Since this is my first Mercedes I am curious if the factory extended warranty is a worthwhile investment; should I research an aftermarket warranty; or forget the whole thing. It seems a pricey to me. I did a search and didn't find any opinions pro or con. Consumer Reports feels that reliability is down and the car is definitely heavy on tech. I have usually done my own oil changes, tire rotations, etc but I'm getting a bit older and value my driving time more. Plus I have other toys in the garage to play with and that need more attention. Thanks for any replys and opinions!
-Chris
In 02, I bought a 2000 E320 wagon with 30k miles from the dealer (it was "starmarked" at the time-they call it preowned now)...i added 3 extra years to my warranty, so that the car ended up being warrantied until April of 2008 or 100,000 miles. As of now, it has 87,000 so it's right on target to expire on time.
I have gotten a brand new 4Matic transmission replaced free, as well as countless other items which would've cost $1000s...no way i would not buy it if you plan on keeping the car.
I just bought an 07 GL320, and i added an extra three years to it as well. I figure if i'm not the one driving it, it's a selling point anyway. If it runs as well as i hope, maybe i'll still have it after all.
I keep asking my wife to let me replace her 2000 wagon but she says no way-she loves it. If it weren't for the warranty, it would've been long gone.
Too bad that it appears that an extended warranty seems like such a good investment for the Mercedes because of all the expensive repairs needed. If a similar question were placed on a Toyota or Lexus discussion board, the answer would be- no you don't need it because it nothing significant goes wrong very often. (of course- I still won't buy a Toyota, Lexus or such), oh well - -
You might also check with both the MBZ dealer and such places as your credit union. They often offer after-market warranties, from reputable companies, which are less than half the cost of the MBZ warranty. Just depends on what you feel comfortable with. Don't buy from any company that does not come recommended from a knowing source.
I bought the extended on my C55, but did not keep the car long enough to activate it. and I received a FULL REFUND, it was the one offered from the Dealer.
If you make the decision and need it to be in effect immediately shop around for the best price. I suggest you make sure its MB backed though.
Thanks for the replies. I have a couple of plans I'm looking at. When I took delivery the dealership went over some options but suprisingly went over them very fast. I'm going to contact them this weekend and take the time to get more details and a complete description of what's covered and the cost.
Last year I tried to find out what it would cost me to get an extended warranty after the original 2 yr warranty had expired by 6 months. As there was this gap, MB would not even give a quote until they had performed a comprehensive examination of the car. Far more expensive than a B service, too.
I'm going to trust to fortune here, and hope for the best....
Vehicle: 2001 E320 - Brilliant Silver/Ash: MBCA member
Location: The Mountain State
Posts: 6,381
I believe in having any MB with a factory-backed warranty, if at all possible. It's too bad that we "need" one, but I think they are a good insurance policy. Because my 1st experience with a used MB was a bad one, I bought this as certified-pre-owned (CPO) and extended that to 24 months. I think if I were to buy a new Benz (and planned to keep it for more than 4 years) I would pay to extend that.
Two things to keep in mind are: If you buy the warranty from a MB dealer, the earlier into your new car warranty you are, the less it will cost you to extend it. Plus, once it is activated, it is only transferable to a private owner, not if you trade it back in at a dealership (terminates immediately). I don't know how they work if you sell it to a used car dealer.
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Last edited by Musikmann : 03-15-2007 at 12:12 PM.
Vehicle: 2001 E320 - Brilliant Silver/Ash: MBCA member
Location: The Mountain State
Posts: 6,381
Question for keyhole
Quote:
Originally Posted by keyhole
Last year I tried to find out what it would cost me to get an extended warranty after the original 2 yr warranty had expired by 6 months. As there was this gap, MB would not even give a quote until they had performed a comprehensive examination of the car. Far more expensive than a B service, too.
I'm going to trust to fortune here, and hope for the best....
How does it generally work in the UK? Did you buy a car with 2 years of new car warranty remaining, and that is how you had one for 2 years?
How does it generally work in the UK? Did you buy a car with 2 years of new car warranty remaining, and that is how you had one for 2 years?
I wondered in this question might come up......
As I understand it, the warranties on MB cars worldwide depends on the individual country, the local sales markup, and the local competition, etc.
In the UK, MB offers 3 years on all new cars, as do Ford, GM etc. In this case, my 2004 CLK was a 'parallel import' originally scheduled for Barbados (also RHD) but redirected to the original owner in London to reduce his waiting time.
MB UK are willing to do this, but the new owner is stuck with the warranty allowed in the first country - which for Barbados is just 2 years. This expired shortly after I took delivery in early 2006. A one year warranty (not MB) was supplied with the car sale to match my situation with their regular customers.
I don't think that MB USA allows parallel imports.
Question for keyhole 
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