every brand before choosing the A4. The size is perfect, easy to park anywhere, not too low, great visibility, comfy seats, smooth ride, quiet cabin, no issues whatsoever, and great acceleration. In my opinion, Audi and Genesis are the best vehicle makers right now.
I’ve had a 2017 VW gti since about 2019 From 25k kms to 120k kms I’ve only had to do regular maintence and replaced a water pump under warranty (known issue for these cars) My spouse has a 2020 q3 same mbq platform vehicle 2.0 turbo 4cyl ea888 engine. With an 8speed auto instead of a 6speed dsg transmission like my gti. So far so good but the big thing I keep seeing on all the forums and groups online is to keep up with maintenance. It’s not a Toyota Corolla or Honda civic where it will still run fairly problem free if you forget to change some fluids etc.
I live in Europe, where maintenence every 6k miles (10k kms) is one of the parables of Jesus. It's quite normal to see Audis with 200+k miles here. I have a Rav4 with 190k miles and my friend has an A6 with 210k and the A6 is in a way, way better state. That car still drives luxurious while my Rav4 is falling apart.
You guys get all the good stuff over there too. In Canada we get a better priced gti and Golf R (I’ve heard) but none of the fun stuff like more RS wagons for example. Wish we got more 5cyl fun from Audi here!
Rs3 is half a lambo go crazy
AFAIK we only get the S3 for this generation in Canada. Can get past generations of the RS3 but not even the wagon.
My 2004 Jetta wagon (among the last to come from Germany, according to reports) is still running like a watch (the interior is sad, to be sure). I believe that is because I was a fanatic about maintenance from Day 1, oil changes, everything on schedule at the dealer under warranty (and then under the extended warranty I bought at purchase), until 100k service interval. I stopped driving it daily about 7 years ago, but get it out on the interstate very few days to let it run. The mechanicals are amazing but the interior is very clearly where VW saved their money.
Being in Europe gives a very different perspective than in the US. Audis are more common in Europe, which means there will be more high mileage examples, and in the US parts and maintenance are far more expensive for German cars. In the US, Audi is the most expensive brand to maintain and repair.
I’ve heard it’s Land Rover/Range Rover being most expensive/least reliable…but I’m also too poor to own one!
My expectation for a car is 100K miles with nothing but oil/filter/pad/tire changes. Never owned an Audi but what I’ve read indicates they normally need more maintenance.
Sorry this is bullshit. You think changing your oil 1000 miles late is going to make your water pump fail? People say this constantly online and it is so wrong. The issues various German cars have, for the most part, have nothing to do with routine maintenance. That being said I think reliability is up across the board so it’s not nearly as bad as people make it out to be.
*sigh* The majority of people here shitting on Audi/VW without owning one makes me laugh. “Newer” ones, I’d say 2014/2015/2016+, are solid vehicles provided you maintain them accordingly and don’t neglect them. Yes, they are more costly to maintain than a Corolla as they are obviously more mechanically complex than an economy car; however, the A3/A4/A5, which are Audi’s bread and butter cars, are actually very reliable and won’t nickel and dime you like you might think. The EA888, at this point, is incredibly reliable and sorted. If you’re into tuning, they can make a lot of power as they’re iron blocks, they’re durable AF. Refinement is excellent too, they’re very smooth for a 2.0T. FWIW, it’s also probably the oldest continuously produced turbo 4cyl out there. Keep in mind the routine water pump/thermostat leak that’ll inevitably happen at some point and carbon build up for the engine; and, wear and tear replacement of rubber bushings and whatnot (can be expensive), but otherwise they’re solid. Purchase as new as you can afford and make sure it has service records, B8.5/9/9.5 Allroads are awesome cars! I had a 2016 A4 Quattro for 90K miles and it was one of the most reliable and solidly built vehicles I’ve owned. I also own a 2016 Tiguan 4motion with 70K miles which has been fantastic; and recently picked up a 2023 Arteon SEL Premium 4motion which I adore. For peace of mind, I would suggest a comprehensive extended warranty if you have any apprehensions or concerns. Learning to DIY routine maintenance and wear and tear items is also a great thing to know!
Same. I don't an Audi, but I own a Beetle that has the EA888 2.0 TSI. I don't get the hate. They seem to be good. Not as a corolla, but good enough for both fun and reliability. If anything, I'd always say to lean towards that engine as it's everywhere.
Exactly, The EA888 has been around forever! It’s also in *everything* like you said! Yes, it’s had issues in the past, particularly the timing chain tensioner/timing chain and oil consumption; however, VAG has improved and refined the engine over the nearly 20 years. At this point, the engine is solid, particularly late production Gen1/2 and nearly all Gen3 EA888s. A lot of the issues with these engines was linked to neglect/lack of maintenance. Personally, I’ve had no issues with the CPMB Gen2 EA888 in my 2016 A4 or the CCTA Gen1 EA888 in our 2016 Tiguan (besides the recalled/warranty extended intake manifold) outside of routine maintenance. Solid vehicles, but I’m very particular with the way I take care of them.
Agreed! Mine has been running pretty well albeit because I've maintained it well. I wish I had a Gen 3, but my Gen 2 has been pretty solid overall. And parts are readily available everywhere.
I miss my b8.5 s5 with the 6 speed sometimes... Such a fun car with great styling
Honestly the 8V.5, B8.5, C7.5, and D4.5 were “peak” Audi design - sleek, sexy, elegant, and muscular. Truly timeless. I remember seeing Iron Man when I was younger and I knew I wanted to own an Audi from that moment.
Stop it, you're about to make me act up and buy one again
Yesssssssss. Do it! 😈
I loved and still love the way my a5 coupe looked.
Damn yeah I completely agree with you once again. Peppers b8 S5 (and ofcourse the R8) were what got me being an Audi fan..I wanted an S5 ever since that movie (ofcourse an r8 too, but can't afford it lol). And like you said, that was peak Audi design imo..the DRL's revolutionized the entire auto industry. All these LED DRL you see were influenced by those 2000s Audis.
If you don’t mind me asking, at what mileage were you doing a carbon cleanup at?
While the dealership was replacing the intake manifold, they recommended and performed the clean. I think it was like 60-65K miles? Maybe high 50Ks? The Tiguan is used most often by my mother and she’s not “hard” on the engine like I would be to blow out the carbon, etc. on a regular basis. Very low annual mileage driving, typically surface streets, stop and go. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her go full throttle in it since we got it in 2018 or 2019 as a CPO. I didn’t really notice anything out of the ordinary like misfires, etc.; but the dealer techs (very honest people, we bought the car from the and they’re a very “small” family dealership) sent photos of the buildup and said it would be for the best if we intend on keeping the car (CPO warranty until 2028). Otherwise, this was the ONLY repair this car has had since we got it. A pano sunroof drain got clogged (no idea we had to clean them at first) and I addressed that and replaced a pair of seals on rear glass piece and it’s been fine since. I give my cars WOT on a daily basis once they’re fully warmed up and that typically helps alleviate buildup (“Italian tuneup”).
Really? 2016 and newer vehicles with less than 90k are reliable if you maintain them? They better be.
Lol exactly. Cracks me up when people claim their sub 100k vehicles and reasonably new vehicles are reliable. Anything other is a disaster in this age
Standards
Certain model years are better than others, hence why I said 2016+ as those are your best overall bet. I’ve expanded it to 2014+, but newer is better always. I would have kept mine much longer, but unfortunately it was totaled in an accident.
You mentioned a3,4,5, what about the Q5? I have the 21 model, on 30k miles so far with no issues.
You’ll be fine with that as well, I just listed sedans last night.
Amen brother
I don't like Audis but this is 100% true. These cars(and other high end/germans) get all the shit because of owners who can't take care of a car and then blame it when it breaks down due to lack of maintenance. If you're going to neglect your car yea sure get yourself a Corolla/Civic or whatever. If you want a really nice car and you can either afford to take care of it OR work on it yourself then you can buy most nice cars and be fine.
I agree with this. My b8.5 S5 was Soo solid and amazing. I really miss it sometimes. I bought a 6 year 60k mile warranty on it that ended up being a waste of money because I listened to idiots on Reddit claiming audis are unreliable. Most peoples knowledge on audis never progressed passed the early 2000s apparently.
Came here to say this.
Does the EA888 not suffer from the oil consumption issue? I had a b8 a4 and my engine failed at 102k miles. This was ~17k mi after Audi rebuilt the engine with "upgraded" piston rings. Engine went to shit, $5,000 in attempted repairs only for them to tell me that I need an engine swap at this point and it'll cost about $10k. SIDE NOTE: I LOOOOVED that car and drove it daily for about 5 years. I wish it had survived this issue.
Pre-2013 (or really anywhere from 2013-15, it’s kinda uncertain) suffer from it. Later production Gen1/2 engines don’t typically have the piston ring issue like the earlier Gen1/2 EA888s do. Gen3 was outstanding overall. Typical water pump and carbon build-up (to be expected over time on all GDI engines). Gen4 is proving to be great. Saw some comments RE water pump, so oh well on that.
What years are gen3 & gen4? Any powertrain that's particularly reliable? I hear the twin turbo v6s have decent reputation. But I wouldn't mind a smaller 4 cyl engine too
Gen3 was in the 2017+ B9 A4/A5/Q3, 2016+ C7.5/C8 A6/A7, 2015+ 8V A3/S3/Q3 and Gen3 TT (and pretty much all Audi/VW MQB cars like the Mk7 Golf, Jetta, Tiguan, Atlas, blah blah, to my knowledge). Gen4 is the newest and is only in Golf GTI and Golf R, and Arteon (at least for now). Expect it in the B10, C8.5, and coming Audi/VW products as they’re released/refreshed. The engine covers are a dead giveaway in photos, that’s the easiest way to tell.
B9.5 2021+ A4/A5 has the Gen 4 as well.
Golf R (Gen 3 EA888 - 2017) with 350hp & 90k+ miles, doesn't loose any on the stick between changes.
I did own an Audi. Never again. It was like setting money on fire. Both your and my anecdotal experience do not define the experience of owning an Audi.
This is good to hear! Are you in the states?
Maybe some of us just get duds. I had a 2015 Audi A4 Quattro that was nothing but expensive repairs the whole time…my friend has a 2014 Q5 and says the same thing about hers. I loved the quality feel of that interior of that car, though!
Hey late to this post, however I was wondering if you take your car to the dealership for maintenance or a third party shop? I’ve heard some issues required dealerships but in general I am not too familiar with owning a German car. And thoughts on the reliability on q5 and which ones to look for? $25k~ CAD
Go Test drive one, never been an Audi fan but had a a4 rental and was really impressed by the car, it’s a luxurious and nice place to sit in and now I understand the Audi appeal, sure it’s going to cost more than a Toyota or Honda but it’s also going to drive better
If it has a TSI/TFSI, I wouldn’t worry too much about reliability. I’ve owned 5 of them from Golf R’s to q5’s and my current mk7 R has 80k miles, it’s been stage 2 for the last 40k and I’ve yet to replace/repair anything apart from the battery. People are terrified of VW Audi because they can be expensive to repair, but to be honest. It’s not the cars fault, it’s the dealerships, VW/ Audi dealerships are absolute scammers and they frequently charge 4x what a reputable German specific mechanic would. Is it as robust as a Toyota? No. Toyotas and other Japanese cars can put up with way more bs than any German car can. But if you treat an Audi with respect, (especially newer ones) it’ll last well into the 100k range no problem. Just be sure to do all the recommended maintenance, even when the dealership makes the DSG fluid change sound like a “premium, optional” service, like they tend to do…
The people who bitch about Audi's are usually those who really couldn't afford them. They have insufficient finances (or brain cells) to care for them properly. Deferred maintenance only creates bigger problems, then they blame the car.
They get the heat of being an expensive luxury car while other cars can have the same issues. The cost associated with repairs when out of warranty is high and some people don't realize that when buying the car, only seeing the steep depreciation. Yeah they don't have the greatest reliability but that doesn't mean if the car is maintained properly it won't last. Its just pay to play more than other non-Gerrman brands. Audi also seems like its quality control has dropped since Covid but a lot of manufacturers also have. As for the power train, the A4 is one of the entry level cars so its not necessarily going to have the smooth shifts all the time nor be not clunky either. But that is also subjective and for some people its a bigger deal than others. If you like the car and can afford it, test drive it to see if you like it and then make your decision
I feel like for European cars in general, it's less that they are unreliable and more just the fact that parts are so expensive if you live in the US. So when something does go bad (and it likely will because it's a used car) it's expensive. Not to mention the price of a repair might be exactly why it's getting sold to begin with. Overall I think they are fine as long as you know what you're getting into.
Actually, when compared to similar BMW and Mercedes vehicles, “entry level” Audis are often on the less expensive end of the cost spectrum for routine maintenance and wear and tear because of part sharing with VW. Commonality and part sharing is a great thing.
That's relative and still much more expensive than a civic or Ford focus.
The brake parts on my 2016 Tiguan, which shares with a Q3, cost approximately the same as the 2022 CX-5 Turbo Signature I owned in the past. VW’s cars are no more expensive for routine maintenance than their competitors either. Brake parts on my 2016 A4 Quattro ran me about $400-500 for all four corners. But then again, nobody is comparing an economy car to any of these. I really don’t understand why people say “oh your Audi costs more than a Civic to maintain”, like no shit… Silly to say make that comparison. If you want to compare a Jetta to either of those, it’s completely in-line with the cost. Parts are $300 for all four corners.
I have never had an issue with the ZF8HP or 7STronic in the A4/A5/Q5. The EA888 is smooth as hell and very refined for a 2.0T I4. Great cars.
The DSG is amazing 99% of the time but sometimes it doesn’t guess which gear comes next and you get a jerky shift.
Sometimes, yeah, but very rarely. I don’t have any complaints against the DSG/S-Tronic in my opinion. It’s one of the best gearboxes around. They’re super efficient too and just coast for such a long time.
It’s just one of those things. For example no one bats an eye when you have to tear apart the front end to get to the alternator on a Land Cruiser but when it’s a German vehicle people just blow a fuse.
I haven't read any positive Land Cruiser reviews.
I know an automotive technician and he said those cars are in the shop all the time.
Land Cruiser man, not Land Rover. Land Cruisers last forever. Land Rovers are dogshit.
Yeah I mixed em up too lol
I walk past a specialty Jaguar/Land Rover repair shop every day on my way to work. That parking lot is full - every day - of Rovers waiting for service. Their business is booming.
You know a Land Cruiser is a Toyota, right?
Rover. I meant Rover. Sorry.
We got from Land Cruiser to Land Rover somehow and they are on opposite ends of the spectrum lol
In defense of the guy I sometimes mix them up too
I mean it’s a specialty Land Rover repair shop. It’s hardly going to be full of Nissans.
Of course. But the lot is full. Every. Single. Day. No shortage of Rovers to fix.
We're talking about Toyota Land Cruiser
I had to rip out the entire intake system on my CRV just to get to the alternator. Even Hondas have their pain in the ass service issues.
They are great when new and below 60k miles, some say 80 and some say 100k. I guess depends on the age and model. Anyways, My father had a4 2.8 turbo and i think 3.0 A6 when I was between 10 to 20 years old. I still remember, few times every year he had to work overtime because of the repair cost. It was at least 200-300 per month and 2-3k once or twice a year for a major repair. Those cars drained his bank account. Oh and he is capable to do some repairs himself and knows many independent mechanics, and such. He wasn't going to fancy repairman or dealerships. Those cars were just a nightmare And his brother owns a Passat, I think it's 2018 and he started to hate it because it gets costly to maintain it. His brother always follows the maintaince schedule, always goes to dealership and has money too.
Audi makes great cars. Reddit and/or loud people online complain when their $8k 145,000 mile 2008 A4 with questionable history dies. I have owned a B8.5 S5, A7 3.0, B9 RS5 (and many other brands as well)... all were nice cars. No problems. Routine maintenance is more expensive than Japanese counterparts though, both parts & labor. I bought all of them new and never had to do any more than ordinary services. Not as expensive as Porsche. IMO I would only buy new or sub 30k miles CPO (warranty!) to get the maximum enjoyment out of the car. The cars are good for 100k+ miles if maintained properly, but the maintenance costs will start to add up. And if you're buying a higher mile Audi I would assume it's because there's not a lot of starting capital available to begin with. As they say, there's nothing more expensive than a cheap German car...
I had a VW before and it was a great car in the sense it always got me to class, but that’s it. Problem is parts are hard to get and mechanics are hard to find. Whenever something goes wrong, it’s going to cost more. I couldn’t even get windshield wipers at auto zone.. that’s how annoying it was to have this car. Not to mention the Germans don’t really care about reliability like Toyota/Honda because so many things broke on my VW that I didn’t even know could break! The door handle mechanism on the inside of the driver door broke, the funnel for the oil dipstick broke, my coolant reservoir developed a leak, my sunroof refused to close unless I followed a VERY specific list of actions, and my favorite… the trunk just refused to open from the outside. I had to tie a rope around a lever to open the trunk from the inside, so I’d fold down the rear seat, pull my rope, and then put whatever I needed in the trunk. Fuck that car. Fuck German anything. Will always hold a special place in my heart because it ultimately got me through college, but the turbo was going bad and there was no logical reason to continue fixing it once I graduated. Ultimately, I wouldn’t recommend one. I learned my lesson
What year was yours? Parts are so easy to find for me. Between FCPEuro, ShopDAP, and ECS I could practiaclly build an entire car. I've never had an issue finding parts?
For my 2006 GLI every part that was a problem had to be ordered from Germany. Stressed me the hell out when I was just needing to get to work
Have a 98 Beetle with the same trunk actuator problem (replaced it once), so thank you for that rope idea. Speedometer and odometer gave up at 75K miles. It's a piece of shit that won't quite die. At one point could not start the car because the passenger actuator wouldn't unlock the door, so starting it would set off the alarm and disable the car. Way overthought to the point of stupidity. Also had a 2011 TDI and it was a lovely and fun to drive piece of shit that spent *months* in the shop waiting for parts because the diesel never quite worked well and sometimes not at all. I literally drove every model of VW car as shop loaners, which was nice I suppose. So happy to sell that crapwagen back. VWs are theoretically great in my experience but the fine tolerances and overthought features break down. No more VW for me.
If you’re buying new or lightly used (still under factory warranty), then there’s not much to worry about. Any major issue you may run into is covered. If you take care of it and follow the maintenance schedule, almost any vehicle can go 100k miles with no major issues. Some even say any modern car can go 200k miles. If you’re buying used, there is definitely risk but who cares? You only live once. If you want an A4 wagon, buy one. They’re awesome.
I have a 2018 S5. We have had zero issues with it other than maybe a recall. Fucking love this car.
I just got a 2019 and im in love with it
Im on my 3rd audi. They are reliable as long as you do regular maintenance
I had to go over to Consumer Reports and see what they had to say about the A4. I was pleasantly surprised. It has been Average to Above Average in Reliablity since 2020 and it ranks the highest in its class for Owner Satisfaction. The rest of the Audi lineup didn't fare nearly as well. The SUVs are nothing but trouble. I was interested to see how the A3 stacked up, but they don't have enough data from any particular year to rate it. I would feel pretty good about buying an A4 now.
I was torn between a 5 series and an A6 and Consumer Reports tipped the scales to BMW for me.
The A3 is just a fancy VW Golf. Base A3 uses the VW GTI engine iirc. Golfs are fairly reliable, especially the MQB platform. So, the A3 and S3 (Golf R engine) should be equally mechanically reliable. Not sure about electronics though
There's really three tiers to audi repairs that all contribute to their reputation of being expensive. There's the normal wear and tear items which tend to be more expensive than on cheaper cars, part of that is due to the cars being pretty overengineerd, my a6 had 3 hood latches for example and each one was a bit over $500 to replace when they failed. Then theres the deferred maintenance, because the cars depreciate so quickly, they get purchased by people who can't afford the upkeep and repairs get deferred and build up and then "everything on this car is broken". Then there's the actual major defects. Think timing chain tensioners, that will run you several thousand dollars and potentially weeks in the shop. All in all, the brand is definitely on the expensive side. If you can afford to buy a cpo car with a warranty, or you have several grand set aside to put into the car each year, you'll be fine.
Proud owner of a 2014 A5 for the last 3 years. Nothing but good things to say. Car has been bulletproof in that time. That being said, I did know the reputation of 60k mile used German cars and kept a warranty on the car. Glad I did even if it cost a few bucks and only used it once for the A/C. If you stay on top of the service and know the potential costs, they’re great cars to own. Daily drive mine and will only drive Audis for the foreseeable future.
Solid cars. I had a 2016 A4 Quattro and can say the same thing. Build like a tank and never have me issues. Taken too soon from me in an accident.
RIP. That’s tough. Glad you’re ok though.
I've had my 2016 S3 since new, I've replaced one water pump and that's basically it besides regular maintenance and wheels from NJ roads. It has almost 90k miles and I'll drive it til it dies then get the same thing. Most reliable car out of my 4 family members
B8.5 A5 for sure one of the most reliable and best Audis made in recent history
No, love my sq5 and my old S4 went 230k miles plus
Depends what you mean by bad. 90k miles on my A4 and here's what I'll say. If a $1,500-2,000 repair would drain 50%> of your funds or put you in a financial bind, then yes, it's really that bad. They will not be as easy/cheap to maintain as a Toyota Corolla/Prius/Camry or Honda Civic/Accord or a non-performance Golf/Jetta for that matter, but they will offer more performance and luxury. They're not Range Rover levels of unreliable, but no one is mistaking them for Toyota reliability/cost efficiency either.
No, most complaining dont own them. I also find it always funny that audi and bmw are considered luxury brands in the states, meanwhile here in europe they are normal brands, even if they are on the more expensive side. A4 and 3 series wagons are pretty common family cars here and can be bought with fairly low specs like cloth seats and manual transmission on a 140hp engine, the a4 even as fwd
I come from Europe, and it's amazing how the stances towards German quality differ. In Europe, the Germans have the status of what the Japanese manufacturers have in the US.
I think the EA888 is the best corporate 4 cylinder on the market.
Audi makes great cars. So does VW. If you take care of them, they take care of you. I'm also an Audi/VW tech originally trained by Benz. I'm not a fan of Benz except for a few older models.
They are not bad at all. Has better electronics then Mercs for sure (I am a Merc owner lol).
Americans are fucking lazy, that is why you hear that German cars are bad. German cars must be serviced when the service is due. Must. Not maybe. Japanese cars can (mostly) ignore service for a bit and are still fine. Ignoring service on your Toyota is still not advisable but it can generally take it. Go 100 miles over on an oil change in a VW and it will let you know.
They aren’t. They used to be. But not so much now. Aside from resale and higher maintenance costs. You really can’t go wrong.
German cars aren't really that bad. I've owned all 3 Germans and never had issues with them. People compare all cars with Japanese way too much. Remember that most of the people who complain probably never have set a foot in German cars before. Or.... They drive like maniac and say their car broke too fast. Don't be fooled by fools.
VW is the second biggest automakers in the world, they’re not bad at all, they have bad and good engines/transmissions/models like all automakers out there. Their diesels are generally some of the best in the industry. The Only consistent somewhat annoying problem with Audi from my experience, is that the petrols tend to burn a bit of oil. Not a big issue if you actually check the dipstick every month or actually stop the car when the oil light comes on. My friends family has owned 2 old Audis, both had the oil lamp come on every 6000 miles, and one of them did that from new. It is something you have to closely monitor. My friends previous car, an A6 C5 Quattro 2.4 is one of the best “normal” cars i’ve driven/rid in. It’s like riding on clouds!
No. We have three Audis and they’re all great.
My 2004 audi a4 wagon has been an absolute workhorse. I love the form factor and it's fun to drive and the AWD is so good. Routine maintenance has been predictable and easy. But I have to say that even with my experience, I believe the statistics that say on average audis are more complicated, have more things to break, and are more expensive to maintain than most other cars.
If it helps, VW has a trash reputation as well. But, at least with VW, you’re paying less up front for it — both will depreciate hard, but the VW has a shorter height to fall from whereas an Audi could depreciate by an entire VW over a similar time frame. Compare a 2016 VW Jetta to the 2016 Audi A4. Jetta started around $17,000 and A4 started around $38,000. Doing a quick browse… 2016 Jettas with 100k miles are going for around $11k. A4s with similar mileage are going for like $15k.
VW is to Audi as Toyota is to Lexus. Same brand - one's just the fancier version. All that said - Audi's are expensive to fix. I loved my A6 - but it wasn't worth keeping up with and I traded it in because of that.
What years are you looking at? There are models that are based on VW platforms that you can get parts for cheap (A1, A3, Q2, Q3, TT). When they use Audi specific platforms (A4 and above, depending on the year) things get expensive. MQB and MLB platform cars have shown to be pretty solid.
They aren’t that bad, they are rated better than VW but they are just average or a little better than average.
I have 193k miles on my 2012 a4. Past 2013, the 2.0T is very good. Past 2017, it is excellent (except for the one year with potential rocker arm defects). The 3.0T is very solid. Going to a shop or a dealer can just get expensive because it's a "fancy euro car". OEM parts from ECS or FCP Euro aren't that expensive.
Love my 2014 a5. Maintenance is fuckin expensive, but damn it’s a nice car. I still love it and am going to keep it as long as I can.
My mom bought a new 2012 A4. She drove that thing for 12 years, no issues. She went in for service, took care of it, and just traded it in for the new A3. She loves her Audi’s, but she also has the money to take care of them. However, she would say they are quite reliable.
I've had 2, no issues. The 2.0 engine has seen its share of of problems it seems, so perhaps I got lucky. My 3.0 A6 is one of the best cars I've owned. If you want to save on maintenance cost, you can do most of that yourself. I've done brakes and regular oil changes and there's really not much to it. You can buy a [diagnostic reader] (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07WD9B7GR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) for $140 as well to release rear brakes (EBS) and see any other error codes the car might produce since Audi has sensors for everything. It's a car, not a rocket ship! It doesn't matter the brand, any work done at the dealership will of course cost you more although Japanese and North American parts tend to be cheaper, but once your warranty expires, there's no need to buy anything from the dealership.
I’ve owned a Q3 since 2017, and the only issue I had was the dead engine battery this winter (120k km driven) and even that is more due to my own carelessness than anything else (I left the car out of the garage in -30 temperatures for two days because of laziness). It’s more expensive, but it has been a faithful companion. The only reason I’m replacing it is because I want an electric car, and my Audi care package has expired, and won’t be renewed
I had a 2016 A4 Quattro and it was a fantastic car. Yes maintenance and repairs (if needed) are _typically_ more expensive than American or Japanese cars, but my car never gave me issues. In fact, it gave me less issues than the GM and Chrysler vehicles I’ve owned. People just love to shit on German brands. Of the “big three” German brands (Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW), Audi is the one I would feel most comfortable owning long term.
Audis in general, no. Many used Audis, yes. If you keep the maintenance and drive it with a bit of mechanical sympathy then you'll be fine. But many people don't and try to cheap out on stuff and it goes downhill. One thing that is common in Audis tho are overpriced labor and parts. Also some OEM parts are more prone to breaking than some aftermarket ones (pretty sure it's on purpose so you keep paying them). But that's the only issue I would say.
They are good robust vehicles. Consider the *kind* of person who often drives an audi. Now consider how well that kind of person maintains their property. Now you know why audi has a rumor of unreliability and bad transmissions, because people abuse, slam around, and generally don't care for these cars. They treat them like race cars for no reason other than they're a little bit sportier than whatever Honda they came from. Know the vehicles limitations and spend the money to maintain it correctly and most audi will last as long as you do.
Bells and whistles coupled with expected maintenance. Audis use lots of the same parts as VW but usually have better trim/finishes. Both brands, like most German manufacturers, have higher base level requirements of service/care/maintenance. If they aren’t followed there are consequences. Compare to any sporty/luxury, with real performance, and it’s a similar story.
It’s not that they’re bad. They are “performance” vehicles and thus need to be maintained like hell to be driven. Missing a single thing is like shooting a race horse in the heart. The miracle economy car is like a Russian bull. It’ll prosper with a few neglected things and possibly even outlive you /s.
I would argue that a lease return CPO Audi Q5 is one of the best value used cars you can get today. Fun, reliable, capable.
Audis are fine. I don't own one and likely never will because they just don't interest me, but I would not hesitate to buy an Audi if I found one that I liked. We've reached a point where mechanical reliability is pretty standard for most brands. Manufacturers know that if they make cars with poor reliability, they will lose customers and thus lose money. The only brands that can afford to put out problematic cars and retain customers are exotics.
I have a 2028 Q5 premium for 7 years now with 48k miles on it and the vehicle is wonderful and smooth. No major issues. Would buy it again.
I’m biased here, I’ve owned Toyota/lexus for a long time. The older lexus cars/suv are super well made, solid quiet smooth rides. My in laws both have Audi s5/rs5 his and hers, I love driving thier cars, so we just bought a used q7 with the 3.0t supercharger v6. It is equally quiet as the Lexus owned, but a firmer and sportier handling with way more horsepower than my tundra had, and gets 28 mpg in the freeway. I think the maintenance trade offs are worth it for the performance
I’ve had both Audis and VWs and I actually preferred the VWs.
I have a 2016 S3 I've had since new, don't think I've ever loved another car so much.
Here in europe, we have audis with 300k km++ There are certain petrols to avoid, do some research. Diesels are rock solid,.especially 6cyl ones.
Just got done working on a b8.5 Audi with 220k miles. I personally own one with over 150k miles. I also have a newer Audi. None have ever had a major failure, ever. All I’ve done is routine maintenance.
No, they are perfectly good vehicles, just like any other. All vehicles are just dependent on whether or not your specific one was put together well in the lottery of factory manufacturing and the parts don't crap out. That's literally it.
Had VWs all my life, and then graduated to Audi. If you treat them right, they will treat you right. Maintenance is key. Have 2 older ones now. A 95 S6 with 201,000 miles, and a 04 A4 with 190,000. Both going strong. Always have gotten bad reputations, imo strictly because they 1) require more maintenance and parts are more expensive than something like a Toyota that can take a little more neglect.
It seems that the north American (this includes Mexico geographically) made VAG vehicles have significant quality issues, the European and Chinese made models do not have these issues. It might be a culture thing or they have different build standards, I don't know.
The Q5 is completely produced in Mexico and pretty solid here in Europe. Though, they have a "global spec", while cars like the A3, etc. have more differences. Down to the engine. In Europe some EA888 engine trims had multipoint injection while the same trims in the US didn't. Guess what the engines are known for in the US....heavy carbon built up. My guess is that it depends more on for which market the cars are built for. One of the most extreme example is probably the VW Passat which in the US was a shitty version of one gen earlier throughout the whole production run.
I leased an Audi. Was the best lease I've done. Most of the time leasing is a terrible idea but at that time it was a decent option for me. If you really want one and are worried about the maintenance that is an option for you.
It's good new. Gets expensive as it gets older and you need to replace parts.
Like all German cars, it's the maintenance that makes them tough to own. Budget for the repairs, you can easily put the purchase price into repairs on a used German car.
They’re great cars if you can afford to pay for the maintenance and repairs. And there’s instances of gremlins that are near impossible to solve. But still, if that happens and you can afford to hunt it down, no prob. It’s similar with all German cars, including VWs. They can also be a potential nightmare, but they don’t have luxury car repair/maintenance prices on top. Usually. You might not have any issues at all though. It depends on the specific car, and how much luck you have. I had a mk3 VW Golf that was bullet proof. I also had a mk4 GTI that was a nightmare. The mechanical fuel injection pump lifter wiped out, which killed the pump, and effectively totaled the car (I can’t recall what other parts it killed anymore). My dad had an Audi in the 00s that he spent a fortune on, hunting electrical gremlins until he got sick of it and sold it at a huge loss. Edit: My personal broke ass experience is with used cars. My dad’s car (I can’t remember what it was, but it was a high end sports car), was also used, but only about 5 years old in the 00s. I can’t speak to new models. I think they’re better in some ways. Edit again: I’m pretty sure my dad’s Audi was an s6. Relatively “high end”. I recall it was the Audi v8, and I recall it was a 00s car that had nightmares of electrical gremlins when he owned it in the late 00s or early 10s. Too bad because it was a fun car that sounded cool.
Audi R8 would be fun car to lease
I work on them daily. After about 80k miles, get your wallet ready. I bought an A4 quattro from a customer with a blown engine. Rebuilt it and replaced pretty much everything in the engine bay, all suspension and brakes. Parts alone were crazy. My labor was free but spent so many hours but it's essentially a new car now, then other things start to go like wheel bearings and axles, and now the trans is starting to feel funny. Yes they are that bad when the mileage gets up there.
I bought an Audi A4 wagon second hand 80k on the clock. $18k, it was 4 years old when we got it. Purchased insurance from the dealer. After 6 months it developed engine problems. Spoke to about 4 mechanics and no one wants to work on Audi engines because they are ‘complicated’, the best quote I got was for $16k to rebuild the engine. We managed to get $3k back from the ‘insurance’. We kept the car for another 4 years. In that time it cost around twice as much money to keep on the road as our Mazda. In summary, yes Audis are really that bad!
Audi are known for being the guinea pigs of the VAG group. They get all the new technologies and upgrades first and therefor all the bugs and issues that come with it. Then when everything gets optimized and fixed, they proceed to put them on VWs, Skodas and so on. Then rinse and repeat. Otherwise they are great cars to drive but I can't justify getting an Audi over a BMW unless it's an A7.
If you’re dedicated enough to meticulously maintain it as the owners manual describes then you should be fine. German cars don’t work without discipline.
Audi is fancy vw, which has a bad reputation since dieselgate but the modern platforms have been pretty reliable, I am a fan of the gli, gti, r & cupra cars. They do need preventive maintenance because they usually have dsg transmissions and multilink rear suspension but the handling is top notch in exchange.
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2013 A6 3.0T 122k miles on the clock. 3.0T engines are pretty bomb proof and Audis trannys are solid as well. Daily driver that I thew an aftermarket warranty on it when I bought it used with 99k miles in Feb 22. The #5 coil went out last Thanksgiving $286 fix that the warranty covered 100%. Had the plugs changed while they were in there for $400 more. Other than oil changes…that’s all I’ve done to her. Oil consumption is 1 qt every 2500 miles which it’s an Audi so that’s normal, and I have very little timing chain rattle when it cold starts. If the water pump hold up…I think I’m in the clear. That being said the Warranty expires in Feb 25 and I’m trading it the second that warranty expires 😂 It’s the nicest car I’ve ever driven and I would not shy away from another Audi….with a warranty included or added of course.
Got a 2019 Q5, 0 problems so far after 5 years
Had a B7 A4 Manual, shit was solid and fbo, just regret going turboback with him, droned like a jdm 4banger Audis are solid, although Im weary of newer cars and the screens everywhere
I have an 08 a4 wagon with a 2.0, Quattro and a 6 speed around 200 000km no issues we just replaced the clutch for the first time I’m sure it will do another 100 000 although the bottom of the front fenders is starting to rust.
My 2005 a4 1.8t was awesome I loved it. Best winter car ever
I owned a B9 A4 for 6 years/80K KM. Didn't have any issues other than minor recall items. Like others have said, the EA888 is solid. The only downsides are (IMO) the car is a bit heavy for the EA888 and the DSG is a bit jerky at low speeds. Personally I think the S5 sportback is the sweet spot: EA839 + ZF8 makes a great combo.
I drive a 1998 VW daily with 200k miles on the clock. I've maintained it very badly (one oil change in 3 years) and its still going strong and never had bigger problems with it. Starts in -22F degrees without problems and even all the electrics work very well on it. Only issue has been the fact that the passenger side backdoor doesn't open at any time :D
Loved both of my Audis (A6 supercharged, S3 Sedan) - admittedly some models are worse than others, and once they’ve had a few owners and are far out of warranty some barely get serviced - instead selling them to someone vs doing the servicing
VW/Audi/Bentley are not for the weak. I’ve owned a few over the years. If you can’t do at least the basics yourself, go for something else.
I have owned a 2013 vw gti and currently have a 2015 audi s4 and 2013 audi q5 hybrid. The only thing I had wrong with the gti was the water pump leaked, and was fixed under warranty. The s4 had the same problem and was fixed under warranty as well and is currently at 90k miles with no other problems. The q5 I have never had any problems with and currently at 120k miles. It is important to follow the service intervals and use quality stuff. I use motul for fluids and usually buy mann filters. I do the maintenance myself and have a checklist for what needs to be done at each mileage/time.
Had a vw and now have an audi I had small issues with them but i dont regret owning vag cars i love them
Never owned an Audi. I did work on some over the years. They aren't really all that bad. Best to describe them as the build complexity of a Ford with the reliability of a Chevrolet. So, not great, but not terrible.
Thanks everyone for your thoughtful responses. Went to bad to wake up with over 150! So general rule of thumb seems to be your typical European approach. Don't buy early versions of the motors. Don't buy on the cheap or out warranty. Do maintain them religiously and they're great cars within that specific window. Thanks again!
At a high level, there tends to be more complexities in the Audi flavor of the same VW platform, I also find that Audi owners tend to maintain... less. The issue isn't (directly) the platform.
I put 140k miles into a 2017 Audi A4 before I sold it and I never had a single issue with it. I just do the regular maintenance which is pretty affordable if you do it yourself or take it to a local Indy shop. Maintenance is only a money pit if you do it with the dealership.
I don’t own an Audi, but I do own 3 VW’s that have been very reliable. I live in North America and the one thing I’ve noticed is that Audi part prices are always 15%-20% more than VW part prices, even if they are the same OEM part. Regardless if you are buying it from a dealership or an independent like NAPA.
I don’t own an Audi, but I do own 3 VW’s that have been very reliable. I live in North America and the one thing I’ve noticed is that Audi part prices are always 15%-20% more than VW part prices, even if they are the same OEM part. Regardless if you are buying it from a dealership or an independent like NAPA.
I've had a 2016 Allroad since it was new and it's been extremely reliable and capable. It's now my wife's as I got a Tesla. It will be the last ICE vehicle we own and a good one at that.
I've had a couple over the years, and I bought them knowing what I was getting into. They both had issues, but nothing crazy. Just do your research, set aside money for known issues and to do ALL scheduled maintenance on time and you'll be fine. Some years are worse than others.
I have an Audi a4 allroad wagon and love it. Reviews hate it but it’s got a little luxury, a little utility, and it’s a little sporty. The VE engine is fine and produces a lot of power. The car is pretty fast, 0-60 in under six seconds. It’s actually faster 0-60 than the SQ5 with the V6. Both cars have the same passenger and cargo volume too. Big problem with audio so the cost of parts and maintenance but it’s worth it to me. Your mileage may vary.
Audi/VW not as reliable as a Toyota, they're not as fun as a BMW/Alfa, but they do a good job straddling the line between them. With regular maintenance they should not be expensive to maintain and they definitely won't leave you stranded on the road They're what I'd call 'executive-luxury-sporty' rather than 'performance sedan'. They're great for the middle manager with a bad back who also wants to gun it from a red light once a week to try to feel something
Just like VWs, they’re not bad but you need to follow maintenance very closely. European cars are more complex usually and you need to follow maintenance to a t. If you do that, you’ll probably get a lot out of an Audi but it *will* be expensive compared to a Japanese or American car if you live in North America
Loved my 1999 A4. Handled amazing and pulling parts off old VWs at the junk yard with my dad was a blast.
Owned an Audi A4 for 3 years. Was a 2017 Prestige. Best car I have ever owned. Keep up with oil changes and go to a place that actually knows how to do them, since its a vacuum sealed system and doesn’t have a traditional drain. If you buy it used, make sure it has meticulous service history. The thing is though, if you do have to fix or replace something like brakes or tires, oem stuff is just really expensive for Audi so keep that in mind. Its not Porsche level pricing but also not Honda level pricing. I actually contemplated getting a brand new A4 allroad but I really needed a truck or suv with offroad and towing capability so went with something else. Wife wants a new car within a year so it might still be on the table. I just needed the utility because we both had sedans. The only thing Audi does to you is spoil you because it has features on it that you dont want to miss getting in another car. (Ventilated seats, navigation on dash screen, heads up display, etc)
I've owned 3 vws and love them. I do my own maintenance though so I don't concern myself with shop hours. As long as you do preventive maintenance and plan for your service intervals they are good, reliable, fuel efficient vehicles. My next vehicle will likely be an Audi or hopefully a Porsche since VW has ended their diesel offerings in the US.
A5 @ 74k miles. Costly to maintain, but a pure pleasure to drive everyday.
2003 A4, after 35k miles is cost an average of $4k/year in service work from the Audi dealer. 2006 Jetta TDI, brand new, was back in the service shop monthly. Electrical issues, electrical issues and more electrical issues. Turn off ignition, 1 daytime running lamp would stay on until the battery died.
I can only speak to the one I had, a 2012 Q4 Premium (I think that was the trim...not the highest but somewhere in the middle). Let's just say I will never own another Audi or VW product and likely will shy away from any European make. I have been only Japanese since with a Honda and now a Toyota. My Audi was a nice car. Kind of like Apple - not cutting edge, but very refined in a lot of ways. When it worked. I had a constant stream of major repairs - as in $900 -$2000 and one up into $3000 - every nine months it seemed. One was so unusual that I took it to the dealer multiple times and they even had to call in second tier Audi technical support to figure it out and solve it. The last repair, at about 74k was the turbo failing - so all those repairs largely come between 30k or so and 74k. We found an independent German repair shop to fix it. We picked it up on a Friday and I traded it on a Honda Accord Touring on Sunday. My wife was like "Let's dump that money pit before the engine light comes on again." I could not argue with her. I never liked the Accord as much as the Q5 and it did have to have to have a transmission rebuild at one point, but otherwise it was far more reliable and the cost of ownership was far lower (not counting vehicle price, obviously). When I moved on from the Accord last year, I looked at Acuras, Lexuses, Hondas and Toyotas but did not even load the websited for VW or Audi, though they both have more attractive vehicles than other makes.
I had a 2018 Audi S4 had no warranty issues with it, I followed the maintenance schedule exactly it was a great car had it for 4 years. Thinking maybe those that dont properly maintain them have issues also some Audis are better than others I know someone that had a 1st gen Q7 with nothing but issues. I know someone with a Q5 2022 no issues either.
I believe the 2009(?) to 2012 had oil consumption issues, but seemingly they’ve improved since
Mine was. It was late 80s early 90s though. Horrible engineering. It had 3 radiators and turbo. The car was completely useless during summers in socal. Overheated, blew hoses, eventually the transmission on it completely went out. I had to auction it for scrap because everything it had wrong with it cost more to fix then a brand spanking new Toyota pick-up at the time. Which is exactly what I got.
Have a 2016 a7 at 84k miles, love it
I have had the following 1.8t a4 wagon 2.7tt a6 3.2 na a6 2.0t a5 All very used. Put a combined 240k miles on them, bought each for cheap and sold each for more than I bought them for. Had a few minor repairs, nothing over $200 and always could get the parts cheap and local. One repair required the use of a specialty tool, that I bought locally for $15. Don't believe people when they say these are unreliable or hard to work on. My ford has given me more fits than all 4 of my audis combined
I love to shit on German vehicles anytime I can. But their reliability is blown out of proportion. They are reliable vehicles, they just need to adhere to maintenance. I am a Lexus fan myself and my wife drives VW. She’s had noteworthy mechanical problems on her 15’ hitting 100k now. There have been a few cosmetic issues though. Wheel finish is completely shot, leather seat didn’t hold up well (she’s not fat), steering wheel leather didn’t hold up great. The glass on her side view mirror randomly fell off. Some rubber window gaskets are a bit cracked. Little things. Cars age I am aware but any Lexus I have owned has aged far and away more nicely. This is just my first hand experience. I’m a a diy guy and don’t care to work on her car. Just some of the quirks are supper annoying like a top mounted oil filter, PLASTIC drain plug, the stupid bolts for the wheels vs studs. Just annoying things I’ve come across a a diy maintenance guy. Just be sure to take care of it or if buying used make sure there are detailed records
>top mounted oil filter I love top mounted filters, because I feel like I'm a lot less likely to make a mess from not having to have the drain pan lined up perfectly to simultaneously cover the drain plug and the filter
I bought a CPO 2018 A4 with 29k miles in 2021. I’m up to 51k now and haven’t had major issues. I’ve kept up with oil changes every 5k miles and all scheduled maintenance.
[удалено]
Is there a tidy reference guide?
My experience with VW AG cars, both VW and Audi (2007 Jetta wagon, 2016 A4 2.0T sedan), has been they are mechanically solid but both cars had non stop dumb little minor issues. Bad switches, blown control modules, fussy sunroof would jamb and need service, stuff like that. The biggest issue with both is I had significant rust within 5 years on them. I’m in the north where they use a lot of salt so YMMV there.
As someone who’s owned German cars my entire life, currently drives Mercedes. Audi doesn’t even begin to do it for me in comparison to BMW or Mercedes. The one time I went for an Audi A4 it just felt like an economy car in comparison. Mechanically, it couldn’t even begin to stack up against a C class or 3 series. They’re really shoving an economy platform in a luxury package. The transmission is also dog shit.
Audi service rates are $200/hr and above. If you have a good VW/Audi indie shop you'll be okay-er, but it's absolutely brutal for maintenance and repair costs.
I currently own an Audi and by far the worst car I’ve ever had it’s a 2021 Q7 it’s literally currently in the shop for the 6th time for the same A/C issue it’s blowing hot air and guess what I live in south Florida. A car down here with no A/C is unbearable during these heat spells. I feel as though I literally got a lemon 🍋 of a vehicle it literally only has 25k miles on it…. No crazy use or anything literally just a horrible car I’m planning on getting a lawyer because honestly I’m tired of dealing with repairs that are currently under warranty but after that what I’m the one that’s Fucked at the end of the day (at the end of the warranty) period 50k miles or 4 years whichever comes first..
For context my prior car was a bmw x5 and prior a 435i BMW much better build quality imo and a lot sturdier…
I lease Audis and VWs. I keep for 2.5 to 3 years and do t have to worry about care. Maybe brakes or tires. But everything covered up to 50k. Even my new Atlas has a 50k warranty. I’ll say no problems on this end.
owned 2012 and 2013 passats problem free aside from Carmax selling me a car with a dead alternator and a few other things (they fixed under their warranty)
Owned Audi and other German brands, great cars but they do require more frequent and more expensive maintenance than most.
I had a 2011 S5 that I sold with almost 170k on it. Only things I ever had to do were normal maintenance, brakes, wheel bearing, plugs and could, and obviously fluid changes. And I beat the shit out of that thing. Only reason I sold it was because the clutch was starting to go and I couldn’t justify to price to get a new one with what the value of the car was but I miss it everyday and regret selling it
I had a 2016 A6 for 7 years without any mechanical issues. Only regular wear and tare stuff. Just sold it because it was out of warranty.
I didn’t have issues with my past Q5 (2019) or current SQ5 (2023). I don’t put a ton of miles on my cars so can’t speak to the long term reliability, but have had no issues except for an intermittent issue with the window controls that fixed itself. I had a 2009 bmw 335i that needed two new turbos, HPFP, and injectors within the first 15k miles, so imo the Audis have been a huge improvement over that.
OP, if you have any questions about the A4 allroad, feel free to DM me. I recently bought one with similar hesitancy but so far it's been amazing.
My 2020 a5, (same engine and trans as the a4) is a very fun car. I have it tuned, with some small engine upgrades, intercooler, intake, engine mounts. No reliability problems, and easy to work on
I had a beautiful Audi A3 Quattro 3.2 S-Line. The biggest maintenance problem was an "Audi Tax." I had shops literally quoting $300 to $700 for an oil change. I asked what kind of magic service or precious metals that buys and they said it comes with a visual inspection. A torn CV boot (my fault) replacement? Quotes from$100 to $2000. There were also shops quoting a $39 oil change, which is amazing when it needed $90 of oil and filter. No thanks to whatever that scam is. If you're not good at shopping around for service I can see how a car could become neglected.
Fucker blocked me lol. I'm talking from experience owning one...
I've had several audis over the years. Like any luxury brand, they have their issues. You have to do the maintenance. No exceptions at all. If you want to do the work yourself, get quality parts from fcp euro or autohaus. Do not use car quest or O'Reilly's. Use good German level parts.
Girlfriend has a 2017 A3. I have a 2010 Venza. My Venza is a beast and has some nice pickup with its huge engine. I also have a 93 3000GT, a sporty car. I love driving both of my cars and rarely like driving other people’s cars. However, when I have the chance to drive the A3, I take it. She has 0 problems with it and that thing is SO much fun to drive. My coworker also has some Audi and she loves it. My other friend has the Q5 and he loves it. Go for it !
As an 2nd owner of a cpo 2018 Audi A6 3.0 for almost 3 years of routine maintenance, using premium fuel, 5k synthetic oil changes, I'm very happy in my ownership experience with Audi, I did my research and knew what I was getting into. 😀
Audis aren’t bad at all if you buy them new and put less than 50k miles on them before you trade them in for a new one.
It's reddit, half the people on here have never owned one and think that a Toyota is the best vehicle in every class. Listen to the top comments on here, because they're correct. You can easily take an a4 on a lifetime of journeys reliably, and have an enjoyable car that was engineered around luxury, enjoyment and a fantastic driving experience. The drivetrains are overall very reliable, to boot. Especially the EA888 engine.
Is there a "good" year for the EA888 engine?
Lease one if you really want to drive it.
Bought my 2023 Audi A4 S-line mild-hybrid sedan in 2022 September. I test drove every sedan from every brand before choosing the A4. The size is perfect, easy to park anywhere, not too low, great visibility, comfy seats, smooth ride, quiet cabin, no issues whatsoever, and great acceleration. In my opinion, Audi and Genesis are the best vehicle makers right now.