2012 A6 out of warranty: To buy aftermarket extension or not?

[AjaxGT]

Hey guys. This is my first post on Audizine, it looks like you have a pretty great community here and I look forward to being a part of it.

I just purchased a 2012 A6 3.0T with 58k miles. The 24 hours I've owned it have been absolutely sublime so far, and the car has lived up to all of my expectations and more. It just came off lease, and the the car's original factory warranty expired just a few months ago. Right now I'm at a bit of a crossroad: I want to have the peace of mind of a warranty, but I also don't want to end up with some dodgy company trying everything they can to get out of paying for a repair should it come up. I've read horror stories of some people having their engines replaced and the warranty companies finding some nebulous reason to deny coverage, stiffing the customer with a 15-20k bill. I know that's entirely unlikely to happen in my case, but I would still like to sleep soundly at night.

According to the carfax, besides typical service intervals there were no repairs made on anything, although it went in two or three times for an "engine/powertrain computer module check" (just paraphrasing the carfax), so I am not sure what that could mean. I'm also placing an order for a vag-com cable as recommended by another enthusiast.

My question is, have any of you had any experience with any aftermarket warranties? Which plan did you purchase? Did they properly cover any major repairs that came up? And would you recommend doing it again?

Thanks in advance!

[07S6]

First, congrats on the purchase and welcome to the C7 family!
I've had an Audi aftermarket warranty on a previous S6 with the V10 engine, and i would only recommend the Audi Platinum (by Fidelity) warranty available at any Audi dealer. You can call different dealers, even out of state, and find the best pricing. I believe it's the closest thing you can get to a factory warranty, and i've used it extensively.
Regarding the A6 specifically, if it were me, i would check with an Audi dealer about every service record on the car, and if you feel it has been meticulously cared for, including having the most common failure items already updated (thermostat, EGR valve) - then I would not put thousands of dollars into a warranty on this particular car. There is a very good chance even the aftermarket warranty will expire before you have to spend much on maintenance.. Just my opinion.
BTW, if you have a Prestige with the lighted LED door sill plates, make sure you check all four sides, as I've had the driver's side go out on both the A6 i'm selling and my A7. Both covered by CPO warranty.

[tazrig]

First, congrats on the purchase and welcome to the C7 family!
I've had an Audi aftermarket warranty on a previous S6 with the V10 engine, and i would only recommend the Audi Platinum (by Fidelity) warranty available at any Audi dealer. You can call different dealers, even out of state, and find the best pricing. I believe it's the closest thing you can get to a factory warranty, and i've used it extensively.
Regarding the A6 specifically, if it were me, i would check with an Audi dealer about every service record on the car, and if you feel it has been meticulously cared for, including having the most common failure items already updated (thermostat, EGR valve) - then I would not put thousands of dollars into a warranty on this particular car. There is a very good chance even the aftermarket warranty will expire before you have to spend much on maintenance.. Just my opinion.
BTW, if you have a Prestige with the lighted LED door sill plates, make sure you check all four sides, as I've had the driver's side go out on both the A6 i'm selling and my A7. Both covered by CPO warranty.

+1 I would also be leary of carfax in general. Only reported items make it onto the list and I have a bunch of friends in the business who have told me stories of cars that have been in multiple serious accidents (leaving them with electrical issues) that never get reported. 07S6's advice of getting a full printout of the cars history from an Audi dealership is excellent advice in determining if you might be looking at potential trouble down the road. Best of luck!

[squarefoot]

Have you gotten any quotes yet? I just purchased a 2012 A6 with 51K miles on it. I was quoted $7K for an extended warranty to 100k miles. Too rich for me. I will be taking my chances.

[AjaxGT]

Have you gotten any quotes yet? I just purchased a 2012 A6 with 51K miles on it. I was quoted $7K for an extended warranty to 100k miles. Too rich for me. I will be taking my chances.

The dealership I got it from quoted me a "Fidelity Gold" with 4yrs/48k for $2,045. I think the platinum was quite a bit more, around $3,500 for the same mileage. I've sent out a few emails to dealerships so I will let you know what they come back with.

The gold seems purposefully vague in what it does cover though. For example, I know the thermostat is a very common failure point on these cars, and the gold warranty specifically mentions "thermostat housing" instead of "thermostat". There was no mention of shocks either as I know they have a tendency to leak. I think the platinum is the way to go, assuming I can lock down a reasonable price.

[schalliol]

It's pretty darn expensive at this number of miles to extend the warranty. I'd recommend just be liberally servicing it and make sure to stay on top of it. Put the cash aside if you must like you're paying monthly for a service plan and if you somehow hit many many thousands of dollars, take your service records and petition Audi for support

[AjaxGT]

Carchex quoted me at $5800 for 4yr/48k all inclusive. Could be dropped to around $5200 if they excluded "backup camera and navigation" components.. They seemed to be on the high side, but all of their reviews seem exceedingly positive.

[kuattroo]

I will be following this thread closely , cause I will be also be in the market looking for an extended warranty.

[litigator]

I have a connection at an audi dealer for the fidelity warranty that was cheaper than even Troy..just used it as well saved me thousands already as I just had an eletrical issue.

[repnaudi]

First, congrats on the purchase and welcome to the C7 family!
I've had an Audi aftermarket warranty on a previous S6 with the V10 engine, and i would only recommend the Audi Platinum (by Fidelity) warranty available at any Audi dealer. You can call different dealers, even out of state, and find the best pricing. I believe it's the closest thing you can get to a factory warranty, and i've used it extensively.
Regarding the A6 specifically, if it were me, i would check with an Audi dealer about every service record on the car, and if you feel it has been meticulously cared for, including having the most common failure items already updated (thermostat, EGR valve) - then I would not put thousands of dollars into a warranty on this particular car. There is a very good chance even the aftermarket warranty will expire before you have to spend much on maintenance.. Just my opinion.
BTW, if you have a Prestige with the lighted LED door sill plates, make sure you check all four sides, as I've had the driver's side go out on both the A6 i'm selling and my A7. Both covered by CPO warranty.

Is the egr valve just for the diesel engines? I'm close to needing another warranty and I too am unsure which route to take. I've had some slight shaking randomly I'm guessing it's because it's close to 50,000 miles and needs new spark plugs and tune up

[07S6]

Is the egr valve just for the diesel engines? I'm close to needing another warranty and I too am unsure which route to take. I've had some slight shaking randomly I'm guessing it's because it's close to 50,000 miles and needs new spark plugs and tune up

I'm not familiar with the diesels. My feedback was regarding the 3.0T gas engine.

[Sales@DriveAuto]

We deal with aftermarket warranty companies on a daily basis - there are good and bad. You need to pay close attention to what each warranty covers - when making claims, they will only cover the named item. Most will not cover gaskets or seals (items that commonly leak), some will only cover half of cooling related items, none cover cats. Most have a deductible. Companies we work with that offer good coverage: AUL, Fidelity, Preferred. Cars, Auto Source, Route 66 are some that don't offer great coverage and/or nitpick everything. Also verify what they cover in terms of labor hours - ours isn't high (so there usually isn't an issue), but if you dealer service the car, you may wind up paying the differential between what the warranty company covers (~$100/hour) and what the dealer charges (~$155/hr).

For the most part, the newer 3.0T Audi's don't require an aftermarket warranty - the bulk of the cars we see just need maintenance, or items that aren't covered under the warranty (brakes, valve cover gaskets, etc.). You'll probably do better self insuring (i.e., put x amount of dollars in an account every month to cover the larger repairs). Nothing hurts more than to tell someone who shelled out $3500 for a warranty that x, y, and z isn't covered - if you decide to get one, just make sure you get a declaration of what's covered and what isn't.

Welcome to Audizine - let us know if we can help with any maintenance/service/repair or performance needs!

[repnaudi]

We deal with aftermarket warranty companies on a daily basis - there are good and bad. You need to pay close attention to what each warranty covers - when making claims, they will only cover the named item. Most will not cover gaskets or seals (items that commonly leak), some will only cover half of cooling related items, none cover cats. Most have a deductible. Companies we work with that offer good coverage: AUL, Fidelity, Preferred. Cars, Auto Source, Route 66 are some that don't offer great coverage and/or nitpick everything. Also verify what they cover in terms of labor hours - ours isn't high (so there usually isn't an issue), but if you dealer service the car, you may wind up paying the differential between what the warranty company covers (~$100/hour) and what the dealer charges (~$155/hr).

For the most part, the newer 3.0T Audi's don't require an aftermarket warranty - the bulk of the cars we see just need maintenance, or items that aren't covered under the warranty (brakes, valve cover gaskets, etc.). You'll probably do better self insuring (i.e., put x amount of dollars in an account every month to cover the larger repairs). Nothing hurts more than to tell someone who shelled out $3500 for a warranty that x, y, and z isn't covered - if you decide to get one, just make sure you get a declaration of what's covered and what isn't.

Welcome to Audizine - let us know if we can help with any maintenance/service/repair or performance needs!

I think that's the route I'm going to take. Just act as if I'm paying for a warranty and put my own money away. Thanks for the info

[Calimus]

I can attest to the reliability of these cars. At 124k on my 12', I've had no warranty for a while. She just keeps purring along. Now that's not to say that everyone will have the same experience, but I haven't read very many horror stories anywhere so far.

[litigator]

I can attest to the reliability of these cars. At 124k on my 12', I've had no warranty for a while. She just keeps purring along. Now that's not to say that everyone will have the same experience, but I haven't read very many horror stories anywhere so far.

Hows the battery holding up?

[edg71908]

I just got a quote from Troy on an 13 - S6 with 49,989 miles for $2990 for the gold coverage. He confirmed a couple of times that gaskets and seals are covered! Seams like a good deal considering a thermostat is $1300 to replace on these things! Im going back and forth but really don't want something like an oil leak to cost $3000 (I believe some leaks require the engine to be partially lifted)! Thanks Guys

[CR8LUCK]

As mentioned before, you can call around to the finance departments, around the end of the month is best, and get pricing. It could differ by up to 50%. I would suggest buying the warranty from Audi and not the 3rd party one. Another thing to consider is that most warranty's you can get a pro rated refund at any time if you sell the car or change your mind. So if it will give you piece of mind, then buy it and cancel it when you sell the car.


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[CVG323]

I just got a quote from them, and they quoted me $4350
Option 1
Provider Product Name Coverage Terms
The Warranty Group Platinum 3 Years/45,000 Add'l Miles
View Quote

didnt seem too bad, but I feel like its a Lot. i have a 2012 A7 with 35K on the clock. should I just wing it and not buy a warranty? or is it recommended to buy one?

edit: this is for CarChex

[schalliol]

Is that to 95k and plus 3 from OEM/now (whichever is later)? If so, seems okay, but I wouldn't buy it for a base A7 at that price. If it's to just 80k, definitely not a good deal.

[CVG323]

Is that to 95k and plus 3 from OEM/now (whichever is later)? If so, seems okay, but I wouldn't buy it for a base A7 at that price. If it's to just 80k, definitely not a good deal.

I don't have a base A7. It's fully loaded prestige version. Has every option. It seemed a little steep to me as well. I'm shopping around to try and get the best deal I can. With a dependable and reputable company.

[schalliol]

If it gives you 3 out of warranty years and 95k, it might be worth it but it's unlikely. I think odds are against it being a good deal. I'd probably pass, I got my currently in warranty Prestige S6 (all but B&O) for like $3,200 if I recall, to the miles and years in my sig through Fidelity (Audi branded). I thought that was reasonable given what could go wrong, but that's a long time away.

[CVG323]

So I passed. I'm risking it. I can't imagine a repair being more than what the warranty is worth. I'm gonna cross my fingers and hope for the best.


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[SlickMachine]

So I passed. I'm risking it. I can't imagine a repair being more than what the warranty is worth. I'm gonna cross my fingers and hope for the best.


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I had a warranty on my 2008 A6.. I used it one to get the nav optical drive replaced and it was a very huge PITA. They were denying coverage because a copy of the oem nav disk was in the drive at the time, which has zero effect on the broken eject mechanism. Took multiple weeks, had to pay for a second adjuster to come out, etc, etc. I still lost money on the warranty on that car.
Now, I just bought a 2012 A7 prestige with innovation and warranty quotes are North of 4000$ for the ones that actually cover a worthwhile amount of components. I said hell no. As someone else said here, it is likely the warranty will expire prior to a major repair that would equal it's cost. Put that money aside like you are doing, find a good Indy shop in case, and drive. [Knock wood]

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[CVG323]

I had a warranty on my 2008 A6.. I used it one to get the nav optical drive replaced and it was a very huge PITA. They were denying coverage because a copy of the oem nav disk was in the drive at the time, which has zero effect on the broken eject mechanism. Took multiple weeks, had to pay for a second adjuster to come out, etc, etc. I still lost money on the warranty on that car.
Now, I just bought a 2012 A7 prestige with innovation and warranty quotes are North of 4000$ for the ones that actually cover a worthwhile amount of components. I said hell no. As someone else said here, it is likely the warranty will expire prior to a major repair that would equal it's cost. Put that money aside like you are doing, find a good Indy shop in case, and drive. [Knock wood]

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My brother is a great mechanic. If we can't tackle the problem, then I'll bite the bullet and look elsewhere. We can handle the work for the most part. I'm enjoying my ownership for now lol.


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[rhysdurrell]

I got my '12 A6 3.0t around 48k miles in 2015. Of course no warranty and I had one major issue!
I had some sort of leak that ended up draining into my Transmission ECM and frying the whole thing, could get past 1st gear, parking break would activate on the highway and all my warning lights inside went off.
Ended up taking to the dealer where they had it for a week and quoted me at 10k for the transmission computer replacement. Almost cried haha.

Luckily they worked with me, I only had to pay 10% and was good ever since.

I'm currently around 96k miles (the commuting in LA is ridiculous) with some road wear to the front paint of my bumper (definitely getting a wrap soon) but only issues I've had thus far was the transmission box which i assume is rare.

Currently in shop for a fuel pump recall and Need to replace battery soon, need new engine mounts for shaking at idle but all has been well!

I think you'll be fine if you take great care of your vehicle and keep up on maintenance