2006-2009 Q7 100k Miles +

[Mirinjawbro]

Hello all

as per title

2006-2009 Q7 100k Miles +

what to watch out for?

thanks

[georgeyboy12345]

Go for a post-2010 4.2 TDI, they are the most reliable motors.

Avoid the 3.0 V6 TDI - the timing chain tensioners can cause the timing chain to let go, also problems with the fuel injection and piston failure. Most don't make it past 200k.

[Mirinjawbro]

was hoping to spend around 6/7k max.

these are 06-08 3.0 models with around 125k.

avoid?

[georgeyboy12345]

Yeah they are crap, sorry. If you want a decent Q7 you should be spending around £20k in the current market for a post-2010 4.2 TDI.

The second gen 2015 models are better, but also over your budget.

For your budget I’d be looking elsewhere.

[Mirinjawbro]

thanks for the heads up

just wonder how if they are so bad they can be sold?

same with any car really

[georgeyboy12345]

Mirinjawbro said:

thanks for the heads up

just wonder how if they are so bad they can be sold?

same with any car really

In my view they are a massive risk. People are ignorant to this, want a large SUV at a perceived reasonable price. So they buy it, they are ok for a while, but then something happens with the engine and are faced with a huge repair bill. Remember these were very expensive cars when new. Try to find one with more than 200k on it - you won’t.

If you want a reliable 7 seat premium SUV, look at Toyota Land Cruisers.

[Richard-390a0]

georgeyboy12345 said:

also problems with the fuel injection.

Funny George mentions fuel injectors as there's one near me that keeps appearing on marketplace supposedly only needing an injector... Every few months it reappears with a different seller lol.

[georgeyboy12345]

You could get such a car in your price bracket, then look at spending some money to put it right.

For example, you can buy this, £6500
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201091...

Then, I'd get the chain, tensioners all replaced with upgraded versions. Probably looking at an additional £2000 parts and labour nowadays, based on this audi-sport thread from 2014
https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/3-0tdi-engin...


Then get upgraded piezo injectors that won't fail - probably another £2300 or so with 3 hours labour to fit
https://www.darksidedevelopments.co.uk/products/pi...

Total amount all in would be around £11,000.

Edit: or get this one, then all in you are looking around £9500
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111229...

Edited by georgeyboy12345 on Thursday 3rd February 10:16

[Mirinjawbro]

thanks for all that info

guess ill pass

onto the x5s then

[fflump]

£6k on any premium SUV is a gamble, and even consumables like tyres, discs, pads etc. will be costly.
For a 7-seater with more reasonable running costsmaybe the MPV route is better e.g. S-Max?

[Roger Irrelevant]

fflump said:

£6k on any premium SUV is a gamble

This man talks much sense. Living in the sticks I know plenty of young rural types who - when kids came along - wanted a big 4x4 with a 'premium' badge for not much cash. In many cases they've gone back to boggo hatchbacks/estates/run-of-the-mill crossovers within a year as it became clear what a money pit something like an ageing Q7/X5/RR/Disco can be. The £6k should be seen very much as the cost of entry; if you're not happy with at least another £1k p.a. on average to keep it running I'd look elsewhere. Maybe you'll be lucky and get a good 'un, but woe betide you if you get a bad one!

Edited by Roger Irrelevant on Thursday 3rd February 14:15

[Mirinjawbro]

so if this car was 6k but 50k miles it would be ok?

are you saying its the mileage thats the main problem?

i thought most cars well looked after could see 150k + easily

[Trevor555]

Mirinjawbro said:

so if this car was 6k but 50k miles it would be ok?

are you saying its the mileage thats the main problem?

i thought most cars well looked after could see 150k + easily

Most cars will do the mileage, it's just that some have some large repair bills along the way.

And the Q7 has the potential for some big ones.

Have you found a 50k miler for sensible money?

Itll reduce the likelihood of big repairs, but it's still pot luck.

If you want a reliable SUV for 6k I'd be looking at a Toyota.

[georgeyboy12345]

Mirinjawbro said:

so if this car was 6k but 50k miles it would be ok?

If a Q7 had 50,000 miles on, it wouldn’t cost only £7000, it’d be more like £20,000. And yes, it would be ok until around 100,000 miles plus, when the tensioners and injectors start wearing out. It might die at 100,000, it might die at 160,000, roll the dice.

Mirinjawbro said:

i thought most cars well looked after could see 150k + easily

Nope. Some motors have inherent design flaws. The VAG 3.0 V6 TDI is one of them (among many from this manufacturer).

“Well looked after” is also key - most of these are not particularly well looked after either, with missed services, etc.

[RoVoFob]

Mirinjawbro said:

thanks for all that info

guess ill pass

onto the x5s then

SUVs are usually more expensive than non-SUV alternatives and typically more complex with bigger maintenance and repair bills. If you don’t have a huge budget, I’d steer clear of SUVs altogether, as several others have suggested.

For context, my 2006 A6 Avant 4.2 Quattro with 88,000 miles and a thorough service history (which limits the chance of the typical Audi reliability issues) was well under £6,000. And if you think that’s thirsty compared with a 3.0 TDI Q7, there’s only 4.3mpg in it and the road tax is the same, as the Q7 weighs 520kg more than the A6. Smaller-engined A6s will be better…

If you don’t need seven seats or an SUV, would an A6 work for you? You still get a plush cabin, four-wheel-drive and the same badge, but for a much lower cost/you can get a lower mileage/better looked after model for your budget.

[Mirinjawbro]

its more boot space i'm after

bikes / shopping / trips

have not ruled out estates just think i prefer the look of the Q7 / X5 (of that age)

[RoVoFob]

Mirinjawbro said:

its more boot space i'm after

bikes / shopping / trips

have not ruled out estates just think i prefer the look of the Q7 / X5 (of that age)

Any of these appeal? I imagine they’d be more reliable/cheaper to run than the Q7/X5. Boot space isn’t always great in SUVs, as you often get lots of height but not as much load width/length, but the importance depends on how much you’re trying to stuff in…

Hyundai Santa Fe:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201291...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201241...

Jeep Grand Cherokee:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202032...

Kia Sorento:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110148...

Lexus RX400h:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105232...

Mazda CX-7:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201261...

Volvo XC60:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111019...

[Mirinjawbro]

nice list, i prefer the jeep the most

so i assume these are much more reliable at this price / mileage than the q7 / x5 etc

[georgeyboy12345]

Mirinjawbro said:

its more boot space i'm after

bikes / shopping / trips

have not ruled out estates just think i prefer the look of the Q7 / X5 (of that age)

To be fair, I think an older X5 is more feasible - get a pre-2008 early E70 model and they have the reliable M57 engine.

Here's a really nice one in budget

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202012...

[Mirinjawbro]

what about the 4.4?