Are foreign auto repair costs really that high?

[Moppie]

Originally Posted by curtis73

Audi and VW share a lot, but they are different enough that i would separate them much like I would separate Nissan and Infinity. They are both linked but to say that Audi shares reliability with VW would be no more true than saying Infinity shares reliability with Nissan.

Ummm, Audi and VW share parts, engines and chassis platforms, but they use different factorys, management, designers, engineers etc.
Nissan just throw a different badge on one of their cars and call it an Infinity.

[curtis73]

Right but to say that they have the same reliability is not true. The option packages and electronics are pretty radically different between Nissan and Infinity so they have a whole different set of problems and reliability issues.

[Moppie]

Originally Posted by curtis73

Right but to say that they have the same reliability is not true. The option packages and electronics are pretty radically different between Nissan and Infinity so they have a whole different set of problems and reliability issues.

Nope, most of the Infinity range is badged as Nissan else where in the world.
They are designed, engineered and built by the same people, with access to the same resources.
The infinity badge is then added as nothing more than an exercise in marketing.

There are of course differences with in the Nissan line up in terms of reliability, just like there are in any manufacturers line up when they produce different cars in different country's.
Its quite possible that Nissans built in the US meet different QC and reliability standards than Nissans made in Japan, and of course one would expect their higher end models to meet higher standards than the base models.

[KiwiBacon]

Originally Posted by KiwiBacon

Over here most mechanics work at non-franchised workshops. No specific training and they tend to butcher anything they're not familiar with.

Suffice to say, I fix my own vehicles.

I should also add, the good, honest mechanics are easy to recognise. They're booked out for weeks.

[curtis73]

Originally Posted by Moppie

There are of course differences with in the Nissan line up in terms of reliability, just like there are in any manufacturers line up when they produce different cars in different country's.
Its quite possible that Nissans built in the US meet different QC and reliability standards than Nissans made in Japan, and of course one would expect their higher end models to meet higher standards than the base models.

I guess that's what I'm saying. A 350Z shows up as a much more reliable car than a G35 even though they're almost identical.

[BavarianDDR17]

I just picture an 83 year old woman driving an A4 and not a G35. The upside to the Audi is that it is safer and gets better gas mileage. The upside to Infiniti is that it is faster and costs less to repair. This is getting difficult. Does anyone know how much the first check up costs for an Audi? Not sure what the service plan is for Audi... maybe 3,500 miles or so?

[KiwiBacon]

Originally Posted by BavarianDDR17

I just picture an 83 year old woman driving an A4 and not a G35. The upside to the Audi is that it is safer and gets better gas mileage. The upside to Infiniti is that it is faster and costs less to repair. This is getting difficult. Does anyone know how much the first check up costs for an Audi? Not sure what the service plan is for Audi... maybe 3,500 miles or so?

Nothing modern needs oil changes that often.

The Audi UK website says:
Oil changes at 10,000mile intervals
Service at 20,000mile intervals
Inspection service at 40,000mile intervals

[BavarianDDR17]

I just checked the Audi USA site and it says that the first scheduled maintenance is at 5,000 miles, with the rest at 15,000, 25,000, 35,000 and so on. There's the Care plan that you can buy for $590 that covers the scheduled services up to 45,000 miles or 5 years, whichever is first. This doesn't sound that expensive to me.

[KiwiBacon]

Originally Posted by BavarianDDR17

I just checked the Audi USA site and it says that the first scheduled maintenance is at 5,000 miles, with the rest at 15,000, 25,000, 35,000 and so on. There's the Care plan that you can buy for $590 that covers the scheduled services up to 45,000 miles or 5 years, whichever is first. This doesn't sound that expensive to me.

If I was buying a new A4, I'd be expecting free servicing for the first 100,000km (60,000mi).
It's very common over here, but it's probalby already factored into the price.

[bobss396]

I buy a lot of parts online for my domestic cars and save a lot of $$$. I try to do most of my repair work depending on time and the difficulty of the task.

Shop around for a local independent mechanic that specializes in your make of car. They are often better and cheaper in the long run than the dealer. Sure they watch the clock, but my experience working for dealerships is that the clock was more important than doing a thorough job for the customer.

Bob