Oil Leakage - low mileage

[R7AUDI]

Hi, Im new in the forum. Happy nee year everyone. Apologies if there is a topic on this already. Could not find a similar case.

i purchased a second hand audi approved Q7 in December 2021. The specs of the car at the time of purchase:

Model Year:	2019 19
Engine Capacity:	3,000
Mileage:	17,676
Transmission:	Automatic
Fuel Type:	Diesel

The car had all the audi approved pre checks and audi warranty for a year.

As you can see the vehicle was low mileage with only 17k on the clock. In the November 2022 during the annual service an oil leak was identified. Nothing major, but they could not check during the service because they need more time to remove parts etc. The audi service advisor mentioned I needed to make a separate appointment for the oil leak check. So I didn’t make the appointment right away since it sounded something uncertain and didnt want to drive to the dealer again just for another day, so I waited for the service to do the check. Now last November 2023 during the annual service the technician at the audi dealership checked the oil, but could not find the oil leak so they need the vehicle once more to stay at the audi garage because they need to take out the engine to find the issue.

Apparently, taking the engine out will take a number of hours and the cost will be high just for the diagnostic. 
 

So here is my question. The oil leak was identified in November 2022 just before the one year warranty expired. However, the work will take place in February 2024. I mentioned the warranty to them and I believe was their duty to mention that this is rather complicated to diagnose and costly so do it straight after the service in November 2022 within the warranty. 
 

I am worried this could become a big issue and that audi wont take any responsibility. The car only drove 4k miles since then. I see no reason for a low mileage vehicle to have an internal oil leakage. 
 

Any thoughts/advice on how to address this issue with Audi?

 

 

[Magnet]

Hello Richard,

Welcome, and thanks for joining, and sorry to hear of your issue. 
My take on it, for what it is worth:- 

Plus side- the oil leak was detected in Nov. 2022 when the vehicle was just within warranty, and you were requested to return it for further investigation. 
Negative side- you didn’t do that, but waited for another year, and simply presented the vehicle for its next annual service. 
The oil leak is probably now worse, and it’s now a year+ out of warranty. 
Audi’s party line could be that you failed to action their recommendation made during warranty, and that was not their fault, and can reasonable dismiss any responsibility due to your procrastination.

I know this sounds harsh Richard, but the ‘…..didn’t want to drive to the dealer again just for another day..’ has put you at risk of that being an expensive error of judgement. 

Possible solutions:- Live with the oil leak if not severe. Hope they will be very very generous and pay for it all. Hope they will consider making some part-payment contribution. 
Perhaps you can let us know how you get on Richard. 
Genuinely wishing you good luck.
Kind regards,

Gareth.

                          

        

[R7AUDI]

Thanks Gareth,

yes it could be a matter of who said what. The issue from my point of view is that they didn’t say it was urgent or anything like that. It was more of “there is a suspected leakage, but we wont know until a thorough check is completed. Nothing to worry about”. However now the diagnostic is more complex than the way it sounded before.

I agree this could become an issue of who said what, when and how. 

[Magnet]

Thanks Richard,

As you said, you were advised at the time of service to return the vehicle for inspection. 
I can only comment on what I would have done after that, if it were mine. 
In knowledge of the imminent elapse of warranty, I would have been asking them at the point of pick up - ‘what’s the soonest date you can book it in for me?’ - to best safeguard my wallet against the possibility of injury, outside the guarantee period. 
Again just an opinion - I don’t think it’s so much of a question of who said what, but more of who didn’t do anything! 
I really do hope you come out of this with some goodwill contribution. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[JMKC82]

Hi Richard,

Sorry if i have missed it, but have you noticed the oil leak?  Have you had to top up with oil and how much / how often?

Thanks, Joe