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  1. #1
    Registered Member One Ring
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    Jun 29 2019
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    About to purchase S5, is cost of maintenance as scary as it looks?

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    I've been doing a lot of research on the S5, making calls to the dealer asking about the maintenance schedules and costs. It's a 2013 with about 56k miles on it.

    I'm trying to get a real world assessment of the average costs endured. I drive a lot, I of course want to keep my car healthy but if I listen to the dealer and pro's they bring this thing in for expensive maintenance pretty consistently throughout the year. I'm used to getting my oil changed on time and changing brake pads, with rotors being changed rarely(dealer says new rotors every brake change on Audi).

    Oil changes are 280-320 @dealer?
    Every 20k miles I have to do some 1500$ full maintenance?
    Every 10k I have to get a 500$ brake job done(with rotors apparently)
    The car is at 56k'ish miles, I'm assuming the last owner traded it in to avoid the 55k mile full maintenance schedule. So I'm not too stoked I'd be buying also right into the hefty maintenance mark.

    I pay like 50 bucks for my Infinity G35 to get a dealer oil change, brakes are maybe a hundred if I change them myself. I'll be shelling out a decent amount for the used Audi, ain't breaking the bank but I'm for sure denting it. Accumulating all the projected costs of owning an Audi is looking a bit daunting, people say they're reliable but also dont forget to baby it with thousands per year?

    So I guess my question is am I overestimating the costs of ownership? What do you guys typically spend every 6 months to a year? Am I buying into a money pit?

    Side note, buying from Autonation which claims a 125 point inspection which is good?

    I might sound skeptical, but I really do love the s5, the look the layout the drive is all pretty damn good, but from an outside perspective, of which has always owned cars that were cheap to maintain, this car almost seems like is sensitive. Any and all unlit is welcome, I'm really interested in what the regular stock joe has to say, someone who maybe doesn't bring their car straight to the dealer for every slight vibration.

  2. #2
    Active Member Two Rings spdracer209's Avatar
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    Apr 29 2013
    AZ Member #
    114305
    Location
    Orlando, Fl

    I have a 2013 S5, 100000+ miles on it as I daily 120 miles. I change oil every 10k and spark plugs at 35k. I do not keep track of how often I change brakes, depends on how you drive. DIY for the most part is straightforward. I would recommend investing in an OBD eleven or VAG Com cable (maybe expensive, ~$200 new/used) for your rear brake jobs and oil light reset and an oil extractor. I flushed my brake lines once and will be doing it again in the upcoming weeks. I purchased a brake bleeder so I can do it at my convenience. No need to jack the car up to do the oil changes unless you want to inspect the underside, or do a brake job. I wash it weekly and always wipe and blowout the engine bay with the blower end of the vacuum or an air compressor. I cannot think of anything else now, but it is a fun car and as long as you take care of it, it will last a good while before any major work is required.

    Hope this helps.
    2013 S5 3.0T Premium Plus 6MT, Glacier White, Sport Diff, B&O, Nav, Ti Pkg


  3. #3
    Veteran Member Four Rings HazeMyth's Avatar
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    Jul 17 2015
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    343053
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    Colorado

    In nearly 4 years of ownership, my S5 has cost me less to repair/maintain/modify than my STI had cost me in the first year just to repair. If an S5's maintenance is scary, I must be jaded to that fact. Sure, it's going to cost a bit of money to follow the factory maintenance plan, but when you consider how reliable they have proven over the years, I don't think it should be looked at as scary.

    Besides, it's not impossible to find qualified indie shops that don't charge dealership costs. In my case I do have to drive over an hour to get to that shop, but it's also worth my time and effort to do that.
    2013 Audi S5 - EPL Stg 2 E40 ECU/TCU, AWE Track 102mm, RocEuro intake, etc.
    2014 Audi Q5 S Line
    2011 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport - Lifted, reinforced, and slow
    2003 Evolution VIII - HKS280, FBO
    2004 Subaru STI - Stg. 2 (Sold)
    IG: @MrHazeMyth

  4. #4
    Veteran Member Three Rings
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    Mar 18 2015
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    2015 GL450
    Location
    IL

    Same experience as HazeMyth. 4 years and 95k miles and no maintenance that I would consider expensive at all. I change oil every 5k miles but never go to the dealership. Lots of indie shops that are great for Audi enthusiasts. The most expensive part of my ownership has been the urge to continue to mod but that’s my own fault.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    2016 S5 6MT - Brilliant Black, P+, High Gloss Black, Sport Dif, B&O, Tech, Nappa
    Engine: GIAC Stage 2 & SC Pulley / ECS Carbon S-Flow Intake
    Suspension & Wheels: H&R Street Performance Coilovers / Vorsteiner VFF-103 (Carbon Graphite)
    Exhaust: AWE Touring
    Cosmetic: OEM RS5 Grill / PPF & CQuartz Finest Coating / 35% Pinnacle Tint

  5. #5
    Veteran Member Three Rings SSSSS5's Avatar
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    My Garage
    '85 300TD, '85 500SEL, NA MIATA, Merkur XR4Ti, '99 Cactus Avant, '10 S6, GX470, '16 Outback
    Location
    Bangor. ME

    I bought my 2013 S5 just over a year ago with 105,000 miles on it. Currently at 119,000. I have spent almost 1k in PREVENTATIVE maintenance. Did wheel bearings and hubs because I am picky. Looking to invest in a front control arm and bushing upgrade because bushings are looking close to their half life. Besides that its low maintenance really. Its not built like a domestic car, and its a well developed platform. Would recommend.
    -Casey @CaseyCactusV10 | 1999 Cactus Green B5.5 A4 Slicktop + V10 + 0A3

  6. #6
    Senior Member Three Rings
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    Jan 03 2018
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    2011 Audi S5 & 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee
    Location
    Cleveland Ohio

    I've noticed a lot of guys with higher mileage who daily drive their cars have less issues....I think when these cars sit they get funky. just my observation...107k put maybe 1500 into the car in 2 years of ownership. oil change is about 110 at an indyshop, most I ever put into it at once was 500 for a high pressure fuel pump and a few 02 sensors.

  7. #7
    Veteran Member Three Rings wangshuo1989's Avatar
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    Jan 09 2016
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    Seattle

    My S5 is at 75K miles and I've been using audi care exclusively. I bought 75K + 85K for 649 bucks (dealer has $100 off promotion when I bought it), not a bad deal at all. So far my only maintenance costs are:

    service every 10K at dealership
    every other 5K I do a DIY oil change, so OCI is 5K.
    New brake and rotors all around at 50K
    New tires at 40K and 70K


    That's pretty much it, and I've spent 0 dollars on repair, pretty satisfied so far.
    Biggest spent is the mod, lol.
    2013 S5 Misano Red, DSG, B&O, Sport Diff, MMI+, JHM 207mm crank pulley (7PK1370 Contitech belt), APR Stage II Dual Pulley, APR TCU tune, APR CPS, CR15, IE CAI
    2018 XC90 Inscription, B&W sound, Convenience Pkg, Air suspension
    2014 Mercedes E350 rwd
    2021 BMW 540i

  8. #8
    Active Member One Ring Just Chill's Avatar
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    Jun 07 2019
    AZ Member #
    490750
    My Garage
    2015 S5 premium plus, 2016 S5 premium plus, 2007 VW Jetta, 2006 Infinity G35
    Location
    Roseville, California

    I bought my 2015 S5 back in February and my wife bought her 2016 S5 in January. There is preventative maintenance that needs to be done for sure. She just had her 55,000 done at an indie shop and it was almost half what the dealer was asking. She owned a 2007 G35 and yes, the maintenance on that was ALOT cheaper, but in my opinion, it is not the same type of ride, not as well put together and although sexy looking, not as sexy as the S5 for sure.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Three Rings Darel's Avatar
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    Mountain Top, PA

    I do all my own maintenance according to the factory schedule. Brakes every 10K is BS and rotors every brake job is utter insanity. My rotors had 70K on them before I changed them out for Adam's Rotors. That's just stupid. They don't go through brakes any faster than any other car and the parts are nothing unusual or all that expensive.

    Oil changes? Maybe. It's about 9 quarts(!) of synthetic for my V8 (not sure what the V6s take). So right there you're approaching $100 in oil alone. Between my car and my wife's MB I ought to just buy the stuff in a drum, especially since both cars see about 30K miles a year. My S5 did 20,000 last year and it was parked for 3 months while I was deployed.

    So the maintenance costs your dealer quoted you are complete nonsense, especially if you do it yourself. However, if something breaks, that's another story. Again I do all my own work, but for my V8 S5, it's so packed in there that step 1 of virtually every job is "remove engine". I can easily see over a grand in labor just to change out a stupid sensor or something. In fact I am seriously considering selling mine just because I don't have time for that crap (again - doing all my own work). If you get CPO or any kind of decent warranty this is a nonissue. Just drop it off and pick it up when it's done.

    Good luck.
    '09 S5, 4.2 / 6MT / H&R springs & spacers, AWE Track exhaust
    '76 Triumph TR6
    '14 Mercedes E350

  10. #10
    Veteran Member Three Rings SSSSS5's Avatar
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    Apr 16 2018
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    '85 300TD, '85 500SEL, NA MIATA, Merkur XR4Ti, '99 Cactus Avant, '10 S6, GX470, '16 Outback
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    Bangor. ME

    Quote Originally Posted by Darel View Post
    I do all my own maintenance according to the factory schedule.
    Besides owners manual, is there a detailed factory schedule?
    -Casey @CaseyCactusV10 | 1999 Cactus Green B5.5 A4 Slicktop + V10 + 0A3

  11. #11
    Veteran Member Four Rings HazeMyth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Darel View Post
    I do all my own maintenance according to the factory schedule. Brakes every 10K is BS and rotors every brake job is utter insanity.
    They're just advising to check the brakes, not actually replace them. The whole idea of replacing rotors every time you change pads has always been insane to me. Every car maker these days seems to say that, but I think it's more there to draw attention to them and have them checked. My Evo has only needed 1 new set of rotors in its life, and it's got over 180k miles now. Yet, it's another one of those cars where they claim to replace the rotors when you replace pads.

    Quote Originally Posted by SSSSS5 View Post
    Besides owners manual, is there a detailed factory schedule?
    https://www.audiusa.com/content/dam/...-Year-2013.pdf
    2013 Audi S5 - EPL Stg 2 E40 ECU/TCU, AWE Track 102mm, RocEuro intake, etc.
    2014 Audi Q5 S Line
    2011 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport - Lifted, reinforced, and slow
    2003 Evolution VIII - HKS280, FBO
    2004 Subaru STI - Stg. 2 (Sold)
    IG: @MrHazeMyth

  12. #12
    Established Member Two Rings fivefan's Avatar
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    Nov 23 2017
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    2015 S5
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    virUS

    Quote Originally Posted by wangshuo1989 View Post
    My S5 is at 75K miles and I've been using audi care exclusively. I bought 75K + 85K for 649 bucks (dealer has $100 off promotion when I bought it), not a bad deal at all.
    This is what I do as well. It's called Audi Care Select: Audi Care (scroll down to Audi Care Select)

    This has saved me roughly 50% off regular dealer pricing. If you want to keep up with the factory recommended service items but are not able to do it all yourself, this is an option.

    As mentioned, keep an eye out for $100 off coupons as they only seem to come around once in a blue moon.

    I had a bad experience with a recommended indie shop and will never go back. (I also found a service advisor I trust at the dealer.) Being in Cali, you likely have a ton more choices though.


    Quote Originally Posted by wangshuo1989 View Post
    Biggest spent is the mod, lol.
    @wangshuo1989

    Speaking of mods... How do you get a dealer to service your Stage II ECU + TCU tuned vehicle under an Audi Care plan without balking??
    2015 Daytona S5 coupe / S tronic / quattro w sport diff / tech pkg / black optic pkg

    Unitronic Stage 1+ 93oct ECU & Stage 2 DSG / Ross-Tech VCDS / RSNav / Michelin PS 4S 265·30ZR20 / 20x9 RS5 rotors / Michelin PS A⁄S 3+ 255·35ZR19 / 19x9 AudiSport rotors / StopTech lines, pads, cryo drilled rotors / KW HAS / Bilstein dampers / 034Motorsport arms / ECS shields / AWE intake / deAutoLED fogs / SunTek Ultra / Opti-Coat Pro / STEK DYNOflex

  13. #13
    Veteran Member Four Rings kjeeper10's Avatar
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    Dec 07 2017
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    2007 Jeep Wrangler JK
    Location
    CT

    Bought mine with 56k, non Audi dealer did brakes, tires, spark plugs and oil change before picking it up. Pretty much the 55k service.. couldn’t have been that much done at a indy shop.
    Anyways i have 60 ish and just had its first oil change with liquid molly. Cost me under $200 total.
    2015 Daytona S5 - Madico Ceramic Tint 35/20 - 6 Speed - Mods - Sprintbooster V3 - APR Stage II - Dual Pulley - CPS Cooler - Eurocode ST Shifter - EuroImpulse weighted knob - USP SS Clutch Line - 034 SD Engine Mounts - 034 Trans Mount Insert - 034 rear SB - CR-15 - ORT Coilovers - SPC Front CA’s - IE Non Res Downpipes - AWE touring w/ 102 tips - CTS intake - ECS Streat Shield - Deval CF Splwitter/Rear Valance - Signature SV901 Forged 19x10.5 wheels - 275/35 Mich PS4S Tires.

  14. #14
    Senior Member Three Rings Darel's Avatar
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    Mar 27 2018
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    Mountain Top, PA

    Quote Originally Posted by SSSSS5 View Post
    Besides owners manual, is there a detailed factory schedule?
    https://www.audiusa.com/content/dam/...-Year-2009.pdf
    '09 S5, 4.2 / 6MT / H&R springs & spacers, AWE Track exhaust
    '76 Triumph TR6
    '14 Mercedes E350

  15. #15
    Veteran Member Three Rings wangshuo1989's Avatar
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    Jan 09 2016
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    Seattle

    Quote Originally Posted by fivefan View Post
    This is what I do as well. It's called Audi Care Select: Audi Care (scroll down to Audi Care Select)

    This has saved me roughly 50% off regular dealer pricing. If you want to keep up with the factory recommended service items but are not able to do it all yourself, this is an option.

    As mentioned, keep an eye out for $100 off coupons as they only seem to come around once in a blue moon.

    I had a bad experience with a recommended indie shop and will never go back. (I also found a service advisor I trust at the dealer.) Being in Cali, you likely have a ton more choices though.




    @wangshuo1989

    Speaking of mods... How do you get a dealer to service your Stage II ECU + TCU tuned vehicle under an Audi Care plan without balking??
    Audi care is a maintenance plan, not a warranty. My dealer doesn't care my car is tuned or not, they simply did the maintenance and that's about it.
    2013 S5 Misano Red, DSG, B&O, Sport Diff, MMI+, JHM 207mm crank pulley (7PK1370 Contitech belt), APR Stage II Dual Pulley, APR TCU tune, APR CPS, CR15, IE CAI
    2018 XC90 Inscription, B&W sound, Convenience Pkg, Air suspension
    2014 Mercedes E350 rwd
    2021 BMW 540i

  16. #16
    Senior Member Three Rings
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    Aug 30 2016
    AZ Member #
    379715
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    Los Angeles, CA, USA

    With 56K and 6 years, you're pretty much out of the original manufacturer warranty, so no point getting Audi care.

    Your location says California, so there are many VW/Audi mechanics. But like what others have stated, it's best and cheapest if you can do the work yourself. Just about every regular maintenance item can be done yourself. Oil change with Mobil 1 and genuine filter is about $40 (take 30 minutes). Brand new Akebono ceramic pads are about $100 per axel (1 hr). NGK spark plugs are around $40 (10 min). Filters are about $50 (5 min).

    Don't go to the dealership. Their prices are insane, and there is no guarantee they will do a good job. I remember taking my dad's Lexus to Longo Lexus years ago for a $100+ oil change and later found out they didn't even change the filter (I know cuz I marked the old one). They will also want you to do lots of unnecessary work because that's how they really make money.

    Also, having just recently purchased a used Audi A3, I do not recommend Autonation, prices are higher for no reason. You can't really verify they inspected anything. It's still best to take it to another mechanic for an unbiased inspection (by law, dealers are required to allow you to do that). You may think the money back guarantee is a nice feature, but you can get that with just about any dealership by paying for that option in the contract.

  17. #17
    Established Member Two Rings fivefan's Avatar
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    Nov 23 2017
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    2015 S5
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    virUS

    Quote Originally Posted by wangshuo1989 View Post
    Audi care is a maintenance plan, not a warranty. My dealer doesn't care my car is tuned or not, they simply did the maintenance and that's about it.
    Hmm... Now I'm jealous. I'll be talking to my service advisor.

    Curious... Did you get an ECU tune before or after you bought the 75K/85K package? Did you buy the package in the past year?

    Is your dealer one of those very rare Audi/VW dealers that is also an APR dealer?
    2015 Daytona S5 coupe / S tronic / quattro w sport diff / tech pkg / black optic pkg

    Unitronic Stage 1+ 93oct ECU & Stage 2 DSG / Ross-Tech VCDS / RSNav / Michelin PS 4S 265·30ZR20 / 20x9 RS5 rotors / Michelin PS A⁄S 3+ 255·35ZR19 / 19x9 AudiSport rotors / StopTech lines, pads, cryo drilled rotors / KW HAS / Bilstein dampers / 034Motorsport arms / ECS shields / AWE intake / deAutoLED fogs / SunTek Ultra / Opti-Coat Pro / STEK DYNOflex

  18. #18
    Senior Member Three Rings Darel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by findalex View Post
    With 56K and 6 years, you're pretty much out of the original manufacturer warranty, so no point getting Audi care.

    Your location says California, so there are many VW/Audi mechanics. But like what others have stated, it's best and cheapest if you can do the work yourself. Just about every regular maintenance item can be done yourself. Oil change with Mobil 1 and genuine filter is about $40 (take 30 minutes). Brand new Akebono ceramic pads are about $100 per axel (1 hr). NGK spark plugs are around $40 (10 min). Filters are about $50 (5 min).

    Don't go to the dealership. Their prices are insane, and there is no guarantee they will do a good job. I remember taking my dad's Lexus to Longo Lexus years ago for a $100+ oil change and later found out they didn't even change the filter (I know cuz I marked the old one). They will also want you to do lots of unnecessary work because that's how they really make money.

    Also, having just recently purchased a used Audi A3, I do not recommend Autonation, prices are higher for no reason. You can't really verify they inspected anything. It's still best to take it to another mechanic for an unbiased inspection (by law, dealers are required to allow you to do that). You may think the money back guarantee is a nice feature, but you can get that with just about any dealership by paying for that option in the contract.
    Where are you getting these prices from? $40 for 9 quarts of synthetic plus the filter, which IIRC is usually around $14? Cheapest price I've found on NGK plugs is $8.80 each = $70. Where can I get this stuff at your prices?
    '09 S5, 4.2 / 6MT / H&R springs & spacers, AWE Track exhaust
    '76 Triumph TR6
    '14 Mercedes E350

  19. #19
    Senior Member Three Rings
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    Quote Originally Posted by Darel View Post
    Where are you getting these prices from? $40 for 9 quarts of synthetic plus the filter, which IIRC is usually around $14? Cheapest price I've found on NGK plugs is $8.80 each = $70. Where can I get this stuff at your prices?
    Sorry I was going off of the 4-cylinder price.

    For 2013 S5 6-cylinder, $23/ per 5 qts of Mobil 1 0w-40 Euro at Walmart (there's a $12 rebate for 5 qts now that brings it down to $11/5 qt). $7.19 Mann/Hengst oil filter at FCP Euro (min order required for free shipping). So you're looking at around $30 for 10 qts of Mobil 1 plus oil filter.

    You're right on the plugs. That'll be around $60 for the 6-cylinder instead of the $40 for the 4-cylinder.

    Still tons cheapers than going to the stealership.

  20. #20
    Senior Member Three Rings Darel's Avatar
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    Oh gotcha. Sorry I just normally default to V8 mode.
    '09 S5, 4.2 / 6MT / H&R springs & spacers, AWE Track exhaust
    '76 Triumph TR6
    '14 Mercedes E350

  21. #21
    Veteran Member Three Rings Sazexa's Avatar
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    I have an '09 4.2L V8 manual S5. The V8 is a little more on maintenance I believe, given it builds up carbon faster, plugs/coil changes cost more. A manual will inevitably cost more to maintain as well. The 4.2L also holds more oil, so, I'll quickly break down my maintenance costs and you can compare. As I said, the 3.0L V6T should be a bit less on maintenance. I do a lot of the work myself, but, simple/small stuff (such as oil changes or quick fixes) I have my local dealer do at a rate of around $120/hour for me as I used to work there, otherwise it'd be ~$145/hour.

    I've had the car since 3/17. I received the car, non CPO, from a used car lot with around 85,000 miles on the clock. I'm currently around 112,000.

    - (3/22/17, day after buying the car gave it a quick glance over and fresh fluid) 85K did an oil and filter change, ~$130 at the dealer.

    - (4/22/17) Replaced the thermostat and housing, as well as a primary cooling fan, and fresh fluid. The thermostat at this mileage is common, but the cooling fan is very, very uncommon. I believe the cooling fan "cooked" itself from working too hard, for too long with a bad t-stat in summer heat and my driving tactics lol The t-stat was ~$90, the cooling fan was ~$600, fluid was ~$50. I did this myself in my drive way over two days, took about 6 or 7 hours total.

    - (7/25/17) Front control arms replaced. The bushings get work around this mileage and it's typically well worth replacing. I opted for a bit more expensive, aftermarket option in the 034 Motorsport Density Line, which cost me around $500 and a couple hours of my time to replace. I believe you can get just bushings, or entire new arms, cheaper online.

    - (8/15/17) Replaced the oil filter housing gasket. Labor intensive, but the gaskets were basically just a few dollars. By this time I was ready for an oil change, so I did that myself. Cost was around $80, and a Saturday. If I had more time I'd have done a carbon cleaning, as I really needed it. And now it's worse.

    - (12/31/17) Replaced clutch slave cylinder. $30, and a $60 tow. More on this later.

    - (3/17/18) Oil and filter change, replaced two exhaust clamps. ~$100

    - (5/20/18) Replaced all four tires, ~$700 with install.

    - (8/31/18) Replaced driver door lock actuator, $170

    - (10/25/18) Replaced slave cylinder again, this time with a full metal one, and a braided clutch line. $190, plus another $60 for a tow.

    - (12/31/18) Replaced clutch kit, flywheel, rear main seal, a heater hose, master cylinder. ~$1,800. I saved A LOT by being able to have a shop to do the labor myself. It took about 25 hours total. I kept having issues with my clutch pedal sticking to the floor (hence the slave cylinders.) I thought it might have been a bad throw out bearing or pressure plate, so, I replaced all that with aftermarket parts. I could probably have saved a good $500-$700 in parts if I went with OE stuff online, but I got aftermarket performance upgrades. Turns out, it was just the master cylinder. Which I then later had to have warrantied, as the master I got from Audi was bad from the factory, new. I have a whole thread on my clutch nightmare, if you want to read it.

    Soon I'll be doing spark plugs ($110), a carbon cleaning myself (materials around $60), a fuel filter ($50), and replacing the driver side turn signal mirror ($90, after market for sequential both sides).

    That being said, if you can do work yourself you'll likely spend less. But, if you have to have another shop do labor for you, it may be a bit costly to maintain. But not "$1,500/month."

    In two and a half-ish years I've spent under $5,000 in repairs and that's with a lot of uncommon repairs and parts upgrades for more than OE.

  22. #22
    Senior Member Three Rings Darel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sazexa View Post
    I have an '09 4.2L V8 manual S5. The V8 is a little more on maintenance I believe, given it builds up carbon faster, plugs/coil changes cost more. A manual will inevitably cost more to maintain as well. The 4.2L also holds more oil, so, I'll quickly break down my maintenance costs and you can compare. As I said, the 3.0L V6T should be a bit less on maintenance. I do a lot of the work myself, but, simple/small stuff (such as oil changes or quick fixes) I have my local dealer do at a rate of around $120/hour for me as I used to work there, otherwise it'd be ~$145/hour.

    I've had the car since 3/17. I received the car, non CPO, from a used car lot with around 85,000 miles on the clock. I'm currently around 112,000.

    - (3/22/17, day after buying the car gave it a quick glance over and fresh fluid) 85K did an oil and filter change, ~$130 at the dealer.

    - (4/22/17) Replaced the thermostat and housing, as well as a primary cooling fan, and fresh fluid. The thermostat at this mileage is common, but the cooling fan is very, very uncommon. I believe the cooling fan "cooked" itself from working too hard, for too long with a bad t-stat in summer heat and my driving tactics lol The t-stat was ~$90, the cooling fan was ~$600, fluid was ~$50. I did this myself in my drive way over two days, took about 6 or 7 hours total.

    - (7/25/17) Front control arms replaced. The bushings get work around this mileage and it's typically well worth replacing. I opted for a bit more expensive, aftermarket option in the 034 Motorsport Density Line, which cost me around $500 and a couple hours of my time to replace. I believe you can get just bushings, or entire new arms, cheaper online.

    - (8/15/17) Replaced the oil filter housing gasket. Labor intensive, but the gaskets were basically just a few dollars. By this time I was ready for an oil change, so I did that myself. Cost was around $80, and a Saturday. If I had more time I'd have done a carbon cleaning, as I really needed it. And now it's worse.

    - (12/31/17) Replaced clutch slave cylinder. $30, and a $60 tow. More on this later.

    - (3/17/18) Oil and filter change, replaced two exhaust clamps. ~$100

    - (5/20/18) Replaced all four tires, ~$700 with install.

    - (8/31/18) Replaced driver door lock actuator, $170

    - (10/25/18) Replaced slave cylinder again, this time with a full metal one, and a braided clutch line. $190, plus another $60 for a tow.

    - (12/31/18) Replaced clutch kit, flywheel, rear main seal, a heater hose, master cylinder. ~$1,800. I saved A LOT by being able to have a shop to do the labor myself. It took about 25 hours total. I kept having issues with my clutch pedal sticking to the floor (hence the slave cylinders.) I thought it might have been a bad throw out bearing or pressure plate, so, I replaced all that with aftermarket parts. I could probably have saved a good $500-$700 in parts if I went with OE stuff online, but I got aftermarket performance upgrades. Turns out, it was just the master cylinder. Which I then later had to have warrantied, as the master I got from Audi was bad from the factory, new. I have a whole thread on my clutch nightmare, if you want to read it.

    Soon I'll be doing spark plugs ($110), a carbon cleaning myself (materials around $60), a fuel filter ($50), and replacing the driver side turn signal mirror ($90, after market for sequential both sides).

    That being said, if you can do work yourself you'll likely spend less. But, if you have to have another shop do labor for you, it may be a bit costly to maintain. But not "$1,500/month."

    In two and a half-ish years I've spent under $5,000 in repairs and that's with a lot of uncommon repairs and parts upgrades for more than OE.
    I just did my own carbon cleaning, about $18 for the media, $50 between two different port adapters (the one I'd recommend was $30). I already have a big compressor and a blaster. All in less than $100 for the carbon cleaning, tack on an extra $90 to replace the #8 injector that was the reason I was in there in the first place. However, it took me a few days of work. SO MUCH has to come apart. Not nearly a clutch job, but for a "routine maintenance" item they sure made it hard. I can easily see this at over $1000 paying someone to do it. Maybe I should set up shop......
    '09 S5, 4.2 / 6MT / H&R springs & spacers, AWE Track exhaust
    '76 Triumph TR6
    '14 Mercedes E350

  23. #23
    Established Member Two Rings
    Join Date
    Oct 11 2014
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    288241
    My Garage
    '14 RS5, '20 BMW X5, '21 Wrangler, '21RipleyV4
    Location
    Connecticut

    Sazexa - I'd argue about a manual costing more than an auto - every auto I've ever owned has been replaced before 75,000 miles, our 2002 Audi Allroad it took 3 auto boxes before 100,000 miles, BMW 535xi auto made it to 70k, then was about to need another at 115k.

    My experience with manuals (since 1990) is essentially zero cost: a few that I remember... 2002 TT - 175,000 miles - original clutch and still shifts perfectly today. 2010 S5 113,000 miles and getting a little rough on clutch engagement when it's hot - it'll be the first clutch to be replaced on any car I've owned.

    More broadly though - my experience with the 2010 S5 has been very good. My repair costs have been nominal, and regular maintenance hasn't been oil/plugs/filters/fluids/tires/pads. Just (knock wood) a reliable awesome car.
    Last edited by cts5; 07-07-2019 at 06:18 AM.

  24. #24
    Veteran Member Three Rings Sazexa's Avatar
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    Jul 15 2017
    AZ Member #
    402904
    Location
    Colorado

    Quote Originally Posted by Darel View Post
    I just did my own carbon cleaning, about $18 for the media, $50 between two different port adapters (the one I'd recommend was $30). I already have a big compressor and a blaster. All in less than $100 for the carbon cleaning, tack on an extra $90 to replace the #8 injector that was the reason I was in there in the first place. However, it took me a few days of work. SO MUCH has to come apart. Not nearly a clutch job, but for a "routine maintenance" item they sure made it hard. I can easily see this at over $1000 paying someone to do it. Maybe I should set up shop......
    Most shops around here quote $1,300-$1,800 for a carbon cleaning. I'd have done it myself sooner if I had a garage but for the passed year or so I haven't had one to myself.

    Quote Originally Posted by cts5 View Post
    Sazexa - I'd argue about a manual costing more than an auto - every auto I've ever owned has been replaced before 75,000 miles, our 2002 Audi Allroad it took 3 auto boxes before 100,000 miles, BMW 535xi auto made it to 70k, then was about to need another at 115k.

    My experience with manuals (since 1990) is essentially zero cost: a few that I remember... 2002 TT - 175,000 miles - original clutch and still shifts perfectly today. 2010 S5 113,000 miles and getting a little rough on clutch engagement when it's hot - it'll be the first clutch to be replaced on any car I've owned.

    More broadly though - my experience with the 2010 S5 has been very good. My repair costs have been nominal, and regular maintenance hasn't been oil/plugs/filters/fluids/tires/pads. Just (knock wood) a reliable awesome car.
    I've only owned one auto where the transmission was developing issues, and it was an older Explorer which was a common issue. I got the vehicle at 160K, held on to it until 225K. Trans started feeling bad again and that's when I sold it.

    Some cars are prone to bad autos. I don't think typically the S5's are. That being said, if I went through a dealer for a clutch replacement job with audi supplied parts, it'd cost around $6-$8k I believe.

    My clutch actually had plenty of life left in it when I upgrade the clutch and flywheel. And that was replaced around 105K. If I had to guess it still had maybe 30-40% of it's life left. They're reliable cars for the most part. It's just things can get pricey quick if you can't do work yourself on these cars.

  25. #25
    Veteran Member Three Rings snocat17's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 12 2017
    AZ Member #
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    My Garage
    2016 S5 Cab, 2016 Mazda CX-5, 2012 Ford F-250
    Location
    Steel City, USA

    I'll give you my brief story, as it sounds like I was in the same boat as you two years ago.

    I bought a MY2016 Prestige S5 Cab with 26K miles from a Jag dealer in FL in May 2017. Paid $325 for the nearest Audi dealer to do a "CPO" inspection, although they couldn't actually make it a CPO. Essentially the inspection told me that if it got an alignment and 2 new tires it would be a CPO. Jag dealer did the 25K service, alignment and threw in 2 new tires (they mismatched 2 all-seasons with 2 summer tires, so they had to pay for 4 more new ones 4 months later ).

    Bought Audi Care for 35K/45K and 55K/65K service, and I felt like it was worth the $700 each (or so) as it took care of all the recommended fluid changes and did full inspections.

    At the 45K service the brake pads were close and they recommended rotors as well. I bought ceramic pads and OEM rotors at an independent shop and had them install for about $1200, which was $600 less than the dealer wanted for OEM pads and rotors.

    After getting the 4 new all season tires comped at 38K miles by the Jag dealer, I needed 4 new tires again at 65K miles. Michelin has a 45K pro-rated warranty on Pilot Sport A/S 3+, so they were about 60% off original price.

    Getting ready to buy another Audi Care package for 75K/85K, which will be slightly higher at $900 or so due to the major 75K service.

    In addition, spent $215 for the VCDS cable, $2100 for Xpel paint protection (clear bra), $250 on a fog light grill that was broken, $500 on a new OEM windshield (make sure to add windshield to your coverage if you daily drive it), $50 for LED fog lights (installed myself, super easy), $20 for puddle lights (installed myself), and $500 for carbon fiber cold air intake and back pipe (installed myself, also super easy).

    Overall many of the components are more expensive than your typical car. However, a lot of things I've paid to have other people do (change lights and install CAI) on other cars were super easy on the Audi. As a lover of driving and enjoying the 1.5 hours I spend in the car every day, this car has been more than worth it. I'm pushing 73K miles now and so happy with it, even if some things are more expensive.
    -Joe
    2016 S5 Cabriolet Prestige Glacier White Metallic w/ brown comfort seats and piano wire black wood trim. RED Brake calipers holding EBC RedStuff pads, APR Carbonio Intake, ECS carbon fiber back-pipe, VCDS cable

  26. #26
    Junior Member Two Rings
    Join Date
    Sep 17 2013
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    123352
    Location
    NY/NY

    Have a 2013 Audi s5 couple manual Stage 1 APR tunned, with 28k miles on it, have done the 15k and 25k service intervals. What service do you guys recommend and need? Do I need to do the 55k service that includes changing out the spark plugs and down side if I wait? Car performs fine and pulls hard.

  27. #27
    Senior Member Three Rings usmcfieldmp's Avatar
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    May 04 2020
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    546985
    Location
    Fort Worth, TX

    Quote Originally Posted by jokerS5 View Post
    Have a 2013 Audi s5 couple manual Stage 1 APR tunned, with 28k miles on it, have done the 15k and 25k service intervals. What service do you guys recommend and need? Do I need to do the 55k service that includes changing out the spark plugs and down side if I wait? Car performs fine and pulls hard.
    Since you're tuned, I'd recommend following the RS5 maintenance schedule for the Trans & Diff, since you're technically at their power level.

    MTF at 15/35/55/75/[+ every 20k]
    Rear diff at 35/75/115/[+ every 40k]
    2002 Audi TT Quattro || Entering Racecar Status | Needs a LOT of love || Project Thread
    2013 Audi S5 || TOTALED ||

    || 1986 Volkswagen GTI || 1997 Dodge Viper GTS || 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt SS ||

  28. #28
    Veteran Member Three Rings charlatan's Avatar
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    Apr 13 2007
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    17247
    Location
    MOLINE, IL

    Quote Originally Posted by Darel View Post
    I just did my own carbon cleaning, about $18 for the media, $50 between two different port adapters (the one I'd recommend was $30).
    Can you link to the one you suggest?
    theROGUEdesigner

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