I just had to swap my alternator today on my MK7. Mine was Valeo but I could only find a Bosch locally, I decided to give it a shot and it worked just fine. Just a PSA for anyone in the same situation, they are both the same barring a slightly different orientation of the plug on the back.
I am currently leaning towards picking up a new Bosch 120 amp over the BMW.
Exact thing happened to my vehicle earlier this month. Left me stranded. Luckily I was in the last month of warranty and got a shiny new alternator!
Last year I had a similar experience/warnings with my 2021 RS6. Flat bedded to the dealership and they replaced the alternator under warranty.
In place of the Valeo alternator I installed a Bosch VR6 120 amp alternator with a Bosch ABA alternator pulley (its 5 ribs versus 6 ribs of the VR6).
I just went over 195,000 miles while I've driven it over 26,000 miles this year with the only failures being the original 15 year old Bosch alternator and the spark plugs needing to be replaced.
I've been looking on RockAuto. Will a Bosch remanufactured or AC Delco remanufactured work ok?
I tried a Bosch reman from Rockauto on my Civic. Lasted about two years then the rear bearing starting squeaking.
Literally just put a FCP Bosch remanufactured 2 pin alternator in our 530 last week--it doesn't work at all. Communicating with FCP currently to send it back and get a replacement, but I'm not happy about it. I was told that Bosch was the one to go with for best quality, but now I'm skeptical.
Wouldn\u2019t recommend unless you like spending your time on the side of the road or at the dealer. Mine just went back to my local dealer today for its 4th alternator in 32k total miles, 3rd one in the last 6 months. Literally just got the car back 5 days ago for the same issue.
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If choosing alternator across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare alternator across these categories:
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator Bosch were overall better than OEM Audi.
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator Bosch were overall more popular than OEM Audi.
By vote balance, alternator Bosch surpassed OEM Audi:
By number of reviews, alternator Bosch surpassed OEM Audi:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, alternator Bosch led more car-specific ratings than OEM Audi:
Bosch are chosen by owners of cars such as: BMW X5, Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, and others.
Alternator OEM Audi have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of alternator OEM Audi with: Denso, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Nissan, Motorcraft.
Also available: comparisons of alternator Bosch with: Denso, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Nissan, Motorcraft.
You can also see who is better among other alternator manufacturers: Bosch or Denso, Denso or Duralast, OEM Toyota or Denso, Bosch or Duralast, Denso or VALEO.
