Q5: To Fix or Not to Fix

I bought a 2014 Q5 Prestige off a Mercedez-Benz dealership lot in January 2018 with just under 20k miles. I've really enjoyed driving it over the past year and a half.

Somehow the MB dealership didn't know/realize that the car was subject to a recall, so it hadn't received the fix. Given that the deadline for completing the fix (and receiving the payout) is approaching, I'm trying to decide whether to it's worth it.

After reading all of the forums, it's clear there will be a performance hit and a risk of other issues related to the fix. I'm more interested in the impact to the resale value of the car - would a potential buyer in 2-3 years likely be willing to pay a premium (greater than the settlement $ + economic value of the extended warranty) for a Q5 without the fix? I'm guessing not given the tuning options, extensive information available about the fix, etc., but I wanted to ask before submitting my paperwork.

I cannot say much in the case of the V6, but the pre-2015 4 cyl post fix seem to be 10x more likely to be ping-ponging back and forth from the dealers' service departments for some engine management emission control related issue. If they were fragile before, they are MUCH worse now.

So if it were me, I'd leave it alone and enjoy the forbidden fruits of its intended "cheating" engine, unless you were really worried about getting some money. But to be honest, if you are buying an Audi, you shouldn't be too worried about money and likely more about the experience of driving the vehicle. The Q5 TDI is a blast to drive, as it is the best power-to-weight ratio of any TDI ever sold here, maybe even better than the money pit V10 T'regs. And it sure drives a lot nicer to boot! It is an Audi A4 underneath, after all.

I like the fix for the added warranty but not needed IMO. That’s a sweet car you found for sure. Hopefully at a crazy nice price too!

I’d register the car for the settlement. You can still choose not to have the fix done. Meanwhile you are eligible for $ from Bosch with no strings attached.

As for resale, the warranty would be more important than an unfixed vehicle to a buyer.

Truly, experiences with the fix (3.0L engine) are all over the map. I’ve not had a single problem, knock on wood. Others have had multiple visits to dealers.

I agree with mythdoc. You probably should get the fix done. Also if you wait like 2 months for the parts available there is a second fix that just came out where they replace the DPF, new NOC sensor, put in a new O2 sensor and change its location. Getting a new DPF and longer life out of everything potentially seems worth it to me. I never drove my q5 pre-fix. But I think it's more than fast enough with good mileage and I come from a WRX for perspective...

Skip the fix and get it tuned with the Malone boys��

Jozzie said:

Skip the fix and get it tuned with the Malone boys��

Click to expand...

Get the fix, take the $$, and use it to get the Malone Tune