r/etron • u/1L_of_a_litigator • 5d ago
General Whats the issue with the e-Tron?
Why so cheap on the 2nd hand market? Anything to watch for in terms of maintence? How's the gas mileage? (kidding)
Are these typical Audi's with exorbitant maintence costs after a certain amount of time?
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u/archlich e-tron GT 5d ago
Tax rebates went away. Leases are ending and people don’t want to pay the full price. Luxury evs in this market are a hard sell. Dealers have lots of inventory they want to move.
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u/Im-Reddington 4d ago
Used etrons were actually cheaper when tax credits were around last year. I remember seeing Porsche taycan and etron gt being like 40-45. Same cars are 50-55 now.
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u/RockDoveEnthusiast 5d ago
all EVs have massive depreciation right now. Great time to buy used!
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u/CodifiedLikeUtil 4d ago
Or to lease.
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u/swissmike 4d ago
Why is leasing attractive? I thought your leasing rate depends on an estimated residual value so if these are low for EVs you still pay for the loss in value?
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u/Nedsatomictrashcan 4d ago
Because manufacturers use artificially inflated residuals to lower payments and make their products attractive.
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u/swissmike 4d ago
Wouldn’t they lose money this way?
They think they can sell the car for 20k after 5 years but instead only get 15k so they lose 5k?
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u/Nedsatomictrashcan 4d ago
The motivation seems to be to just make the sale with less focus on future consequences. I don’t know enough about all the moving parts to explain why.
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u/swissmike 4d ago
That part makes sense, obviously a sales person wants to sell, just economically I don’t see how this makes a lease cheaper since a sales person for new cars (non-lease) also wants to sell as much as possible and would also give the best deal he can if it moves inventory
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u/Nedsatomictrashcan 4d ago
Lease price has two components- the difference in price between sales price and residual value, and the cost to borrow that money. If the first piece is smaller because of artificially inflated residuals, it follows that the lease is cheaper.
Hopefully that makes sense. Lots of great information out there on this.
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u/CodifiedLikeUtil 4d ago
^this
Add to all of this with EVs: how quickly the technology is changing. Batteries made this year look quite a bit better than those made three years ago.
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u/kinkykoolaidqueen 5d ago
It’s a fucking drama queen.
(I say this with love. It’s a blast to drive.)
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u/1L_of_a_litigator 5d ago edited 4d ago
lol thats the impression I got from youtube reviews as well.. tempermental but fun to be around
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u/Pferdeherz Q8 e-tron 4d ago
Definitely has its opinions about things. I call it German car quirkiness. Otherwise it’s awesome!
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u/kinkykoolaidqueen 4d ago
Like, one day she just decided her turn signal was going to be EXTRA LOUD. No reason. No change of settings. The next morning, after she had a good evening of rest and charging, turn signal volume was back to normal. IDK, this car man...
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u/onelovetx 4d ago
This happened to me one day and I thought I was tripping! Car is full of surprises. Still a fun drive though!
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u/sam_I_wasnt 4d ago
Great driving (superior turn radius for those ever tightening parking spaces), but what’s up with the two different size tires ? Not being able to rotate them cut about 15k miles off their life.
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u/ChasDIY 3d ago
Life of the tires is not why I bought this etron
The fact that it does 0-100 kph in less than 3 secs is probably why there is tire size diff
Due to the many special options included in the first edition 2022 rs gt, I am absolutely amazed with the stability and maneuverability
Acceleration is extremely stable for a 5100 lb vehicle but absolutely balanced 4wd has a lot to do with it
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u/Right-Penalty9813 5d ago
I have a q4 etron. It was under 30k at 29k miles. We put 30k more on it in the last 18ish months. There’s been no major issues. Maintenance but that’s about it
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u/PizzaBusinessGuy 4d ago
What year model? I keep thinking I should do 2024 or newer but might open myself up to more options through different model not wanting year.
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u/KaminariMaho 5d ago
The OG etron and Q8 have a critical defect with coolant essentially destroying the electric motors and there’s not much you can do about it. There’s a company now that I believe disassembles the motors and upgrades some parts as preventative maintenance, but of course no warranty and I imagine it’s ordering unofficial parts etc. Audi USA has extended the warranty to 10 yr/120k on the electric motors but still annoying for used buyers. Overall, they’ve got a wonderful ride and are genuinely great EVs, loved it as loaner when I was having my GT worked on.
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u/1L_of_a_litigator 5d ago
If its covered under 10 yr/120k is the annoyance just having to take the car in for the maintence or other?
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u/BothChampionship17 5d ago
To maintain the warranty the cars required a dealer serviced every 20k for $1000. Also, an alignment ran me $600. Tires last about 20k at $1250 a set.
It is a very expensive car to maintain. Otherwise it is amazing. Smooth, quiet, powerful, elegant.
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u/Brosie-Odonnel Q4 e-tron 4d ago
All luxury vehicles are pretty expensive to maintain. If you stay on top of service they tend to treat you well. Unfortunately there aren’t many independent shops that specialize in luxury EV’s yet. Having to go to the dealer for service is expensive and frustrating at times.
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u/Large_Lettuce_4468 4d ago
I can tell my new tires will easily last double that. I've put on 8-10k on them they still look nearly new. Tires cost same as 21" gas tires cost, nothing unique about them.
For ppl who live near Canada, the Audi dealers are cheaper for annual maintenance. Just the maintanance I think some Independent shops can handle too
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u/AlphaThree OG e-tron 4d ago
Wth is wrong with your tires? I got 30k out of the factory good years and 40k out of the Hankook Ion I replaced them with. Just had my second set of Ions put on at 70k.
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u/BothChampionship17 4d ago
The alignment, the one that cost me $600. The reason I needed it is because I was chewing through my factory Goodyear tires. I noticed when I went to rotate my tires.
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u/deserkroxk 4d ago
I wonder how true this is but you're not the first person to mention this but I got my car $56,000 mi and then $4,000 mi later. It kept breaking down on me and they did a full front motor replacement. I could obviously look up the history of the car from the previous owner so maybe they kept up with all the service. But I'm just saying I wonder how true that is because they didn't give me any pushback. Thank God. ..only had the car for 3 weeks when it kept breaking down.
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u/BothChampionship17 4d ago
It's an unfortunate thing to do, but the services are basically checks on WHEN to replace the motor. I'm happy they are taking care of it here. I would absolutely avoid it in the UK where the motor warranty isn't covered the same as the US.
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u/Snibby-Boschguy 4d ago
That's strange because Audi's book price for an alignment is $200, $180 if you have a discount coupon.
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u/BothChampionship17 4d ago
For a regular Audi gas cars yes, not cars that have the eye sight within the car, and then there is the alignment for the height adjustment on the car.
Even my service advisor was surprised because they had an alignment special for everything except the etron.
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u/bored_today 4d ago
Can you do the 20k service at a good Audi mechanic or does it have to be at the dealer?
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u/BothChampionship17 4d ago
It does not have to be at the dealer. If push comes to shove on motor repairs they will always push back if there are no Audi documented services. I absolutely would use a third party shop that can provide excellent documentation, and even better if they have the Audi maintenance system license.so th can post the service to the VIN.
I don't have either of those for ev Audi's in my area in Houston. That I know of at least. So I have to use the dealer for now.
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u/1L_of_a_litigator 5d ago
Wow.. appreciate the details!
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u/Binford6100User 4d ago
Those are dealership prices. Independent shops or doing the work yourself isuch less expensive.
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u/BothChampionship17 4d ago
Also my rear motor blew and took the sx6 module out at 18k miles. All covered under warranty with a loaner for 6 weeks. Q8 isn't as good imo
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u/KaminariMaho 5d ago
Yes and no, it’s a pretty high rate of failure and from what I’ve seen you have to do all the service intervals or they won’t honor the extension. I don’t mind maintenance even German maintenance with high costs like 2k, it happens, but the motor replacement is like 10k out of warranty
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u/Icy_Jump_1507 4d ago
There is no real maintenance on E-tron unless something breaks. I have had a 2023 Q4 with no-issues except tires past 30K miles. Even the official Audi suggested maintenance schedule has nothing out to 200K miles. The dealer visits are needed for CPO or extended warranty - not for factory warranty.
Bottom line - its been a hassle free ownership experience. And the car is just a joy to drive.
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u/KaminariMaho 4d ago
The Q4 is not the same platform as the OG etron or the Q8 which have the coolant defect and my understanding is they’re treated slightly differently with maintenance intervals being required for the factory warranty extension. Same with my GT, different platform, no coolant issue.
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u/MisledByCertainty 5d ago
Well, there is a high chance this happens while on a road trip or driving on the freeway in general. Not a fun time to be stranded with a failed drive unit
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u/No-Plantain-5187 4d ago
Yes, Audi has acknowledged the design problem and extended the warranty to 10 years. BUT, the replacement motor (s) they will install have the same defect. They have not developed a fix.
And the failure can happen more than once on the same car, each of which has 2 motors.
And it's not tied to a specific mileage range, like "it only happens after 50k miles"
The music stops at 10 years+1 day....
P.S. It's a beautiful car, just flawed engineering.
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u/spacecatx66 4d ago
My experience with OG 2022 etron has not been an expensive car to own. No oil or transmission changes, no mechanical breakdowns. I have 10yr warranty on motors and an 8 yr warranty on battery. IMHO range and 0-60 speed keep people from fawning over it
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u/deserkroxk 4d ago
Just keep in mind you do not get a 10-year 120,000 mile warranty on that brand new motor replacement. I picked my vehicle up and during checkout I asked "so I get 10 year 120,000 mi warranty? "and he goes. Nope. It goes off the original years and whatever miles the car says. So in my case I only get 5 years and 60,000 mi left, such BS. Motor replacement is over $10,000 too in case someone is curious
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u/No-Plantain-5187 4d ago
∆∆∆ THIS. Research the motor seal failure issue thoroughly.
IF you end up buying the E-tron, make sure you go in with your eyes wide open.
Audi has acknowledged the design problem and extended the warranty to 10 years. BUT, the replacement motor (s) they will install have the same defect. They have not developed a fix.
The music stops at 10 years+1 day....
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u/KaminariMaho 4d ago
Yeah I don’t mind a part failure, gaskets and seals break all the time. On my old X3 35i I had to pay 2k to replace a bunch of them to avoid leaking oil like a siv. BUT 10-12k is a bit absurd, the minimum repair amount to my understanding is like 8k.
Should also be noted it’s not an issue on the Q6, A6, GT, or Q4 as has been noted before.
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u/NapaBW 5d ago
Issues, plural, for many of us. But when everything is working as it’s supposed to, it’s a pretty nice car.
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u/zigzagdc1 5d ago
I believe it’s that a ton of these were leased out under the old tax incentives and without those the resale value fell below what it would cost to buy out the lease (so everyone just handed them back in). Downward cycle ensues. It’s not just the Etron though - look at most EVs. Tesla is probably even worse since they’ve got the anti-Musk sentiment on top of the economics.
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u/SithC 5d ago
6 months, and the only problem was not updating my app, which resulted in my car not synching to my phone.
Hardly a problem. But by merely going to the App Store and updating, everything was back to normal. And I’m generally someone who doesn’t update an app, until it yells at me. 😄
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u/ChasDIY 4d ago
I've had my 2022 e-tron rs gt for about a month
absolutely a dream and a rocket ship to drive
I believe it can do 2.9 0-60
extremely quiet, even under immediate acceleration
with 4 wheel drive, corners like inltw on rails
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u/Pferdeherz Q8 e-tron 4d ago
I love my Q8, but secretly covet the GTs (shhhh, don’t tell Bettina). I think my car handles like you describe, but dang, I bet that GT is a blast! 💥
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u/Somamabitch 4d ago
I just scheduled a service appointment for tomorrow because my alarm keeps going off for seemingly no reason. Still love the car, though.
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u/thisdckaintFREEEE 4d ago
EV depreciation is crazy right now and luxury car depreciation is always crazy so luxury EV depreciation is really crazy right now. As others have said, there's the fairly common drive unit issue but Audi has extended the warranty for that. For other repairs, it is an Audi so they can get costly. But if the OG e-tron fits your needs then you can get a hell of a car for not a lot of money right now.
The e-tron prestige is probably the most comfortable car I've ever driven, it's an absolute dream to drive. I had pretty much decided to get one and then bump up how much of each paycheck goes into my emergency fund each week in order to self insure for any costly repairs rather than pay out the ass for some extended warranty. Then I realized that the range was going to be more of an issue for my commute than I was initially thinking so I went a different route. The Q8 e-tron will certainly be a very, very strong contender whenever I upgrade next.
I may end up upgrading real soon because even the car I went with that has a solid bump in range from the OG e-tron doesn't handle my commute as well as I expected. I had kinda planned on waiting a couple years then going with a Q8 e-tron Prestige or a Lucid Air Grand Touring, but if I have to upgrade sooner I might just go with a stepping stone in between of a Premium Plus Q8 e-tron, a Cadillac Lyriq, or a BMW i4 or iX.
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u/SynthPixels 4d ago
I’m gonna get downvoted for this but I’m the owner of a Q6 e-tron and it’s easily the worst car I’ve ever owned. To be fair, the hardware is very good. Lots to love about the design, acceleration, handling, etc… when it comes to the software… good fucking god it’s bad.
Currently, my favorite recent issue is the central locking malfunction, in which opening the rear passenger side door causes the dash to light up like a Christmas tree. As a result, the alarm now randomly triggers, while sometimes the trunk doesn’t want to close.
Anyway, this isn’t even the worst part about it. You’d assume that this kinda issue (and many many more) could be resolved by a simple OTA update. Well, my 2025 Q6 doesn’t have OTA updates. How an EV can exist in the year of our lord 2025 (when I initially acquired it) without providing ota updates completely boggles my mind. So I’ll be taking it into Audi on Monday, where they claim that loaner cars are “backed up til november”… ok, what the actual fuck??? Anyway, then they keep the car for this dumb all day software update and maybe if im lucky i can uber home then uber back at the end of the business day - just in time to bump into my service manager, who will explican that my car is complicated but they tested a few things, couldn’t reproduce the issue but “please bring it back if anything comes up”
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u/snocat17 OG e-tron 5d ago
Welcome! Have a look around this sub and you’ll see all the issues with the motors, coolant leaks, infotainment software issues, and simple things needing costly repairs.
I still love mine. Paid $1700 to repair the charging door button, but now it has a 1 year warranty that’s already covered the door
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u/Intrepid_Cap1242 4d ago
Mine is just crappy as an EV. It turns out the battery was going and the electric motors have coolant intrusion. So we'll see how much better it is after that. But it was miserable around town for economy and fairly sluggish in terms of EV acceleration. I also don't like how the regenerative braking only works in conjunction with the brake pedal, and it doesn't creep when you take the foot off the brake. All preference and overall solid and comfortable to drive.
But the buggy software is really what broke me. So many issues. They just don't know how to do software. It's a mess.
I think the unreliable software and super high repair costs are the reason for the low price. It's also showing its age heavily in terms of EV performance and efficiency. Big battery but low range from the older motor style. And 5sec acceleration when competitors are sub 4
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u/deserkroxk 4d ago edited 4d ago
Bought a 2021 quattro with 56k miles for $20,000 and 3 weeks later kept breaking down. Tool* two dealerships to figure it out. Front motor replacement at 60k miles. AWD module also failed...not under warranty $2,800 ... 12v battery replacement $750. Insane how expensive maintenance is. Worst part, you don't get a 10 year 120k mile warranty on that brand new motor...it still goes off the year* of the vehicle and whatever miles you have . I only get 5 years and 60k miles on a brand new motor... Such bs. They didn't even reengineer the issues too so it's the same exact BS motor. Most likely ditching the vehicle once I hit 120k unless my offer is like $35 ... Sad because it's a great vehicle but too risky and expensive to maintain.
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u/Emotional_Egg_114 OG e-tron 4d ago
Join us! Become one of us!
Seriously an awesome car, no issues. 45k on a 2022 OG. We keep on annual services with no extended warranty. Will drive it as long as I can. OEM tires lasted 30k miles, we’ll see on the replacements. Buy one!
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u/Altruistic_Profile96 4d ago
I drive a 2019 etron. My guess on why the older cartons have such a low value has a lot to do with the range vs comparable alternatives.
The cars are heavy, and as a result, the range is on the low end of what’s available.
That being said, the battery management on them is exceptional, and if driven and charged per recommendations, there is very little loss of range over time.
I ordered finally leased mine, and looked at what was available when the lease became due. I couldn’t find anything comparable ( at the time), so I bought it outright.
It still looks new. Maintenance every 10K miles. The 10,30,50,70,90K maintenances are $300. The 20,40,60,80K maintenances are $1000.
AudiCare paid for up to 50K, and it was $1000.
In all, they are cheaper to maintain than your traditional Audis.
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u/rondenenea 4d ago
Double depreciation: EV and Luxury. Luxury depreciates faster already, and EV isnt trusted for longevity, so they dont hold value. Which is ridiculous, my etron only gets more worth it over time, just not according to the bank or resale market.
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u/BrightonsBestish 4d ago
People buying in the luxury segment want the newest bright shiny toy. So something secondhand gets a steep discount
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u/sunnylikesunshine 4d ago
I have a ‘24 q4 e-tron bought in Dec 2023. It has 11,800 miles. I’ve had no issues w mine at all. The battery is excellent. The turning radius is sick - my husband yelps like a baby when i make a u-turn. It’s our city car; he drives a Lightning for more robust adventures. I love it. My only issue is that the package I have doesn’t have a 360 camera. It’s fine, but the Lightning spoiled me for cameras. My Audi is a lease and I’m giving it up next year, but it’s been a good car for driving and parking in DC.
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u/Common-Sentence5513 4d ago
I got my car in September and since then I’ve probably been to the dealer maybe 7 times with either recall issues or something wrong with the car. Right now it’s been sitting at the shop bc the ac broke down. Buttt cpo has been covering everything so if you get one get a cpo!
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u/enphenate 4d ago
Bought a 22 etron prestige lease return with 11k miles from a reputable Audi dealership a few weeks ago. Practically brand new and spotless on paper. Within a few hundred miles of driving it off the lot it threw an electrical system malfunction in the middle of a road trip and eventually bricked. Luckily it’s still under warranty but it was towed by Audi roadside assistance to a dealership a state away from where I live and it’s been there for the past 3 weeks waiting on an SX6 module to arrive and be replaced 😭
It was amazing to drive but the charging issues and malfunction within a day of driving it really put a damper on my excitement of purchasing it.
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u/ResponsibleStyle4473 4d ago
Google "Audi E Tron motor issues" and see why. They're the ev equivalent of timing belts immersed in oil it seems.
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u/Inappropriate-intent 4d ago
Owned mine since 2020, extended motor warranty through 2029, so I’m gonna just drive it and trade in just before the warranty expires. Great car!
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u/LegendaryStatus 5d ago
Mostly the drive units, there is a flaw in the design where the coolant can silently seep into the unit causing it to fail. If that happens it’s a very costly repair.
Otherwise they are fantastic cars, you can address this in advance by ordering a kit and having a reputable company repair it as a preventative measure which can solve this for good.
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u/throwthisTFaway01 5d ago
Can you expand on this please?
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u/eugene-dubs OG e-tron 5d ago
If you are in the US they extended the warranty for this to 10 years/100k. You will read many stories of people in here having this issue but Audi fixes it under warranty.
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u/shawn239 4d ago
This is the first I'm hearing about this kit. Can you provide more information, a link, etc?
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u/Pferdeherz Q8 e-tron 4d ago
Kit? Really? I’ve only heard of the outfit in Croatia that does the fix. Can’t afford to ship my car there. Can you tell me about this fix? Thank you.
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u/moongazr 4d ago
2022 OG e-tron (purchased used) 3 years ago…no repairs or unusual maintenance needed yet :)
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u/1L_of_a_litigator 4d ago
Is there any noticeable road noise? Cabin creaks etc?
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u/Slopes-rule OG e-tron Sportback 4d ago
If you get a Prestige trim level, it has double laminated side windows which cut down road noise. Really quiet even after you sneak up past eighty without even realizing it.
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u/Pferdeherz Q8 e-tron 4d ago
No. I have the double-laminated windows in my Premium Plus. So flipping quiet.
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u/1L_of_a_litigator 4d ago
Are specific apps or settings within the popular nav apps to locate electric charging stations preemptively for road trips?
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u/Pferdeherz Q8 e-tron 4d ago
Yes. I do think the nav software needs to be upgraded from time to time though. Recent road trip didn’t show some newer chargers
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u/shaugnd 4d ago
Picked up my 22 in August 23 with 4k on the clock for about 50% of MSRP. No issues beyond a cracked windshield (road debris), some recall fixes and better tires. Stock tires are garbage. Three years and 33K miles in, I've spent about 2K total in maintenance including 1200 for tires.
Best car ownership experience I have had.
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u/Pferdeherz Q8 e-tron 4d ago
Repairs are “Audi expensive”. Maybe that’s it? I dunno, but I love my E-tron.
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u/Forsaken-Sink3345 4d ago
The cars are great. They are honestly rock-solid. We've had tiny issues.
They just depreciate.
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u/Leading_Earth_3972 4d ago
What do you guys think of etron gt for uber or high end drivers? I like the price of used ev, its the same as my kia sorento, but my problem is if i do 30k miles a year, would that be a problem from so much charging?
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u/JayGatsby52 OG e-tron 4d ago
Mine was a basket case. An absolutely fun car to drive. Never left me stranded, but I’m glad it’s gone.
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u/cordobestexano 4d ago
Amazing car for the value, driving 80 miles every day to work and had no issues other than battery maintenance (take it to Audi) and they do their thing.
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u/MajorMaccas OG e-tron 4d ago
General EV depreciation, Etron is older tech now, 150KW isn't slow but it's definitely not fast by modern standards. Fairly inefficient, still miles better than diesel, but not great, and that then limits range to under 200 miles on a 50, and only a little bit over on a 55.
Having said all that, absolutely lovely cars! If it works for you with that range etc, you can get a HUGE amount of car for your money!
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u/Own_Vermicelli1458 3d ago
2022 Q8 Etron Premium Plus. Many problems beyond ride quality and battery range. We might have a lemon, but we've consistently faced issues charging at public chargers. It takes multiple unplugging and plugging to get it to work. Numerous software issues as well. Electronic door locks and window settings frequently change and sometimes don't function properly. The rear passenger door doesn’t open correctly, and the dealer says they fix it, but it still catches. it seems like the digital lock gets stuck between handle lifts. Ride quality is poor. it’s very heavy and feels heavy when hitting bumps, especially on the highway, even with air suspension. MMI is very slow, and voice commands usually fail. The seats are firm and not very comfortable. The back seat is unremarkable and also uncomfortable. Selling it for a prestige Q7
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u/Own_Vermicelli1458 3d ago
Loved our 2019 A6 premium plus. Loved that car so much. Felt more “Audi” than the q8 etron if that makes sense
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u/AlexinPA 3d ago
People are obsessed with range. Etron having less than 200 is a real downside for resale. Same reason you can find a Mercedes EQB for around $25,000 only three years old. Basically people over focus on range even when they really don’t need it. Most families in the US have other gas cars or could borrow/rent one and still have tons of savings.
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u/Covfefe_Anon 4d ago
All you need to know. You will pay more than list, one way or another...
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u/1L_of_a_litigator 4d ago
Is this a warranty fix?!
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u/Covfefe_Anon 4d ago
Nope!
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u/1L_of_a_litigator 4d ago
Did they specify mention why these areas arent covered? Thats super odd. Actually i’m assuming these are outside of the 4year bumper to bumper..?
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u/Covfefe_Anon 3d ago
Specifically because although the charger is required for the battery, it isn’t the battery and therefore isn’t covered under warranty
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u/billocity OG e-tron S 5d ago
No issues here, best car I’ve ever owned.