tdotjag

Just placed an order on a 2012 C63 Sedan and the business manager offered me the tire and rim warranty (I can decide up until the day I pick up the car, which will be in late June).
The warranty lasts 5 years and covers any flat tires and cracked or scuffed rims. The catch is that the tires cannot be worn down too much (ie...drive them bald and then come in for replacement when they go flat) and rim damage is mostly only covered when your rims get scuffed/damaged as a result of a popped tire (ie...hit a curb due to loss of control when tire goes flat). The rim coverage will also cover cracks or manaufacturer defects.
I've ordered the OEM 19" multispokes which could have the potential for cracks if i happen to run over a nice sized pothole or unexpected bump in the road.
Cost of the warranty is $1500. Sales guy (who seems trustworthy) seems to think it's the only coverage worth paying for and has clients that have run through 4-5 sets of tires in the past year.

What do you guys think? Is it worth it? Has anyone here experienced multiple flat tires as a result of poor road conditions, or just the normal wear and tear? Anyone experience cracks in the OEM 19's?

rory breaker

1 - make sure that this will cover ANY tires, not just the ones purchased from the dealer. if you want other brands from other places, should still cover.

2 - tires on this car last anywhere from 5k for typical aggressive summer tires to 15k for all seasons - meaning, more times than not, you are going to be on that lower side of tread. this to me makes it not worth it, frankly.

VaclavSV

Its not worth it. I looked into it... no way.

I am Jeff

It depends on how bad your roads are and if you plan to get larger rear tires. It's true that you can go through a few sets of wheels and tires if your roads are bad. The Wheel and tire warranty does not cover the tires if you change them to a different size (ie. 245 fronts and 275 rears). I was told that they only cover OEM tires and sizes.

VaclavSV

Hes scamming you. His clients probably have gone through 4-5 sets of tires. But not covered by the warranty. I drive my car hard on rough roads, even gravel ... and no flat. To repair a flat properly isnt that expensive. The wheel warranty only covers damaged rims from a blown OEM tire as stated before. Basically if you blew your tire and continued to drive on it and ruined the rim you would be covered. If you had poor tread, which happens very quickly in these cars -no coverage. I haven't gotten a flat in years. and If I did it would only cost max the price of a new tire. Which isn't $1500. Its up to you but if you are running winter rubber half the year I wouldn't go for it.

I am Jeff

I'm sorry to let you know, but there are drivers out there that see a pothole and make no attempt at avoiding it. Hence 4-5 wheels in a year. That's why they offer these warranties. So I don't think the dealer is scamming you. The question to yourself is, how bad is the road and are you a careful driver?

tdotjag

i hear what you're saying. i think the "catch" is the tread wear. MB will know that the treads on these cars run thin quicker than most vehicles and are banking on the fact that 7 times out of 10 they can justify not covering the cost based on minimal tread on the blown tire.

tdotjag

i am a pretty careful driver and will swerve to avoid potholes/manhole coverings/debris/etc. the roads i will be driving will vary from the beatup downtown core streets to fresh smooth pavement. for the most part I will be driving in average conditions.
the 4-5 times a year guy apparently just pushed the hell out of his car in all types of conditions and got unlucky too (he blew his fronts and mangled two rims by driving over an unmarked cutout in the road at 175kph). covered by the warranty.

these guys are pretty good at bringing up stories of guys benefitting from the program but leave out the thousands that have bought and never used at all.

tdotjag

good point re the tire sizes. i was thinking of bumping up to 265s in the rear and i'm almost positive this would void out the warranty as OEM is 245.

AMGTTV8

It's a great package if it's the one offered by MBFS...

Wheel and Tire Protection Plus, specifically...

No limit on how many claims you can make, no deductibles, and covers both cosmetic and structural damage.

Well worth the expense when you figure that bending one rim will put you "in the money" on this package.

As others have noted, it doesn't cover tires that have been worn to the cords and suddenly decide to go. Short of that, there isn't much that it doesn't cover.

Your sales guys isn't scamming you if he met the prerequisites at the top.

My 2c's

rjeezy

Hey, I'm also from the gta n have owned my c63 for about 2 years now. Just my 2 cents, I've noticed alot of discussion regarding pot holes and cracked rims. I purchased the warranty when buying my car and honestly it was the best thing I ever did. The warranty is not just subject to "potholes" and rough roads, our city is no better or worse than any other and remember with the amount of torque and 451+ hp, let's face it your going to burn through tires, and mbenz needs to protect themselvesnwith people taking their cars to the track with pirelli tires and swapping em out for a fresh pair of shoes. In 2 years I had a metal shard pinched between my wheeln and tire and 2 separate wheels with nail punctures. All very common no matter where you live (ok maybe not the metal shard lol). But all three wheels covered no questions asked and in one case because the tire tread on the rears would be off with just one new tire they took the liberty to replace both at no charge. For me that 4 wheels at a stealership price in Canada of 550+tax (about $630) per tire. Even if I was to buy those tires from tirerack and shipped to my door I would have paid more in 2 years than the cost of the warranty. I wouldn't cheap out especially when already shelling out the money for a premium car. Buy it, use it if necessary and if not at least u can sleep easy for the next five years that should something happen your covered. Congrats on the ride and enjoy the beast!! Hope to see you at a meet this summer. Cheers!

KINGPIN 007

I bought this warranty for my car, they offered it to me for lifetime not 5 years and I paid 2000$ for it the day I bought my car. I thought it was worth it because, not that I am a bad uncareful driver, but I have already had 3 flat tires from either nails. rocks or some pothole that I didnt manage to see, and one flat tire happening on the third day of owning the car. And mercedes replaced all 3 tires for me free of cost because of that warranty so I almost made back a good amount of that money. And since I plan on keeping the car for 6 years, I thought it was a good purchase. It also covers dents, key marks and rims

ctown113

Believe it or not, in my previous e92 M3, I had 9 tires replaced (no wheels)
in the 2.5 yrs that I owned it due to blow outs and nails in the road...
at an average of $400 per tire (Michellen PS), it was worth it. I think I paid somewhere around $600 for just the tire coverage.
That said, I paid almost $2k (wheels and tires) with MB for 3 years on my 2012 C63. After reading this thread, I am beginning to think it may not have been worth it...
I guess it depends on where you live? I live near and commute to NYC on a daily basis, these roads SUCK.
Here's a tip: Try not to drive in the fast lane near the divider bc that's where most debree ends up
In closing, it's really a matter of preference and a little bit of luck...
I personally would say to get it, so at least you have the peace of mind should you ever get a blow out or a cracked rim..
Good LUCK!

tdotjag

after reading some of everyone's thoughts and actual experience with the warranty, i think it might be a good investment. just one cracked rim with labour would run me close to $1k and a couple tire blowouts would put me in the money. worst case scenario...nothing happens in the 4-5 years i'll own the car (not likely) and i'm out only $1500. that's only 1.5% of the purchase price. i'm a numbers guy, and the numbers add up. thanks for all your input gentleman...

tdotjag

have u ever opted for wider tires (either on front or rear). if so, were they covered by the warranty???
i was thinking of getting 265's on the rear and 245's in the front...

Pit-Pony

Tires don't last long on this car. There often is a tire road hazard warantee available from the tire manufacturer for your replacement tires at little or no cost.

Why not purchase a second used set of OEM wheels from someone on the forum and have a spare set in case of damage to the original wheels and to have a winter set. The cost will probably be close to buying the Package from MB and you will get more for your money.

flomofo

Wow 4 months later and I paid $2,595 for 60 months of the tire/wheel plus warranty.

Prices are crazy now.

Sidv22

did you bargain and if yes, did they budge? i was shown the same price of $2595 and was quoted $1695 without asking for a discount. but i m not sure i made the right choice by buying the package. roads in bay area are pretty decent and i am a careful driver too

flomofo

They would not budge and RAB motors which I bought a car from before, quoted me 54XX for the extended warranty I paid 5995 for at Pleasanton.

I wouldnt think twice about keeping these warranties if they didnt try to gouge so much.

Maybe because I got a good deal on the car and decent on my trade in.

derspi

Wheel & tire warranties from dealerships are for suckers. It's today's equivalent of undercoating & scotchguard of the 90's. Unless you live in a neighborhood that has non-stop construction going on or a city that is too poor to fix monster potholes, the majority of people who purchase these warranties will never use them.

I've had two flats due to nail punctures in the past FIVE years which were easy & inexpensive fixes. I have yet to damage a wheel beyond repair or even bend one in my entire 19-years of driving. Granted, **** happens but if you're like me who is constantly scanning the road ahead, most big potholes can be avoided - just common sense to not rumble through them.

Magnom

I got sucked into buying this... Hope it was worth it, will let u know if I ever have to use it.

Sidv22

In hindsight, I agree with you. The roads in the bay area are not too bad and i am not a reckless driver either. I am seriously considering giving mbusa a call and ask for a refund for the tire and wheel package. anyone knows the procedure for the refund?

Dogtag114

I bought it also, but mine was bundled with replacing lost keys (2x per year), glass repair and dent removal.

flomofo

How much guys?

Im calling my usual dealer to help me cancel my warranties sooner as the finance guy at my purchase place stated I had to wait two months and then cancel....

My wife curbs wheels, that was the only real use for me plus the convienence of using the dealer for repairs, but not at the price I paid which now seems well over the norm.

Its almost more of a principal thing with me than the price though.

derspi

^^

They're probably just pulling the delay game in the hopes that after 2-months, you'll either forget about refunding it or you'll have convinced yourself that it was worth spending money on tire & wheel insurance. You shouldn't have to wait 2-months before you can ask for a refund. Most likely what they mean is it'll take 2-months in order to issue your refund if you had the tire warranty rolled into your monthly payments. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think warranties like this are provided by MBUSA, it's only at the dealer level. This is why dealers LOVE selling stuff like this - pure profit until a claim is made.