Buying a pre-owned Audi

Apr 2021

Audi is one of the big three German luxury car brands. While it offers the same luxuries and safety features as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Audi is a much more affordable luxury vehicle. Owning a pre-owned Audi is one of the best ways to drive a prestigious brand, equipped with the best technology and safety features while not completely breaking the bank.
When buying a pre-owned Audi, you are getting a car fitted with high-quality materials and solutions for interior and exterior. To minimise the risk involved in buying a pre-owned Audi, there are various steps you can take to ensure that you are buying a quality vehicle that will bring you many safe miles for years to come:

• Inspect the interior: Check the overall condition of the car. This will give you a sense of how it was looked after and how heavily it was used.
• Inspect the exterior for any rust: Rust on the outside of a car will spread, and this will become an expensive issue to fix later on.
• Check the VIN number and request the full history report: When buying a pre-owned Audi, make sure to find out if it was used for private or company purposes. What is the car’s accident history? Find out as much information about the vehicle as possible ahead of the sale.

While a pre-owned Audi is one of the best cars you can purchase, it can be quite expensive to repair – never forget that this is a luxury German car! However, if the maintenance is done on a regular basis, the costs will stay reasonable.
Most common problems found with a pre-owned Audi
These problems are all dependent on the car, its age and how it was cared for previously:

• Oil leaks: The valve cover gasket and the camshaft tensioner may cause oil leaks. The best solution would be to regularly service these parts.
• Exhaust lead: Audis use a flexible plastic part in their exhaust system, and, as time passes, the plastic wears thin and starts to leak. The best solution for this problem is to change the part.
• Problems with its electrical components: Commonly found in pre-owned Audis, the digital dashboard display and consoles may start acting up. The lights and tail lamps are also prone to fail, but these are easily replaceable.
• Problems with the ignition coil and spark plug: While it may sound serious, it tends to be more of an annoyance, as the ignition coil is the most common technical problem. This can easily be resolved by changing the spark plugs of the car.

Pros to buying a pre-owned Audi

• Luxury vehicle at a lower price: When buying a pre-owned Audi, you are buying a luxury German brand vehicle at the price of a brand-new non-luxury car. This means that you are buying better quality, including an engine tuned to precision, which will give you more power and longer lifespan.
• Lower depreciation: All cars lose value the minute you start to drive them, but Audi holds its value for much longer than normal cars. This means that you will be driving a better-quality car for longer.
• Great dealer benefits: When buying a pre-owned Audi through a dealership, you drive away with perks, like an extended warranty.

Cons to buying a pre-owned Audi

• Older technology: While Audi is famous for using forward-thinking technology, pre-owned Audis will not necessarily have the newest technology available.
• More maintenance: Depending on its age and the number of miles already on the car, you might have to do more repairs due to wear and tear on a pre-owned Audi than you would have to do on a new one.
• Little to no warranty: If you are buying a pre-owned Audi from a private seller, then by no means can they guarantee you a warranty transfer on the car you are buying. This can only be done through certain dealerships. So it is important to do research before making a purchase.