Audi Maintenance: Cost, Repairs and Schedule

Two unexpected costs of owning a vehicle are maintenance and repair. Many consumers don't factor in these extra costs when they purchase a vehicle. Maintenance includes pre-planned work you do to keep your vehicle operating as it should. Tire rotations and tire replacements, brake fluid changes, brake pad and rotor changes, 12-V battery replacements, and air filter changes make up the bulk of maintenance costs on modern automobiles. With spark plugs lasting as many as 120,000 miles, timing belts lasting over 70,000 miles, distributor caps long gone, and no more power steering fluid to deal with, most cars are relatively maintenance-free compared to cars from the last few decades.

Repair expenses are a different type of work every vehicle owner should be budgeting for. These are unexpected jobs required to fix a vehicle that breaks after it is out of its original warranty period. Common examples of under-the-hood repairs include alternator replacements, starter motor replacements, and AC compressor replacements. Suspension components also have their issues, and some models are much more susceptible to failure than others. Wheel bearing replacements, strut and shock replacements, and ball joint repairs are typical of the suspension repairs many vehicles will require.

Eventually, every part of every vehicle will call it quits. In our story here, we are going to ignore the end-of-life type of failures and repairs that very old, fully-depreciated cars have. Things like a complete engine failure or transmission failure can cost as much as $5,000 and are often the final straw in an older car’s long list of pricey repairs before it is retired and recycled. Our story will focus on the maintenance and repairs needed to keep a modern vehicle running up to and beyond 100,000 miles.

Audi Cost Of Maintenance

Audi has a higher cost of maintenance than its competitors do. This is because Audi does not include any maintenance in its new vehicle purchase price. By contrast, BMW and Genesis include three years of maintenance, and Jaguar includes five years.

The most common service an Audi like the Q5 SUV will require is a tire rotation and oil change. This is required approximately every year or every 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. We phoned a Boston-area Audi dealer for pricing and were told this service costs $220.

How Much Does It Cost To Maintain an Audi Q5 For 100,000 Miles?

Using pricing we obtained from an Audi dealer, and estimating that the Q5 would need two additional sets of tires and one set of front and rear brakes, we calculated that the cost to maintain an Audi Q5 for 100,000 miles would be approximately $8,000. This does not include repairs.

How Much Does an Audi Prepaid Maintenance Plan Cost?

Audi does not include any maintenance with the purchase price of its vehicle. We spoke to a Boston-area Audi dealer who gave us the price for an Audi prepaid maintenance plan. The price for an Audi Q5 pre-paid maintenance plan for 40,000 miles or four years, whichever comes first, is $1,499. If an owner wishes to have coverage beyond that, an additional 4-year 40K period can be purchased at the same price.

Audi - Reliability and Warranty

Audi earns mixed reviews for reliability ratings. J.D. Power ranked Audi well below average in its 2022 Durability Study. Consumer Reports says that Audi’s top-selling model, the Q5, has never earned a 5-start reliability rating in any of its years of being manufactured. In 2022 the rating was 4 out of 5 and in 2021, the rating of the Q5 was a 2 out of 5.

In addition to earning less than stellar reliability ratings from groups that derive data from Audi owners, the Audi brand is notorious for being an expensive brand to repair. This is partly due to the fact that many Audis are performance models.

Audi Recommended Maintenance Schedule

Audi vehicles have an on-board maintenance reminder that will display a warning leading up to the vehicle requiring service. The manual for the Q5 doesn’t list out what its required maintenance list is. However, Audi dealers are happy to help. We have created this list with information posted by Authorized Audi dealers. After 40K miles, the recommendation is to continue to repeat the increments. Brakes and tires are replaced as needed.

Typical Costs For Routine Maintenance Jobs

What you pay for maintenance depends on your specific make and model and, to a large degree, where you have it serviced. Dealers typically charge 10% to 30% more for the same service you would get at a trusted local shop. The guide below is intended to help create a budget for maintenance work commonly done on most vehicles.

What Are Wear Items and Various Inspections?

Our chart above lists “Various Inspections & Minor Adjustments” as one of the many maintenance items required to properly maintain a vehicle. These include common sense things like a visual brake inspection, hands-on suspension component checks, visual inspection of hoses and belts, checking that coolant, transmission, and differential oil levels are at the proper setpoints, and re-torquing specific bolts on the vehicle, such as those on the propeller shaft (driveshaft). Most shops will do these things for a nominal fee. However, dealerships tend to inflate the cost of these inspections and minor adjustments at the 15K intervals. Often to the tune of hundreds of dollars.

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Consumable Parts Maintenance For All Vehicles

All vehicles have consumable parts that require maintenance and replacement at certain points in the vehicle’s lifespan. There is no set time for many of these, but rather, they are done when needed.

Here is a quick rundown of some common items that you should budget for:

• Wiper Blades - Expect to replace wiper blades every 10,000 to 20,000 miles. You can do it yourself or pay the shop double the parts cost to have it done. Budget $20 to $50.
• 12-V Battery - Your car’s battery will last from three to six years on average, depending on how hot or cold your area is. Heat kills batteries, and they then pass away on a cold morning. AAA offers onsite battery replacement for most cars in most areas. Budget $200.
• Brakes - Your brakes will wear out in pairs. Front pair and rear pair. They may all coincidentally wear out at once, but that is uncommon. Budget $750 per pair. This includes rotors, pads, and minor parts, plus labor. Calipers and other brake components fail less commonly.
• Brake Fluid Changes - Most manufacturers and all shops will recommend that you change your brake fluid periodically. 30,000 miles is a typical interval. Budget about $200 for this. However, it is also often done during a brake pad and rotor replacement, so you may not need it as often as every 30,000 if you also service the brakes.
• 4-Wheel Alignment - Your suspension undergoes slight changes as your car ages. For this reason, a shop will recommend a 4-wheel alignment at certain intervals. It is also smart to do this when purchasing new tires so that the new ones will wear properly. Budget $125 for this service. It should not be needed more than every 30,000 miles unless you travel off-pavement frequently.
• Tires - Tires can wear out on their own by losing tread, being damaged, or by being too old and suffering from environmental degradation. Budget for tires on a typical mainstream vehicle every 40,000 to 50,000 miles or so, and more frequently for EVs and sporty vehicles. Your budget will depend on your vehicle, but around $1,000 is a typical cost, including the mounting, balancing, and disposal fee of your old tires. To maximize the lifespan of your tires, always keep them properly inflated and rotate them according to the manufacturer’s suggested interval.
• Belts and Hoses - The accessory belt in your engine and the hoses that carry coolant and other fluids don’t have specific replacement intervals, but they do wear. Expect to replace the belts and hoses in your vehicle at least once every 100K miles. Prices vary according to the vehicle and the needed part. Budget $300 per vehicle per 100K usage.
• Timing Belts - A very critical part of some engines is a rubber/composite engine valve timing belt. This belt typically lasts between 70K and 90K miles or about 7 to 9 years. Replacement is costly and includes a water pump change in most vehicles. Budget $750 to $1,000 for this once every 100K service. Note that many vehicles use a chain instead, so your vehicle may not have this belt. Timing chains are designed to last the life of the vehicle and save you money.
• Transmission Fluid Changes - By Car Talk’s count, there are now over five different common transmissions in use in modern vehicles. Geared, CVT, eCVT, DSG, and manual. Each has its own needs, and each manufacturer has their own schedule for service and fluid replacements. Consult your manual. Many modern vehicles have sealed transmissions meaning they do not require fluid changes. If your vehicle does require a transmission fluid change, budget $350 to $650 for this service.

Common Vehicle Repair Examples

Many components that are designed to last the life of a vehicle come up short. Our chart below includes some commonly repaired and replaced parts of modern vehicles. These should only be a once-per-ownership event. If you find that your vehicle requires multiple repairs of the same type, it may be time to look for a new car.

Common Audi Problems and Repairs

Audi vehicles do not have any common owner-reported problems on Car Complaints. According to Consumer Reports, the most common trouble spot is in-car electronics.

Is an Audi Extended Warranty Worth It?

Audi is a brand that first owners often lease. With a 4-year or 50,000-mile warranty, most leased Audis will be covered by the warranty for the full duration of their leases. Audi is also a brand that many owners shop for certified pre-owned vehicles. CPO vehicles, as they are known, also come with an included warranty. We would not recommend owning an Audi without a warranty due to the potentially high cost of repairs. If you plan to own an Audi outside of a lease or an Audi that isn’t a CPO car, consider an extended warranty.

Our Recommendations

Audi is a luxury performance brand with a high cost of ownership. If you plan to buy an Audi, budget for the extra cost for repair and maintenance that will come with this premium brand.

Our Methodology For Best Warranty Providers

Car Talk has spent the last two years diving deeply into the warranties industry for the benefit of our readership and long-time listeners. Our process for deciding on the best warranty companies is exceptionally thorough, involving in-depth research and our unique secret shopper initiative. We compiled over 50 data points across all reviewed companies to refine and inform our selection process. Car Talk reviewed the following important criteria for each company:

• Consumer Satisfaction: Cross referencing multiple trusted resources to pull our fair and balanced customer reviews.
• Cost: Utilizing our secret shopper initiative, we got comparable quotes across all companies so we can validly compare pricing.
• Coverage and Offerings: Our research team delved into the coverage and offerings for each company, comparing what is available, including extras and discounts.
• Official Ratings: We consulted a wide range of verified review sites to extrapolate a ratings score for each.

Read more on the Best Warranty Companies in the industry here.