I am just about to buy a new A3 1.4 TFSI saloon and having never owned a new car will be forced to get the service done by Audi (or an independent) to maintain my 3 year warranty. What is the likely cost of the services over this time if I stick with Audi. My mileage each year is likely to be 6k miles or less, so at the end of the 3 years I am going to be looking at 20K miles maximum. I will select the variable service so I am correct in thinking I will only hit one service at 2 years?
A3 Saloon Typical 3 year service costs
- Thread starter jp1
- Start date
RichardT
Registered User
Wrong. If you do low mileage you should be on fixed schedule. You need to ask the dealer to set that in the MMI when you collect.
That means you will have 3 services in the 3 years. I bought the service deal when I bought the car - 3 years servicing for £399. This is a steal actually, but I don't think they offer it anymore.
But it's worth asking what up front deal they will offer.
Service charges seem to vary a lot, but it's around £200 per service. Sometimes, based on reports on here, they can quote a lot more. But there's plenty of dealers to try!
That means you will have 3 services in the 3 years. I bought the service deal when I bought the car - 3 years servicing for £399. This is a steal actually, but I don't think they offer it anymore.
But it's worth asking what up front deal they will offer.
Service charges seem to vary a lot, but it's around £200 per service. Sometimes, based on reports on here, they can quote a lot more. But there's plenty of dealers to try!
I think you will find that your car will an oil change every 12 months and a service at 19k or 2 years which ever comes first. If your are only going to be doing 6k miles a year you will need to get the service interval changed to Fixed Service as it will come from the factory set to Variable which is only for cars doing over 10k a year.
My own A3 is coming up to 3 years old in April and has done 34k miles but I have only paid for the one combined oil change and service at 19k miles.
My own A3 is coming up to 3 years old in April and has done 34k miles but I have only paid for the one combined oil change and service at 19k miles.
H5drj,
I just saw you comments on the vwaudiforum form a thread a few years old "fixed verus variable service". I am going to stick with the variable service and let the engine computer tell me when to service the car. Thought I would post here as I essentially agree with your comments, if Audi define a variable service as acceptable, then servicing at a higher frequency is not necessary.
As an aside my current A4 1.8T 190 has been on a variable service all its life. I say all its life, it was while it had it's previous company owner who racked up 82k miles in the first 3 years at which point I acquired it. I then gave it one full service at about 90k ish (oil, filters, sparks) and have then just changed the oil and filter on the variable schedule, but even this has been poorly done by exceeding the time limits by quite an excessive amount.
The car has now done 180k miles (and is now 14 years old) and the engine runs just as smoothly with no discernible loss in power. The sparks plugs have not been changed since the 9ok service and I have only just changed the air filter at 18ok miles.
I don't suggest others follow my regime, but my experience over this car and my previous one is that servicing at the intervals recommended is not necessary. I keep my cars until they fail, in the case of my current Audi is hasn't failed and it doesn't appear it is going to any time soon, so I am not concerned about how a limited service history will affect it's resale value. Of course the car is worthless at it's age and mileage but for all those that suggest a variable service has screwed their engines, my car value has plummeted to zero due to it's age and mileage way before the engine is suggesting it wants to give up.
I just saw you comments on the vwaudiforum form a thread a few years old "fixed verus variable service". I am going to stick with the variable service and let the engine computer tell me when to service the car. Thought I would post here as I essentially agree with your comments, if Audi define a variable service as acceptable, then servicing at a higher frequency is not necessary.
As an aside my current A4 1.8T 190 has been on a variable service all its life. I say all its life, it was while it had it's previous company owner who racked up 82k miles in the first 3 years at which point I acquired it. I then gave it one full service at about 90k ish (oil, filters, sparks) and have then just changed the oil and filter on the variable schedule, but even this has been poorly done by exceeding the time limits by quite an excessive amount.
The car has now done 180k miles (and is now 14 years old) and the engine runs just as smoothly with no discernible loss in power. The sparks plugs have not been changed since the 9ok service and I have only just changed the air filter at 18ok miles.
I don't suggest others follow my regime, but my experience over this car and my previous one is that servicing at the intervals recommended is not necessary. I keep my cars until they fail, in the case of my current Audi is hasn't failed and it doesn't appear it is going to any time soon, so I am not concerned about how a limited service history will affect it's resale value. Of course the car is worthless at it's age and mileage but for all those that suggest a variable service has screwed their engines, my car value has plummeted to zero due to it's age and mileage way before the engine is suggesting it wants to give up.
I agree that the Variable Service and oil change seems to work OK. I certainly has for me over my last nine A3s but I only keep them around 3 years and 30-40k miles. My only thought if you are only going to do 6k miles each year then by using Variable Service you are not meeting Audi's recommendations for servicing for a car doing less than 10k a year which could create some problems with any warranty claim.
As I don't do many miles a year, I have my S3 on a 12 month service schedule.
Just phoned up this morning to book it in. £352 for 2 year service !!!! ****** hell !
Just phoned up this morning to book it in. £352 for 2 year service !!!! ****** hell !
Under 10,000 miles a year means you have to be on a fixed interval service regime, see here https://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/servicing-maintenance-mot/servicing-your-audi.html As a marker for the cost of servicing my 1.4 A3 was costing me over £15 a month over 4 years. To put it into perspective my A4 is costing £9.52 a month for a three year period.
