niksf616

Hello All,

I'm new this forum and I come from Lexus background. I done my due diligence on all Audi forums. I ended up tracking down 1 Owner meticulously maintained 2006 Audi A8 L(Priced around $10K) with all service history records(Timing Belt, Water Pump, Cabin Filters, Rotors, Brake Pads, Oil changes Etc).

The Car felt good when I test drive ,and it is from reputed Audi Dealer. As I really did not have any Audi OR as matter of fact German car ownership experience, next step was to take it for Pre-purchase Inspection.

Based on my research I was willing to spend $1000 on maintenance On average per year.

Upon inspection(Third Party Mechanic Shop, one of the reputed in my area) said that you would most likely be looking at $3500 for first year repairs( $2200 for Upper side Links, and tires, and few more items). Not only that, he added even if you go for car that is up to $25K (around 65K-$75 K miles on it), you will most likely end up spending $3500 every year for Audi A8 L, no matter how well maintained the car is.

This seems far fetched as Nation average as per my research indicates up to $1000 per year on maintenance which I'm fine with it. The Shop owner does not believe in carfax, he gives his opinions purely based on his inspection and experience.The Shop does Audi and Porsche repairs ONLY.

I took that back to Audi Dealer, and Sales Rep said that is ridiculous( $2200 for Upper side Links, and they can do it in just $800)

Based on your ownership experience does it really cost that much($3500/year ) on maintenance OR that Mechanic was messing up with me(I spent $120 for inspection BTW)?

The contradiction is way too much here, Needless to say, I would not go for that Car, but I certainly don't want to give up on owning an Audi.

Please find attachments for more reference.

Thanks,
niksf616

MP4.2+6.0

It's a spectrum, but $1,000/yr sounds light and $3,500 sounds high. There is both the spectrum of repair and parts costs to actually do the work, and then how meticulous you want to be. If you go all the way to let it almost break, you can maybe do low end with a small indy mechanic who can do Audis but may not be expert on A8; and if you do everything with new dealer parts AND a lot of expensive labor time you could maybe get to higher end. It is also episodic, with "lumpy" items. Could be near zero one year beyond an oil change, and thousands another year if important subsystem has a major issue. If you strictly DIY, you can be near lower end even with quality parts, but it will be lumpy from one year to another, and it depends still on whether there is deferred maintenance of sorts to catch up on. I get the sense you are saying NOT DIY, so risky to assume $1,000 or less unless car really in great shape and deferred maintenance really up to snuff (doubtful bet by 11 years old and 140K miles). Also, given things flagged already like valve cover leak and P/S pump I would say there is some catch up to do, as expected.

Pertinent to yours:

1. Was timing belt really done the SECOND time--at 150K interval? At 140K not, this is coming up. Why you often see Audis get sold at...surprisingly...70K and 140K... If only the first (75) and you do it by book, all possible parts and at dealer prices, you could spend 2 grand+. If you use OE parts, do most of them, and use an indy mechanic, perhaps just over a grand. If you cut back more on debatable parts and still use a mechanic you could be in $500-1000 bracket. Or, cheap junk kit (not recommended), somewhat less. Or go literally belt only and roll dice otherwise, $50ish for belt plus few hundred in labor. A spectrum. Also depends on what was done at 75K. If water pump and thermo not done at 75K for example, big dice roll to go 75K more; if done with OE parts, maybe manageable risk wise given older car now.

2. Air shocks and compressor. Probably down to when not if at those miles. Aftermarket? OE? Rebuilt? Blow compressor too by neglecting? A spectrum again, and need to know more on history. (I don't want to know honestly; read the archives for probably 500-1000 posts and different scenarios.)

3. Steering? You have pointers something may be amiss there. Rack? Pump? Line only? ...a spectrum.

As lesser ones too, brake fluid sounds from color like maybe should be flushed, and coolant doesn't just evaporate. Maybe more important, it looks like mechanic was old school with literally pen and paper. A full scan (electronically) will often reveal more, but it takes an experienced mechanic to judge. Not just a "code reader"--VCDS or equivalent scanning all modules, way beyond just "check engine light" stuff. Big $$ can often lurk there, along side trivia codes "they all have."

Mister Bally

Labor rates vary on the area you are at. $100/ hour in some locations, $200/hr in others. That matters when you are paying for labor.

I've had an '04 since December 2005. My average part costs have been about $1000/year mainly using OEM or good OES parts. This does not count any of my labor. as my son & I do the majority of the repairs/maintenance.

This past year was the highest ever as my wife drove the car at 60 mph into a new in box hot water tank laying on the road into a snow storm.

$900 for a used front lock carrier, condenser, fans etc. $850 for a used fascia with all grills and another $300 for paint. A set of summer and a set of winter tires on top of this. Then our own labor.....

Don't expect a ten year old car to perform well without some maintenance and service. If that's an issue, buy a newer or more bland (Accord, Camry etc.) car.

niksf616

Thanks Tech Guru! Yes, mechanic is an old school, but he also ran VCDS.. the report is almost 16 pages long. Please find attached screen shots of the Fault Code Highlights and CarFax Details below. Based on VCDS would you say he helped me staying away from lemon?

As pr CarFax: at 95K below items were done
Antifreeze/coolant checked
Oil and filter changed
Thermostat replaced
Timing belt tensioner/idler checked
Timing belt tensioner/idler replaced
Water pump replaced

Then Again at 116,638 K:
Brake pads replaced
Front brake pads replaced
Front brake rotor(s) replaced
Oil and filter changed

niksf616

above response was for MP4.2+6.0. Thank you sir!

niksf616

@Mister Bally:

When did I say I'm expecting a ten year old car to perform well without some maintenance and service. I was trying to compare $3500 cost given by 3rd party mechanic with Nation Avg. of $1000?

Also I've mentioned in the original post that mechanic said even $25 K worth of car(around $65K miles) would have $3500 maintenance required per year even if it has been maintained well before(This goes for your suggestion of going for newer car)

Lastly please help me understand why would Lexus owner downgrade to Accord, Camry?

I would appreciate if you keep your responses to the point. Thank you.



Don't expect a ten year old car to perform well without some maintenance and service. If that's an issue, buy a newer or more bland (Accord, Camry etc.) car.

MP4.2+6.0

Your response to Mister Bally was poorly advised FWIW. Fire (both barrels!), ready aim is how it reads to me. My advice FWIW is way lighten up w/ a grand total basically just the posts in this thread. I get what he was saying having been here way more than a flash in a pan.

You are asking people to help you who could do a million other things, not the other way around. You probably pissed him off, but he probably has a better balance at the margin than I do of cost vs. benefit; like me he has owned the brand a long time and does hands on wrenching plus has used mechanics. Also understand that in context we have had about a zillion posts over the years--he and I have been there for most all of them--where folks have badly mis-set expectations. They do sort of connect Lexus and Toyota (literally those two more than any) and Maytag like themes that lead to faulty Audi expectations, particularly as they get older.

If you accept the advice, great, otherwise I'll be on my way as well.

Now, "to the point..." with that preamble, the scan has nothing extraordinary at a glance. Most closer to noise level, though a few need more poking. Some common ones are even missing, like the rear seat duct aux heaters that are in like 99% of scans it seems. Quiesscent code stuff is like sky is blue stuff on a D3. Meanwhile, doesn't have scary big electrical issues as first glance. Prior response then is more where my antennae are so far--belt history (info is helpful but not complete; a hunch is a lot of the ancillary parts might not have been done but only detailed invoice would show clearly), the various leaks, etc. No info I recall either on suspension bushings, noises, etc, all of which would be way overdue by these miles and likely dealt with in past at least some. Maintenance or no, it reads like a decently maintained 11 year old 140K Audi, but not a once a week to church car either--and definitely not at those miles. Also, would want to see the engine scan specifically even if it says "OK." In particular, if allreadiness codes are not showing as clear "ready" (the "0's and 1's" line), ECU was just wiped and that would be a big caution flag by itself. Caught my eye a little too with secondary air point mechanic wrote up, though he may have just meant physical hose before the pump, which probably wouldn't code.

niksf616

@ MP4.2+6.0:

First of all thank you so much for your time, much appreciated.

I was not trying to compare Lexus with Audi, and as such I do not have any missed expectations.

Telling aspiring Audi Owner to go other brands did not quite come across as respectable either.

Thank you all for your time. Much appreciated!

ltooz_a6_a8_q7

Here is my experience owning A8 since D2 to D3 - doing all the work myself.
2006- 3/29/3013-current from 73k-120k . Look all the stuff I had to fix in my signature.
- $50 a year for oil change.
- $100 brakes in 4 years.
- $50 a/c temperature sensor.
- $120 battery after 11 year.
- $200 air spring suspension.
- $160 upper control arms both sides.
These cars are ultra reliable, Change oil once a year, don't break the car by fixing things that don't break. Don't touch the VCDS. Don't take to the shops when the car is running well for them to break it.
Buy a well taken care one, Audis are like children, if they're abused when young, the scars will never heal and adopted parent will have hard time...
90% of troubled cars caused by inferior maintenance technicians. The less you take the car to the shop, the longer it will last. If it doesn't break, don't fix it.
Cheers and good luck,
Louis

Mister Bally

So, I still don't know if you are basing shop labor rates in Downtown Chicago, New York City, The San Francisco Bay area, Decatur, Georgia or Kingman, Arizona. I'll guess you are in a $125.00/hr shop rate area.

With my $1000.00/year maintenance & repair parts average (I drive mine about 20,000 miles a year on average) and labor usually costing 2-3 times part costs; The mechanic's estimate you received seems accurate if you will use repair shops for all maintenance & repairs.

As others mentioned, part costs can be less some years, but without warning, an air strut could blow an air bag. Then you have a $200 to $1500.00 part cost right there (maybe this happens only once while you own the car so not too big of a deal). Many have gone with the various price point solutions in this example with varying results. You get what you pay for with service parts. Most shops will only install OEM or OES service parts. Audi dealers will usually install OEM parts exclusively.

Hopefully you read the sticky note at the top of the D3 threads which give insight about DIY repair necessities and service part advice if you plan to DIY. As others mentioned, that is a way to save quite a bit on ownership costs.

I'd plan for $3500.00 in the first year and if you only spend $500.00, next year just add $500.00 to the pot. Take funds from that "account" for tires when you need them.