Dear expats,

We leased our Audi since 2020 March from AMAG in Zurich. Before we lease we were told orally that the brake pads are worn too much and is already replaced. I have no idea if there is any paper which can prove that.

Two days ago we are surprised to find a brake pads light on the dash computer. We replaced it for CHF 2600 at an official Audi dealer. They looked it up and tell me that this is the first time brake pads are replaced.

We we lease, it's 60,000 km on it, now 67,000 km.

I think the brand of AMAG is somewhat high standard so this is not match. I give them a phone call already.

What do you think I can/should expect?

Sounds like they changed the disks, all with a huge mark up. Don't get stuff like that at a main dealer with a load of parts the wish to sell.

Anyways lesson learned. So the rule of thumb - always go to a "local" garage first and ask for a quote? How much do you think I should be able to save?

If you got it done at a main dealer in Germany half price or less, I am sure the pads could have been changed for 250 or less including labour (20 minutes)

Have a look at trade prices for parts in the UK to get an idea www.eurocarparts.com

I guess it's a recent model. There should be a way to check the service history on the car infotainment system or online. So, you could have checked the service history before buying the car. It's fun to catch sales people speaking more than they should

But, why the rush to change the brake pads? The light turns on in the instrument panel, but it's just an indication to go to the repair shop soon. You could have driven a few more days or rent another car while getting a 2nd quote instead of paying 2600 without making questions. Or, does the lease contract says all services must be done at the place the owner of the car says? If that's the case, next time get a warranty extension because the labor costs at dealerships are something I envy as consultant.

Anyway, you already paid. Too late to do anything but telling the story over beers.

@AXA. Your suggestions are totally valid, and is exactly what I learned. I find myself naive because I had a positive feeling about them because included services and insured fixes are always nice. I have warranty extension but guess wear is not included.

Not enough info. 2.6k sounds a lot for an A3 but a bargain for RS6 brakes...

Does that include rotors? It should.

I pay at BMW France 650 EUR for a set rotors + pads or 250 EUR for pads only for X5.

2600 CHF for pads only would be criminal

Hardly Brembo pads cost for the RS6 £134.74
https://www.eurocarparts.com/brake-pads
The discs are somewhat expensive at £918.49
https://www.eurocarparts.com/brake-discs

The dealer obviously changed the disks, the whole point is that the pads wear quicker so the disks don't require replacement at every pad change.

Basically the OP was charged RRP for pads & discs with about 1 hour labour. Changing the pads alone would have been around 400 chf at RRP with labour. Quite possible to have got it done outside a main dealership for half the price.

S5

Pads £85.24
https://www.eurocarparts.com/brake-pads
Disc £112.74
https://www.eurocarparts.com/brake-discs

Both could have been changed outside a main dealer for 400 chf, pads only for under 200 chf

Fmf is right here 2600 for brakes is outright conning. This is Swiss dealerships for you. They should be in prison.

However thats the standard Swiss main 'stealer' price, have seen the same sort of bullshit for a Renault people carrier.

What? 2'600 CHF only in parts?

True, but 67k km isnt extraordinary low for changing disks (depends on the driving style and lets just say that s5 drivers tend to have higher maintenance bills than an a4 avant diesel...). When the dealer said that they have not been replaced before he might have only meant the disks, not the pads.

Here is a thread I started on the subject, I got pads & discs for a BMW 328i for €65 of bay Germany, just to put this all in perspective.
https://www.englishforum.ch/transpor...s-repairs.html

Sure. I am not debating that Swiss garages are in 99% a rip off... just saying that we have too little info to really confirm this.

I once paid an hourly rate of 149 for the 16 year old trainee to change my battery and watched him staring at my engine bay for ten minutes...

I needed a back light and the rear bumper replacing on my VW Polo. The wheel arch needed to be pulled out as well and required a bit of filling.

The first body shop I went to quoted CHF 3,500.00. Apparently, it was a very big job because of the petrol tank being very close to the wheel arch job. The guy then asked if it was an insurance job. "No," I said. "Pity," came the reply. "If it was an insurance job I'd invoice for CHF 4,500.00, to make it worth my while".

Went to another body shop and was quoted CHF 800.00 plus parts. I asked if I could source the parts myself. "Not a problem", I was told. "Just let me know when they arrive and I'll book you in".

The parts cost just over EUR 70.00 each, about 60 on top for delivery. Arrived within 10 days. Finished job (including paint job on the rear bumper and the wheel arch) came to CHF 819.00.

www.pkwteile.ch (although a Swiss website address, the company sources the parts from Germany)

Sounds like great ‘customer service’. I believe the phrase was first coined by someone that was bleeding from their arse hole.

On my old BMW 325i which has already reached over 200,000 km and is still up and running, I try to DIY. Even before that, all lights (expensive xenon bulbs included). I used to buy the parts online and about 1 hour later after reaching through the wheel wells and taking out sealed caps, job is done. I was once quoted CHF750 in the local BMW garage post warranty. Then decided that it cannot be so tough to do it carefully with a bit of patience while following multiple YouTube videos. If something is not covered by insurance, I used to have body job and painting perfectly done in DE’s small garages at half a price or even less. Huge saving over the years not to mention that winter tyres (wheels) set are being regularly stored at home plus tools for DIY.

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