As Audis are a higher-end car, they are more expensive to maintain than some of the lower-priced vehicles you may see in a car lot. Many feel that German cars are more expensive to maintain than those that have been manufactured in the United States or Japan.

We will take a look at why Audis are so expensive to maintain so you are not shell shocked when it is time to maintain or fix your vehicle.

Regular Maintenance on an Audi

It is essential to do regular maintenance on an Audi.  This will extend the life of the car greatly.  Your Audi manual will give you more information about how many miles you should drive before having the car service completed, such as a timing belt.  Audi does recommend that servicing the car be done at least once per year or every 10,000 miles.  While this sounds great for that many miles, these services are typically quite a bit more expensive than other vehicles.  In fact, you can expect to pay between $200 to $300 for   And if you wait even longer, such as every 60,000 miles, you can expect to pay over $700!

Below we have gathered some information on approximately how much it will cost you to have different services completed on your Audi.

• The brakes on your Audi should be checked at least once per year. If you notice that it is taking you longer to break or you do a lot of city driving, have them checked twice a year.  Most car service technicians will tell you that an Audi needs to have the brakes replaced every 35,000 to 60,000 miles.  Just to have the front brake pad replacement completed on an Audi will run somewhere between $365 to $400.
• If your tires are worn out on your Audi, you could find yourself in some dangerous predicaments. To avoid this, replace the tires when there is little to no tread or there is low air pressure.  Each tire from an Audi dealership will run between $180 to $330, which does not include installation.  You can expect to pay between $775 and $1450 for your tires with installation.
• Oil changes on Audis can be performed every 10,000 miles. But if you drive in the city more, and are constantly stopping, you will want to change the oil at every 5,000 miles.  You can expect to pay $130 to $145 for a regular Audi oil change.
• The air filter in your Audi should be changed every 6,000 to 10,000 miles. By doing this, you will keep dirt and debris out of your engine.  A replacement will cost between $90 to $130.
• Every 3,000 miles or 3 months, your battery should be testing in your Audi. Usually, a battery will completely wear out in about 3 years.  When this happens the interior lights will start to become dimmer.  You can test this by revving up the engine.  If the lights happen to brighten, you may want to check into getting a new engine.  These are usually a little over $300 for a new one.

Audi Repairs and Costs That Are Most Common

Every car ages, no matter how well you take care of it.  There will eventually be something that needs to be replaced or repaired on your car.  Here are some of the most common Audi repairs, along with what it costs to fix them.

• Electrical problems could arise on an Audi. Connections do corrode over time or electrical wiring could wear out.  This can simply be fixed by having an electrical system diagnostic test run and then replacing any faulty parts that were noted in the diagnostic test.  The test will be between $130  and $200.  You will also have to pay for the parts and labor, which could run anywhere from $200 to $1,000 more.
• Spark plug failure is also known to happen in Audis. The solution is to replace the spark plug.  This can also happen with the ignition coil.  The cost to replace these is $170 to $220 for the spark plugs and $250 to $380 for the ignition coil.
• The exhaust pipes in an Audi have been known to leak. Should this happen, you will most likely need to replace the catalytic convertor.  The cost for this is from $1,590 to $1,650.
• Oil leaks can also happen. The gasket seals or covers will most likely need to be replaced.  The estimated cost for this is $135 to $260.

Audi vs. Other Luxury Vehicles:  The Price Tag on Maintaining Each Car

As Audi is a luxury car, you may have considered a BMW, a Mercedes-Benz, or a Lexus.  Here is a comparison on the costs of maintaining each car.

Over ten years, it will cost you the following to maintain each of these cars:

Audi                                         BMW                           Mercedes-Benz                      Lexus

As you can see, the Lexus is the cheapest luxury car to maintain in a ten-year span.  This is followed by Audi, then Mercedes-Benz.  The most expensive car to maintain is BMW.

Warranty Coverages

There are warranty coverages that might be something for you to look into if you are considering purchasing an Audi.  The factory warranty is good for 4 years or 50,000 miles (whichever occurs first).  The first maintenance service is free at 10,000 miles with limited coverage on corrosion perforation.  This warranty also comes with roadside assistance for the duration of the factory warranty.

Conclusion

It can be very expensive to maintain an Audi.  However, that does not mean that the car is not worth it.  Audis are very reliable, and they look fantastic. And when taken well care of, they are durable.   If you fancy German cars, this is one that you will most likely be satisfied with.  Just be sure that you take care of it with proper maintenance and it will last for a long time!