FURIOUS..........
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Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: New England
CLS63
FURIOUS..........
Last week with these wonderful New England roads I hit a MONSTROUS pothole and damaged my wheel and got 2 bubbles on the front tire sidewall. When I got my car 10 months and 13,000 miles ago, I was PRESSURED by the sales manager to buy a warranty which would cover my AMG wheels and tires from any mishaps with the exception of curb/parking damage. He said the only catch was that the tires would be pro-rated for tire-wear, which I obviously understood. Saturday afternoon, I dropped the car off and asked them to call me today and let me know what would be done. I left a copy of the warranty from Penske with the service advisor, who had NO CLUE what it entailed. She simply stated that someone would call me today. So TODAY.... I get a call from the service guy telling me that my claim was REJECTED by Penske because my tread depth was 1/32 lower than the limit allowed under the warranty. So I buy a FIVE YEAR warranty and it is no good after TEN MONTHS of car ownership??? Are you ****ing kidding me??????? I have SEVERAL dealers closer to my home but drive OVER AN HOUR to see these people because a friend recommended them. I called my car insurance company and they told me I could file a claim but would have a 300 dollar deductable, and an annual surcharge after that. What gives ?????? 
Anyone have this Penske insurance and ever have the same issue ? Thanks in advance.
Anyone have this Penske insurance and ever have the same issue ? Thanks in advance.
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Joined: Jul 2007
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From: San Antonio
2008 C350
Sounds like a load of BS to me, but I'll bet there is some fine print that let's them reject the claim based on tread wear. They'll say it is because of excessive wear and probably blame your driving.
I don't have specific experience with Penske, but I am always skeptical of 3rd party warranties, especially on tires. I prefer to go with the manufactorer or the retailer who sold them to me.
I'd bet they'd come to an arrangement with you if you fought them on it a bit. If not I'd get the dealership involved since they obviously seem to have some sort of business relationship that would cause them to push this warranty.
If all fails you'll have to bite the bullet I guess, but I would recommend buying your new tires from someplace else and getting a warranty direct from them. I "insured" mine at one of the national tire retailers and they have been good to me over the life of several cars, even getting me replacement tires when coverage was questionable.
And they'll balance (and rotate if possible) your tires for free if/when that is necessary.
I don't have specific experience with Penske, but I am always skeptical of 3rd party warranties, especially on tires. I prefer to go with the manufactorer or the retailer who sold them to me.
I'd bet they'd come to an arrangement with you if you fought them on it a bit. If not I'd get the dealership involved since they obviously seem to have some sort of business relationship that would cause them to push this warranty.
If all fails you'll have to bite the bullet I guess, but I would recommend buying your new tires from someplace else and getting a warranty direct from them. I "insured" mine at one of the national tire retailers and they have been good to me over the life of several cars, even getting me replacement tires when coverage was questionable.
And they'll balance (and rotate if possible) your tires for free if/when that is necessary.
Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 116
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From: Ma
W204
and that is why we stay away from these. you give the dealer your money when the car is perfect and when you bring it in, they blame you. they already have the money so why help? sure you bought a warranty and the thing to do as a reputable dealership that wants the repeat business from you is to honor said warranty...nope. go someplace else. there ARE dealerships in the NE that are good. i don't know where your located exactly but Flagship in Peabody MA...what a joke as far as sales but their service department ain't bad. Paul is a VERY nice guy. The dealership in Haverhill MA is good too because they lack business and appreciate ALL of their customers. you probably don't live anywhere near either so i'm not much help here but the moral of the story remains the same...you have legitimate warranty, argument and complaint. if you don't find a dealership around that sees it that way call MBUSA. believe it or not, they do help.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,240
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From: New Jersey
E550 4MATIC
I could see how they would say they wouldn't do anything for the tire, but if the protection plan was supposed to cover the wheels and you said there is damage to your AMG wheels then I would suggest fighting this. The tire has nothing to do with the wheel.
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Joined: Dec 2008
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2008 C350 | Saks5A Edition
ugh... sorry, man. that sux. i too bought a 5 year warranty for my 18" AMGs; i've got the saks 5a edition too. but my warranty was direct through mercedes. i'm going to check my warranty tomorrow to make sure that i'm not cheated in the same way you were!
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Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 120
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From: Jacksonville Florida, USA
C300 Sport
I also purchased the Tire and Wheel warranty during the purchase of the car but i did it through Mercedes.
2 months back we had a flat and when my wife took the car to fix the tire, a nail had caused enough damage that we had to replace both the tire as well as the 18" AMG rim. The nail had done some damage to the rim that the service rep mentioned that it would be audible enough while driving. But the insurance company denied the claim mentioning that the rim would be replaced only when the rim renders the car not drivable - apparently they do not care if there is noise / the tire wobbles because of a dent on the rim.
But the dealer intervened (and when we picked up the dealer mentioned that they took it up to MBUSA and they talked directly to the insurance company to persuade them to accept our claim since we were first time MB owners) and we got the tire as well as the rim replaced only for $40 - for labor.
I think you should talk to the dealer.
2 months back we had a flat and when my wife took the car to fix the tire, a nail had caused enough damage that we had to replace both the tire as well as the 18" AMG rim. The nail had done some damage to the rim that the service rep mentioned that it would be audible enough while driving. But the insurance company denied the claim mentioning that the rim would be replaced only when the rim renders the car not drivable - apparently they do not care if there is noise / the tire wobbles because of a dent on the rim.
But the dealer intervened (and when we picked up the dealer mentioned that they took it up to MBUSA and they talked directly to the insurance company to persuade them to accept our claim since we were first time MB owners) and we got the tire as well as the rim replaced only for $40 - for labor.
I think you should talk to the dealer.
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: Long Island, NY
Any AMG Thats Around..
And they usually dont cover the rim unless it is damaged so severly that it wont hold air.. Also if there is curb damage they will try to blame you on hitting a curb, and you hitting a curb is not "road hazard" therefore not covered....
Lots of grey lines in that warranty... the service advisor has to know exacty what to say and be famiular with the warranty, or else its over before it even began....
Lots of grey lines in that warranty... the service advisor has to know exacty what to say and be famiular with the warranty, or else its over before it even began....
Thread Starter
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From: New England
CLS63
So I went to pick the car up tonight after the service writer returned a voicemail I left NINETY MINUTES prior. He told me the wheel was repaired "like new" and praised the craftsmanship of the wheel guy. I paid with a credit card and agreed to have the key left for me to pick up after service closed. Upon arrival, I went right to the damaged wheel to see for myself how it came out. The wheel was UNTOUCHED. New tire, same damaged wheel. While I was melting down over it, my friend that drove me to the dealer said "Jeesh, you should have had them fix this wheel over here at the same time". Going around now to look at the other front wheel, it was OBVIOUS that the gouges in that wheel were fresh. I went in and asked for a manager and was quickly pointed towards the sales manager. I explained my case and asked him to come out and look at the wheels. I knew once the car left the lot that I would own or be blamed for the newly damaged wheel. When I dropped the car off I made sure that the service writer looked over the car and annotated any damage the vehicle had besides the wheel and tire I brought it in for. There was nothing showing then. The sales manager tonight was VERY helpful and promised me he would get to the bottom of everything tomorrow. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: United States
2008 R350 & 2008 C300
All dealerships offer these so called warranties and like a previous poster, I too steer clear of them. In real world situations they never end up paying off in the log run, hence the reason they offer them in the first place. People in general won't offer a service unless they stand to make money on it. Although I will say that not all dealerships are the same and some handle things much differently.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Atlanta, GA
2008 C300 Sport 6 Speed Manual, 1953 Chevy Bel-Air, 2015 Audi allroad, 1963 Chevy Apache
All dealerships offer these so called warranties and like a previous poster, I too steer clear of them. In real world situations they never end up paying off in the log run, hence the reason they offer them in the first place. People in general won't offer a service unless they stand to make money on it. Although I will say that not all dealerships are the same and some handle things much differently.
When my girlfriend was buying her A4 last month, Audi offered her a similar plan for $600 that also included windshield chip repair and door/fender ding repair. She can even wait 90 days to buy in seperately...so we are waiting to see if she is a door ding magnet first...but seems like it offers a lot more value for the money.
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Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Ohio
X3 and 2012 C coming soon
When I was finalizing my deal, they had automatically put the $650 charge on. They looked at me like I was crazy when I declined....kinda like OMG you are not getting this, everyone gets it....aren't you afraid!!!
When my girlfriend was buying her A4 last month, Audi offered her a similar plan for $600 that also included windshield chip repair and door/fender ding repair. She can even wait 90 days to buy in seperately...so we are waiting to see if she is a door ding magnet first...but seems like it offers a lot more value for the money.
When my girlfriend was buying her A4 last month, Audi offered her a similar plan for $600 that also included windshield chip repair and door/fender ding repair. She can even wait 90 days to buy in seperately...so we are waiting to see if she is a door ding magnet first...but seems like it offers a lot more value for the money.
Around here ding removal is usually only $50.00-$75.00 per ding and most ding removal places offer a multi-ding discount.
Windshield chips are another story, but my insurance company pays to replace a cracked windshield and waives the deductible.
So before you buy that plan, check to see what the prices are in your area. You may also want to find out how good your dealership is at honoring such a warranty. One more thing to consider. Aftermarket replica wheels are plentiful for Audis; especially if you like the RS4 wheels
.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 353
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From: Wilmington,NC
E63
Funny about this warranty stuff. I destroyed a Style IV 18"AMG rim and when I had it fixed at the dealer no one ever mentioned that I "should have had the Warranty." I did decline it at purchase.
see this thread:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...tml?highlight=
see this thread:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...tml?highlight=
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 323
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From: New England
CLS63
My service advisor just called to apologize and tell me that everything is all set. Apparently they fixed a wheel and tire on another car thinking it was mine......
Because the other wheel was damaged differently than mine, the warranty company declined the claim. SUPPOSEDLY both of MY wheels are all set now and the cost has been covered by Penske. I'll update you guys tomorrow after I pick her up.........
Because the other wheel was damaged differently than mine, the warranty company declined the claim. SUPPOSEDLY both of MY wheels are all set now and the cost has been covered by Penske. I'll update you guys tomorrow after I pick her up.........
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 446
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'08 C 300 Sport, '01 SL 500 & '08 Nissan Frontier SE Crew Cab 4WD
AMG 18" wheels are not cheap, in retrospect I would have just got the standard wheels. My wife curbed our right front about eight months ago, I called MB to get a quote on a replacement $998.00 
I had MB's best wheel repair look at it and he said these wheels are un repairable even with minor damage because they are both forged & clear coated.
-Ryan
I had MB's best wheel repair look at it and he said these wheels are un repairable even with minor damage because they are both forged & clear coated. -Ryan
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,828
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From: United States
2008 R350 & 2008 C300
When I was finalizing my deal, they had automatically put the $650 charge on. They looked at me like I was crazy when I declined....kinda like OMG you are not getting this, everyone gets it....aren't you afraid!!!
When my girlfriend was buying her A4 last month, Audi offered her a similar plan for $600 that also included windshield chip repair and door/fender ding repair. She can even wait 90 days to buy in seperately...so we are waiting to see if she is a door ding magnet first...but seems like it offers a lot more value for the money.
When my girlfriend was buying her A4 last month, Audi offered her a similar plan for $600 that also included windshield chip repair and door/fender ding repair. She can even wait 90 days to buy in seperately...so we are waiting to see if she is a door ding magnet first...but seems like it offers a lot more value for the money.
