Why are TT/Audis so #%^!@ expensive to maintain? (rant)
03-29-2005, 10:22 AM
#1
Audiworld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Why are TT/Audis so #%^!@ expensive to maintain? (rant)
I just spent almost 2k on my '01 Roadster FWD (70k):
- $850 for timing belt and water pump (stealers' quotes:$1200 and $1300-1400)
- $150 for 70k service (basically an oil change)
- $550 to fix a front left ball bearing ($90 for the part, $129 for aligment, the rest for labor)
- $268 for 2 new Fuzion 17" front tires (after the 2.5 y old Sumitomo developed bubbles), and only because local dealer matched $92 TireRack price (that was a $50 discount)
- $60 for new floor mats online.
The water pump alone is $360.75. That's the total cost of a timing belt job on your standard japanese/american car, for crying out loud!
I live in an expensive area (SF Bay Area), but still, I wonder whether I wouldn't be better off with an RX-8 or 350Z. Audi quality does not look too good, either. Why did the ball bearing break? I know the roads here suck, but still. I won't even try to repair the glass wind screen that stopped working at 55k.
Looks like we pay too steep a premium to drive a TT.
I guess the suspension mod is delayed to next year...
- $850 for timing belt and water pump (stealers' quotes:$1200 and $1300-1400)
- $150 for 70k service (basically an oil change)
- $550 to fix a front left ball bearing ($90 for the part, $129 for aligment, the rest for labor)
- $268 for 2 new Fuzion 17" front tires (after the 2.5 y old Sumitomo developed bubbles), and only because local dealer matched $92 TireRack price (that was a $50 discount)
- $60 for new floor mats online.
The water pump alone is $360.75. That's the total cost of a timing belt job on your standard japanese/american car, for crying out loud!
I live in an expensive area (SF Bay Area), but still, I wonder whether I wouldn't be better off with an RX-8 or 350Z. Audi quality does not look too good, either. Why did the ball bearing break? I know the roads here suck, but still. I won't even try to repair the glass wind screen that stopped working at 55k.
Looks like we pay too steep a premium to drive a TT.
I guess the suspension mod is delayed to next year...
03-29-2005, 10:28 AM
#2
Not fair to include wear items like tires & floor mats>
An entire ECS t-belt/w-pump kit is $300. $150 for a 70K service is just silly. Should have read your maint. booklet and you would have seen that at 70K all you need is an oil change, should run about $50 tops. What do you mean by ball bearing? Wheel bearing? No alignment is necessary after replacing that. You got screwed on the labor too... I can do it in an hour, with the proper tool to extract the wheel bearing with the strut still on the car (any good shop should have this).
Other than a few items like instrument cluster and MAF, I've found the TT isn't much more expensive to maintain than any other German ride, even a VW.
Other than a few items like instrument cluster and MAF, I've found the TT isn't much more expensive to maintain than any other German ride, even a VW.
03-29-2005, 10:48 AM
#6
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,136
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
sorry you got screwed on price. half these items are maintenance
that you have to pay for any vehicle. 360 for a waterpump? someone made about $300 on you. It's readily available for about $60. why is it the tt's fault that you got unlucky with crap tires? if you pay $150 for an oil change, who's fault is that again? hate to harsh on you, but you got screwed.
