issues with wifey's q7, fix or sell?

well, the fun doesn't want to stop at our house.

had the pcv valve on my wife's q7 replaced not too long ago. a couple of weeks ago, it started stalling and sounding very rough on start up. guys that replaced pcv looked at and it couldn't find anything. so yesterday i took it over to the audi dealer.

it's throwing a P0018 static fault code on the driver side crankshaft. sensors were swapped and the code returned. recommendation is have the head torn down to check timing. $800 in labor. depending on what needs replaced, total repair bill could be $3-6000.

it's a 2013 with 80k on it and has been paid off for a number of years. i think the kbb is somewhere between 10-12 (not taking into account the current issues) but not for certain as the kbb site dislikes ad blockers.

i'm not sure what the best route is on this as i'm pretty much unable to make any kind of decision these days so, any input would be most helpful. plus, buying and selling cars isn't high on my list of enjoyable things to do.

 

Sell. German = HEADACHES. You've got one.

I'm not sure I would trust KBB to be up to the minute/day current. Used vehicle prices are bringing increased money. I just sold my 2016 Corolla, economy model, for $9,000 to a guy I just happened to run in to at the local car wash. Probably could have held out for 10. But POOF and it was gone in a matter of minutes.

 

oh, i've got more than one these days...

if i sell, i'd see if the dealer wanted it for their used lot or take it over to carmax. i don't want another headache of selling privately. also, i wouldn't be able to get my wife into another vehicle for at least a year. possibly longer. that's kinda sorta not a big deal right now since who knows when the kids will actually be going back to school. it does have potential to be a problem later this fall though.

 

In my experience, once the factory warranty ends, it's nickel and diming. My BMW was pretty much the same. After warranty ended, costly repairs came. I did pay to repair it and decide to keep the car because my rationale was it will be cheaper to repair it ( since I had already sunk a lot of money into it) than to sell and buy a used car maintain that.

 

appreciate the input. appointment at carmax has been made for friday and i'll probably just take whatever they offer.

 

Sensors swapped,
Assuming you mean crank sensor replaced?

Was wiring checked to the crank sensor?
Was wiring checked to the cam sensor?
Is the cam sensor good?

To verify it's not the cam sensor causing bank 2 issue, swap cam sensors between banks (easiest thing to do).

Does the fault change banks? Then it was the cam sensor

Stays same bank? Back to initial questions, wiring ok? If so, further diagnosing necessary.

 

My experience with VW/Audi cars is fun to drive but not to reliable when the miles get up there. Great cars to lease. Personally I would see what they offer and get it off your plate. If your with loves the car look at leasing. My wife loves her VW's for some unknown reason so we lease to not have to deal with the maintenance. Good luck sir.

 

Recently read an article about the highest 3 year value depreciation and Audi had 3 of the top 4 spots. Don’t remember which model but one was 55% depreciation. A5 or something..

 

see if Carvana will buy it back, I keep reading they offer the best $$ for used cars.
Always lease German cars..lol

 

Your financial situation and transportation needs will greatly influence what you should do.

Easiest thing would be to replace it followed by throwing money at it and hoping it gets fixed. If your seeking online advice regarding fixing I'd probably hit up an audi forum and get some of their thoughts about fixing it.

Personally tho in this uncertain economic climate I'd be wary of going into debt and purchasing a new car .. That is unless you got more cash than you know what to do with.

 

Sean - I would sell it and get what you could. Go without a vehicle as long as you can. When something is needed go lease something new and use your money from the sale. Hopefully by then you will have some things figured out and can decide to purchase or lease if need be. Leasing can be helpful in certain situations. Good luck Friday

 

Get the codes cleared and dump it at CarMax!!!
I love German cars until the warranty runs out.

 

Quick google search returned this:

https://www.700r4transmissionhq.com/p0018-audi-q7/

Doesn't really solve the OP's problem, but explains the code and possible reasons behind it.

 

Simple answer..... I would much rather make car payments on a nice used late model vehicle than get nickel and dimed on a paid off unreliable vehicle who’s depreciation is toast anyhow.

 

So many quick responses to dump it.

The fix could be so freaking simple, or it could not be. Wiring checks, sensor swaps and some very basic entry level diagnostic steps could very easily tell us if this is something simple or more complex.

So what, rats eat at a tundra harness and we all say yeah yeah it happens just fix it.

Rats could have gotten to this harness, there could be a poor crimp, bad connection - oh oh it's a German car dump it....

/end rant

 

It’s an Audi, it will never end.

 

Exactly

Try and find a reputable independent shop that specializes in german or audi cars. They may have seen the issue before and know the simple fix vs the dealership "retirement plan" fix.

 

If you’re in a vehicle that is expensive to fix on a consistent basis, why wouldn’t you get rid of said vehicle and buy something more reliable/cheaper to repair? Unless spending 1,000s at the repair shop is your cup of tea.

 

Sell, buy a Lexus, and never look back. I've had a few German vehicles and unless you lease, they all turn into a sunken cost fallacy. The combination of massive depreciation combined with getting nickle and dimed (or straight up bent over if you pay for your work to be done) makes them horrible financial decisions. I've spent enough time under the hood of them to never want one again, and that's from someone who grew up idolizing 80's and 90s BMW's.

 

Where is this consistent basis coming from? Unless I missed a post with some additional information. I feel thats a significant read into a "PCV valve being replaced not long ago" and now the P0018.

PCV valve on a 3.0T (supercharged) is between 164 aftermarket and 281 OE for the part. Labor upwards of 4hrs probably / up to $500 (really shouldn't be much more than that IMO).

Obviously this could turn into a bit of a hurt on the pocket book, but it could also be as simple as a problem I mentioned above. Still not sure what exact diagnostics have been completed or if parts were just tossed at it hoping it would fix it.

This is a battle I have a very different view/opinion of for sure than, seemingly, 95% of people who have commented here.

With the price of new cars, I highly doubt he will be running into $500+ a month in repairs. The Q7 is a 2013, I assume its paid off. Registration is near none compared to a new vehicle. The Q7 has the ability to only carry liability and not full coverage. That makes around a MIN of $700 a month in the pocket based off loose calculations.

So, as you said, why not buy used...
Because you could be in the same position buying someone else "problem".

Lifes full of double edged swords, grass being greener on the other side moments. This is just another one.

Make a decision that's best for you and the family, roll with it and I hope it all works out for the best!

 

How much you want for it? I am local.

 

Before jumping the gun on dumping it I personally would want to get a second opinion. Find a reputable private euro shop to take a look, the dealer will just want to replace parts for big money. Being said I know a guy who worked at a private euro shop who told me Audis are great cars, just don't own one past about 80k miles...

My mentality on big repairs is will I get my money back out of it compared to buying new and having monthly payments. For example if the repair costs you $3000 and you drive it for another year problem free you come out financially ahead compared to making $300/month payments on a new car ($3600) for the same time period. Those are just round numbers but try to think logically, especially since the car is paid off.

 

I personally would get a second opinion. With that said, I know two people who own Q7's, and both of them have had PCV replacements, both at fairly low miles. Both of their mechanics told them "Heh, yep, I see those all the time."

 

I’m just not a huge fan of BMW, Audi, Mercedes etc. It’s pretty common knowledge how much those cars cost to repair. To each their own though.

 

Consumer reports has quite a few Audi's as being recommended. Used and new car predictions as better than average and much better than average. I have an A7 which has been solid so far. I also know plenty of Audi's with over 200k on the clock.

 

Off a Tundra page.

Unreliable POS...

 

So did you take car max offer?