What You Need to Know About Your Audi Warranty
Auto manufacturers offer protection against mechanical breakdowns through extended car warranties. While similar coverage from third parties is available, this coverage is technically considered a vehicle service contract–not an extended warranty. However, we've used both terms interchangeably in this article for simplicity.
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Every new and certified-pre owned Audi comes with Audi warranty coverage. This protects you from having to pay for repairs if you experience a mechanical breakdown within the first few years of ownership.
In this article, we break down the Audi warranty, including what’s covered, how long that coverage lasts, and whether you could benefit from getting longer Audi coverage through one of the best extended car warranty providers on the market. Read on to learn more, or start getting free warranty quotes from our top recommended providers above.
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Audi Warranty Highlights
The Audi warranty comes with additional coverage including:
- First scheduled maintenance service at 12 months/10,000 miles
- 24-hour roadside assistance that lasts 4 years/50,000 miles
- 12-year Audi corrosion warranty
- Limited warranty for Audi accessories
Notably, Audi does not have a separate powertrain warranty. Many manufacturers offer longer coverage for powertrain parts like the engine, transmission, and drive axles. But these components are covered by Audi’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Drivers who want to protect powertrain components past 4 years/50,000 miles must purchase an extended Audi warranty.
Certified Pre-Owned Audi Warranty
Audi offers two separate certified pre-owned (CPO) warranty terms depending on whether a vehicle’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty is still valid.
If your CPO vehicle is still covered under its original Audi warranty, you’ll receive the remainder of the new vehicle coverage, plus an additional year of CPO coverage after the car’s factory warranty expires. There are no mileage restrictions with this coverage.
CPO vehicles no longer covered under the Audi factory warranty (older than four years or with more than 50,000 miles) receive a 1-year/unlimited-mile CPO warranty starting from the date of purchase.
The CPO limited warranty from Audi is transferable, which means that if you purchase a used Audi from a private party, you can still benefit from the previous owner’s protection plan. Selling your Audi while it’s still under warranty may be an attractive perk for potential buyers.
How to Find Out If Your Audi Is Still Under Warranty
To see if your car is still covered by your Audi warranty, consult your owner’s manual or warranty booklet and your vehicle’s odometer. If your car’s age and mileage are under the limit outlined in these documents, it should still be covered.
If you no longer have these documents, you can check the status of your Audi warranty by contacting any dealership. Provide your vehicle identification number (VIN), and an Audi representative can look into the coverage remaining on your vehicle.
Should You Get Extended Warranty Coverage?
Although an extended car warranty is never legally required like auto insurance, it can be required by your lessor if you finance your vehicle. For new or CPO vehicle owners, an extended Audi warranty could be the key to unlocking peace of mind on the road knowing that if your Audi breaks down, your extended Audi warranty coverage will pay for expensive repairs.
When deciding whether an extended Audi warranty would be worth it for your vehicle, take an honest look at your finances. If a sudden breakdown occurred, would you feel comfortable paying Audi repair costs out of pocket? If the answer is no, you may be one of the many drivers who would benefit from financing repairs through an extended warranty.
Researching Audi reliability can give you a better sense of how likely it is that you’ll need an expensive repair. For this, we turn to RepairPal, a reliable cost estimation online service that releases annual car brand reliability ratings. In the most recent rating, Audi scored 3.0 out of 5.0, placing it 28th out of 32 car brands surveyed.
RepairPal reliability ratings are based on three factors: average annual repair costs, frequency of unexpected trips to the repair shop per year, and the likelihood of a repair being severe. (“Severe,” in this case, means it will cost three times the average annual repair cost.) Here’s how Audi scored in each category compared to the average across all models:
Audi |
Average |
|
|---|---|---|
Average Annual Repair Cost |
$987 |
$652 |
Frequency of Unexpected Repair Shop Visits |
0.8 visits per year |
0.4 visits per year |
Likelihood of Severe Repairs |
13 percent |
12 percent |
Audi is a luxury brand, so it makes sense that the average repair cost is much higher than that of a standard vehicle. However, even taking luxury status into consideration, it’s concerning that Audis require twice the number of trips to the repair shop per year as a standard vehicle.
This, along with the fact that Audi doesn’t offer especially lengthy powertrain coverage, leads us to recommend drivers seriously consider an Audi extended warranty.
Audi Extended Warranty Overview
If you think an extended Audi warranty may be a good investment for your vehicle, you can either purchase coverage from an Audi dealership or from a third-party provider. Audi offers three extended warranty coverage options that can protect your car for up to 10 years or 120,000 miles.
Each Audi dealer plan comes with your choice of a $0, $100, or $250 deductible and perks including:
- 24-hour roadside assistance
- Towing reimbursement
- Rental car reimbursement
- Trip interruption coverage
You can read more about these plans in our comprehensive Audi extended warranty review.
Benefits of a Third-Party Audi Warranty
- Generally cheaper overall cost of coverage
- Option to have repairs done using originally manufactured parts or remanufactured parts of equal value
- More warranty options and payment plan flexibility
- Often more deductible options to choose from
- More customizable plans with negotiable pricing
- More flexibility when it comes to repair facilities
The major drawback to an extended car warranty from a third-party provider is that it requires some research on the consumer’s part to find the best fit and most reliable provider. However, we’ve done the homework for you and combed through the industry to find the most reputable extended car warranty companies.
Based on this research, we recommend Audi owners consider an extended Audi warranty from Endurance. This provider offers comprehensive coverage for high-tech systems that would be expensive to repair on your Audi. Compare free quotes from Endurance and other top warranty companies below.
Methodology
- Price: Comparing providers can be difficult due to the many factors that influence cost. To determine this score, we employ a secret shopper analysis using different vehicles, mileages, warranty plans, and locations.
- Coverage: A wide variety of coverage is essential to support the differing needs of customers. We take into account the number of extended car warranty plans available, term limits, exclusions, and additional benefits.
- Customer Service: The level of customer service and care provided by an extended warranty company is an important consideration. Our review team sifts through customer reviews and complaints from reputable sources such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot. We also consider the responsiveness of each company’s customer service team based on our secret shopper analysis.
- Reputation: Good extended warranty providers consistently provide quality experiences. Our team takes into account BBB ratings and the company’s history of reliable service when giving this score.
- Transparency: Customers value a commitment to open and honest communication when it comes to vehicle service contracts. Our team of experts takes into account the availability of money-back guarantees and sample contracts.
Stephen Kenney is a writer and editor who focuses on car insurance, auto financing, and vehicle shipping services. He's a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and has experience covering categories ranging from travel to sports to environmental sustainability. In his free time, Stephen enjoys going on long-distance runs, trying out new recipes, and exploring his adopted hometown of Cincinnati.
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