Woman’s New Audi Won’t Stop Sending Her Notifications. Then The Dealership Says It’ll Be $115 To Turn Them Off: 'Such A Scam'

A woman’s new Audi is sending her notifications about her upcoming service at the dealership. She is shocked to learn what it will take to get them turned off.

TikTok creator Janae (@thelifeofjanaep) posted a video about the situation from the Audi in question. “I bought an Audi Q3 in September 2024, and it's been fine,” she says. “No issues. But I just got an oil change. It just hit 20,000 miles.”

Janae says she recently went to a local mechanic to get her oil changed because she prefers that over going to the dealership. 

The only problem? “I got a notification in the Audi,” she says. “Every time I get in and out of the car, it says, 'Inspection due.' Obviously irritating.”

What Did Audi Tell This Woman About Her Service Notifications?

So she says she called Audi for help, and the dealership employee told her the notification is in regard to her upcoming 20,000-mileage inspection.

“I'm like, 'OK, what does that include?' She's like, 'It's an oil change, cabin air filter change, and tire rotation. It's $229,’” Janae says.

Janae says she told the employee that she already got that work done elsewhere and now just needs to know how to get the notification to turn off.

“And she goes, 'Oh, we can do that as well. Bring it in. It's $115 to get the notification turned off.' I said, 'What?' And she goes, 'Yeah, it'll take about 20 minutes. It's like $115. Do you want me to put you on the schedule?'” Janae says. “Absolutely not. I will go to the school of YouTube. Come to find out, you need that reprogramming tool that they use at car mechanics.”

Janae isn’t a fan of this policy. “I think customer service should say, 'Hey, bring it on in. We'd love to turn it off for you, no problem,'” she says. “Of course, they didn't. It just [seems] absurd to me. A hundred fifteen dollars is a lot of money, let alone to turn off a notification, and it takes 20 minutes."

Is It Really $115 To Reset The Audi Maintenance Reminder System?

Audi dealerships do charge approximately $115 to reset the maintenance reminder system responsible for the alert Janae was referencing in her video. Some Audi enthusiasts say they prefer to purchase their own diagnostic system to avoid paying this fee.

In the comments section, viewers reacted to Janae’s discovery about the Audi maintenance reminder system and its corresponding dealership fee.

"Soon we won't even be able to fix our own cars if we actually know how," wrote one viewer. "These newer cars are so expensive, new parts are expensive, taking it to get fixed is expensive. Soon most of us won't be able to own cars."

"I leased Audi for over a decade," wrote a second viewer. "This is the exact reason I quit. I used my cricket to cut a piece of black vinyl to cover up the icon. I would not pay the fee out of principle."

"This is why I bought the tool," a third person said. 

Motor1 contacted Janae via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted Audi via email for comment. We will update this story if either responds.