DB11 V12 Purchase ~ AM Warranty?

[vanman1936]

Hi guys

Planning on a sport GT in the coming months.

Thinking a DB11 V12 is a logical next move for me, done the 911 / Masser thing. Lexus LC in the running. California a bit flash perhaps. Have an E63S as a daily so the DB11 V8 not of interest given same engine.

The DB11 V12 seem reliable, but I would image bills can be big if a fault develops. Just had a £5k bill on the Merc for a faulty cabin screen!

Tell me about AM warranties - well regarded, cost, can they be added to a private purchase?

Any other DB11 views welcome.

[bents99]

Have owned my DB11 V12 for coming up on 2 years and still love it. Mines a ‘17 launch edition and no issues at all, just make sure you keep the battery charged up. Can’t imagine anything I’d prefer at the price. Feels like a bargain for the money.

[LTP]

vanman1936 said:

Hi guys
<snip>

Tell me about AM warranties - well regarded, cost, can they be added to a private purchase?

Any other DB11 views welcome.

Timeless is well regarded (by me at least) but it is not the same as the OEM warranty that comes with the car - Timeless is an insurance product and there are some things they don't cover that the OEM one would. So read the literature. They are also not cheap and driving through a claim can often depend on the effort your AML MD is prepared to put in on your behalf. Mine went a long way to get a new nav joystick for my V8V, and it involved them sending pictures, reports, videos and pushing back on the initial push-back. But then they sold me the car and the Timeless, so they have an interest in me as a customer.

I've touched on cost being expensive and I don't know how much for a V12 DB11 - others may know. I do know it's £000's rather than £00's. It's cheaper if you take out 2 years rather than one. It also gets more expensive as the car ages

Yes you can add it to a private purchase, as long as the car passes the mandatory inspection required to be allowed back into the scheme (once it's in, it's in, unless you let it lapse again). The inspection also costs you, so buying a car with even a little bit of Timeless still active (it's transferable) will save you that hassle and expense.

Personally, having gotten my money's worth for a few items and fixing all the issues (most of which were irritations rather than VOR), I'm self-insuring.

[skhannes]

I have a 2018 DB11 V12 for going on 3 years. Other than a few niggles that have nothing to do with the engine, I very much like this powerplant. In fact, I would not have been interested in the DB11 if only the V8 was available. Not that there is anything wrong with the V8. In fact, I had essentially the same engine in my AMG GTS. It's just that I have a weakness (desire) for 12 cylinder engines. Especially since so many manufacturers are moving to smaller displacements and V12s are becoming rare.

By now I would have been interested in and moving towards the MC20, but for the V6 only powerplant.

[hashlove]

I’ve been running a DB11 V8 Volante for the last 4 years. Bought from the dealer and when the warranty expired I didn’t renew. Found that I had to argue a lot for the small niggles that I had and there was always a lot of “thats not covered” etc…

Not that I had any significant problems, but feel that you’d be better off leaving the warranty money in a rainy day account and not touching it till needed. Best advice is above - make sure the battery is adequately charged and use the car, they hate being sat around.

Finding a good independent is also my preference these days as the hourly charges are ridiculous, so another reason for not using main dealers anymore (owned 4 Astons in my time).

Would suggest doing a back to back V12/V8 test drive as the dynamics are quite different. Either way, brilliant cars and great value and lots of fun.

[M1AGM]

DB11 AMR for nearly 3 years. First year was with a timeless warranty from AM main dealer. It covered a misfire repair, windscreen pump replaced, and all my front brake assembly including discs and pads replaced due to warping (may have had something to do with a trip to Switzerland but probably just coincidence lol).

Apart from the front brakes the costs of repairs (all together around £1500) was a lot less than the warranty. Warranty is circa £2500k a year.

The front brakes was a bonus, even the dealer was surprised it got approved, that was over £4k.

If I was buying another AM I would get the car under the timeless warranty for the first year of ownership just incase its a lemon or hiding some big bills. That requires a paid for inspection with a main dealer first if buying outside of the network but I think its essential for piece of mind.