Saks_C350_Sport

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.

MBTex

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.

StickyZ

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.

Saks_C350_Sport

Thanks for the replies............

tanktube67

Sorry to hear that, but that's Penske

pmb600

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.

mstoby

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!

Carsy

Low profile tyres are subject to damage on bad roads. I prefer the 55's for my potholes.

Derspeed

So they are not replacing the wheel either?

ni2mi2

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.

TuneTime

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....

Saks_C350_Sport

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.

pmb600

I'm so sorry to hear about this crap. What a horrible dealership.

Hellomatto

Have you tired wheelesamerica.com? I have seen there site posted in another thread. This may be a less expensive solution to you problem. Good luck and keep posted.

chilledbenz

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.

ctgilles

Always the same with insurances... As long as you're having to pay no problem, but once they have to pay.... Whoooaaa there!

C300Sport

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.

Derspeed

I messed up a wheel on my car and the whole thing was stripped and refinished for $250.00.

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.

tpick23

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=

Derspeed

I remember. They actually repaired that thing?

ctgilles

No he had to buy a new one with tyre and tpm @1.4k something

Saks_C350_Sport

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.........

hutch300

i would not want the second wheel they damaged repaired, i would only accept a new wheel, if they damaged it they don't have a lot of choice.

CarGuru

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

chilledbenz

A door ding warranty doesnt sound like a bad idea for a C300. I like to think I'm pretty careful where I park, but mine has two already (thanks to a design with no bump strips). Thing is, I checked into having them removed and it was $100 bucks a panel, still under the $650 charge they are asking for that warranty for the Audi. Then again I'm sure a new windshield would be more than the asking price, so it could work out if you live in an area where broken windshield are the norm. Guess it comes down to each situation and if you feel the need for the warranty.