Audi Warranty

[roberto.]

Hi,

Yes everyone's favorite subject, that will make people's blood boil at the thought of dealing with one.

I'm looking at buying an S4 Avant B8.5. It's a 2015 so CREC engine, and would be private so no dealer fall back. Audi have quoted a fairly reasonable price for theirs, the question is has anyone taken out an Audi approved warranty themselves? What's the consensus on the reliability of said warranty? Are they worth the paper they are written on?

Other options are no warranty and keep money aside incase, or third party.

Thanks

 

[NHN]

As long as it doesn't suffer from piston ring issue & if it ever does, audi warranty covers this fully, then go for it.

Audi warranty aftermarket is not the full audi warranty & also relies on a seperate system, company so to speak, so read the small print.

 

[jdp1962]

@NHN is spot on (hiya, Nigel! ). Like all extended "warranties", whether aftermarket or branded in-house, it's not actually a warranty. It's an insurance policy, with exclusions and conditions. Read it very carefully.

 

[roberto.]

Yeah, pretty much as I'd expect and would dig into the terms before committing. Just looking if anyone has any experience with them.

 

[Dippy]

I'm looking at buying an S4 Avant B8.5. It's a 2015 so CREC engine, and would be private so no dealer fall back.

There was a safety recall for that engine. Whether private or dealer it is illegal to sell the car without the work having been done. Since it involves removal of the supercharger which requires disturbing the cooling, it would be better to know that it has already been done rather than having to go to a dealer yourself and later having to deal with the hassle of a leak.

 

[roberto.]

There's paperwork for a few recall jobs so will double check that thanks. Can you also check on the audi website?

 

[spartacus68]

There's paperwork for a few recall jobs so will double check that thanks. Can you also check on the audi website?

Pretty sure if you call Audi under the basis you are going to be potential new customer with this car they will have audit trail for work done and any outstanding recalls. You'll need the VIN number and registration plate.

Are you considering scanning the car before you buy, assuming you have a copy of VCDS? If the current owner has been completely transparent - they've nothing to hide. I think VCDS is money well spent, rather than having Audi main dealer charge you the best part of £100 for fault scanning.

Lastly - do Audi main dealers have an S4 with the specification you're looking for?

 

[HertS3]

I bought the same car (but 2014) through a private dealer in July. Got RAC 3 months warranty with it but I took out the Audi one on the day that I paid the deposit for it.
Car was diagnosed with N-80 valve problem 16 days(!) into ownership, Audi warranty kicked it out as it doesn't cover issues within the first 30 days of the policy starting. As it turned out (when I was getting my indy mechanic friend to do the work after arguing with RAC about getting it covered with up to the £500 limit that they give, which barely covered the parts!), a simple plugging in of the valve on the top of the engine seemed to sort that out, though of course time will tell! Problem is this is now on the Audi system as a 'pre-existing fault' so any problem with it down the line will be excluded
Then I had a leaking coolant pipe which was rejected as pipes are generally excluded (my fault for not checking the wording) as they are considered a wear and tear item. However, the leaking water pump was covered so Audi Watford kindly charged me for the pipe replacement only (£28 I think) so got that issue sorted quite cheaply.

The Audi warranty is good for what it's set out to cover, though coming from that's something as someone who had a massive argument with Audi Hatfield over a failed rear differential on my previous S3 (they blamed the indy of draining the diff oil instead of Haldex which would've meant driving without any diff oil for over a year!)!! Just make sure you read the terms and conditions so you know what's covered.

 

[jdp1962]

Or you could just say hang the warranty on the basis you’re going to map the CREC engine anyway.

 

[HertS3]

Or you could just say hang the warranty on the basis you’re going to map the CREC engine anyway.

True, if you're going to map it don't even bother taking out the warranty