8Ball

Hi all,

I did a search on 2011 GLK on extended warranties. Many of the folks asking had purchased a previously owned car or were looking at 7/75,000 mile warranties.

Based on our driving average per year, we would need a 7 yr/100,000 mile warranty and I got one quote for $4,200 from a Mercedes dealer . This seems high, but I wanted to check with other forum members. We intend to keep the car 8 to 10 years and and had a horrible experience with electronic and other issue with our prior car when it got to the 70,000 mile range.

Thanks!

NYCGLK

wow, I was quoted 3500, and dealer was willing to give it for 3k. I didn't take it. Save 4k for future repairs you'll be better off. If it starts breaking down too much just sell it. Also you gotta be careful with these warranties esp. if you don't accumulate miles evenly. I plan to keep the car for long time and opted not to get any warranties. If you really need piece of mind, check with your insurance company, they offer similar coverage for fraction of the price. Of course there are drawbacks too.

F18BEN

+1

8Ball

Hi NYCGLK,

Thanks for the reply. I did check with our auto insurer, and they only go up to 6 yrs for the term, plus there were other drawbacks which made it not worth it for us. For your quote from your dealer of $3,500 - was that for the 7yr/100,000 or the 7yr/75,000 warranty?

Appreciate the info.

NYCGLK

7yr/100k, but that was 1.5 years ago, prices could have changed. I don't think it's worth it for 3k. Seriously, 3k will cover one or two major repairs. If you need more than that you will prolly want to sell the car anyways and not deal with going to dealer all the time.

Also keep in mind it's not 7yr/100k, it's extra 3yr/60k. So if you put 40k in first 2 years and then need repair it'll be under ext. warranty (factory is only40k i belive), and after that you'll be covered for only 3 years. So you would be covered for total of only 5 years not 7 in this scenario.

PS. Geico is 7yr/100k for 700 bux. But yes you are right, the drawbacks are you have to stay with the same insurer and it's not transferable. But you do save over 3k this way exp. since you are planning to keep the car.

MKenM

NYCGLK might be onto something, how often do you change insurers? Might be worth it. I wouldn't spend for the extended warranty I turned it down when I bought mine.

Shak59

I don't know if this is the best option, but I just direct deposit $50 from my paycheck to a separate "auto repair" account.

I'm covered under factory warranty for 4yr/50k. Depending on how quick you go through that, you'll have accumulated a few k's for repairs.

If you use it okay no dif. than getting extended warranty. But at least there's the option of you having money left over.

8Ball

Thanks for the inputs! I will check out Geico and run the idea of "self insuring" (saving $50 per paycheck) by the spouse. As a side note, after my first post I did get an email with a lower MB dealer quote for the 7/100K for $3,500.

Shak59

At the very least if you want to buy the MB warranty, shop around to all dealers. I think you may even be able to buy it nationally from any dealership. Find the best deal and let us know!

Obviously make sure it isn't dealer specific, but a true extended warranty should be honored at any MB dealer

8Ball

Well, we ended up with the Mercedes Benz 7/100,000 extended warranty for "peace of mind" considering our prior bad experiences with a different German car. I called lots of dealers and got over $1100 off the very high msrp for the warrenty. So we are happy. Since it is our first Mercedes, we may be pleasently surprised. If we get to the 45K mile range and have no issues, we are thinking we can cancel for a full refund.

MBRedux

This topic has been well covered before. A simple search on the forum will show that members are mixed as to whether its all worth it or not. I turned down the extended warranty because it's been proven to be a complete waste of money on average. It also runs concurrent with the factory coverage. So you're paying twice. (The factory coverage is built into the price of the car) The salesman called me back in and knocked off $1500, I still turned it down. The fine print in all these plans need to be regulated.

I would take the $4500K+ and invest it wisely. Build on it... name it the "Mercedes Emergency Fund" then in 3-5 years it should be worth something, enough to do all kinds of serious repairs.

And please, to all the doom and gloom *what if?* types that fear the entire engine or tranny needing replacement or something, just forget it. Keep the money. Most members here will be out of this car before the factory warranty coverage expires anyway.

NYCGLK

That's not really true. It's not 7yr/100k. it's 3 year/50k warranty that starts after your original 4yr/50k warranty expires, Which is even worse as you are paying for something today that won't start for another 3-4 years depending on how soon you reach 50k mark.

MKenM

8 Ball I think you provided your own answer "peace of mind" but I we think it's the wrong answer. Is it true that if you don't use it within the 1st 45K you can get your money back? WOW so that's why they have insurance if you don't die you can ask for you premium back. Doesn't sound right to me. And MBRedux and NYCGLK are right you are only getting 3 yrs 50 K.

MBRedux

I'm sorry if I confused the issue for you NYCGLK, but I think we're saying the same thing. (Maybe you meant to quote the OP instead?) In any case, the *extended warranty* plan starts from the moment you buy it and expires after the term runs dry. So if you were to buy a plan from day one, your factory plan runs along side the extended plan. So let's say if your factory plan was for 5 yrs/50K miles, and your extended plan ran for 10 yrs/100K miles, you're actually paying for a 5 year extension, not a 10 year since the dealer defaults to the factory warranty during the first 5 years. That's almost $1,000.00 a year for "peace of mind". What a waste IMO. Plus, not all dealerships sell the same extended coverage. Some are real crap, where they are not even required to replace broken parts with New or even Rebuilt OEM parts. Keep in mind, Mercedes dealers don't always use New Parts, or even OEM parts that been rebuilt on insurance or on aftermarket warranty repairs once the car is officially off the New Car Factory Warranty. What a scam!

You have been warned. Read the plan, especially the small print for these details. Some are better than others, but I pity the owners who paid for the junkie ones.

NYCGLK

MBRedux, you must have different warranty terms. THere is no such warranty as 7yr/100k from MB (not that I have heard, read or been offered). 7yr/100 refers to total coverage 4yr/50k original and 3yr/50k extended, which is still not 100% true.

Here is what I read on ML/GL forums when deciding on ext. warranty.

Say you drive 49k in 3 years and need major repair. This repair is covered under original warranty.

Let's say you put another 2k miles in a week (now at 51k and car is 3 years old), and need another repair. This time original warranty has expired and the repair is covered under extended warranty. This is when extended warranty starts running (due to reached mileage limit on the original warranty). So now say you don't drive as much and put 30k miles over 3 years and need repair. You are out of luck because your ext. warranty has expired ( 3 years have passed). So your total coverage ended up being only 6 years and 81k miles. This pissed some GL owners off who bough ext warranty from MB forum thinking they are covered fro 7yr/100k.

MKenM

So I pulled out the papers that I kept from when I purchased my vehicle. It reads:

Vehicle Service Contract

Direct Extension of your Original New Car Factory Warranty for up to 7 years or 100,000 miles Without Deductible. Then it says 84 months or 75,000 miles, $0.00 deductible. (I don't get the 75K part)

Not that it makes any sense but the key words are "Direct Extension" so it starts after the New Car Warranty expires.

The dealer offered me the following:

Vehicle Service Contract - $3,540.00
Boomer Shine (Guaranties paint and chrome finish for 5 years) - $995.00
Comprehensive Tire and Wheel Coverage - $1049.00
First Class Windshield - $799.00

Grand Total $6,383.00

They offered me the package for $4,005.00

I know I went a little off track but the bottom line is it EXTENDS the New Car Warranty no more no less. There may be fine print that puts certain limits or stipulations on repairs but but that may change from dealer to dealer depending on whether it is their extended warranty or they are selling someone else's insurance policy.

MBRedux

Wait a second! Are you high or something? Where did I say that? = (7 year 100K miles ?) No where... The extended warranty examples I stated (5y-50K or 10y-100K) were for the sake of the discussion, nothing more. Plus I have no "terms" because if you did read my posts, you would know that I HAVE NO EXTENDED COVERAGE either..... get it now?

MBRedux

Something isn't right with this. Your contract appears to contradict itself if what you say is true. Plus, direct extension only means from the date of purchase. Call and ask them.

MKenM

The contradiction (75 K miles) is something I can't explain. This was 2 years ago but it is correct it extends for an extra 3 years or 50 miles which ever comes fist from the date of purchase.

I am sorry that 8Ball didn't get to see the numbers that I just posted. He went from $4,200 to $3,100 is what is sounds like. I didn't even press the dealer to get him to lower his price and give me all that I posted above. So I am thinking that $3,100 is not a great price either. I've replaced a rim and a windshield out of pocket and I am still saving money without the insurance. Who knows what the future will hold but if there is an inkling of a major problem I will dump the car.

NYCGLK

no i don't smoke, chill out I GET THAT YOU HAVE NO EXTENDED COVERAGE

That's just not how it works, ext. warranty doesn't run concurrent and it doesn't start the moment you buy it.

MBRedux

Well then please stop misquoting me! Thanks...

Well I completely disagree. It may differ from state to state but I doubt that. The word "Extended" means "to add to" not "start from", because if it didn't, the mileage limit would not be part of the contract.

Show me where it states otherwise if you can? (That is that the 5-7-10 etc. year "extension" starts after the factory coverage ends for the quoted period of time. That would mean that it's an *Additive* coverage, not *Extended*!)

NYCGLK

you make no sense, you contradict yourself in your own post

NYCGLK

per MBUSA
http://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/DigitalA...d_warranty.pdf

Extended Limited Warranty coverage offers protection that
begins immediately after the original 4-year/50,000-mile
New Vehicle Limited Warranty expires.

It’s the smart way
to extend coverage, with options that add up to several extra
years of peace of mind to your ownership experience — up to
100,000 miles.

MKenM

If the MB dealer offers it and it is a MB product then it would be an "extension". If the MB dealer offers it and it is a 3rd party product then it would be an "additive". In any case you can protect the vehicle for up to 100,000 miles. Can you say "Semantics"?

MBRedux

No, there's no contradiction. Whatever, good luck with your unnecessary extended warranty.