odonnks

I've always thought of the add-on warranties as more of a money maker for dealers or department strores.

Looking at a new C63 AMG and the sales person mentioned an additional cost for a wheel and tire warranty. The wheels are the 19-inch 507 ones that are dark in color. Said it covers curb rash and damage done if potholes are hit.
I'm pretty sure but not certain the warranty is not a MB product.

Now, I've have broken wheels in the past when hitting potholes and just went out and bought new ones.

Given that I would rarely drive in the city and really just want a ride for the weekends into the country what are you thoughts on the value of a warranty like this that costs $2,350?

My original thought was to run the tires until they need replaced then store the wheels and purchase replacements with tires for much less than the warranty cost.

Any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks !

jmg1848

I think at $1850 its a no brainer. Check what other c63 owners paid....

Conv_GSDriver

If you buy a set of forged wheels, much stronger. If you are talking about cheap cast wheels, it's up to you, but to be honest I don't bother with those warranties. I drive carefully if i'm in an area known to have potholes. I have to say California isn't bad at all on the roards when it comes to potholes.

As far as the tires, if you are getting michelins or some reputable brand, usually those tires have a manufacturer/mileage warranty already. For example I had a flat on my rear OEM Goodyears for my corvette 5k miles into it. Itook it to america's tire and it was patched all underwarranty at no cost to me. They did the work and I left. I would look into the tires you are buying. If they have a warranty already, just read the fine print to ensure it covers patch work.

screw991le

How many claims can you make over the life of the warranty? Delectable?

Conv_GSDriver

you have to read the fine print from the manufacturer's warranty, depending where the damage is, if it is dead center, it could be patched multiple times, as long its not on the same exact spot. If the damage happens to occur on the sidewall, most places will never repair that and the manufacturer will also not endorse sidewall repair.

screw991le

IK, I am asking the OP.

rediesel

THe 507 wheels the OP is considering are forged not cast, and certainly not cheap. That said I didn't buy the insurance on my black 507 wheels - salesman certainly pushed it. I did get some slight curb rash on the black outside edge of one and was able to fix it by sanding and painting with flat back rustoleum. I really cant find the flaw now. I've hit some big potholes and these rims are strong.

jarjoug

I have the warranty. They will not replace your wheel, if your tire did not get damaged.

solekeeper

lol i can't believe anyone would even consider this warranty.

Prodx

I would be cautious about anything the Finance Managers push on you. You think it's over after negotiating the contract requirements of your car, but it's not. They try to set the tone by having you say, "yes, yes, yes", then push some **** you don't need.

"Odonnks, I see you went for the C63 AMG, that is such a great car! It even sounds awesome right? Do you like the drive? Cool, I see you've even got it in (insert random color). My wife says it's her favorite car in the Mercedes line. You'll definitely enjoy this car for a long time.

(customer agrees, and is in "YES" mode) - With that said, we have some packages available that ensures the car stays in great shape. It's a performance car and we want to make sure your investment is protected. The wheel & tire protection is a no-brainer. Last week, I had a customer come in and we replaced all of his tires in 30 minutes flat. We normally charge $$$, but I'll give it to you today for $$$ because we have a summer sale promotion. Also, did you know that a car is stolen every 40 seconds in the US? For the low-price of $XXXX, we can install a LoJack system to recover your ride in less than 24 hours!"

I am not saying that these are bad investments. It all depends on how you will be driving your car. I personally did not get the tire & wheel protection because I avoid driving through construction zones and try not to pass through unknown areas or alleys at night.

alexmtl

Hahahaha my exact experience !

I chose not to go with the warranty, but with Montreal's bad roads I'm kind of sh*tting my pants every time I hit a pot hole.

jcfay

I purchased one of these on my previous car, an '11 audi q5, and never used it. It wasn't super expensive but once I read the fine print after getting some minor curb rash I realized it wasn't a good deal. It only covered defects that were significantly structural (so not curb rash), and there were all sorts of other BS exceptions as well too. So I do what others have outlined above with my C63 - drive very carefully, scan the road like crazy, swerve (reasonably) to avoid any remaining monster potholes from the winter, and keep my fingers crossed. I'm sure at some point some damage is inevitable but I'll just pony up for it then.

Insurers are in the business because they make money on it. Yes, someone else's loss can be your gain if your out of pocket would have exceeded what the insurance ends up actually covering (since the insurers look at populations), but the percentages and $$ never favor the individual. It's like the lottery in this respect, IMO.

realjones88

I do not think it is worth it. For you to even break even on this warranty you would obviously need $2K in wheel work done. Like anything the finance guy is pushing this is mostly pure profit for the dealership. I would pass.

There are many companies that can repair minor curb rash for less than $200 a wheel and match the color so unless you take out a rim completely the warranty won't pay for itself.

-Marlin-

I passed on the tire/wheel warranty and the suspension warranty. In retrospect, I probably should have reconsidered on the suspension considering what a replacement could cost. I patch tires with plugs. Even when they say that "these tires can't be patched" BS. $5 patch kit has always worked for me especially considering how fast these tires wear out.