Rebuilding the engine in your A4 may or may not be worthwhile, depending on a number of variables. Think about your car’s value and current mileage, for instance.
The expense of rebuilding an engine can exceed the worth of your car if your car is older than ten years. Take into account any quotes you get from mechanics for your engine rebuild, then evaluate them against the market value of your car.
It could be wiser to spend the money on a new car if the value of your A4 is less than the expense of replacing the engine. Even while rebuilding the engine might marginally boost its value, it probably won’t be worthwhile if you ever decide to sell the vehicle.
In This Article...
Rebuilding vs. Replacing Your A4’s Engine
Some people decide to repair a damaged engine, while others decide to replace the entire vehicle. There are benefits and drawbacks to each choice. The option that is ideal for you will depend on the circumstances.
When Rebuilding is Best
The best course of action when your car’s value is still high is to rebuild. Additionally, it is a preferable option when your engine has only minor damage.
It is frequently more expensive to replace an engine than to rebuild it. An engine rebuild normally costs no more than $4,000, but a new Audi A4 engine costs approximately $6,000. Rebuilding your engine is far more cost-effective than replacing it if there isn’t any significant damage.
You should also take your engine’s compatibility with your vehicle’s ECU into account in addition to variables like these. If you replace the engine, you can experience issues because the ECU in your car is specifically designed to connect with the original engine.
You might find that your car still has problems even after getting a new engine. There could be a communication issue between the ECU and the new engine. If this occurs, the ECU will either need to be replaced or reprogrammed.
When Replacement is Best
In some circumstances, replacing the engine is a far superior choice to rebuilding it. It might not even be able to rebuild the engine if it is seized or has other serious damage. If this occurs to you, your only choices might be to replace the engine or buy a new car.
A replacement is frequently the best option if the worth of your car is low. In the event that you ever decide to sell your A4, a used car with a brand-new engine will frequently be more tempting than one with a repaired engine.
Rebuilding and replacing can occasionally cost about the same. Replacement is also a preferable option in this situation.
How much does an Audi engine cost?
Unfortunately, these intricate pieces of machinery were never intended to disassemble to this degree, just like the majority of contemporary Audi engines. The owner of an engine with this problem, however, is forced to rebuild the engine despite the time and cost involved. Due to the pricey and unusual Audi specific timing set up tooling required, engine reconditioners typically do not accept these tasks. Currently, a rebuild at the dealership is about $12,500 and an Audi new full exchange engine costs about $20,000.
We have also found that the cylinder bore cross-hatch hone pattern is too steep, which compounds the issue, while rebuilding these engines. In order to restore the engine to its standard design and fitment, we also re-hone the cylinders to a traditional cross-hatch hone pattern (a technique that has been successful for almost 100 years!).
Although there don’t seem to be any production cost savings, Audi has undoubtedly spent a considerable amount on warranty rebuilds. It is unclear why they decided to try to recreate the wheel. But what happens once the warranty expires? That’s where we come in, though.
We at Pace have accumulated a great deal of experience with these engine rebuilds and have successfully completed all of them. The first of these rebuilds has now covered more than 35,000 kilometers without using any oil.
Genuine parts are now the only choice for rebuilding an Audi engine because there are currently no possibilities for aftermarket engine replacement parts. Fortunately for our clients, an engine repair typically costs around $10,000. This allows our customers to permanently fix the issue for less than $2,500.
How durable are Audi engines?
Out of 32 automotive manufactures, Audi is presently ranked 28th in terms of dependability. A well driven and maintained Audi should last between 10 and 13 years, or 150,000 to 200,000 kilometres. Audis are renowned for their technology, style, performance, and beautifully designed interiors. They also have an all-wheel drive system called Quattro.
Although the Audi brand dates back to 1899, it wasn’t until Volkswagen acquired the company in the late 1960s that the automobiles started to become well-known internationally. This fast car has always been at the forefront of technology.
Long before other automakers, the business started conducting crash tests, and in 2010, their first completely autonomous car successfully completed the 20-kilometer Pikes Peak circuit without a driver.
Despite the fact that Audi has many positive qualities, its dependability is not one of them. Audi is not an exception to the rule that high performance requires hefty upkeep.
What will the engine replacement cost?
The size and complexity of the engine in question, the shop rate at the facility you have selected to perform the job, and whether you choose to replace with a used, refurbished, or new engine all have a role in the answer to this question.
The starting price for a new engine is approximately $4,000 for a 4-cylinder, $5,500 for a V6, and $7,000 for a V8. Based on the brand of the automobile and the complexity of the engine, prices rise from these numbers. It goes without saying that a performance engine for an imported luxury car will cost more to install than a stock engine for a local economic car.
It is possible to buy a used engine for much less, often as little as $400 to $700. Age of the vehicle, mileage on the used engine, and transportation expenses from the engine’s location are the key variables influencing the pricing of these engines. The cost of shipping is not included in the pricing but must be considered because the business will charge you for it.
The primary danger associated with buying a used engine is the labor cost you will incur. Although a junkyard or other supplier of used components frequently provides a brief warranty on the engine itself, it excludes the work performed by the business installing the motor. If the newly installed engine doesn’t start, you’re still responsible for paying the mechanic’s time and any additional billable hours needed to get it operating (unless the failure is the result of the mechanic’s error).
By buying a refurbished engine, you may reduce this danger. An engine’s functioning tolerances are restored after rebuilding it. Although all the seals and gaskets have been replaced, this does not indicate that the engine is brand-new. Instead, worn moving components have been changed. You can be sure that the engine will function properly when installed and that its anticipated lifespan has been increased. It frequently has a stronger warranty than what you’d obtain from a provider of used parts.
This assurance does have a price. A rebuilt equivalent will cost in the range of $2,500 compared to a used 4-cylinder engine that costs $1,000 or less, which is still a significant discount over a new engine. Beware of these frauds targeting repair shops.
Are Audi engines reliable?
Volkswagen owns Audi, therefore the two companies frequently employ the same engines. The 1.8-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines are typically the most dependable, just like with pre-owned Volkswagens. The 1.8T EA113, which was initially created for Audi, is regarded by Haynes Manuals as the greatest engine for a VW. Its successor, the EA888, is lauded by And It Still Runs, Car Engineer, Grassroot Motorsports, and Magic Auto Center.
Given the engine issues the 2.0T-equipped 20092010 Audi A4 has, this could appear incongruous. According to The Drive, there was even a class action lawsuit involving the EA888 engines. specifically regarding high oil consumption and malfunctioning timing-chain tensioners. However, according to MotorReviewer, those problems were exclusive to the ‘Gen 2’ EA888 engines.
According to Car and Driver, Audi started using the ‘Gen 3’ EA888 engines in 2012. According to Engines Work, they don’t experience the same problems as the Gen 1 and Gen 2 ones. Additionally, any early ignition-coil failures have been fixed with current, redesigned replacement parts.
They do, indeed, accumulate carbon, but all direct-injection engines do as well. Thermostat housing and PCV valve failure are the only other probable issues with Gen 3 EA888 engines, according to reports from VW Tuning and FCP Euro. However, according to Car Worklog, these seem to be caused by aging and poor care.
According to Motor Reviewer, the 1.8T and 2.0T EA113 engines are also reasonably reliable if you don’t want to deal with potential EA888 problems. After all, the 1.8T was a feature of the original Audi TT, one of the most dependable used Audis.
The EA113 engines are infamous for consuming oil, however that is a feature rather than a fault, according to TorqueCars. Additionally, according to Bar-TekTuning, the component connecting the high-pressure fuel pump with the crankshaft on 2.0T engines can malfunction. Fortunately, kits exist to transform the EA113 into the improved version of the part found on the EA888.
What is the price of a brand-new Audi A4 engine?
An Audi full exchange engine costs roughly $20,000 to replace, and it now costs $12,500 to rebuild at the Audi dealership.
Why are Audi vehicles such a hazard?
From the small Audi A1 Sportback to the spacious Audi Q7 SUV, Audi provides a wide variety of automobiles. They’ve also experimented with hybrid and electric vehicles, with the Audi E-Tron Sportback being praised as a strong entry into the field of green vehicles.
Audi’s share a lot of its architecture and underpinnings with Volkswagen, though high-tech features and cabin materials are entirely unique to Audi.
But does that imply that Audi automobiles are prone to the same problems as VWs? In our post comparing the Audi S3 and Volkswagen Golf R, you can see how the two stack up.
Will you discover the same problems if you only look at Audi, from the most popular Audi A4 Saloon to high-performance sports cars like the Audi R8 Coupe?
The data below, which comes from Reliability Index, shows the different problem types that Audi owners report, how much of the total number of defects they make up, and how Audi stacks up against other manufacturers in each category.
- 16th place, 2.43 percent, was air conditioning.
- Fifth, 14.10 percent: Axle and Suspension
- System of Brakes: 7th, 3.56 percent
- System for cooling and heating: 31st, 7.83 percent
- 29th place, 23.13 percent: electrical
- 39th, 30.21 percent for the engine
- 28th, 7.10 percent: Fuel System
- 23rd, 6.06 percent: gearbox
- System for steering – seventh, 2.85 percent
- 20th place for transmission, 2.74 percent
The engine, cooling and heating system, electrical components, and fuel system seem to be the most frequently affected systems. We may perhaps explain why Audi receives lower marks for things like electrical components, despite the fact that these are some of the most expensive items to fix.
When compared to Skoda and Vauxhall, Audi delivers a ton more functionality. They provide a fairly extensive infotainment system with sat-nav and various touch screens, similar to many other luxury brands. The number of potential problems increases if you include features like cruise control, driver safety systems, and all the cameras, sensors, electrically operated seats, and other bells and whistles that the best new cars from these luxury companies come equipped with. Audi outperforms all other top luxury automobile manufacturers (apart from Jaguar) in this category, including Porsche, Volvo, Aston Martin, and Mercedes.
Do Audis frequently experience issues?
Everyone is aware that effective marketing can enable someone to sell sand in the Sahara. In order to obtain useful insight into the attitudes and trends in the automotive sector, Warrantywise, the top-rated provider of vehicle warranties in the UK, conducts a thorough amount of research and polls.
Warrantywise polled 750 British drivers to find out which automakers they considered to be the most dependable, and Audi made it into the top 10. Audi actually placed 28th out of 36 brands on their “Dependability Rating” scale for reliability in 2019. Based on the quantity of reported problems and breakdowns, they determined the rating.
Website for auto repair estimates RepairPal determines each brand’s overall score by calculating the frequency and cost of all repairs, including parts and labor. Audi received an average rating of 3.0 out of 5.0 at the time of writing. However, out of 32 car brands, that places the firm in 28th place.