overclocked

Hi everyone.

I just purchased my first Audi (2018 S6 Premium Plus in Sepang Blue) yesterday in Chicago, after 20+ years of Honda ownership. Dealer convinced me to buy the extended warranty $4800 and wheel protection package $1200. Warranty is 10 years 120K miles with 250 deductible. After paying $74K with tax this was another $6K I wasn't too pleased spending, but I was told Audi repair costs can be quite pricey esp. the electronics.

Was it worth it or should I cancel this coverage? Any feedback/opinions or thoughts from current S6 owners appreciated!

DeerHunter

I bought the Audi extended warranty and a third-party wheel/tire warranty for my car. I ended up making a claim for a ruined tire but probably not enough to cover the cost of the latter. However, if your roads are particularly bad, it might pay for itself. Make sure there is no deductible on the wheel/tire part, since otherwise there's very little chance you can actually use it. As for the car warranty, make sure it's from Audi and not a third party. Also make sure it's the highest coverage level (Platinum), which pretty much covers everything except wear items. For me, it's good peace of mind on an expensive car. If you're the kind of guy who changes cars more frequently, it may not be worth the expense.

overclocked

Thank you. I tend to keep my cars longer (at least 7-8 years if not more). Warranty from Audi, wheel warranty is 3rd party.

DD1546

If you haven't, buy Audicare for maintenance, maintenance is quite expensive and you save a lot, especially if you go 45K miles or more in less than 5 yr.

DD1546

I bought the Allstate wheel and tire warranty which has saved me a lot of $$$ in NJ, with all the potholes. I've gone through several wheels and tires.

overclocked

Yes plan to buy Audi Care maintenance too. I was told I can buy the AudiCare before the 2nd service at 2yrs/20K, 1st service was included by Audi

Was the price paid for the warranty and wheel protection reasonable?

DeerHunter

I think I asked for and received a 25-30% discount on my extended warranty. They're a high-margin item for the dealer (which is why they love to sell them) and there's room for them to move from the list price.

chyates

make sure the tire and wheel doesn't exclude bent rims. It may read something like "If damage to the wheel prevents tire from forming an air tight seal" which means it has to be major damage.

I bent 3 rims this winter in Chicago on I294 and they all held air fine.

DD1546

My Allstate policy purchased from dealer for $1500 in 2013 even covers cosmetic damage for 5 years. I've had a couple of wheels "touched up".

elp_jc

People buying that should be well versed in contracts, and most important of all, READ THE DAMN THING. Oh, and absolutely NEVER buy anything that is not EXCLUSIONARY, or you'd get hosed for sure. That means the contract should cover everything except x,y,z, typically wear items. You're by design most likely lose money on any such thing, because that's how they make money... and they make A LOT. After reading the typical failures on this car, and how complex/costly is to fix, I wouldn't even ponder the idea to keep the car out of warranty. If you plan on doing so, make sure you'd be covered if that happens to you (turbos, PCV valve, MMI, etc). Also keep in mind the words 'extended warranty' are crap. It's deceitful at best, since it's not really extending the warranty. It's a service contract with a lot more restrictions than the factory warranty. That's why you need to not only read the whole damn thing, but make sure you understand the language, which is also by design, meant to be vague and misleading. I personally, have never, nor will ever buy any such thing. What is supposed to be 'piece of mind', often turns into a nightmare. Just read a post where Audi's 'extended warranty' denied coverage for the dreaded PCV failure. So beware. With cars this complex (that's what happens when you cram a longitudinal V8 on a FWD-based chasis), I personally wouldn't run the risk. I was thinking of keeping the car up to 50K, which is when they start falling apart, but that'd mean I'd have to be out of warranty for at least 2 years. Don't think it's wise, so will sell/trade it before it expires. Much prefer driving a GTI than this time bomb, and that's probably what I'm going to do. I'm tired of unreliable complex crap by now. Ha ha. And yes, the 'wheel/tire' warranty without covering bent wheels and cosmetic damage would be a deal-breaker to me. Also watch the deductible and other conditions, and run the rumbers. Again, statistically, the odds are very high you'd lose money on any such deal; that's why the make so much money. Good luck.