Are mechanical service contracts worth the money?

Asked by khudkinsloya Jun 16, 2012 at 09:53 PM about the 2001 Audi A6 2.8 quattro Sedan AWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

We are in the process of purchasing a used 2001 Audi Quattro with 50,000 miles on it.  Is it worth it to purchase the extended service contract that the dealer is offering (up to 4 yrs, 50,000 miles)?

7 Answers

135

all depends. What does the xtended warranty cover. if its bumper to bumper than yes..Its better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it..EX: timing belt on 06 kia sportage, 700 dollars. An Audi is a nice car, but also a pretty penny to fix. I would research a little on repair costs then make a decision..Hope this helps..

4,455

Some extended warrantys are not worth the paper they are printed on,if it is a factory extended warranty it would be a little better,You did not say which model Audi you are purchasing,any Audi ,you need to look at the maintenance records.As previously stated these are nice cars but extremely expensive to keep up.If it is an A4 if it has the 1.8L turbo motor be very aware of oil sludging issues from improper oil and filter changes.Audi,s are very specific as to oil requirements,if the car has been spiffy lubed or if it has been to a reputable shop for it maintenance would sway my purchase decision.If it is an A6 or an A8 then the timing belt will be number one on the get it done sooner than later list. Again a reputable shop needs to do this job as special tooling and procedures MUST be followed to the letter.If the timing belt fails you will be looking at a huge repair bill.and this is where it gets tricky with extended warrantys.as the belt is a maintenance item,if you the owner fail to get it done either by time or mileage,they may not cover the claim,so you need to really look at the details of the contract,and ask lots of questions,again the factory extended warrantys are not too bad but some aftermarket companies ,not so good,I wish that I had more to tell you but............... Good luck.

120

I have an older Audi and was told by the Audi garage that timing belt failure isn't a total disaster like it is on some cars. It doesn't destroy the engine. Maybe that has changed in the newer Audis. Everyone always says that Audis and BMWs are extremely expensive to keep. That hasn't been our experience-and we've owned both BMWs and Audis, plus Ford trucks and a Land Cruiser. The upkeep/maintenance/parts for the Ford trucks and the Land Cruiser were usually more expensive than the BMW or Audi.

1 people found this helpful.
4,455

On the older cars ,yes if the belt failed ,not a huge expense,inconvenience yes,when they went to five valves per cylinder,when the belt breaks ,you are pulling the heads,the valve stem diameters are now 5mm,not a lot of material,you can bend them with a mean look.I don,t know from what I see daily the newer cars are expensive to keep going.

NO in most cases you will never recover the money that the plan cost you. The whole idea behind an aftermarket warranty is that you will give them more money than they give you back. Its a business. The best plan is to take te money that you would spend on the warranty and put it in a bank account or investment. Use the money for the repairs of your vehicle. You will almost always come out ahead. That is why companies offer warranties is so they can profit on the money that you gave them.

Additionally warranty contacts do not pay for failed maintaince. If your timing belt were to break and destroy your engine it would not be covered. A timing belt, clutch, brakes are all maintance items and are not covered.

My Audi A6 Quattro 4.2 liter 2006 model is jerking n the transmission and stalling when I get on the gas heavy

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