B7 Maintenance costs

[a4oholic]

hey guys, im considering buying a 2006 b7 Audi a4 2.0T or 3.2 and i was just wondering how much you guys spend on maintenance yearly for the car other than gas/oil changes and which will be cheaper in Canada? I mean the parts are fairly expensive but i was wondering the average yearly expenses on keeping the car runnign like new. Thanks guys[:)]

[Subaru71]

all I've had to do was change oil :/ maybe air filter?

[a4oholic]

how much did it cost? was that for the whole year? sounds good

[jalas]

Well, my car has 76,000 miles and just had the following done.

- Both HID bulbs needed to be replaced
- Added foam spacers for bouncing headlights - under a TSB
- Fuel sender gauge replaced: stop reading fuel level
- Some other recall items. Valve & Vent hose / fuel pressure sensor (affected serial number) - FREE
- Stuck coin tray - Removed loose change -- Not really an issue

Cost of the above work outside of TSBS & Free was $1372.00 at the dealer. To put this in perspective, I just bought the car and the dealer covered the costs of this and this is what the price came out to be. I did not pay a single penny.

Highly recommend dealing with Newport Beach Audi in California. They took care of me and stood behind the car 100%, while they had my local dealer fix the problems they missed.

[a4oholic]

jalais, was that for the whole year? pretty damn expensive if you dont got a warranty.

[jalas]

jalais, was that for the whole year? pretty damn expensive if you dont got a warranty.

Not for the whole year but it gives you an idea of what the Audi dealer prices are. Like I said I paid zero out of pocket.

The breakdown:
- Fuel Sender -> $135.00
- Labor -> $280.00

- Coin Tray -> $112.00 (labor)

- Light Spacers -> $12.00
- HID GAS Bulbs -> $430.00 for 2x
- Labor -> $336.00

- Shop Suppliers -> $20.00

Other then this the car looks, amazing (ZERO dings and scratches leather is perfect) and has just about every feature outside of convenience package and rear heated seats. Plus for the price I paid for the car from an Audi dealer, I could not be happier considering finding an Avant Ti is difficult ($18k for the car).

[a4oholic]

damn its the labor that kills you, thanks man your definetly lucky picking yours out for 18k im looking at some going for 25k at the least here in Toronto.

[a4oholic]

driving the car will make up for the hole in your pocket [:)]

[jalas]

I plan on working on the car from here on out. So unless something major happens (knock on wood) things shouldn't be as expensive with the labor taken out. My work is free!

[RVT]

Be prepared for high priced parts.
Examples of common failures abound:
High pressure fuel pump $900
Adaptive headlight (singular, not plural) $900-$1200
Cam shaft (shudder, don't even go there)
Control arms for front camber adjustment $600

Normal shops lack the tools and training needed to perform even some of the most basic maintenance, so when you actually need a shop, you must rely on ones specialized in German cars. (ka-ching)

Hunt down the threads about factory warranty's ending, and you should be able will read between the lines about the fear many owners live with.
This car out of warranty obviously scares many of us (and I'm nearing 50, with a good job, and serious mechanical training)!

Oil changes are about $90 US ($60 at my local VW dealer), and require the highest rated oil on the market, which costs, and can be difficult to find at first.

Gas is Premium only, which you will feel at the prices begin to clime again.

Obviously the newer you buy, the less problems remain in the design, but you need to realize an Audi is not a cheap car to own. Not by a long shot.

2 cents
Vince

[80sGuy]

Well, my car has 76,000 miles and just had the following done.

- Both HID bulbs needed to be replaced
...I didn't know HID was part of maintenance.

[vagebadger]

they have audi care...its almost $800 and takes care of all maint.

[a4oholic]

so after the 50k regular maintenance on the a4, would it bounce back to normal for another 50k or will the stuff keep breaking down?

[wayneB7]

so after the 50k regular maintenance on the a4, would it bounce back to normal for another 50k or will the stuff keep breaking down?

If you replace everything at 50k then it should bounce back to normal (whatever that is [:)]).

Thing is this thread is about maintenance, not parts replacement, and not all parts are replaced at the same time so ...

Bottom line -- "stuff" will continue breaking down as the car sees more hours / miles of use.

[CBRmatt600]

so after the 50k regular maintenance on the a4, would it bounce back to normal for another 50k or will the stuff keep breaking down?

Honest question....have you ever owned a car before?

[...Mark...]

Granted i have a B6 S4 but the parts that i had replaced this week could easily have been in need of repair on a B7 S4. I had the following replaced.

AC condensor
Control Arms
A pair of coolant gasgets at the rear of the block.

Total repair cost if the car was not under warranty was $3900. I probably could have saved $1k or so if i went to an indy shop but its still pricey.

In other words get a warrantied car.

[king505]

The labor is what kills you. Were I am at its 125.00 an hour. An oil change at the dealer is about 115.00. All the intermediate services at 5,25,45,65,85 thousand miles are basically a test drive and an oil change. For a bigger service like the 35,55,75,95 thousand miles will run around 500 to 600. The more you can do yourself the more you will save yourself. There is no special engine oil its 5w 40 Castrol Syntec. Maintenance book calls for oil change every 10,000 miles I do mine every 5,000. Last oil change I went 7,000 and oil still looked pretty good, I would not go more than 7,000 miles on an oil change. Occasionally you might have something come up, if your under warranty you should be fine highly recommend CertifiedPreOwned warranty. Adds two years and 50,000 miles to the original warranty. I have 44,000 on my car and only thing out of regular maintenance was a camchain tensioner which was under the warranty. As long as you budget some money for any unexpected problems you should be fine. Also you cant just take it anywhere for service. I take mine to the dealer for service only because i don't have time to do it myself and I personally don't know anybody that knows how to work on my car. I would not take it to jiffy lube for an oil change.I did a lot of research before i bought my car and knew what I was getting into before I purchased my car. And everything I spend on my car is worth it to me. Audi's are the best cars, quattro all wheel drive is the best, it does make a difference in bad weather. Interior is the best, they look great, fun to drive. With some tuning you can make up for the less power compared to beamer and merc. So just know what your getting into, its not a Toyota. Also alot of information on forums, if you have a questions I am sure there is an answer on here.

[Blarg]

^^ good post!

[EhFour2.0T]

The labor is what kills you. Were I am at its 125.00 an hour. An oil change at the dealer is about 115.00. All the intermediate services at 5,25,45,65,85 thousand miles are basically a test drive and an oil change. For a bigger service like the 35,55,75,95 thousand miles will run around 500 to 600. The more you can do yourself the more you will save yourself. There is no special engine oil its 5w 40 Castrol Syntec. Maintenance book calls for oil change every 10,000 miles I do mine every 5,000. Last oil change I went 7,000 and oil still looked pretty good, I would not go more than 7,000 miles on an oil change. Occasionally you might have something come up, if your under warranty you should be fine highly recommend CertifiedPreOwned warranty. Adds two years and 50,000 miles to the original warranty. I have 44,000 on my car and only thing out of regular maintenance was a camchain tensioner which was under the warranty. As long as you budget some money for any unexpected problems you should be fine. Also you cant just take it anywhere for service. I take mine to the dealer for service only because i don't have time to do it myself and I personally don't know anybody that knows how to work on my car. I would not take it to jiffy lube for an oil change.I did a lot of research before i bought my car and knew what I was getting into before I purchased my car. And everything I spend on my car is worth it to me. Audi's are the best cars, quattro all wheel drive is the best, it does make a difference in bad weather. Interior is the best, they look great, fun to drive. With some tuning you can make up for the less power compared to beamer and merc. So just know what your getting into, its not a Toyota. Also alot of information on forums, if you have a questions I am sure there is an answer on here.

Good advice here, important parts bolded for emphasis. Don't to the dealer for things like oil changes (or really anything), they rob you for something you can easily do yourself most of the time. Even if it's something out of your reach, get somebody local to help or take it to a shop.

I have never paid anybody to change my oil, seems like a waste of money when you can DIY it in about a half hour.

[wayneB7]

^^ good post!

Almost looks like all the conclusions from all the useful posts in this forum collapsed into one paragraph. Should be a sticky ... [>_<]

[audidrver]

they have audi care...its almost $800 and takes care of all maint.

ummm....

[chaze]

I purchased my A4 as a CPO with 12k, so I have a limited warranty out until 100k. I purchased the Audi care at signing for $550 which will cover me for about 2 years. I've had a few things replaced under warranty, some necessary, some just for cosmetics. My dealer was great and basically said yeah we'll put a new one on there no problem. I've paid nothing out of pocket so far since purchasing the vehicle, but realistically there will be things that will come up, just be ready.

[4ty-phive]

The labor is what kills you. Were I am at its 125.00 an hour. An oil change at the dealer is about 115.00. All the intermediate services at 5,25,45,65,85 thousand miles are basically a test drive and an oil change. For a bigger service like the 35,55,75,95 thousand miles will run around 500 to 600. The more you can do yourself the more you will save yourself. There is no special engine oil its 5w 40 Castrol Syntec. Maintenance book calls for oil change every 10,000 miles I do mine every 5,000. Last oil change I went 7,000 and oil still looked pretty good, I would not go more than 7,000 miles on an oil change. Occasionally you might have something come up, if your under warranty you should be fine highly recommend CertifiedPreOwned warranty. Adds two years and 50,000 miles to the original warranty. I have 44,000 on my car and only thing out of regular maintenance was a camchain tensioner which was under the warranty. As long as you budget some money for any unexpected problems you should be fine. Also you cant just take it anywhere for service. I take mine to the dealer for service only because i don't have time to do it myself and I personally don't know anybody that knows how to work on my car. I would not take it to jiffy lube for an oil change.I did a lot of research before i bought my car and knew what I was getting into before I purchased my car. And everything I spend on my car is worth it to me. Audi's are the best cars, quattro all wheel drive is the best, it does make a difference in bad weather. Interior is the best, they look great, fun to drive. With some tuning you can make up for the less power compared to beamer and merc. So just know what your getting into, its not a Toyota. Also alot of information on forums, if you have a questions I am sure there is an answer on here.

Before this car, I owned a 06 vw Jetta and I changed my oil every 10k. Granted, I used the european blend from castrol, but that engine purred like the day I first purchased it. Also, all 55k miles I put on it was highway. So, I really don't see why I would change it at 7k when I can do it at 10k. Just my 2 cents

[a4oholic]

no this is my first car, my parents are buying it for me...

[4ty-phive]

no this is my first car, my parents are buying it for me...

Well, wish your parents good luck for me[up]

[Tanner]

So is it you or your parents paying for the maintenance?

[a4oholic]

my parents are paying for the maintenance. im just paying gas, they were just wondering how much it would cost on average. I guess im gonna get one close to new so i can keep it for 60,000 till the warranty wears out and then sell it...

[Tanner]

If you're looking at an 06, AUdi's warranty is only four years or 80,000 km. So I imagine the four year warranty is going to expire soon and if you're getting the car from an Audi dealer, it most likely will have the extended Audi warranty.

Take a careful read of that to understand what is covered and what is not covered.

[CBRmatt600]

It seems like 75% of the people on the B7 forum are teenagers.

[chaze]

It seems like 75% of the people on the B7 forum are teenagers.
Haha, what does that mean for the B5 forum?

[CBRmatt600]

It must be full of middle schoolers

[king505]

Yeah that's funny. Or even toddlers putting a down payment on one of these.
http://ep.yimg.com/ip/I/scootercatalog_2057_22945575
or this one
http://shop.mobileation.com/core/media/media.nl?id=161&c=ACCT124922&h=f6326b9c2b710904cfd1
or this one
http://www.audi-collection.com/prod_images/AHT005RED_zm.jpg
I wish I had one when I was growing up.