Should I get an extended warranty or not?

[ziobello]

I have a 2004 Audi A4 1.8t with 43,000 miles on it. In June, my factory warranty will expire. A good extended warranty for an additional 2 years will run $2400.00 USD. I am leaning towards not getting one and paying for any service I may need. Question is, is that a good idea or not?

What kind of problems start to surface around this time?

I appreciate your advice!

Thank You!

[MyFirstAudioMN]

Hi. Not sure if you've made a decision or not, but I was in a very similar situation last month. I just bought an A4 1.8T from a private seller with 48,000 miles on it and its mfg warranty was set to expire mid Feb. I did bring it in for one last time for warranty work (brake pads and oil change). I spoke to the dealership and they gave me quotes for extended warranties costing between $2k and $3k. The dealership extended warranties are all 3rd party, which means you can get service done anywhere. I also researched some online other internet warranty companies.

The dealership used a scare technique by telling me a new transmission would cost $6-$8k and a warranty would cover it all. I called a local transmission shop and they figured between $2-$4k (this would be one of the most expensive fixes). Anyway, to my point - I discussed these extended warranties with the transmission shop and one other shop and both claimed these warranties are always a problem. They generally cause major headaches. For example, they try to find any way possible to deny a claim, anything from you didn't change oil every 3,000 miles with documentation to prove it to the service man used the word "worn" in his conversation with the warranty company. Moreover, in the event that the company does pay for work, they typically find ways to share costs (meaning they won't pay for everything) and agree to pay costs if the shop finds the absolute cheapest parts possible.

I actually did not go with an extended warranty figuring that the huge up front cost of it could serve for several smaller repairs down the road. As you suggessted, I will pay for maintenance as it is needed. I'm sure these warranties work great for some, but it just didn't seem right for me.

[ziobello]

Thank you for your advice. So far I've only heard good things about Easy Care. Two dealers say that they pay regular Audi labor rates and do not nickle and dime.

Does anyone have experience with Easy Care?

Thank you for your advice.

[nhouck]

In my experience the extra warranty will only last your till about 75,000 and thats where more expensive things start to go wrong. I just has to get the Cat replaced at 84,000 miles, $1600 including labor

Also $379 to replace the battery, freaking ridiculous. But I didn't have time to mess with doing it myself, and the places around I called don't have Audi batteries.

My suggestion, skip the warranty and buy a new car in 2 years.

[bammercole]

I'd say it depends on whether you want to do any minor service things yourself or not. You can save a lot of money by not buying the extended warranty which will easily pay for parts if you can do the work. Around 70k you would expect to do a timing belt which would be expensive, not sure if the warranty covers that.

[cshmoney89]

research and read WarrantiesGoneWild.com

[sloweryucf]

My car is a '03 A4 1.8T CVT with 70K and I just got $2K of work done and I only had to pay a $100 deductible. That was for motor mounts, snub mount, valve cover gasket, and cam seals. I also had my axle seals replaced, another $100. A couple more repairs and I will have gotten my money back from my extended warranty. All depends on if you can do the work and/or you plan on keeping the car for a while (I am and my coverage is for additional 4years /49,000miles)

[Karmiyan]

Generally speaking though, the warranties do not cover sensors, window regulators and headlights right?

[sloweryucf]

My warranty covers sensors, window regulators, and the headlight housings, not the bulbs. Typically they don't cover brake pads, oil, any filter, or maintenance.

From a previous poster, you don't have to pay for the warranty all up front, I financed mine for 0% so it's like a small car payment. You need to sit down and do some homework, read the contracts and find a buddy or a mechanic you trust to look it over.

[sloweryucf]

Originally Posted by nhouck

Also $379 to replace the battery, freaking ridiculous. But I didn't have time to mess with doing it myself, and the places around I called don't have Audi batteries.

Is that US Dollars?