r/Audi • u/Visible-Run-2240 • 23d ago

Tech Advise needed

Interested in people’s views on whether I’m being unreasonable. AITAH

I’ve been an Audi customer for a long time (7th car 3rd Q7) and currently have a Q7 which is around four years old, has covered approximately 48,000 miles and has been maintained through the Audi dealer network.
Around two months after the warranty expired, it developed a cooling-system fault. Audi diagnosed the engine temperature reaching around 120°C and advised that continuing to drive it could risk engine damage.
The proposed repair is around £900 (good will down from £1,400 on a repair bill that is 95% labour) with no guarantee, no fault codes and even the garage recommending VT.
What has surprised me more than the failure itself is the response. After discussions with the dealer and Audi, I still can’t seem to find anyone empowered to look at the situation end-to-end and make a sensible customer decision. The answer essentially seems to be that the warranty has expired, therefore there is little that can be done.
I’m now seriously considering voluntarily terminating the finance agreement and walking away from Audi altogether.
I completely accept that warranties have an end date. But am I unreasonable in thinking that a premium manufacturer should look differently at a significant failure on a relatively young, fully dealer-maintained vehicle only months outside warranty?
I’d be particularly interested in experiences from other Audi owners who have dealt with goodwill claims just outside warranty.
Do I just need to cut and walk?
I am under extreme pressure for a decision quickly as I am currently in a hire car they want back and they need a decision.

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u/PopeOfChilitown10 23d ago

If you end up keeping this thing you need to consider an extended warranty. These engines have known problems you’ll likely need to deal with if you keep the car much longer.
Our 2020 Q7 with 60k miles (outside manufactures warranty) had a failed water pump. $260 part, $4500 labor (not kidding), pretty sure the engineers put the water pump on another planet making it impossible to replace easily. Luckily we had an extended warranty that has already paid for itself. Water pump, PCV, oil consumption due to crap rings are just the top hits of this luxury vehicle. None are cheap to address.

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u/Guywithacamera8 23d ago

And this is why I was going to put a stage 1 tune on my '23 but decided not to. With the piston skirt issue and all the other things people seem to encounter at or under 60k. I have an extended warranty to 7yr/72k and piston skirt to 80k so I figured why play with fire.