Our Audi Q7 had recently accumulated a short list of dealer needs, so we scheduled a visit with Santa Monica Audi. The list of issues included a parking brake light that remained illuminated after the brake was released, a rear sunshade that occasionally popped open while the Q7 was in motion and a groaning noise when the right rear door was opened or closed.
While the dealer was addressing the repairs, they were also going to top off the fluids and replace the windshield wipers.
After spending a morning in the service bay, the technician determined parts needed to be ordered to fix the parking brake light and rear sunshade...
Now since Thursday, it also appears the battery in our key fob is headed south, so we'll add that to the list when we revisit the Audi dealer this week.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 23,167 miles
sddoc07 says:
01:13 PM, 12/26/07
In this age of uncertainty, it is good to see that somethings will never change. I can still remember giving my friend a ride after she had to drop her car off at the VW/Audi dealership for the latest electronic gremlin - the huge line of cars and grim faces there looked remarkably similar to that evacuation scene in "I am legend.."
daytona_500 says:
01:23 PM, 12/26/07
Blog posts like this really make me question why the automotive press is in love with Audis and to a somewhat lesser extent, Volkswagen. This despite the fact that they are very pricey, look too similar and have poor reliability. I've sat in every Audi except the Q7 and the only thing that impressed me was interior materials.
Honestly problems like those are unaccepable in any new car, much less one costing $60K.
chavis10 says:
01:44 PM, 12/26/07
The press only cares about ride and handling and fit and finish. They think these "quirks" are acceptable if the car proves favorable to their narrowly focused expectations. The irony is that while Audi supposedly offers the "best" interiors, the quality still doesn't seem to be there. What good is excellent fit, finish & materials if the dealer has to constantly rip apart the dash to fix problems?
stovt001 says:
09:21 PM, 12/26/07
Well, Inside Line is the enthusiast side of Edmunds, where the main site is more average consumer oriented, so you'll see a bit more of a bias towards driving aspects here.
Personally, I like Audi styling and interior materials, but the interior design is a bit overwhelming (at least in the Q7) and the driving dynamics just aren't class leading, though the AWD would come in handy. These glitches would be annoying though.
redliner says:
11:50 PM, 12/26/07
If you can afford to buy one, you can afford to drive one.
firstwagon says:
10:14 AM, 12/27/07
"If you can afford to buy one, you can afford to drive one."
What about when they become used cars? A friend of mine bought a 5 year old used A4 for less then half the price of a new one( which would have been way out of his budget).
It was a low mileage, one owner, well serviced car and he was thrilled with it. However frequent repairs and high service costs in the last two years have made him want to sell it now. Trouble is it's now worth half what he paid for it.
That's why cars like Audi's and Jag's have such poor resale value. The people who can afford to buy them new can afford the high cost of ownership but the people who would buy them when traded in can't.
onlygmmatters says:
01:03 PM, 12/27/07
What a second, say it ain't so! Audi's have problems? A German car that isn't a complete mechancical or Electrical nightmare?
Is the Sky Blue?
A Cadillac Escalade/Tahoe/Yukon would never have problems like this. Audi is for the birds.
daytona_500 says:
01:04 PM, 12/27/07
"If you can afford to buy one, you can afford to drive one."
That only makes sense when talking about paying for gas for expensive vehicles. When it comes to problems with the vehicle its a different story. If anything, if you can afford to buy one, then you deserve a better ownership experience than wasting time with the dealer fixing problems.
mercedesfan says:
03:11 PM, 12/27/07
I have to agree that Audi's are very nice cars to drive and they are exceptionally well built, but after owning two I would never buy another. I had my A6 for three years and it was in the shop 12 times for unscheduled problems. I had an A8 for a year and half and it was in the shop 10 times. At first I excused them as early teething problems (they were first year cars) but an $80,000 luxury sedan should not have first year problems. I was the first person to take delivery of an S550 in my state, I have had it for almost two years and have yet to have a problem. There is simply no excuse for the Audis.
onlygmmatters, historically German cars have been mechanically superior to everthing else on the road. Electrical quality has always been a mixed bag, but from my personal experience mechanicals have been world class. Even my Audi's only had electrical problems.
irfan114 says:
10:36 AM, 12/28/07
This is sad to hear! And what's even more sad is that I'm still really enamored by Audi products...charming me with their good looks (imo)... :D
estreka says:
01:58 PM, 12/28/07
Daytona - Remember, Edmunds also has an '84 Ferrari 308 in the stable.
daytona_500 says:
02:56 PM, 12/28/07
Estreka,
Same deal with that one. Editors keep asking "Would you rather have a Ferrari or a Camry for $28K" and then they compare it a Sedona of all things, with the Ferrari winning. What they dont mention is that the Camry and Sedona were problem free cars, whereas the Ferrari has cost $4200 in six months alone. That itself is enough to destroy the fun of the car for me at least. If any one of them was paying the bills, they'd agree. But until then, all the Ferrari's faults will be excused "Because it's a Ferrari".
sdevol says:
11:58 AM, 01/18/08
For all the people complaining about reliability, that's kind of the bag you buy when you go german. I'll take it, because it seems the only cars with absolute reliability are also absolutely boring. And I place a higher priority on style and fun than I do reliability.
But ask me again when our Q is out of warranty and I'm footing the bills.
I can understand why others might not want to deal with the hassles, but I'm just curious; where you'll sacrifice all other criteria for something that never needs fixing? I know there are a lot of you out there or Toyota wouldn't be doing so well.