dayzman

Hi all,

I'm thinking of getting a pre-owned '10 C220. Here in the UK, the original warranty lasts for only 3 years, so it should expire in '12 (it's transferable, right?). A private seller online is selling one, and so is my local dealer. The private trade is about $1,500 cheaper than the dealer. Would it be wise to go for the private trade and get a 3rd-party insurance for '12 and onward? Or, would it be better to pay the $1,500 premium and settle with the 1-year CPO, then get a 3rd-party insurance for '13+?

Thanks

encoder

In the US I can buy an extended warranty right from MBUSA as long as the car is still under factory warranty. Can you do the same? If so, and if the cars seem otherwise identical, it would just become a math function: Does an extra year of extended warranty from Mercedes cost more than the premium you pay for CPO?

Also factor in the fact that in my experience I have gotten better service and help from a dealership if I've bought my car there.

RLE

One thing about the MB warranty is that there are no co-pays and when a covered repair is done by a dealer, there is no paperwork.

Comparing the MB extended warranty with someone else's should be done with a magnifying glass because there are exclusions.

I've had two previous cars covered by an extended MB warranty and they both paid off multiple times. Further, when I traded the cars, the unused portion was refunded.

I have decided to do the same for my 2008 despite it's excellent reliability so far since I will be driving it another 2 1/2 years and my warranty expires in October.

boschk

MB CPO warranties and MB extended factory warranties are limited warranties and do not offer exactly the same coverage as the initial coverage. I found this out a few weeks ago. The trim around my seat tracks was either cracked or broken and I found a stress crack in the plastic trim on the inside of the trunk. These would have been covered in the initial warranty period, but not the CPO nor extended factory warranty. But, it does cover the major stuff such as powertrain, suspension & most electrical. So, it's still a good warranty and worth having. I just didn't know that an extended factory warranty was not as comprehensive as the initial warranty period.

encoder

To add a more egregious example, a guy in the "highest mileage" thread says his sunroof is broken and since it's not a primary system or powertrain item it won't be covered. Not sure if he's actually spoken to a SA about that or not so it's just hearsay I suppose but something to probe when considering whether to buy it.

Still I would probably accept these issues when the time comes because I feel I'm probably still better off than I would be otherwise, either with no warranty or with another aftermarket provider.

boschk

But, I did get lucky during my last service. My LED 3rd brake light was in error. Something about the signal being out of range, causing a cluster error. They had to remove my backseat to get to the problem and since the lights are LED, they are warrantied. If it was just a bulb issue, pony up.