Audi Q5 extended warranty: cost, coverage and plans
Why an extended warranty could make sense
Audi Q5s are known to have below-average reliability, which is why getting an extended warranty is a good idea to protect your purchase.
We’ll break down what an Audi Q5 warranty covers, how much it costs, what your options are and whether a warranty is worth it in the long run.
All new Audi Q5s come with a four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a four-year/50,000-mile powertrain warranty from the factory.
Jump to insightQuotes we received for an extended auto warranty on a 2021 Q5 ranged from $1,174.08 to $5,412.50 a year. That’s more expensive than the average cost of an extended warranty.
Jump to insightAudi has below-average reliability compared with other vehicles.
Jump to insightGetting an extended warranty on a Q5 gives you peace of mind and protection against repair bills once the factory warranty expires.
Jump to insightAudi Q5 extended warranty coverage
An extended auto warranty is an optional, paid extension of the factory warranty your Sienna comes with. For context, Audi Q5s come with the following warranties from the factory:
- A four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty
- A four-year/50,000-mile powertrain warranty
Factory warranties follow the vehicle, not the owner. So if you buy a 3-year-old car with 20,000 miles on it, you still have one year or 30,000 miles worth of factory bumper-to-bumper warranty remaining.
For an extended warranty on your Audi Q5, you have two options:
- Buy the official Audi extended warranty, called Audi Pure Protection.
- Buy a plan from a third-party extended warranty company, which allows you to take your truck to any ASE-certified mechanic for repairs.
A ConsumerAffairs investigation found that only 41% of American drivers surveyed had enough cash to cover a $1,000 repair bill, and 13% of respondents had no way to handle a repair bill that large, even with credit.
Whether you get a third-party plan or a warranty from a dealer, a plan that offers comprehensive, exclusionary protection (often called bumper-to-bumper or Platinum) will provide the most value. These plans cover almost all the parts on your vehicle. Less comprehensive plans (e.g., Gold, Silver, powertrain) may be cheaper, but they also cover fewer parts per dollar.
Auto warranties don't cover damage or accidents, and repairs generally aren't covered if you don't properly maintain the vehicle or you make aftermarket modifications. They only pay for repairs and replacements of specifically covered parts that fail from normal wear and tear.
In general, here are the differences between what a bumper-to-bumper warranty and a powertrain warranty cover:
| Warranty type | Typical coverage | Not covered |
|---|---|---|
| Bumper-to-bumper | ||
| Powertrain | Parts that create power and deliver it to the wheels | Parts not related to the engine, transmission or drive axle |
Note that some extended auto warranty plans fall somewhere between bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage.
» LEARN: What to know about manufacturers’ extended warranties
How much does a Audi Q5 extended warranty cost?
We were quoted $5,412.50 a year from olive for three years of bumper-to-bumper coverage for a 2021 Audi Q5 registered in Austin, Texas, with 55,000 miles. From Endurance, the quote for similar coverage was $1,174.08 annually for 30 months of coverage for the same vehicle with the same mileage. Both quotes assumed a $100 deductible. Note that both of these are third-party extended auto warranty companies.
The “official” Audi extended warranty is called Audi Pure Protection, and it may cost less than a third-party option. Be sure to get a quote from your local Audi dealer to compare your options.
In general, quotes for extended auto warranties vary based on coverage, vehicle, deductible, location and other factors. A 2022 Q5 with zero miles typically has cheaper extended warranty options than a 2020 model with 50,000 miles, for example.
Compare quotes from multiple providers to be sure that you're getting a good deal on an extended warranty.
For context, the average cost of an extended warranty is around $1,000 per year of coverage. The quotes we collected for our hypothetical 2021 Audi Q5 were more expensive by comparison.
Bumper-to-bumper warranties often go by names like "Platinum" or "Complete Care." Lower-tier plans are usually cheaper, but they cover fewer parts per dollar. Based on customer reviews, many people are disappointed by the coverage limits on these plans, so we suggest a bumper-to-bumper warranty for most situations.
Extended auto warranty providers may use varying language to describe plans. For example, Endurance provides 30 months and 40,000 miles of coverage with its plans — this is as of your vehicle's current age and mileage. Other providers may use the vehicle's original purchase date as the starting point for calculating coverage, so you'll have to subtract the age and mileage of your car (plus any remaining factory warranty) to determine the length of the coverage you're actually getting.
Is a Audi Q5 extended warranty worth it?
Yes, a Audi Q5 extended warranty is worth it. In general, an extended auto warranty is worth it if any of the following are true:
- Your vehicle has a bad reputation for reliability.
- The warranty costs less than you expect to spend on repairs.
- A big repair bill could hurt you financially.
- You don’t mind paying for peace of mind.
Audi as a brand has below-average reliability, with J.D. Power ranking Audi 28th out of 29 car brands for overall dependability.
As for the Q5 specifically, RepairPal gave it a 3.0 out of 5. Many ConsumerAffairs reviewers reported issues with their Audi Q5s.
“I started having problems with my 2014 Audi Q5 as soon as a couple of years after purchasing, the engine light turned on and I had to do a $500 repair,” Zeneida in Florida told us. “Currently the car has less than 60K miles and I started having issues with oil consumption, turns out that I have to change all pistons and rings which costs $8000.”
I started having problems with my 2014 Audi Q5 as soon as a couple of years after purchasing, the engine light turned on and I had to do a $500 repair.”
Clay in Illinois wrote: “My Q5 2016 Audi was diagnosed with a bad oil separator valve in the motor. I only had about 60k miles.”
These stories from real customers mentioning issues with Audi Q5 maintenance suggest that an extended warranty is a good idea. The likelihood of needing repairs and the prices we found for Audi Q5 extended warranties means you’re likely to come out ahead by purchasing a protection plan.
Article sources
- J.D. Power, “Vehicle Dependability Slumps as Rate of Deterioration Increases, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed Aug. 14, 2024.
- RepairPal, “Audi Q5 Reliability Rating.” Accessed Aug. 14, 2024.
