Why You Might Need an Audi Extended Warranty

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Among luxury car brands, Audi has a reputation for standout design and technical innovation, plus, of course, it’s renowned quattro^® all-wheel drive. When it comes to warranty coverage, though, Audi falls short of some other luxury brands.

That’s a good reason to consider buying an Audi extended warranty or a third-party extended warranty. We’ve looked at both and have compiled the information you need to decide which would work best for you. After doing plenty of research on the best third-party extended warranty companies, we recommend giving one of our top picks a call for a price quote and a sample contract, which you could compare to Audi’s extended warranty plans.

Below are our top picks for Audi extended warranty providers. We recommend getting a minimum of 3 quotes to weigh your options, as costs vary based on location, vehicle, and more:

Best Provider	Best for High-Mileage Cars	Most Affordable
Endurance	CARCHEX	CarShield
Editor’s Rating:	Editor’s Rating:	Editor’s Rating:
★★★★★	★★★★½	★★★★½
Get Quote	Get Quote	Get Quote
(877) 374-1840	(866) 254-0205	(800) 563-2761

Table of Contents:

• Audi’s Extended Warranty Programs
• Rating Audi Reliability 
• Comparing Audi’s Extended Warranty to Third-Party Choices 
• Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty — Is Yours Still Active?

Audi’s Extended Warranty Programs

The Audi Vehicle Service Protection plans for new models are available in three coverage levels: Powertrain, Gold and Platinum. Coverage terms extend up to 10 years/120,000 miles. That term is measured from the vehicle’s original in-service date, so it really means you’d be getting a maximum extra 6 years/70,000 miles of coverage for a new Audi.

• Powertrain includes the engine, transmission, transaxle or transfer case (for all-wheel drive), drive axles and certain hybrid electric vehicle components.
• Gold encompasses Powertrain coverage and adds front and rear suspension, climate control system, fuel electrical components and certain additional hybrid/electric components.
• Platinum is exclusionary, bumper-to-bumper coverage that includes all mechanical parts in the event of a mechanical breakdown, except those specifically listed as not covered by Audi. Excluded parts are maintenance items such as spark plugs and wiper blades, as well as items such as trim pieces, upholstery and body panels. The Platinum plan is the only one that covers “high tech” components, including audio and navigation systems. Check with your Audi warranty booklet or Audi dealer for clarification of what other features are included.

With any of the three coverage levels, you can choose from three deductibles, which is the amount you pay out of pocket per covered repair:

• $0 (Expect higher premiums.)
• $100 disappearing (You don’t pay if covered repairs are done by the selling dealer.)
• $250 (Expect lower premiums.)

Audi Extended Warranty for CPO Vehicles

For Audi CPO vehicles, the Audi Vehicle Service Protection plans max out at 8 years/120,000 miles. That’s also measured from the vehicle’s original in-service date as a new car, so it means you can buy a maximum of 3 years/58,000 miles added coverage beyond what the CPO vehicle comes with.

For CPO models, these Audi extended warranties also offer the Powertrain, Gold and Platinum coverage levels, with the same coverage listed for the new-car Vehicle Service Protection plans. Though, you don’t have as many deductible choices.

Audi Extended Warranty Added Benefits 

For either a new or CPO Audi, the Audi Vehicle Service Protection plans come with an array of added benefits:

• 24-hour roadside assistance including battery service, flat tire assistance, fuel or fluid delivery, and lock-out assistance up to $100 per occurrence
• Towing reimbursement of up to $100 to your Audi Dealer or authorized service provider
• Rental car reimbursement up to $35 per day for up to 10 days
• Trip interruption coverage up to $200 per day for a maximum of five days (total benefit of $1,000 per occurrence)
• Transferable for a $50 fee if you sell your vehicle to a private party
• Cancelable at any time after 30 days for a $50 fee (Audi will issue a pro-rata refund.)

Rating Audi Reliability 

Knowing how Audi stacks up for vehicle dependability should go a long way toward informing your decision to purchase extended warranty coverage and how much to get. 

Audi acquits itself well when it comes to vehicle dependability. The 2019 edition of the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, which surveys new car owners after three years of ownership, rates Audi’s dependability at 124 problems per 100 vehicles, against the industry average of 136. For context, BMW is at 122 and Mercedes-Benz scored 134. The industry leader is Lexus, with 106. 

A look at Consumer Reports shows a mixed report card for Audi reliability. For example, the 2016 Audi A4 was rated at 1 out of 5, 1 being best, but the 2017 model was rated 5, as was the 2019 model. If you’re looking at a new or used Audi, it makes sense to research reliability for that particular model and year. (Subscription needed to access Consumer Reports data.)

RepairPal is another good resource to consult for Audi reliability. RepairPal pegs Audi annual repair cost, including major services and unscheduled repairs, at $987. That’s 50% higher than the average across all cars, RepairPal found. Given Audi’s luxury positioning, and the high level of tech in its vehicles, that should not come as a surprise.

Getting specific, RepairPal says the most common of 244 problems reported for Audis is having the Check Engine light flash indicating vacuum leaks, oxygen sensor or catalytic converter fault. Until it expires, the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty would cover all of those things, and the mandatory federal emissions warranty would cover the catalytic converter for 8 years/80,000 miles.

You can use the RepairPal website to look up specific repair costs for any Audi model, with the site adjusting estimates based on your zip code.

Comparing Audi’s Extended Warranty to Third-Party Choices 

Savvy car buyers spend a lot of time comparing vehicles before they make a purchase. It’s worth doing the same kind of research to get the best value in an extended car warranty.

As we’ve shown, Audi’s new vehicle and CPO warranties are not among the best. Only the Platinum level of the Audi Vehicle Service Protection plans, the most expensive level for both new and CPO vehicles, covers audio and navigation systems, which are expensive to repair or replace should they fail. 

Other Audi repair costs can be expensive once the factory warranty expires. Audi offers its own extended warranty plans, but having just three tiers of coverage to choose from limits flexibility. In our research of the best extended warranty companies, we found that most aftermarket warranty providers offer five or more levels of coverage. Also, you can usually find a plan that will cover the vehicle’s high-tech items. Some offer plans specially for these items.

Below, we’ve compared Audi’s extended warranty with the options available from one of our top-ranked providers, CARCHEX.

Know Your Warranty Options

Critically, aftermarket warranties allow you to purchase extended coverage even after Audi’s new or CPO warranties have expired. Why lock into an extended warranty until you’re sure you’re going to keep your Audi beyond its manufacturer’s warranty?

Like Audi’s extended warranties, our top four picks for aftermarket warranties allow you to transfer coverage if you sell the vehicle.

Consider this information as a starting point. Call one of our recommended providers to get a free price quote and a sample contract now.

Best Provider	Best for High-Mileage Cars	Most Affordable
Endurance	CARCHEX	CarShield
Editor’s Rating:	Editor’s Rating:	Editor’s Rating:
★★★★★	★★★★½	★★★★½
Get Quote	Get Quote	Get Quote
(877) 374-1840	(866) 254-0205	(800) 563-2761

Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty — Is Yours Still Active?

Audi’s new vehicle warranty terms matches rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz and, like those two other German luxury brands, the powertrain coverage does not extend beyond that term. Other luxury brands provide powertrain coverage that goes beyond the term of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

The Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty is transferable to a new owner if you sell the vehicle. To track your warranty, sign up for a myAudi account on the Audi website. You’ll be able to do an Audi warranty check on your own car by VIN (vehicle identification number).

Audi’s Lackluster Hybrid and EV Coverage

Notably, while Audi offers a couple of plug-in hybrid models and the e-tron electric SUV for 2020, these have the same warranty as the gas-fueled Audis. The hybrid or EV battery is covered for 8 years/100,000 miles, but neither the hybrid nor EV powertrain gets this longer coverage.

Even some mainstream brands do better in this area. Kia, for example, covers its hybrid and electric powertrains 10 years/100,000 miles. Ford provides 8 years/100,000 miles of coverage on hybrid and electric powertrains.

Audi Warranty for Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles

Here’s another reason to consider an extended warranty for an Audi: about 60% of new Audis are actually leased rather than purchased. That means many people buying Audis are either purchasing their own vehicles at the end of the lease, or they’re buying someone else’s off-lease vehicle through Audi’s Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program. 

If the Audi CPO vehicle you buy has any of its original New Vehicle Limited Warranty remaining, you get that coverage. When that warranty expires, the CPO warranty kicks in and lasts until the vehicle is five years from its original in-service date as a new car, without a limit on miles.

So, let’s say you buy a CPO Audi vehicle that’s three years old and has 38,000 miles. The CPO warranty will give you the remaining one year or 12,000 miles of the original warranty coverage, plus one year of Audi CPO warranty coverage with unlimited miles.

On the other hand, if a CPO Audi vehicle’s original warranty has expired, the Audi CPO warranty starts when you buy the vehicle and runs for one year with no limit on miles. The Audi CPO limited warranty is transferable if you sell the car. 

Audi offers extended warranties, which it calls Vehicle Service Protection plans, for both new and CPO models. Critically, only the Platinum-level of the Vehicle Service Protection plans for both covers navigation or audio systems, including any disc players or speakers.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock, © Landonksmith