Hi guys,

I am looking to purchase a 09 AM Vantage coupe for my wife and I'd like some feedback on the reliability of the car.

I owned bmw, benz and porsche but never an Aston Martin.

I personally believe the AM Vantage is one the best looking car ever designed; I think it's actually the best ever designed.

I am also sure the performance, comfort and overall driving experience is fantastic but one thing remains in doubt and that is RELIABILITY.

I hear and read many car reviews where they joke about AM's reliability. How true is it? Is it better, worse or like any other car?

Your opinions, answers and feedback is appreciated.

Thank you ahead of time.

 

Doesn't AM offer a 2 or 3 yr unlt'd miles bumper to bumper, everything included warranty on these? As to the original question, I've talked with guys that have 25k+ on their 07s with only routine maintenance, so i'd say they're solid

 

With a 09 - you should be pretty safe, bulk of the issues where with 06 & to a small degree 07 cars, all these wrinkles have been worked out.

The current model also features advancements from previous years with:
- new sports pack
- more HP
- upgraded interior
- and finally mp3 ready

Stay away from the Sat Nav - it's crap!!

I have an 07 and must admit I've had my fair share of teething problems and almost bailed on the car for a Porsche, but at the end of day I just loved the car so much. Kinda' like going shopping with your girlfriend . . . same no more. I ended up putting on 16k on the dial and I'm finding the car is getting better with age in terms of power, responsiveness and reliability.

Final words, these are hand build cars with much lower volume than bmw, benz and porsche, therefore expect a few things to pop up.

On the plus side, Inventory at some dealers is high, so if you take an 'in stock car', you'll likely get a great deal. Warranty is 3 years, but is limited mileage (not that I've ever reach that first)

Yearly maintenance is approx $800 US (based on my first bill)

Good luck!

 

gekko put it pretty well - I have an '07 Vantage and have had no worse problems than any of my new Porsches. Big difference is how the issues were handled by my dealer (AM of Tampa) - simply fantastic. Have never had a dealer react with such professional care or attitude towards making me happy. I have read this about several other AM dealers too ... there are several previous 6-speed AM threads asking the same question ... w/ positive opinions.
Yeah the SatNav is not very good but I have yet to see a car w/o it. The upgraded stereo is the best "stock/option" system I have ever heard - then again the DBS B&O is even better ...

 

I bought my '06 Vantage about a year ago. I have had very minor (mostly cosmetic) items that needed addressing. I have had the work done at Aston Martin Tampa and just had 4 new tires installed (with alignment) at Aston Martin Orlando (new shop). The Orlando shop is going to take care of some minor dimples at each corner of the trunk lid and, it turns out, it's covered by warranty.

I am very happy with car.

 

I am new to the Aston Martin scene, but I have to say that I am a very happy owner. My Aston was picked up today and will be taken 700 miles from my residence(paid by Aston) for service and a minor oil leak. I do understand that the oil leak issue has been addressed by Aston via a service bulletin. Not sure what happened to the car(drove it from Frisco to Montana approx 1400 miles) as the previous owner had no issues with it and I do believe him. But in any event, I will have the power upgrade done, so looking at the big picture... it will work out just fine. By the way unlike some Vantage owners, I do love the GPS option and it functions much better than the one in my X5. The 700 watt sound system blows my mind away... too bad I am not 20 anymore LOL.

 

I really prefer the DB9 over the Vantage (I'm a GT kind'a guy), but I bought a Vantage because it's audio system is so amazing. The DB9's Linn system is good, but the Vantage's Alpine system is phenomenal!... totally blows away the $15K Reus system I had installed in my 911. - Linn makes some fine home gear, but they dropped the ball on their DB9 system.

 

Yeah, I am totally impressed with the 700 watt system as well. I cannot believe how good it sounds. I am sometimes torn between listening to the beautiful exhaust note or my CD's etc. The car just rocks though! I love it more than any toy I have ever had. I have had no problems with my car either. I too like the NAV. It works really well and is much better than Porsche IMO.

 

I am also looking at a 2 year old AM. Like many others here, I too, feel the car simply has no equal in term of its design execution. My prior experience has been with Porsche and Audi. My biggest concern is not so much reliability per se, but if the car has a problem, how long will it take to get parts, get it repaired, etc. Since the AM is going to be a pure toy, I don't want it to be in the shop for a month in July waiting for some part from the UK.

Other cars in consideration: Porsche Cayman S, 911 Carrera GTS, used 911tt, Audi RS5, Audi TT-RS. May wait to see what the upcoming M5 is like, but that is a different type of car.

 

zero problems as of yet, minus the emissions warning false scare (which apparently is normal anytime you push the car pretty extreme). No warnings since.

I don't think reliability is the issue, its more like fixing/upgrading some of the cars flaws that will add up a little bit (squeeky brake pads, minor inconveniences like door locks, airbag rattle, etc).

As far as actual breakdowns though, they are very rare.
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Hyde Park Residence 2

 

Reliability at 10,600 miles, OK. However I happened to see the $ amount billed back to AM during the 3yr waranty, over $5K. Small niggles, never stranded, always started, but required regular service visits.

-oil leak at front of engine

-oil leak at failed oil separator

- doors locking by themselves

-loose leather at base of windshield and on pass side door window sill

-evidence of bird poop in clearcoat at delivery

-unbelieveable brake howl

All competantly fixed by dealer under warrenty. From my internet readings I soon expect to have to replace a thermostat, but as a retired hot rodder I will probably do it myself. I love the car, I like the dealership (AM of Troy), and really enjoy the mechanic's knowledge and expertise (Kyle) as well as the parts department people.

The dealer has sponsored "get acquainted with your car" events each spring. I hope this owner feature is continued, I learn a lot.

 

Not to scare you, but rather to give you a point of reference - My 07 was at the dealer over 25 times in the span of three 3years - I had every single issue that affected the Astons.

Parts never took that long to come in (average 3 to 4 days) The longest wait was for a replacement upper leather dash piece which took over 6 weeks (then the dealer lost it ) adding another 8 weeks for them to sort it out (apart from the Hassle, the car was still drivable during this period)

I made the dealer order all the parts (that they knew) where needed for the repairs, therefore turnaround on my car was 2 days on average.

As others have mentioned, making sure you can work with the Service Advisor/mechanic is key if you start to develop multiple issues with your car.

Good luck.


EDIT:
For the record, this didn't stop me from buying another Aston . . .

 

Damn, you guys had a lot of issues. Mine has been quite reliable. I had the small oil leak issue by the timing chain but dealer fixed it in 2 days. I would purchase (and likely will) another in a heartbeat.

Adam

 

My wife is very happy with her MY10, no problem until the brake start to squeal a few months ago, sharp and loud! Took it to the dealer, nothing was fix...try everything, still squeal. A friend of mine switched out the brake pads recently. It is a little better now, but still squeal here and there. We are hoping it will be gone soon. Beautiful car, simply timeless.

 

Once my wheels come in, I will install the new rotors & carbotech pads to see if that cures brake squeel once & for all. They claim it will so lets see just how well they live up to the claim. The biggest added benefit is almost zero brake dust (which should mean my wheels will stay clean for much longer than they are now).

Will update as soon as all of this goes down,
007
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HOW TO ROLL A BLUNT