Neo777

Hi everybody!

I'm planning to buy a Q7 in Canda next year, I've read that the '07 Q7 got lots of problems so I go to the '08 models... With approx. around 100k Miles.

I have many questions about it:

1) Is it a reliable car? I mean that is an Audi, so I can expect that it won't break down every weeks, true?

2) If I put money aside (around 400$/year), will it be enough to assure maintenance? Tires and Insurance are not a problem, I'm okay to pay for a nice car as it but I dont wanna go with a car which will be going to cost me thousands per year in maintenance... (No more than 400|500)...

3) I have friend who is a mechanic, so I won't do maintenance with Official Audi dealers.. What do you think?

4) Brakes, and other consumables are very expensive compared to a random SUV?

5) 4.2l Or 3.6L? The power doesn't matter, just the reliability

6) What about the sunroof?

7) Here are some things that I think I should look after in the dealer:

-Transmission, consumables, ext/int appearance, strange noises, ....?

And finally, do you think that I should look for a '09, I think in one year, they will be more affordable.


Thank you for your precious help guys!

Neo777

What do you think?

bspurloc

all I and my family own are used cars, I maintain them all a few with over 200,000 miles.
Cars with High miles have parts with high miles wear out.
Just general maintenance on a normal car can be $500 or more. if you are paying someone to do the work, the simplest things will cost that much due to hourly rates that are usually around $120/hour.
If you buy replacement parts from Audi then expect to pay way too much.
a local car store like advance, pepboys, autozone fair price, napa way too much.
Rotors for a Q7 are pretty pricey, but look cheap at rockauto.
Tires aren't cheap either. If you are working on a $500 a year budget and need 4 tires you wiped out a few years. along with brakes/rotors.
Basically what I am trying to get at $500 a year seems too low to me and that is for any high miles used car. Spark plugs and cables should be replaced at just over 100k and could run just under $100.
It really also depends on how much you drive. I burn thru brakes every 2 years. but I dont replace the rotors until they are almost completely shot.
As long as the rotor is not scored it will work the same. its thickness doesnt really matter but makes lotsa money for mechanics selling u rotors u dont really need yet.
at over 100k miles you start to expect worn parts to need to be replaced as in...
Wheel hub bearings, water pumps, other bearings the drive belt touches, drive shafts, shocks, struts etc etc
If these need replacing and the person complains then their complaints should be placed in the garbage can.
Now I guess the question is do these wear out on an old Q7. they wear out on all cars with high miles eventually. so if you intend to own it till it dies those will get checked off over the years. If u intend to sell it in 3 years, some none or all can happen in that time. there really is no way to know.
All I care about with a used car is if it have a timing chain or not. if it has a timing belt, I am not touching it. Never will I own a car that is a time bomb with a timing belt. no way... not happening.

968racer

The 07 model year numbers are a bit misleading since 07s were sold in 06 as well as 07 and there were more than twice the number of 07 models sold than 08s. None the less, these have been pretty reliable. Hang around this forum until you purchase to learn. You'll see that there isn't too much happening here because there aren't a lot of problems to complain about or that need fixing.

Neo777

First of all, thanks for your reply Bspurloc

What can I figure out after reading you answer; for you, buying an old Q7 may be dangerous.
I'm ready to spend around 1 000$ for good tyres (which can last around 30k miles) and 1000$ for insurance.
My 500$ budget for a year is only for maintenance, so you didn't understand the fact that I'm looking to know if it is enough (but just for the maintenance)...

The Q7 has a timing chain and no timing belt, and I think the timing chain has a lifetime warranty so it's not a problem.

For other parts which will need to be replaced, I think I'm okay for 2 reasons:

1) My friend will check the car and theses parts
2) I will buy the car only if several changes were made and, of course, the maintenance has been done correctly

And finally, a extended warranty will be added to more security.

What do you think on theses things?

And if someone can answer my other questions, it would be greatly appreciated

Thanks BS!

Neo777

Thank you 968racer for your answer.

I can understand that '07 models are quite reliable.

A '07 with 170k is a model whose big problems have normally been fixed, so I know that it's more reliable than a 100k model with no repairs, but my question is if buying a '08 is a better idea...

968racer

I purchased the newest one that was in my budget and had a fewest miles that I would accept. I ended up with an 08 because the 09s seemed to be about $5K more with the same amount of miles.

Clues

Hi Neo777,

I am the original owner of a 2007 Q7 3.6. Owned since 12/2006 with 145k miles currently. This has been a very reliable car for me but I have taken very good care of it (synthetic oil changes every 7.5k miles, regular tranny and differential fluid changes, etc.). I have been very pleased with no regrets. Here are my responses.

1) Reliability - my experience is positive. But buying a used car with 100,000+ miles is somewhat of a crap shoot in terms of ensuring reliability. I have purchased a few used cars and I would only buy a car that I can verify was maintained properly from original purchase. Maintenance records and clean CarFax report are a must. If you can meet and talk to the previous owner(s), even better.

2) If you do the maintenance yourself, $400 might cut it. Every two years you'll do 4-5 oil changes ($150), new brake pads ($150), two air filters ($40), two cabin filters ($40), spark plugs ($40), two sets of wiper blades ($40), windshield fluid ($20), random bulb replacements ($20), regular exterior washes and interior cleaning ($75), lubricants for all movable parts ($10), totals under $600 over two years with all labor done by you. But if you throw in a transmission/diff fluid change, brake rotors, new HID bulbs, new TPMS sensors, etc., you could easily exceed your budget. My suggestion is to expect to have to put approximately $3,000 into the car for five years. Your costs may be lumpy (e.g., brake rotors will put a big dent in the budget but will be good for 3+ years. That way you will be less likely to be frustrated when sh*t happens.

3) If you are going to pay your mechanic friend, the cost will go up. Even friends need to make a living. For example, a brake pad change will go from $150 (diy) to $300. Also, all my estimates assume you buy your own parts - most indy shops charge less than dealers but more than Autozone and a lot more than RockAuto.com.

4) Brakes... I just changed all for 4 sets of pads on my Q7 for $160 in parts and two hours of my time. Dealer would have charged $700+ and Indy would have charged $300+

5) I like my 3.6L

6) Sunroof is not the problem... the drains are. Do a search and it is possible to fix them so they don't leak inside the car...

7) My Q7 has not been to the dealer in about 4 years. There is no reason to go there unless it is an electronics/MMI issue in my opinion. Find a good local independent mechanic and they can usually do 95% of what a dealer can do for less money. Some may debate OEM parts versus aftermarket parts for cost savings. If you research aftermarket parts, you can save a lot of money without sacrificing quality - after all... most OEM parts are really just private labelled parts made by Bosch, Beck/Arnley, Beru, Brembo, Mann, etc.

Good Luck.

Neo777

Allrights!

Thanks Clues for your answer, so helpful!

So after your having read all those posts, I think i'm gonna do this:

1-Find a '08 Q7 3.6L which is not less reliable than 4.2L
2-I will find one which has been well maintained and with some repairs already done
3-I will put aside 2 500$ and I will be going to buy it with less than 100k miles

But my last question is: Taking a warranty which cost around 2 000/ 3 000$ is better than putting 2.5k aside?

I don't know if a warranty like that exists... What do you think?

Thanks for your replies!

Neo777

How long could it last?