I have a 2014 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI that I purchased in 2016, it’s been a great vehicle which I take very good care of with recommended service and only needing typical wear and tear repairs. I did all of the emissions extended warranty repairs when those came up as well. Currently only 85k miles on it.

Recently it started smoking under the hood just a couple miles from home (no indicator lights came on), and won’t start. Had it towed to the dealer service shop which they are stating its engine failure!
The worst part is the extended drivetrain warranty (10 yrs/ 120k miles) just ended 2 months ago !!! So now I’m stuck with do I pay for a new engine or move on??

I did reach out to Audi for assistance which the stated they would cover 50% of the costs, this leaves me a $10k bill.

Does this happy often? Should I try reaching out to Volkswagen group? As I’m still kind of upset on the matter being low mileage on a diesel engine and just over the 10 yr timeframe. I’d love any advice on the matter. Thanks!!

 

Move on would be my advice. Assuming you get a second opinion verifying that the engine is really kaput.

 

If the engine has failed it is time to move on at that age and mileage.

 

Hi not sure if this helps, but we have a 2014 A-6 TDI and have had all the scheduled recalls under the extended warranty, now expired at 123,000 miles. At about 85,000 we had an issue of not starting, turning over like mad but no go. Obviously as a diesel that meant no fuel in the cylinders. Audi took it in and it transpired it was related to the emission codes cutting the fuel pump off, No mechanical problem at all. Again done under the warranty. At around 100,000 a small oil leak on top of the engine was detected and to fix it they removed the engine, put new seals in, new engine mounts and all back in good order under the warranty. We only paid for the new mounts so dodged a big bullet there. Just this week we had a check engine light that indicated a fault with the DEF (Ad blue) pump which we had done at a non Audi shop, total cost $1,600. I have ordered a new DEF tank cap to replace incase it was not holding the tank pressure. Point of my story is I would get a second opinion as to if the motor is really done as these engines should be good for 300,000 plus. All together this car has been great and we will be reluctant to let it go so for now we will cover repairs.

 

Love to hear what your 2nd opinion mechanic (non-Audi Dealer) has to say about your TDI no-start issue. Never trust an Audi dealership to tell you the truth.

I'm an experienced shade-tree mechanic/lifelong DIYer on anything with a motor, and my experience with Audi dealer service departments has been they consistently tried to take advantage of me as an owner...pushing services my car didn't need, and making up problems that didn't exist to see if I would let them 'fix' the problem...which didn't exist. Maybe that sounds a bit familiar, yes?

Hope you got your car checked out by a real mechanic that isn't simply trying to fleece you. As was mentioned, a TDI motor can easily go several hundred thousand miles, with just a few parts replacements along the way, which is actually one of their best qualities...they are overbuilt structurally in order to handle the compression ignition of the TDI, and this is why they are a more expensive engine option...significantly better fuel economy too.

 

Jeez, for 10K why wouldn't you just let them put a new motor in. Assuming of course the car is otherwise in excellent condition, which it should be with such low mileage.

What the hell can you buy for 10K. I mean forget the details about the issue, its broke, Audi is covering 50%, step up and get it fixed.

Value of a 10yr old Audi Q7 with no motor is just about zero because cost of new motor is more than the car is worth if you try and sell it.

I have a 2014 A8L with almost 80K miles on it. I love the car and it is in good shape, If the motor failed tomorrow, I wouldn't hesitate spending 10k for a new motor if that is all I had to pay.

 

Take a look at my signature. Based on my experience at that age/mileage combo all sorts of plastic and rubber parts start failing. It is just not worth the hassle or the risks. Time to move on. Your experience may differ.

 

IMHO, the only valid advice one can, in good faith, offer to the OP based on what was posted directly by the OP, is to get another mechanics evaluation/opinion to identify the underlying issue with why the car won't start, since there are myriad known items than can create a no-start situation on a TDI; sensor failure, fuel pump failures, bad relays, glow-plugs pressure sensor fail or glow controller failure (in the cold of winter, anyways), or fuel shut-down protocols tripped, etc., etc., and which don't require much effort or cost to correct/repair...certainly not anything even remotely close to replacing the entire engine. This is the value of owning a VAGCOM scan tool; gaining knowledge from the car before you take it to a repair shop, which may or not tell you the truth about what is wrong.

None of us on here knows what the actual underlying problem is without having some real data to assess, but we do know the car was always maintained by Audi, just dropped off warranty, and now it won't start, and an Audi dealer is telling the OP they want to install a new engine in it as their 'suggested course of action', for an outrageous cost, and with absolutely no justification having been provided. That sounds a bit fishy to me. Personally I'd get the second opinion ASAP. Knowledge is power and allows for making informed decisions rather than emotional decisions.

If perchance the engine is somehow actually dead-dead confirmed by an indie mechanic, then the Corporate Audi 'good-will' offer is an excellent path forward; it's already a well-maintained car they enjoy, but with a new engine, etc. I'd just be making sure I was getting a fully complete, brand new engine...not just a long-block; nothing reused or transferred over from old engine, which compromises long-term reliability, especially given the price the dealer quoted originally to the OP.