Audi Pre-Purchase Inspection in Sydney
An Audi pre-purchase inspection is an independent check of a used Audi before you buy. Aussie Auto Care comes to the car, 7 days, across Greater Sydney and NSW regions. Comprehensive and Elite scan supported electronics, check the fitted gearbox and engine, road test the car and include PPSR history. Elite ($449) is our recommendation; Comprehensive ($329) is our recommended minimum.
Elite Buyers' Protection
Comprehensive
with code SAVE10
Last updated:
Audi inspection: key facts
| Service | Mobile pre-purchase inspection of used Audis, at the seller's home, dealer or auction yard, subject to permission and safe access |
|---|---|
| Packages | Essential $199 Afterpayor 4 interest-free payments of A$49.75 Comprehensive $329Save $33 $296 with code SAVE10 Afterpayor 4 interest-free payments of A$74.00 Elite $449 Afterpayor 4 interest-free payments of A$112.25 |
| Our recommendation | Elite ($449); Comprehensive ($329) recommended minimum. Essential remains available with narrower scope. Elite Buyers' Protection $449 Afterpayor 4 interest-free payments of A$112.25 Comprehensive $329Save $33 $296 with code SAVE10 Afterpayor 4 interest-free payments of A$74.00 |
| PPSR check | Included in Comprehensive and Elite (not Essential) |
| Checklist | 150+ Point Checklist on Comprehensive and Elite; Essential has a narrower safety and condition scope |
| Report | Instant on-site report (Comprehensive and Elite); same-day report (Essential) |
| e-tron and plug-in hybrids | Add the EV/Hybrid Battery Test (+$199); not included in any package. Exact-vehicle coverage confirmed when booking. |
| Areas | Greater Sydney, Newcastle (including Maitland), Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong/Illawarra |
| Availability | 7 days, subject to seller access and inspector availability. Regional inspections are subject to availability. |
| Travel | No travel charges, the quoted price is the price, in every region we cover. |
| Book | Book online · 02 8320 1246 · Afterpay available |
Check the gearbox and engine before the Audi checks your bank balance
Elite Buyers' Protection ($449) includes a senior inspector, a cold-start engine assessment when the seller leaves it cold, a paint thickness gauge on suitable panels, a 10–12 km road test where safe and permitted, on-site negotiation and up to $3,000 cover for 30 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first, from inspection (Terms apply). Comprehensive ($329) includes the full mechanical inspection, PPSR and an instant on-site report.
Elite Buyers' Protection
Comprehensive
with code SAVE10
Comprehensive
with code SAVE10
up to $1,000 / 14 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first from inspection (Terms apply)
Elite Buyers' Protection
up to $3,000 / 30 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first from inspection (Terms apply)
Comprehensive: up to $1,000 / 14 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first; Elite: up to $3,000 / 30 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first, from inspection (Terms apply). The inspection doesn't stop at handover, so you drive away with repair cover behind you. Details on the Complimentary Cover page. Read the cover terms.
Mobile, 7 days. No travel charges, the quoted price is the price, in every region we cover. Afterpay available.
Why does a used Audi need an independent inspection?
Two things come up in Australian used-Audi advice: the dual-clutch gearbox and oil use on some turbo petrol engines. Neither means every car is affected:
- Seven-speed dry-clutch S tronic (small Audis). GoAuto reported a June 2013 Australian recall affecting A1 and A3 models built between July 2008 and July 2011: an electronic fault in the mechatronic control unit could cause loss of power. CarsGuide reports a May 2020 recall affecting A3, A1 and TT models over a seven-speed S tronic production defect. These are historical recall populations, not a failure rate or proof the specific vehicle is affected. CarsGuide's advice distinguishes some smaller dry-clutch DSG applications from wet-clutch versions in larger models; confirm the fitted gearbox rather than relying on badge alone.
- Wet-clutch S tronic isn't immune. CarsGuide says shuddering or jerking on a Q5 can point to worn clutch packs or gearbox control electronics and recommends a driveline and gearbox scan.
- Oil consumption on earlier 2.0 TFSI engines. CarsGuide says VW/Audi engines ‘have a reputation for using oil’ and should be checked regularly, and treats a reader's 1 litre per 1,000 km as excessive. One owner of a 2011 A4 2.0 TFSI reported topping up about every 800–1,000 km (Drive owner review). That's an individual owner report, not a failure rate.
Check recalls by VIN on vehiclerecalls.gov.au and have Audi confirm completion. A single inspection cannot measure oil consumption over distance.
What our inspectors check on a used Audi
These are the checks in our packages, applied to an Audi. They're what we inspect, not a list of faults the car will have. Diagnostic scans read available stored/pending codes and live data from supported modules, not every proprietary system. Battery, starter and alternator tests apply to the fitted 12V system; an EV does not have conventional starter/alternator equipment.
Every package (Essential and up)
- Full visual safety check (brakes, tyres, steering, lighting)
- Engine bay visual + fluid leak check
- Full OBD-II scan report, stored, pending and live fault codes, printed into your report
- Digitally verified battery, starter motor and alternator tests, results printed into your report
- Brake pad thickness measured with remaining life estimated in km
- Tyre tread depth measured with remaining life estimated in km
- 3–5 km road test
Comprehensive adds
- Full mechanical inspection (engine, gearbox, cooling, belts, mounts, exhaust, driveline, steering, brakes and suspension and more)
- Full electrical system test
- Interior electronics check
- Exterior paint and body repair indicators
- Engine undertray / belly pan removed where fitted, safely accessible and permitted, leak sources checked for oil, coolant, transmission, power-steering and differential fluid
- Every suspension bush and mount checked for cracking, perishing and play, control arms, sway-bar links and bushes, trailing arms, subframe and differential mounts
- Underbody photos included in the report
- Estimated repair costs
- Odometer rollback check, where supported through the scanner; some vehicles do not support this check
- 6–10 km extended road test
- Full PPSR vehicle history report
Elite adds
- Senior inspector (5+ years experience)
- Market valuation
- Paint thickness gauge on every panel
- Cold-start engine assessment
- Advanced history deep-dive (odometer tampering, owner count, stolen/written-off status, recalls)
- 🤝 On-site price negotiation, unlimited rounds, no extra fee
- 5-year maintenance forecast with estimated costs
- 10–12 km extended road test
Checks require safe, permitted access. Cold starts are Elite-only and require the seller to leave the engine cold. Paint readings require suitable accessible surfaces. Road-test routes and manoeuvres depend on permission, traffic, safety and legal speeds. History checks use available records and do not certify complete ownership or recall-repair history. Repair costs and the Elite five-year forecast are estimates, not promises.
Which inspection package should you choose for an Audi?
Elite Buyers' Protection ($449). Recommended, especially for S and RS models, larger SUVs and any Audi with unclear gearbox history.
Elite Buyers' Protection
Comprehensive ($329). Recommended minimum. Full mechanical inspection, PPSR and an on-site report.
Comprehensive
with code SAVE10
Essential ($199). A quick screen only, with no PPSR, odometer rollback or advertised accident/repaint assessment.
Essential
EV/Hybrid Battery Test (+$199) for e-tron and plug-in hybrids. It isn't included in any package, and coverage is confirmed when you book.
EV/Hybrid Battery Test add-on
Compare all packages on our pricing page.
Popular Audi models we inspect
A1, A3 and S3, A4 and S4, A5 and S5, A6, A7, A8, Q2, Q3, Q5, SQ5, Q7, Q8, TT, RS3, RS4, RS6, R8 and e-tron. Confirm the exact model and diagnostic coverage when booking.
Buying an Audi from a prestige dealer or a private seller?
- Prestige dealer or manufacturer-approved used car. Eligible licensed NSW dealer-sold used cars under 10 years old and under 160,000 km have a statutory guarantee for 3 months or 5,000 km, whichever comes first, subject to exclusions (NSW Government). Ask for proof that recall work and gearbox software updates were done, and inspect anyway.
- Independent dealer. If an extended warranty is offered, check in writing whether the gearbox mechatronic unit and clutches are covered, and for how much.
- Private sale. Ask for invoices for gearbox servicing and mechatronic or clutch work, and ask how often it needs an oil top-up. For an Elite cold-start assessment, ask the owner to leave the car cold. Check PPSR before committing to payment.
Inspection limits
- We do not dismantle the engine, remove the gearbox or pull interior trim, so faults only visible during disassembly can't be ruled out. On Comprehensive and Elite, the engine undertray is removed where fitted, safely accessible and permitted.
- We work at the vehicle's location, not on a hoist. Underbody checks are done on portable ramps where safe and permitted; seized fasteners, unsafe access or seller refusal are recorded as inspection limitations.
- On Elite only, a cold-start assessment is possible if the seller leaves the engine untouched before we arrive. If the car has been warmed up, we record that in the report.
- The road test runs on public roads at legal speeds, so it can't reproduce every intermittent fault or a fault that only appears under load or after long distances.
- A PPSR check reports what is registered against the VIN on the day. It cannot show unreported damage or work done off the books.
- The report describes the vehicle's condition on the day of inspection. It is not a warranty and not a valuation guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
Essential is $199, Comprehensive is $329 (it includes PPSR and an instant on-site report) and Elite Buyers' Protection is $449 (senior inspector, on-site negotiation and up to $3,000 cover for 30 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first, from inspection (Terms apply)). We recommend Elite for most Audis, and Comprehensive at minimum. No travel charges, the quoted price is the price, in every region we cover. Comprehensive: up to $1,000 / 14 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first; Elite: up to $3,000 / 30 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first, from inspection (Terms apply). The inspection doesn't stop at handover, so you drive away with repair cover behind you. Details on the Complimentary Cover page. Current SAVE10 pricing and four interest-free Afterpay instalments are shown alongside package prices.
Essential
Comprehensive
with code SAVE10
Elite Buyers' Protection
We scan supported modules for available stored and pending fault codes and live data and road test the car, with a 10–12 km test on Elite where safe and permitted. Available conditions may allow take-off, low-speed traffic, reverse engagement and kickdown assessment. We can't see inside the gearbox or guarantee every intermittent fault will appear; we report codes, judder, hesitation and any limitations.
GoAuto reported a 2013 Australian recall affecting A1 and A3 models built July 2008 to July 2011 over a mechatronic control unit fault. CarsGuide reported a 2020 recall affecting A3, A1 and TT models over a seven-speed S tronic production defect. Check the specific car's VIN on vehiclerecalls.gov.au and have Audi confirm whether the work was completed.
CarsGuide advises checking oil regularly on VW/Audi engines. An owner of a 2011 A4 2.0 TFSI reported topping up roughly every 800–1,000 km; that is an individual report, not a rate for all Audis. We note accessible oil level and condition and check for leaks, but a single inspection can't measure consumption. Ask the seller about top-ups.
Yes, subject to exact-vehicle diagnostic coverage confirmation. Book Comprehensive or Elite and add the EV/Hybrid Battery Test (+$199) for a calculated State of Health estimate, available cell voltage spread and high-voltage fault data. It isn't included in any package. Coverage depends on the diagnostic protocol and is confirmed when you book.
EV/Hybrid Battery Test add-on
Audi gearbox repairs aren't cheap. Inspections are.
Elite Buyers' Protection ($449) includes a senior inspector, cold start when available, paint readings on suitable panels, a 10–12 km road test where safe and permitted, on-site negotiation and conditional inspection-accuracy cover. Minimum recommendation: Comprehensive ($329) with PPSR.
Elite Buyers' Protection
Comprehensive
with code SAVE10
Comprehensive
with code SAVE10
up to $1,000 / 14 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first from inspection (Terms apply)
Elite Buyers' Protection
up to $3,000 / 30 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first from inspection (Terms apply)
Comprehensive: up to $1,000 / 14 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first; Elite: up to $3,000 / 30 days or 1,000 km, whichever comes first, from inspection (Terms apply). The inspection doesn't stop at handover, so you drive away with repair cover behind you. Details on the Complimentary Cover page. Read the cover terms.
Mobile, 7 days. No travel charges, the quoted price is the price, in every region we cover. Afterpay available.
Sources
- GoAuto, Audi and Škoda join VW transmission recall (2013)
- CarsGuide, Audi A3 problems (2020 S tronic recall)
- CarsGuide, Audi A4 2010 (oil use, dry vs wet clutch)
- CarsGuide, Audi problems (Q5 dual-clutch advice)
- Drive, 2011 Audi A4 2.0 TFSI quattro owner review
- NSW Government, Dealer guarantees and warranties
- Vehicle Recalls (Australian Government)
- PPSR
- Aussie Auto Care package pages: