2003 A6Q Avant Maintenance Costs

Apr 12, 2010 1 Replies

I was shocked and disappointed recently when I needed a new catalytic converter at a bit over 80K miles and the cost was something like $1100! My '95 and '98 A6Q wagons both went over 140K miles without needing a catalytic converter. I am getting concerned about what it will cost to maintain this car.



I should get the timing belt changed soon. What will that cost? And since I needed one catalytic converter will I soon need to have the other one replaced and will it also cost around $1100? What other major expenses am I likely to encounter soon?



I've been buying used cars around two or three years old with low mileage so that they are still under the factory warranty for a while. Is there any source for what expected maintenance costs of such cars might be. When I replace my current Audi I will have to look for something which is less expensive to maintain.



Thanks, Bob


Lots of sites like edmunds.com have expected maintenance costs, I believe. But these cars are expensive - to purchase and maintain. You need to do all of the preventative maintenance for sure on them. The timing belt and water pump cost about $900 to do on my A4 1.8T. More than a 'normal' car because the entire front end has to come off - bumper, radiator, etc.

As far as the second catcon going bad, who knows? Perhaps you had a bad one but I would think that would be covered by the emissions warranty, I believe they are required to cover them for 100k miles. You should check that. I also know that there are codes that are thrown that say catcon but are really O2 sensors. I hope you have a mechanic that you trust.

Dan D '04 A4 1.8Tq MT-6 Central NJ USA

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