Hi guys,

Recently snow came down here in Toronto for the first time this season, when I was making a left turn, the car unexpectedly slide out and my right rear wheel hit the curb (It's the first time I drive it on snow since I bought the car, when I didn't realize until after i hit the curb that it's summer tires on all four corners), the tires basically have no drip is snow...even with Quattro n ESP, the car will have bit of hard time accelerating from standing still (I noticed these when more snow came down...). I have to admit I turned a bit too fast thinking Quattro and ESP are going to save my a$$ if anything happens..so now that wheel have a visible positive camber. When I took it to a shop to get a alignment done, they told me that control arm is bent and other components are damaged and it will cost at least $4,000 to repair, they didn't even bother doing this repair right away to let me decide on whether letting them shop work on it or take it to other places...are they charging me way too much for control arms and other components? I really don't have much of an idea on how much will it cost, but for $4000 that sound more like a complete rear suspension replacement....Wondering what you guys think. Thanks in advance.

Regards

Wayne L.

 

Driving a badly missaligned car on ice or snow is dangerous. Audi parts are not cheap. If you replaced the parts yourself, then it would cost less. You would need a heated garage, tools, parts and the BentleyPublishers.com Audi shop manual CD. After your repairs, you would have to have the car realigned at a tire shop. If the subframe or the car body did not get damaged, then it is possible. However, the special tools required and the time may be a problem. So, you would need another car while you worked on your Audi for a few months.
You could look around for other shops that work on Audi in Toronto.

 

wow wayne same thing happen to me recently too. bad thing about it is i cant find the right exact name for the part i bent. either a tie rod or a stabilizer bar, no1 knows for sure. but for the 4,000$ thats alittle over the top for sure. mabey a couple hundred bucks tops if you get all the pieces yourself.

 

Well, I can't do the repair myself cause I live in a condo, so the only choice would be taking it to a shop. Then is $4000 for the repair overpriced? I know that Audi parts aren't cheap but $4000 for one suspension is kind of ridiculous to me..

Wayne L.

 

Wayne,
$ 4000 really sounds expensive.

Have you tried calling (other) Audi dealerships in the greater Toronto area to double check prices? I see at least 9 dealerships in the area.
You can also call the dealerships from Buffalo, Rochester, and Erie to get an idea what they charge for replacing the control arm and doing an alignment.

US Audi Dealerships
- Schmitt's Audi - Bowmansville, NY ; Phone: (716) 683-3343
- John Holtz Audi - Rochester, NY ; Phone: (585) 334-0880
- Roth Audi - Erie, PA ; Phone: (814) 864-0611

Toronto-Area Dealerships

- Agincourt Autohaus Inc - Toronto; Phone: (416) 291-6456
- Audi Downtown Toronto - Toronto; Phone: (416) 961-2834
- Audi Uptown Markham - Markham; Phone: (905) 513-8820
- Queensway Audi - Toronto; Phone: (416) 259-7128
- Pfaff Audi - Vaughan; Phone: (905) 907-2834
- Audi of Mississauga - Mississauga; Phone: (905) 593-6040
- Owasco Audi - Whitby; Phone: (905) 428-2834
- H. J. Pfaff Motors Inc - Newmarket; Phone: (905) 773-6432
- Audi Centre Oakville - Oakville; Phone: (905) 844-2834

If that "$ 4000 quote" was given to you by an Audi shop, the probability of finding another one much cheaper might be very slim.
However, for some reason I am guessing you took the car to a non-Audi shop.
Explore all your options since you have nothing to lose beyond $ 4000...

 

Thanks, how come I didn't think about calling the dealer for a quote..hm.. I'll try calling them for a quote and yes I just took the car to a non Audi shop near where I live, cause last time the car misfired and I took it there, and it turn out to be a broken ground wire~ Thanks man~

 

Don't mention it, wasn't much of a help, but more of an idea.
I hope you come out on top and are able to fix your car soon.
Good luck.

 

Even if you live in a condominium, you may have a friend near by with a heated garage or who knows somebody with one.
To identify Audi parts try: http://www.vagcat.com/ Note that this link is for the European Audi, however suspension parts should be the same as for USA and Canadian models.