Q8 suspension issues at MOT

[harv]

Hi

I'm looking at purchasing a second hand 2018 q8 TDI

A quick mot check shows this at last year's MOT 

• Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
• Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
• Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
• Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Rear bush. (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Rear bush

This doesn't seem normal to me  for 50k milage vehicle. 

 

Any insight/advice would be greatly appreciated 

TIA

Harv

[harv]

Forgot to mention, also after a decent test drive, when I parked it up, the front "wheel area/ calipers" had a pretty loud "metallic clinking" sound for about 15 to 20 mins, this was both front wheels. 

 

 

Edited August 4 by harv

[cliffcoggin]

44 minutes ago, harv said:

This doesn't seem normal to me  for 50k milage vehicle. 

It all depends how hard it has been driven. As long as the price reflects the cost of the work needed to repair I would not dismiss it.

More importantly does the car have a full service history?

[harv]

Hi 

Thanks for the advice. 

Yes it has full audi service, 2 years audi plus warranty 

Its passed this years MOT too. 

Iv asked the dealer to clarify the situation because they said they've done all works and services on the car. 

Cheers 

[Francis007]

Hi Harv

As an owner of two Q8's over the last 48 months I cannot really add to anything to what Cliffcoggin has suggested.

Only to say that it is a big heavy car, especially so in 50TDI form so if the car that you are interested in has been driven aggresively by a previous owner I would suspect that that would take a toll on tyres and suspension systems.

Not too sure what the metallic clinking sound is coming from the front end. It couldnt just be hot metal parts gently cooling down coud it ?

It's reassuring that the car has full service history and I believe Audis plus warranty is a decent one that should cover anything that might be amiss.

Apart from that I cannot help I'm afraid other than the Q8 is a night fine car and I hope you enjoy it if you go ahead with the sale.

I'm 76 years of age and been fortunate enought to have owned some fine cars in my life and the Q8 is right up there with the best in my opinion. Big, comfortable,well engineered and put together, fast enough I think in both 55 TFSI and 50 TDi form.....although both engines have entirely different characeristics.......and finally, quite unique on UK and European roads.

I did read recently somewhere that the Q8 outsells the Q7 in Europe but I'm notconvinced by that piece of data.

Finally, I suppose if you are unsure of this car Harv, you could look elsewhere I presume. 've just had a look on the Autotrader website and there are over 230 pre-owned Q8s out there, mostly still in the Audi franchise network, so the Audi pluas warranty woud still apply.

However , I do know what it's like ! If you like the look of this particular car....you know, right colour, right wheels, its hard to look for something else if you have set your heart on it.

Whatever you decide, the best of luck and please let us know your decision. If its is thi particular car I wish you many happy,safe and enjoyable miles in it as I've had in mine. 

Frank 

     

[Magnet]

Welcome Harv, and thanks for joining.

Can we take it this 6 year old vehicle isn’t being sold by an Audi main dealer? If it is, this would be slightly unusual due to age. 
Apologies for the questions. 
Was the latest MOT ( how recent?) done at the same MOT station as last year, where the advisories were listed? 
Have you actually seen evidence of the computerised  ‘full service history”? It is surprising how this can be claimed to exist, but disappears into the ether when sight of it is asked for. 
How many main dealer services has it had, and at what mileages? 
Does that record point to new discs and pads being fitted after last year’s MOT, along with the bushes? 
How many owners has it had, and how long has the last owner owned it? Short term ownership triggers suspicion. 
Lastly, is the tyre brand the same on all four wheels? But more importantly, is the remaining tyre thread fairly well matched on all four wheels?

Kind regards,

Gareth.

p.s. Clicking sounds from wheel area :- are you sure it is from the wheels and not associated with exhaust pipes - which would not be unusual? Such cooling-down noises from brakes would however be unusual, and might point to sticky calipers or similar. 

[harv]

Hey guys 

Thanks for the great responses, much appreciated. 

Car is being sold by main audi dealer, they have serviced it for most of its life, if not all of it. 

Full main dealer service history. 

Last owner had it from new from what they said, and audi are now the owners again. 

 

Tyre tread, 2 new tyres on front, rears have maybe 6 to 8 months I reckon.  Not sure if all brand of tyres match though. I'll ask tomorow. 

Manager said car was owned by a relative of one of the service managers, or something to that effect. Not sure how true though. 

The sales person I'm speaking too is asking service department about the bushes and brakes etc in morning. 

So I'll have more info tomorrow. 

 

Iv had an A6 for 9 years and it's at 227k now, so was just wary of the bushes at that age.  

I'll keep you guys posted tomorow hopefully. 

Here's a picture of servicing

Looks odd that no miles since sept last year to July this year, unless it's supposed to read 59k and not 49k

 

I'll have to bring that up tomorrow too. 

Even more confused now lol

Once again thank you for your advice fellas 

😀

Kind regards 

Harv 

 

[harv]

BTW the clinking was defo coming from wheel or caliper area, was pretty loud and consistent, took about 20 mins to go, which feels like it's a cooling thing 

[Magnet]

Hello Harv,

Many thanks for thanking the forum for the comments made. It doesn’t always happen.

Anyway, back to the matter in hand:- 

Let’s say it’s less common for a main dealer to retail a 6 year old car, but it is what it is. Have you checked the dealer price against say, Parker’s Guide values to ensure the price isn’t inflated. It might be well worth comparing with some of the other 230 Frank mentions. 

Number of owners:- Most have been owned by the Service Manager or someone very close to them! Buyers have to like salt - if you see what I mean! 
The fact from the service print-out:- Change of owner on 29/7/19 , and most worrying (in caps) on 26 June of this year. They will probably inform you that the MPC on that date was carried out prior to putting on the forecourt where you have seen it, but how do you know that it isn’t a vehicle which has been rejected under the 30 day return policy. Be assured, that you will be assured that that isn’t the story! 

Service history:- Some artistic licence there - oil service (minor service) at 17K; no service again in the next 23k - and again only a minor oil service then; next at 50k, then recent. - all marked as oil services. My take would be, that it has a partial history of oil changes. 
Disappearing reference to discs/pads and bushes? Possibly a try-on with the previous owner, but inspection of the front brake discs should reveal whether they have been renewed in the recent past. 
Brakes heating up, to the extent of hearing contraction of metal noises, points to issues - as mentioned - unless your test driving included a tendency on your part to leave braking until the last moment before standing on them. 
Last bit to consider:- 4 wheel drive tyres should have near matching tread on both axles, so new on front and not much tread on back isn’t good news. 
Make of tyres they have fitted to the front? 
 

Well Harv, that is a bit of warts and all assessment, but should allow you to stand back, do your homework, believe or disbelieve the answers given, and simply give it a good couple of coats of thinking about. 
Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[harv]

Thanks Gareth, very much appreciated your detailed thoughts. 

If I'm honest I was thinking of pulling the plug, I'll probably lose my deposit. But better than 35k I reckon lol

Price wise its a fair price I think for a dealer, hence I was drawn to it. 

If asked for a full breakdown of each service that they have carried out. Not sure if they will or can provide this. 

 

I'll wait until they contact today. 

I'll keep you posted. 

Once again 

Thanks all

Kind regards 

Harv 

 

[Magnet]

Hello Harv,

Offering comments and advice is always difficult, since generally, the requester just wants reassurance that what they intend to do is correct. 
Hopefully the forum outlines what it sees as being worthy of further investigation and clarification. Of course, such questioning paints a pessimistic picture, but in reality draws attention to certain potential downsides, for the buyer to consider. The buyer then adds the positives which they see, which of course we don’t. 

Re. deposits ( if you decide to pull out) - yes generally non refundable, but note the wording of the advert - and even comments made during inspection. If any of these prove to be (even partially) incorrect, then I would argue that the vehicle isn’t as described. Say in this case:- ‘Full service history’ , which by normal standards, it doesn’t have.

Good luck with whatever you decide Harv. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[harv]

Appreciate the difficulty in judging from afar Gareth. 

As an update, Iv pulled out of buying this particular car. 

Got a call from manager trying to reassure me of my concerns, but once they realised I wasn't going to budge they were quite accommodating. 

 Refund will be done, and they'll keep a look out for cars for me. 

My gut tells me, they knew deep down, that's why they didn't push too hard. 

So postive outcome in the end chaps. 

Appreciate all the help and advice. 

The search continues lol

Hopefully next time I'll be posting happy things lol

 

Thanks all

Harv 

[Magnet]

Many thanks for letting us know Harv.

Homework is king, and if you treat any claim for any good points  as being fictitious until the evidence is shown, then it should minimise your risks. 
First port of call for me is always MOT history, followed by DVLA vehicle check to see when the last V5 was issued. Good clue to how long the last owner has had it, but can be misleading if the new V5 was issued due to cherished number sorting. 
Ask the seller to e-mail you a copy of the service history, then contact the servicing dealer/s and confirm/ get additional info there. Enquiries via. VIN might be necessary if it’s been on cherished numbers. 
Ask the seller to let you have remaining tread levels on all 4 wheels, and tyre brands would be good to know. 
All of this homework, and more, can now be carried out from the comfort of your arm chair, before viewing. Viewing without having first done this homework can be dangerous, due to falling in love with it - and what does love do to your eyesight? 
Last thing:- If I was buying in that price range then I would invest in an independent inspection before agreeing to buy. It’s a small amount of extra funds to pay for reassurance. Check out local independents around the area the vehicle is for sale in. 
Perhaps you could keep in touch as things develop Harv, and please come back to us anyway if you think we can help. 
Good luck and kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Francis007]

Hi Harv and Gareth

Firstly Gareth can I just say what a great piece of advice and info you wrote there regarding Harvs potential purchase.

You are a much more technical bloke than I and it would have taken me days to come up with something not quite as good !

I think the point he made on tyres is a good one and is a clear factor in how a 6 year old car might drive. Before I bought my firts Q8, I was tye very proud owner of 2 VW Phaetons. Both purchased new.  I ran them for nearly 14 years , one after another, with a combined mileage of 140,000 miles. And might fine bits of automotive engineering they were. Someone might correct me here but I believe the Phaetonplus the Toureg and the early versions of the Golf R were VW's firts foray into 4 wheel drive vehicles. They called it " 4 Motion ".....not so sexy as Quattro I think. I used to take both cars back to the Glasernemanufaktur in Dresden, where they were made, to get them serviced each year.  Please dont ask how I swung that with my old Missus ! The technicians at the Factory were absolutely adamant that tyres on the same axle had to have a very minimum tread  depth. Otherwise they insisted that the drive chain and steering geometry could be serious ly affected and could invalidate the new car warranty. So I think Gareth is correct in questioning the validity of the tyres on the same axle and also asking if you have tyres of the same manufacturer with the same profile on the rear axle. All that coukd seriously affect the " feel " of how the car drives.

Also Harv, we both know you are a good guy because you responded to  both our posts with thanks. I think Gareth alluded to it that in previous enquiries and requests for help, Gareth has gone out of his way to post good stuff in various Audi model forums including the Q8 Forum.....me not so much.....and he rarely gets an acknowledgement let alone a thankyou

And in response to your decision to pull out. If you arent convinced by the records and the history of ths car ten it's clearly a wise decision. It's a lot of dosh to spend and then find out you have made a mistake. 

Isnt a shame that there isnt a process where private buyers and sellers cannot somehow find away to contact each other and make away with the Audi franchise network. I am an old school bloke of 76 years. I love 3 things. My missus, my cat and my car.....but not necessarily in that order sometimes !

One year ago I exchanged my previous Q8 for my current one. It was a 20 plate 55 TFSI and it was in perfect order I believe. I had had it serviced 5 times in its 38,000 miles.It had not s emblance of a scratch or a ding or any curb rash. I had had 2 ceramic coats ut on it in it's 3 years by a profeesional installer and the car had been wrapped. I also sold it with a Blackvue dash cam system with a seperate Celllink battery system and it was prefessionally installed by TTW systems in Nottingham. I decided to leav it in as it was completely hard wired and I thought it best to have an identical system fitted by the same company in my new car.

Please be patient....I am coming to my point ! I exchanged that car for £41,000. Not too much more than you are looking at. Mine was a 3 year old car and yours was a 6 year old car. I'm not sure what price the Dealership sold it for but it clearly was alot more than the 41 grand that I recieved. It went in days .My point is that there's a lot of good stuff out there. Genuine cars that have had genuine caring owners.

So, take your time dear Harv and I'm sure you will find something that you will like. And perhaps the 3 of us can then meet up for a chat and a beer and discuss all things Audi !

Good luck and please keep us in the loop.

Frank  

 

[Francis007]

Doohhh. 70 plate !!!!! 

[Magnet]

Some good experience there Harv, and many thanks Frank for sharing it for the benefit of others. Sounds a good motoring career Frank. I hope we are at a turning point with the forum, and shared experiences will become more of a norm. 

I guess we’ve all had disappointments when realising vehicles may not be all they look to be, but I think it usually works out in the end. 
Yes please Harv - keep in touch. I have an affinity for Shropshire  - my great grandfather’s family hailed from Wem. 
Good luck and kind regards,

Gareth. 
p.s. Frank, don’t boast (only joking) about being a youngster! 

[harv]

what great posts Frank and Gareth, love them :)
i kinda got blindsided on this car, the amount of MOT checks iv done on various Q8s over last few weeks and ringing around lots of garages private sellers etc, but this one somehow slipped by me. Lesson learned for me.

I'm always one for doing an independent check on vehicles too , even at the lower end of the budget. Like you said Gareth , what's a couple hundred pounds 🙂 in the grand scheme of 1000s
I also use "totalcarcheck"  as well, which actually threw up finance taken out on this vehicle in June this year, seems Audi had used there own VW/Audi finance to buy this vehicle, the sales "executive" called it "unit stocking".

Didn't know about the DVLA check neither Gareth, so will use that in future for sure, thanks 🙂
Frank, i'm definitely going to take my time,  knowing there are good owners out there is very very reassuring 🙂

one last point, Shropshire is a beautiful place Gareth 🙂

all the best gentlemen

kind regards
Harv

[Magnet]

Possibility Harv - but just only that:- 

Finance taken out in June? Possibly last owner. Car now back in stock due to rejection. Car owes the dealer beyond its tradable value, so trying to retail it again ??

Just between-the-lines guess work though. 

[harv]

That's a more plausible explanation if I'm honest.