Warranty to buy or not to buy??/

[drbru]

Proud owner of a 2006 Phatom Black avant

Only bought the car 1 month ago and am very impressed with the car, no problems at all and the car has done 33000 miles.

Warranty is nearly up so I have the dilema that so many of you have with regards to dishing out £1700 on a new warranty

What do people think?? I will def keep the car for a few more years so will it be worth doing.

Like I said everything is solid and in perfect working order. I know about the DRC issues but this was sorted out some time ago by the previous owner

Thanks

[sonny]

If you can afford it then do it, espas you have owned the car for such little time. Its a gamble at the end of the day.

[Dom81]

Agree with Sonny - given that you know relatively little about the car, it's probably a good idea for the first year

[ArthurPE]

it makes sense
1 major repair can cost more...plus it's peace of mind...

[^Qwerty^]

I renewed mine in January and it's paid for itself already, as I had that 'one' major item go wrong in the form of a sticking clutch. It is an insurance policy/gamble at the end of the day, so it comes down to your approach to risk aversion. (IMO)

[P_G]

Agreed, I took the risk not to take out a warranty last July and touch laminated wood whilst I write this the only issue is an occasionally faulty tumble flap potentiometer which wouldn't have been covered by warranty anyway.

I run the risk and I'm sure at some stage I will have to pay out but rather the money in my pocket down the line for the years I don't need it than in someone elses for the occasional time I do. Also have two good Audi independents I can fall back on which do work at a 1/3 of the rate of Audi (which is what most of the warranty value is, labour charges) and I can source the parts at significantly reduced costs.

[Sims]

... It is an insurance policy/gamble at the end of the day, so it comes down to your approach to risk aversion. (IMO)

Exactly.

If you have good mechanical understanding & access to a reliable indie, then at £1655 (& with the exclusions) it is worth taking the risk.

However, if the warranty cost was £1,000, the odds change. And this is where I do think Audi are getting it wrong for their dealers are losing the work to Indie's.

If BMW can provide the warranty for £890 for the V10 500ps engine, and Porsche for a £1,000 on their 911.

An extra 2 years warranty (years 4 & 5) purchased when buying a new Audi costs just a few hundred, so why the big disparity.

[sonny]

At the end of the day its an Audi not a Bimmer and you will pay a premium, seeing as yours is a 2006 model do you know if the clutch has been replaced due to the "weaker" hydro hose splitting? If not, then I would most certainly buy it. You also get a years Audi road side assist. I would def extend my warranty if it was not due to the fact that my car had been modded.

[Sims]

At the end of the day its an Audi not a Bimmer and you will pay a premium, ...

BMW M3/M5/M6 & 911's + Audi RS's are all in the same market space.

The difference in premium, AFAIK, is the extent to which the manufacturer helps fund the insurance company that is underwriting the extended warranty plan.

£1655 also affects 4.2 litre S4's, but I stand to be corrected on this.

[Phil3103]

I'm for the warranty everytime. I'd rather deal with a known £1600 every September than volatile cashflows throughout the year.

What has always puzzled me is why so many of these cars weren't purchased with the additioanl 2 years that Audi offer. I must admit not being the position to even think about ath type of money at the time (and hence why I don't know) but to be on a 50-60k another £1500 (or whatever it was) to buy a transferrable extended warranty seems a no brainer.

[Sims]

What has always puzzled me is why so many of these cars weren't purchased with the additioanl 2 years that Audi offer. .

Not sure the extra 2 years were offered at the time the RS4's were sold.

[Borgelite]

As mentioned some good Indy's around that charge a fraction of what Audi do, anyhow do the extended warranty's cover every nut and bolt. More than unlikely.

Having said that if my motor had 30k plus miles then i may consider one....

['R'e'S'pect_4]

i guess if you can afford a £50k+ car, you probably wont keep it past 3 years old!

The other thing to bear in mind is extended cover excludes certain items, so cover is not the same as the one you get for the first two years when new.

I had experience of this as I tried to get a sticky exhaust flap valve done on the extended and was refused by Mondial due to exhuasts not being covered (but cats are).

['R'e'S'pect_4]

Thank you for your enquiry about Extended All Component Guarantee and Roadside Assistance for Audi customers.



Extended All Component Guarantee provides comprehensive protection against failure of factory fitted mechanical and electrical components of your car. The cost of associated parts and labour charges are included too and there is no limit to the number or value of claims you can make up to the purchase price paid for your car. Further details can be found in the enclosed Policy Summary and we are happy to answer any questions you may have.



Audi Roadside Assistance is included which will provide help at the roadside or at home together with a range of benefits to help keep you mobile should you need them.



If you are a low mileage driver, the 15,000 mile option provides cover for 12 months or 15,000 miles whichever occurs first. Or, if you will drive more than 15,000 miles in 12 months, there is an unlimited mileage option. Prices are based on the engine size of your car, include Insurance Premium Tax at 17.5% and are as follows:



Your cars engine size
12 months unlimited Mileage
12 months or 15,000 miles

Up to 1600 cc
£679
£543

1601 – 2000 cc
£953
£763

2001 – 3000 cc
£1,241
£921

3001 – 4000 cc
£1,783
£1,392

4001 cc and above
£2,153
£1,672

R8
£4,174
£3,211




As the product and the sale of the product are regulated by the Financial Services Authority, the enclosed documents relate to these regulations. Please take a few minutes to read through them and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any queries about them.



If you decide to purchase cover, please bear in mind that you must do this before the expiry of your current Guarantee and that your car has to have covered less than 100,000 miles and have full, up-to-date service history. Please call us between 9am - 6.00pm Monday to Friday and Saturday between 9.00am – 1.00pm excluding Bank Holidays on 0845 641 9708.



Please note that following purchase of this product you decide that the cover does not meet your requirements for any reason, you can cancel it within 14 days from when you receive the original documentation.

[Sims]

As mentioned some good Indy's around that charge a fraction of what Audi do, anyhow do the extended warranty's cover every nut and bolt. More than unlikely.

Having said that if my motor had 30k plus miles then i may consider one....

That's a good point. For in addition ot the £1655, you have to add the differential in cost between the rate an Indie charges and that charged by a dealer.

However, to contra that, Dealers can often get you stuff on goodwill for it in their interest to do so.

It comes back to your risk aversion.