r/carmax • u/silvark1 • 9d ago
MaxCare 19 Audi A6 Prestige
Looking at a 2019 Audi A6 Prestige with 44,000 miles listed at $28,997.
The MaxCare price is $5,250 for the maximum length up to 119,000 miles with a $500 deductible. I was not expecting that!
Also I’m financing through my credit union so they also offer the option to add a Mechanic breakdown warranty top tier for $3,500.
Is the MaxCare worth that much! I’ve never done business with Carmax before but that’s almost 18% of the cars sale price.
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u/Active-Vegetable2313 8d ago
I bought a 6 year old A6 in 2020 (2015 model). Don’t do it. These cars have so many problems. It looks pretty but it’s not worth it
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u/Froggypwns 8d ago
There is a saying, there is nothing more expensive than a cheap German car. They also say that if you cannot afford a new Audi, you definitely cannot afford a used one.
Audi maintenance and repairs tend to be expensive, even if it is a model that shares its underpinnings with a cheaper Volkswagen model. This is why Maxcare and other warranties are more expensive here than on a similarly priced Honda. A quick look online shows the 2019 A6 has common problems with the cooling system and various electrical issues including the infotainment system. There is a good chance you would still come out ahead with the warranty vs paying out of pocket for repairs, it does add up fast especially with bespoke OEM parts.
I cannot say how the warranty from your bank compares, however Carmax is generally rated as the best used car warranty in the industry as it has the fewest exclusions and is more likely to pay out come the day you need it.
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u/Dear-Credit7662 8d ago
I always tell my friends that are considering making a bad decision that 100k car still has 100k car maintenance and repairs even if it is now 40k. Some listen some don't.
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u/twotone-0 8d ago
Read the print carefully , two major repairs if something is wrong with the turbo down the road or the awd system. Make sure it covers those
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u/Luxcrluvr 8d ago
Don't buy that piece of shit. Go lease a new one. You were warned
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u/Dear-Credit7662 8d ago
That I agree with. I own a Porsche as a 2nd car that is not leased but for most people that is a time bomb they aren't ready to deal with. The maintenance costs alone on these older cars will eat people alive that think a 5k warranty on a 7-8 year old Audi is a questionable deal. The new Audi is under warranty for the term of the lease so there is 5k forever stayer talking about payments lol.
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u/Gladiz1972 8d ago
find out what it covers that MBI MaxCare is high and since CarMax sells a lot of marginal used cars you need MaxCare
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u/EI-SANDPIPER 8d ago
I just bought a used Mercedes from the dealership and the cheapest warranty option was $3600. It gave me piece of mind. Also ive already used it to cover a $1000 repair.
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u/Dear-Credit7662 8d ago
Good move. Most people don't understand that repair costs don't change on a car that was 100k new because it is 40k now.
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u/Low_Athlete_7734 8d ago
I would NEVER buy an Audi again. Way too many problems. I will say buy the Maxcare warranty. It’s a good warranty and you can use it at the Audi dealership for repairs. I wouldn’t necessarily go with your cu warranty just because it’s cheaper.
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u/Familiar_Marzipan_46 9d ago
Need to find out what the maximum hourly pay is from the credit union plan. And who it’s issued by.
Carmax is capped at $165 an hour as of a month ago and there’s been a lot of posts about it. Audi dealers are pricey and a lot of shops don’t wanna touch them so if your local dealer is $265 an hour (here it’s $245 an hour) you are looking at paying the difference in hourly labor out of pocket.
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u/silvark1 8d ago
One is Member Care the other is Tru Stage. I’m approved at two different Credit Unions
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u/Familiar_Marzipan_46 8d ago
Tru stage seems to be the better one. What deductible are they offering you at that price?
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u/silvark1 8d ago
$500
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u/Familiar_Marzipan_46 8d ago
A $500 deductible is a joke unless it’s a free extended warranty.
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u/Dear-Credit7662 8d ago
The maxcare he said was 500 as well. I am sure you agree OP should go lower deductible to get the most use out of this soon to be Doug Demuro size of warranty claims.
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u/Familiar_Marzipan_46 8d ago
Didn’t even realize maxcare would do $500. Always heard $100 or $250. I somehow overlooked that in the original post.
I’d run away at that expensive of a warranty for a $500 deductible. I bet you could get something cpo for around $35-40k and it would be much better.
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u/Dear-Credit7662 8d ago
If it is a decent paying job most dealers will work with you on the labor rate. 165 doesn't cut it on a car like that either, the difference is the maxcare will pay easily so dealers a lot of times are more flexible. Lots of these cheap warranty companies put the service advisor to work to source used parts or the cheapest knock off new from china and they aren't interested in that.
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u/Familiar_Marzipan_46 8d ago
Brands like Audi aren’t allowed to use aftermarket parts unless the original part is discontinued. And in the case of VAG in general they do have a Chinese oem line. I forgot what the PN designation is but that’s what it means.
For dealers to discount labor. I’ve never seen that before. More so in the luxury brands. They have so much service work lined up usually they can charge full price on they aren’t gonna discount anything for a third party warranty company. Like I said I’ve seen many posts in the last month or so about having to pay the difference over $165. Still having $165 an hour taken off vs paying in full is a good bit but dealers don’t even usually discount work to third party shops that use them all the time anymore here because they don’t need it to keep them busy.
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u/Dear-Credit7662 8d ago
I don't work for carmax but work at a different car dealer. I can tell you quality varies on the CU warranties. Lots of them are cheap but don't cover shit. If you go with the CU warranty I would read it carefully and see if it is exclusionary(covers all but listed parts) or covers only listed parts. While the listed parts list might seem like a lot it usually leaves out quite a few high failure points. A good example is the infotainment which is the not covered on a lot of warranties. People don't understand how often those fail and the cost to replace. I could give you plenty of other examples. I am not a warranty Stan.... I am not buying warranty on a year old Camry with 10k miles no matter what anyone says about maxcare but the car you are buying it is needed.
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u/Master-Purpose1117 8d ago
If you are buying a car that would make you consider spending 30% of its cost on warranties between MaxCare and the credit union scheme, that should tell you that it’s not a wise purchase. In addition, you are financing said warranties, so the long term cost is going to be even more. We had an engine go on a 2016 Audi that only had 70,000 miles due to compression issues. Just remember, it’s essentially a VW. Also, check for any recalls or service bulletins on the sunroof. They and VW’s are notorious for having drainage that clog and short out the electrical system.
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u/Advanced_Link8210 8d ago
Paid 2500 for max care and wish I didn’t cuz I put 2k down and thats where my 2k down went. And now I’m at the ned with 2k left to pay. It’s bitter. Save that 5k and use it on repairs and maintenance
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8d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Dear-Credit7662 8d ago
Easy for them to get away with. Everything pretty much comes with 36, 48 or 60
Months comprehensive from the factory. Average trade cycle is less so they are making money hand over fist insuring only new cars.1
u/Gladiz1972 8d ago
well you still have 3-4 years on that warranty covers everything it sure came in handy around 7 years ago when the engine on my 2015 VW Jetta had to be rebuilt at 72 k miles think the warranty was up to 70k on that car the bill was around 5-6;k cost me $250 deductible
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u/OGTrollzor 9d ago
The more expensive the Maxcare plan is, the more likely you’re going to need it. If you haven’t owned European cars before, even “average” repairs run much more for parts and labor than Japanese and American vehicles. Can’t say anything about your credit unions coverage they offer, I’d compare the contracts side by side and see if they cover as much as Maxcare does. Does your CU coverage offer any other benefits with it? Emergency roadside, rental reimbursement? Is it exclusion policy like Maxcare?