Let's talk about my car's extended warranty...
 

...or should I say: My wife's car possible extended warranty.

I've been an Audi nut most of my life (in addition to my 911) and have had at least one in the garage since high school. We're currently down to a single Audi, my wife's 2016 Q3 which we purchased as a CPO vehicle. Great car, she loves it, doesn't want anything else.

This is the first and only vehicle we've owned with a warranty and maintenance agreement - and really the only car I've ever had where I didn't have to wrench on it. I'm actually enjoying that. I've got a tool box full of Audi special tools plus VAG-COM and adapters. I'm sure I could tackle a problem with this thing - I'm just not sure I want to.

The CPO warranty expires this year. We've driven an average of 5300 miles/year and the Q3 currently has 38k miles on it. A warranty extension for another 5 years to a maximum mileage of 75k (including maintenance) is $5750.

That seems a bit steep to me but I guess I'd really be buying insurance against major failures (and Audi's record isn't so great lately).

What are the rest of you doing for vehicle warranty situations like this? Thoughts on cost of this extension?

That seems pretty steep for 37,000 miles. And 75,000 miles on a car isn't much these days. Though, it is an Audi.

I don't buy em.

Thats actually pretty cheap for an Audi.

Just remember to use condoms.

It depends on what it covers.

Trip interruption coverage is also nice if you are planning on using the Audi.

I don't think you will use up 6 k worth of repairs in the next 25 k miles, . But by 100,000 miles, it will start to eat .
I believe turbo failures are pretty common, and can eat up 2500 right quick . Add in a hpfp, timing chains, or a few coolant leaks, and you are there .
Id probably just roll with it, and sell it/trade it at 100-125k miles .
I used to be an Audi hater, but it seems like their quality has improved ten fold from 15 years ago . Id own a newer Audi.

Hold on, my phone's ringing.....

What does the warranty extension include?

If you belong to a credit union, ask them if they sell extended warranties. Mine does, and I have bought a few of them for my daily drivers.

Do the timing chains go bad on these cars? Aren't they essentially the VW 4 Cyl Turbo?

We've been trying to reach you...

Hmmm..credit union route is a good idea. Will investigate that.

The extended warranty is bumper-to-bumper non-wear items plus the 45k and 55k maintenance. (Wear items, excluded, would include tires, rotors, brake pads, battery.)

I haven't priced those services separately and not sure if that includes the timing belt (am guessing not at 55k miles). I'm sure I can do the maintenance providing I can find the service manual and VAG-COM works...

Sent you a PM asking for your VIN and original in service date. You can reply here if you like. The owner of my dealership owns an Audi store as well.

Not to bash the Audi brand or their owners, but even if I'd paid a shop to change the timing belt (twice) and replace worn out shocks and struts, I wouldn't have yet spent $5,750 in repairs or maintenance in 205K miles on my 16 year old Lexus SUV. Doing those fairly simple jobs myself (along fixing a transfer case actuator leak and replacing a leaky radiator) I'm still somewhere south of $2,500.

One of my sons has owned a couple of S4s (a 2000 and a 2017): fine looking cars and great to drive, but he finally tired of throwing money at them.

Another son loves his E46s - again, they look and drive like (IMHO) a car should, but the cost of owning one as a DD is daunting.

It took me a long time, but I now view my DD as an appliance - and I want one I can absolutely count on to reliably cost me as little as possible (notwithstanding the up front cost).

_

My daily is an E46 wagon. totally not true.

Ok.....now that's funny

“We've driven an average of 5300 miles/year and the Q3 currently has 38k miles on it. A warranty extension for another 5 years to a maximum mileage of 75k (including maintenance) is $5750.”

That’s too much for my blood to hedge against something happening before 75k. As Fred said, the fun starts AFTER that mileage. Keep the money and buy something nice for your wife with it.

Thanks, Steve - PM replied.

I hear you Norm. Even though I'm a long-time Audi fan, I think one has to pick which Audi model to DD very carefully. An S4 wouldn't be my first choice (although one of the urS4's absolutely would - if I can ever find one again). I've generally always had non-turbo cars; this Q3 is the first Audi I've owned with a turbo. Selection of the Q3 was primarily to keep the wife happy - she wanted a smaller vehicle with some height for added visibility in traffic and all the amenities she had grown accustomed to. We did look at a variety of things (including Lexus) but she came back to the Q3.

One thing I'm weighing is the likelyhood of a major failure (whether that be turbo, transmission, engine, nav system, etc). I'd like to think there shouldn't be one and I should save the money for something else, but...

75K? I wouldn't- what could realistically happen?. If becomes problematic I would either pay to fix it (do you really love the car that much?) or trade the car.

rjp

Am interested in this thread.

As my 2019 Rubicon approached 24,000 miles there was a minor decision to make as a MOPAR Maximum Care extended warranty was (discounted) around $1,500 for $200 deductible 85,000 miler. But when it crossed that line, then the extended MOPAR warranty price went up. But turned out the difference was only $149 or so now for the price between 24,000 and 36,000 miles. So I passed that threshold and am now at 24,500.

However, they keep telling me it's the electronics that are the problem these days. NAV system, electronic sway bar, etc. etc...

It's also the cost tradeoff of just getting a new vehicle versus accepting you'll keep the vehicle for a long time. But I'm now at the age where getting a new Jeep probably isn't in the cards, plus it seems they go up around $3,500 every year. One like mine would run $60,000 with taxes, and I'm tired of working ..

Now however, after reading the OP's cost for the Audi, $1,500 sounds like cheap insurance for me... So other's experiences are helpful to me.

You have to remember that those extended warranty companies are making a profit after all the labor, advertising, and other overhead that they have.

When they pay out 5,000 bucks they probably took in 6000 or more in premiums. They ain't operating at a loss.

For every person that comes out ahead there are 10 that lose on the deal. It is all up to the individual. Do you have the bucks to cover those big expenses? Would you be pissed off if you did? Myself, I take my chances and don't purchase them and I am far ahead over my many years of driving.