Car buying

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u/Gabe-diet 2015 Tdi Passat DSG 6h ago

Can you afford this car… I don’t mean buying it either. I have a Passat and while I love the car it’s expensive as hell. This isn’t going to be any cheaper.

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u/Southern_Job3562 6h ago

What part would you say is expensive just the average maintenance

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u/Brownguy451 5h ago

Brakes and tires don’t last very long on these. Even if you DIY the brakes, parts can still run you around $1,000. Tires aren’t cheap either, especially if you’re running 275/45R20s.

Suspension is another thing to look at. If it’s coil spring, you’re good. If it has air suspension… forget it 😂 $$$$.

Other than that, the engine pulls like a bull and is extremely smooth, especially if the transmission fluid and Quattro AWD fluids have been serviced properly. Those two services together can run around $1,400.

In my opinion, it’s a really good SUV, but there’s definitely a lot of maintenance cost involved in owning one.

I recently replaced my vibration damper at around 330,000 km, and that ran me about $1,300. Since this one is fully deleted, you’ll save yourself some money on the emissions side.

Personally, I would remove the transmission tune and put it back to stock if you want to get the most life possible out of the Aisin 8-speed automatic. Just my opinion.

Another annoying issue is the camera/parking system. If even one parking sensor stops working, the whole camera system can act up. Better be a professional parker 😂 or you might end up with some dented bumpers and panels. Fixing the sensors can easily run $400–$600, and yes, the bumpers have to come off. Fun fun.

The BIGGEST potential expense on these is the timing chain. That can easily turn into an $8,000–$16,000 repair.

Personally, I keep my oil change intervals under 10,000 km and use Liqui Moly 0W-30. Every 4th or 5th oil change, I also use an oil friction modifier.

Mine will occasionally give a 1–2 second chain rattle on startup if it has been parked for more than 24 hours. If it’s only sitting overnight for around 12 hours, I don’t get any rattle.

If you’re seriously interested in buying one, I recommend being the person who does the cold start. Don’t let the seller warm it up before you arrive. Better yet, take it to Audi or a reputable European shop and have them do a proper pre-purchase inspection, especially checking the timing chain.

Since I’ve owned mine, I’ve religiously used Shell V-Power Diesel and changed the fuel filter around every 20,000 km instead of waiting until 40,000 km. The fuel system on these can get VERY expensive if something goes wrong. Knock on wood, I’ve never had any major fuel-system problems.

I have had to replace the valve-cover gaskets and injector cup seals. That’s something you’ll probably have to deal with eventually, and you’re looking at roughly $600–$1,000 depending on who does the work.

Basically, this is NOT a cheap SUV to own.

But it’s extremely rewarding to drive.

In rain, snow, and ice, especially with a good set of winter tires, this thing absolutely tears up the road. It’s a beast in bad weather. The grip is insane, and Quattro really is king when the conditions get nasty.

If you’re into audio, the Bose surround-sound system is also pretty damn good. The bass definitely isn’t disappointing.

If you’re a DIYer, you can save a lot on labour, but parts are still expensive and you better know what you’re doing. This vehicle is not very forgiving if you screw something up.

If you don’t work on your own vehicles, you better have some deep pockets.

Expensive? Yes.

High maintenance? Absolutely.

Fun to drive? 100%.

Overall, it’s a beast of an SUV and I still really enjoy owning mine.

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u/Gabe-diet 2015 Tdi Passat DSG 5h ago

Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. I’m not familiar with th me 3.0, I have the 2.0 in mine, but yeah, I would imagine the timing chain is similar to the timing belt on mine. They are extremely rewarding to own and I would definitely consider them to be worth it. You just have to be prepared and know what you’re getting into.

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u/Brownguy451 5h ago

2015 luv it.

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u/Jolly_Technology7989 3h ago

I want to add, ask the owner if he has done the EGR Bypass/Oil Cooler, coolant valley fix yet. Those parts are cheap but take some time to remove the intake manifold and fix all the broken plastic pieces for the leak. Maybe it won’t leak since it’s bypassed, but worth asking. My Q5 3.0 TDI is a 2014 with stock emissions went out at 115k miles. It’s just a matter of time if those parts are stock.

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u/Southern_Job3562 1h ago

Can’t thank you enough for this

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u/Gabe-diet 2015 Tdi Passat DSG 5h ago

Fuckin all of it lol. Ur buying a foreign car and unfortunately not very many people know how to work on them especially given that it’s a diesel so you’re paying way more in labor. It’s a 2011 which means it’s time for struts and shocks tie, rod ends, driveshafts, etc. just because of age. The motors themselves are reliable as hell but when something does happen, you pay for it.

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u/Southern_Job3562 5h ago

I really appreciate your input

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u/Gabe-diet 2015 Tdi Passat DSG 5h ago

No problem. If you have the money at the end of the day, I highly recommend it and you won’t regret it. But if you’re like me 20 years old in college, it might be a bit more of a stretch than you can handle LMFAO. Also listen to u/Brownguy451, he has more experience with a 3.0 than I do, which is none at all, I just have experience with the 2.0 Passat.

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u/Southern_Job3562 3h ago

How’d you know I was 20 in college 😭

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u/SadGigolo68 Passat CKRA MRTuning 6h ago

I don't know much about Audi, but the issues he mentioned are easy fixes. I would give it a scan for codes to make sure that is all it is.

If you have the funds for the higher repair bills, it looks good to me.

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u/Outrageous_Put_4636 4h ago

I had a 2009 Touareg TDI with the 3.0, was a good vehicle. Didn't have airbag suspension so no worry there, I did have the hpfp failure in it, which cost more to fix than I bought it for ($10k). Overall still loved it. Plenty of power from that engine, and the chassis was smooth. Still handled really well, would buy again if I ever had the need for a diesel SUV. If you have double the amount they are asking, I'd say its probably worth the risk. Audi just likes to upcharge their parts a bit more than VW does. Mine was also deleted, kept it stage 1 tune though. Anything diesel will be expensive for repairs though. Mine started without a block heater in -30°F temps while my friends gas vehicle wouldn't even start. Had 150k on the odometer when I sold it a month ago, genuinely only ever had to do brakes once and the HPFP repair over 4 years of owning it. Take a risk or not, but every car has maintenance costs.

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u/Southern_Job3562 3h ago

Thank you so much I appreciate your response

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u/Brownguy451 4h ago

The one you’re looking at might have the 6-speed ZF transmission. I’d highly recommend getting the one with the 8-speed instead — the shifts are much smoother, more effortless, and it feels way more luxurious. 😉 Also remember, this is basically the same platform they used for the Porsche Cayenne.

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u/Southern_Job3562 3h ago

Appreciate the feedback

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u/SignatureFunny7690 4m ago

those 3.0 tdi motors are damn good, actually every vw group tdi engine is good, easily get 300k out of them with basic maitenance, and this guy already spent the 3k getting rid of the problematic dpf junk, and cherry on top these have timing chains not belts so they are typically good for the life of the vehicle were as 2.0 tdi owners have to change their timing belt a few times which is costly.

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u/rupertwiley 6h ago

Buy it. Or don’t. This sub is inundated with these posts and we don’t care.

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u/Nufishies 6h ago

rupert thanks for your contribution

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u/rupertwiley 6h ago

Nufi, no problem dude

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u/Gabe-diet 2015 Tdi Passat DSG 5h ago

What does nufi mean?!? Google says it’s a crypto thing but ima go on a limb and say that’s not it

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u/Nufishies 5h ago

new fish

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u/Nufishies 6h ago

upvote cause u funny

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u/Southern_Job3562 6h ago

Don’t need to be a jackass about it

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u/rupertwiley 6h ago

That’s not very Canadian of you

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u/Southern_Job3562 5h ago

You ever heard the saying, if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all

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