Audi maintenance: cost, plans and service schedule

Are Audis expensive to maintain?

RepairPal estimates that the average Audi costs its owner $1,349 per year in maintenance and repairs, which is well above the industry average ($891), both adjusted for inflation.

Unfortunately, RepairPal also ranked Audi 28th out of 32 car brands in terms of reliability. Similarly, Audi came in second to last in J.D. Power’s 2024 vehicle dependability rankings — and the less reliable your vehicle, the more your out-of-pocket ownership costs can be.

How Audi compares with other automakers

While Audis are an estimated $450 more expensive to maintain per year than the average car, they’re closer in cost to other luxury brands, including BMW ($1,323), Mercedes ($1,241) and Land Rover ($1,604). Here’s how the costs add up across popular makes.

Author’s note: As a mechanic, I’ve seen so many customers surprised by the cost of repairing and maintaining an Audi. It’s easy to think that upkeep costs will be reasonable because the Volkswagen Group is Audi’s parent company, but they often aren't. Some repairs require specialized Audi technicians, and Audi parts can be more expensive to source.

Audi maintenance and repair costs by model

If you’re trying to budget for vehicle upkeep, it helps to know the expected costs for your particular model. To illustrate how upkeep costs can shift within Audi’s lineup, we collected estimated maintenance and repair costs for three of the most popular Audi models and put them in the table below.

These statistics are handy for a shorthand explanation of what keeping your Audi on the road may cost you, but they don’t necessarily tell the whole story. Combining maintenance and repair costs into a single figure erases some of the differences between these distinct services, so let’s break things down a little further to help you understand the impact your Audi may have on your wallet.

Audi maintenance cost and schedule

When we say “maintenance,” we’re referring to the regularly scheduled services that an automaker recommends to keep its vehicles running and in good working order.

Some manufacturers recommend the same maintenance schedule for all of their vehicles, while others give specific recommendations for each model they make. Audi falls into the latter category, so you’ll need to check your owner's manual or Audi’s website if you want the specific maintenance recommendations for your vehicle.

It’s important to follow this schedule and get maintenance done at the recommended intervals if you want your Audi to run smoothly and, perhaps more importantly, qualify for warranty coverage.

Example: 2023 Audi Q5 maintenance schedule

We’ve included the maintenance schedule for a 2023 Audi Q5 in the table below as an example, but be aware that your vehicle’s service schedule may be different.

Maintenance costs are fairly easy to predict because you generally know what services you’ll need based on Audi’s recommended maintenance schedule.

That means you can budget for maintenance costs by getting your maintenance schedule, seeing what your local mechanics and dealerships charge for those services and mapping out your expenses over time. Your cost per service may vary depending on your vehicle, but many prices will be the same regardless of model.

Example: 2019 Audi Q5 maintenance costs

To give you an idea of what you may spend, let’s examine a few estimates from RepairPal for maintaining a 2019 Audi Q5 in Austin, Texas.

Scheduled maintenance for severe driving conditions

While Audi doesn’t have a specific maintenance schedule for driving in severe conditions, you may need more frequent service if any of the following are true for you:

• Most of the roads you travel on are dirty or dusty
• You live in a hot, humid climate
• You drive in stop-and-go traffic most of the time
• You haul or tow heavy equipment
• You operate your vehicle in extremely cold temperatures

If you have any questions about your vehicle’s maintenance, speak to an Audi technician to make sure you don’t fall behind.

Audi repair costs

Repair costs are harder to predict because you generally don’t know when a part or system in your vehicle will break or malfunction. Repair costs can also get worse if you don’t have the issue taken care of at the first sign of failure.

RepairPal gives Audi a reliability rating of 3 out of 5. It also estimates that Audi vehicles average 0.8 visits to a repair center per year, which is much higher than the industry average of 0.4 times per year. Of these visits, 13% are severe, indicating even higher repair costs.

If your vehicle is still covered by Audi’s 4-year/50,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty, you shouldn’t have to pay for most repairs, but when that warranty coverage ends, you are responsible for your repair bills.

Stanley, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from Massachusetts, told us: “Audi has a history of its engines consuming excess oil. … Audi USA refused to provide any support even though the dealer said it was a design defect. Audi will not stand behind its product. The car has only 86,000 miles and needs a new engine, according to the dealership.”

We don’t know what Audi model Stanley had, but for some context, engine replacements usually cost between $4,000 and $10,000.

Steven, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from New Jersey, had a similar issue with a similar result, writing: “My wife and I were both Audi people. She drives a 2015 Audi Q5 and I have a fully loaded 2014 A6. Both vehicles have had their maintenance done at the dealership. We just had to pay to have her pistons replaced on her Q5 due to the ‘oil consumption’ issue (Google it). … The repair was over 4K.”

Most Audi owners likely never have to deal with issues this significant, but it helps to have a plan in place just in case you are hit with a large repair bill once your Audi is out of warranty.

Example: 2019 Audi Q5 repair costs

Some of the most common complaints for our example 2019 Q5 on CarComplaints.com include steering malfunctions, defective air bags and electrical system failures. We decided to get estimates for what it might cost to fix these issues as an example of typical Audi repair costs. Just be aware that your vehicle may have different issues and different costs to fix them.

» LEARN: What is a manufacturer’s warranty?

How can an extended warranty help?

If looking at the possible expenses that come with owning an Audi scares you, an extended warranty or prepaid maintenance plan might be a smart purchase.

Audi doesn’t offer free maintenance programs for new vehicles, but it does sell prepaid maintenance plans that can potentially save you money on maintenance. By purchasing these services in advance, you can lock in your price and potentially even beat inflation.

Audi also offers Audi Pure Protection extended warranties that can cover the cost of certain repairs. Most people can’t afford to pay out of pocket for the most expensive repairs, but you don’t have to if the repair is covered by a vehicle service contract. (For the record, extended warranties usually only cover repairs caused by manufacturing defects. If you want protection from repairs after an accident or theft, make sure you have quality car insurance.)

Just know that Audi isn’t your only option for an extended warranty company, and it’s usually a good idea to shop around and compare quotes for your vehicle so you know you’re getting a good price.

» MORE: Pros and cons of extended auto warranties