rversed

Hey guys,

So I'm in the process of buying a new (to me) car and found a 2012 Audi A7 3.0 Premium Plus for $24k CAD with just over 80,000 km. Took a look at it the other day and it was in great shape. Here's the kicker though: the dealer was very clear that the price was lower due to repairs done in the front end, mainly the driver side fender and door.

He had photos of the damage, which I emailed him about and I'm in the middle of getting emailed to me hopefully. I'm just a bit worried about the prior damage. Other than a pre-purchase inspection (which I was going to do anyway) from a local specialized mechanic, and obtaining the CarProof, etc., was there anything else I could do to potentially protect myself? Is this a smart buy?

Project37

I also purchased my 2012 Audi A7 back in 2014 with a front end repair to the driver side door, fender and front clip. The dealer provided me with the full repair sheet from the repair as it was repaired at an Audi Autobody shop. My car was a CPO so the repairs had to be done to factory standards so that Audi CANADA would still provide the full extended warranty. I would find out when the repair was done on the car you are interested in and if it was while the car still had warranty did the car still have warranty after the repair. If the car you are looking at still had warranty after the repair then I would feel confident that the repairs were done to factory specifications and you should have no concerns. Good luck with with the car hunt. You will love the A7 as I know I have for the past 5 years.

rversed

Thanks for the reply.

Oddly enough, I'm from Alberta as well, so it'll be nice to get your opinion on how well it drives over the past few season cycles. Are you in Calgary or Edmonton?

The car was repaired recently, so it's most likely an out of warranty repair. If they show the full repair records through the body shop they went through, and if I do a pre-purchase inspection, would that cover me enough - as long as no damage was done to the frame? Still a bit hesitant, and it's not an instant purchase for me just because of these issues. Other than that, it's pretty well equipped - with the HUD, night vision, etc.

Project37

I am in Edmonton and my A7 was repaired at Southgate Collision Centre prior to me buying it from Southgate Audi back in 2014 when the car had only 10,000 KM on the odometer. There was no frame damage only body damage to driver door, fender and the front clip. Because it was repaired by an Audi certified body shop I was able to purchase it as a CPO so it came with Audi’s extended warranty. I have owned it now for just about 5 years and now have just about 80,000 KM on it with no issues. I did have to replace the thermostat last year but other than that it has only needed general maintenance of oil changes and tires. The winter driving with a good set of winter tires and the Audi Quattro system is exceptional.

Project37

rversed

You're not, by any chance, selling yours, are you?

He just sent me photos of the damage, as well as the CarProof/Carfax report. The damage was done mainly to the front driver's side and door, as previously mentioned. Became salvage title, which makes sense due to the insane prices of these Audi parts, and then once fixed, returned to rebuilt. Car looks great now though. As far as frame damage goes, I just sent him an email back and I'm hoping he outlines where the repairs were done and goes into specifics. Really hoping they didn't take shortcuts, because I absolutely fell in love with the car, and the price just makes it worse for me haha

Project37

No I plan on keeping mine. From the pictures it is hard to say if it would have damaged the frame but for sure it took out the strut and control arms. Provided the upper control arms bent and not the strut tower the A7 you are looking at might be alright. You will want to review the repair sheet from the body shop and insure they did check the frame to make sure it was not bent.

Valpo A7

With the damage shown in the picture the concern would be alignment. See if they will get it on the alignment machine and look at the front end geometry and if it's in spec.

rversed

The seller also mentioned that the suspension was damaged in the collision. Now my worry shifts to the Active Suspension control in the A7. Not sure if I should just chalk this up as a loss and look elsewhere haha