Aftermarket warranty
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 781
Likes: 81
2000 Acura NSX, 2012 C63 P31 (gone and not forgotten), 2015 C63 507
Aftermarket warranty
Can anyone comment on good experience using an aftermarket warranty company. I need to purchase something for my car as soon as possible.
Been looking at Veritas which the dealer recommends but there are tons of other ones online that have better reviews with the better business bureau any suggestions are appreciated
Been looking at Veritas which the dealer recommends but there are tons of other ones online that have better reviews with the better business bureau any suggestions are appreciated
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 23
Likes: 4
W204 C63 AMG 507
Is the dealer recommending it because they are 'selling' it? If so then steer clear. If independently they recommended it, and you plan on having your car serviced there, that would be the one I would pick as presumably they are recommending that because they are good to deal with. If your referring to an MB dealer, talk to the service advisors and get their take.
While some aftermarket warranties are certainly better than others, when searching online virtually none of them have stellar reputations. Even the vaunted 'MaxCare' through CarMax (which is actually administered by a third party, not CarMax) has no shortage of bad reviews online. My advice would also be to read the fine print of whichever one you select very carefully. All have at a minimum a requirement that you keep up with recommended maintenance, and others have specific maintenance requirements (such as oil changes every 3-5K miles, even if MB only recommends 10K on their service schedule). While I am not saying there aren't some that are easier to deal with than others, my understanding of most customer complaints with this type of insurance (it really isn't a warranty) is they fail to understand and comply with the terms and conditions of the policy.
Hopefully others may be able to chime in with their specific experience regarding some of the other options.
While some aftermarket warranties are certainly better than others, when searching online virtually none of them have stellar reputations. Even the vaunted 'MaxCare' through CarMax (which is actually administered by a third party, not CarMax) has no shortage of bad reviews online. My advice would also be to read the fine print of whichever one you select very carefully. All have at a minimum a requirement that you keep up with recommended maintenance, and others have specific maintenance requirements (such as oil changes every 3-5K miles, even if MB only recommends 10K on their service schedule). While I am not saying there aren't some that are easier to deal with than others, my understanding of most customer complaints with this type of insurance (it really isn't a warranty) is they fail to understand and comply with the terms and conditions of the policy.
Hopefully others may be able to chime in with their specific experience regarding some of the other options.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,625
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From: Houston, TX
Built 2008 G55 & one big 80 Series LandCruiser !
I used Fidelity's warranty on my old RS6 and W12...... it wasn't cheap but it covered all the critical things and was taken by most of the indy's I used..... recall it's backed by the Moran family ( main driving force behind Lexus in the day) in FL where I lived at the time.....
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 781
Likes: 81
2000 Acura NSX, 2012 C63 P31 (gone and not forgotten), 2015 C63 507
Reviving this thread bc I need to consider this ASAP.
For the record I have a 2015 coupe and my independent mechanic tells me that I have a leak around an oil pan but not the main one, rather from somewhere up higher
He says more than likely just an oil pan leak and nothing else. But it is expensive an a pain. He doesn't want to do it. Said the book calls for crazy amount of hours. He sprays and cleans it for me Everytime I go there for an oil change and tells me it looks like it's getting worse (I don't have any spots anywhere yet)
If I get a warranty it would be covered (yes I know the car needs to be inspected first, but I can get that passed)
The company the dealer uses (can't remember the name) doesn't have great reviews but they are recommended from a MB dealer that also covers AMG. I'm thinking I need to go with them but it's close to $6k and $100 deductible for each issue.
Any advice is appreciated
For the record I have a 2015 coupe and my independent mechanic tells me that I have a leak around an oil pan but not the main one, rather from somewhere up higher
He says more than likely just an oil pan leak and nothing else. But it is expensive an a pain. He doesn't want to do it. Said the book calls for crazy amount of hours. He sprays and cleans it for me Everytime I go there for an oil change and tells me it looks like it's getting worse (I don't have any spots anywhere yet)
If I get a warranty it would be covered (yes I know the car needs to be inspected first, but I can get that passed)
The company the dealer uses (can't remember the name) doesn't have great reviews but they are recommended from a MB dealer that also covers AMG. I'm thinking I need to go with them but it's close to $6k and $100 deductible for each issue.
Any advice is appreciated
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 22
Likes: 1
From: Miami
C63
I had "the mechanic" by assurant , they paid to replace my motor and differential. no hassle , it was about $3800 and I had a $100 deductible. you have to make sure what they cover, they also covered my water pump before my motor blew but not my valve cover gaskets.
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 70
Likes: 33
From: Aubrey, TX
GLS550, GLE450 Coupe
@Buckminster I ordered and purchased a 2026 GLE450C4 and went through similar decision iterations. I'm pushing 70 as well...
1) The idea of an extended warranty appeals to me.
It does to me too. I just came out of a 2018 GLS550 (92K miles) and I was in the hole on repairs. I would have been better off having had the extended warranty. Failures on that car: all four wheel bearings (over time - not all at once), $3000 in cooling system (radiator) repairs and preventative cooling system maintenance, replacement of the air conditioner compressor and related parts, and rear air suspension. I am going to wait until I get near the end of the new-car warranty to decide if I'm going to buy an extended warranty.
2) The idea of prepaid maintenance appeals to me. I did purchase pre-paid maintenance on the GLS550 and it did me absolutely no good a waste of $3000-ish. The "B" service is an expensive service interval at MB. I'm going to get a quote for pre-paid maintenance a month or so before my first "B" service is due and then compare the cost of the service writer's version of the service versus what is covered under the pre-paid maintenance. From what I understand, the service writers will include expensive, "recommended" services that are not a part of the pre-paid maintenance items. The pre-paid maintenance "may" be less expensive than the service writers version. At which time you can decide to do only what the PPM covers or accept the additional recommended services. Either way, the "B" service can get close to the $3000 number easily.
3) Is there anything else that you think I should look into I live in Texas (rock haulers, concrete trucks, dump trucks) so I would always get the MB windshield replacement coverage, especially if you have the "Acoustic Comfort" package. Talk to your sales advisor about this one for sure.
4) Is there anything that you should warn me about that might be put on the invoice by the dealer that I most likely do not want Unless you live in a snowy / rainy state, skip the "All Season Front / Rear floormats." Your car will come with the carpeted floor mats installed. The "All Season" floor mats are just black rubber and add $185 to the cost of the car. I wish I had skipped these as I now have to find a place to store them and I'll never use them. I did skip the wheel locks. No one is going to steal the wheels unless you live in a barrio. I did have them add the first aid kit. These used to be free with an MB but are $35 now. I have triplet grandkids so there's always a good chance that someone (usually me) will need a bandage.
5) Is there anything that you should warn me about that might be put on the invoice by the dealer that I might want Your sales advisor will very likely go over several coverage options to consider. The wheel and tire coverage and appearance coverage. I declined all of these.
6) What oil change schedule should I follow - the one put out by MB or one that changes the oil more frequently? I am going to take my car back to the dealer between 3000 and 5000 miles for them to do an oil change. The first oil change is not called for until 10,000 miles but that is ridiculous in my opinion especially for the first oil change. I've already met my service advisor and told him that I do not want any service "counters" re-set in the car, just do an oil and filter change and that's it. I'll take it back in at the first "A" service for the oil change again. After that, I will do my own oil and filter changes using LiquiMoly oil from FCP Euro dot com at the in between interval (15K, 25K, 35K, etc.)
Congratulations on the new wheels! You'll enjoy it for sure.
1) The idea of an extended warranty appeals to me.
It does to me too. I just came out of a 2018 GLS550 (92K miles) and I was in the hole on repairs. I would have been better off having had the extended warranty. Failures on that car: all four wheel bearings (over time - not all at once), $3000 in cooling system (radiator) repairs and preventative cooling system maintenance, replacement of the air conditioner compressor and related parts, and rear air suspension. I am going to wait until I get near the end of the new-car warranty to decide if I'm going to buy an extended warranty.
2) The idea of prepaid maintenance appeals to me. I did purchase pre-paid maintenance on the GLS550 and it did me absolutely no good a waste of $3000-ish. The "B" service is an expensive service interval at MB. I'm going to get a quote for pre-paid maintenance a month or so before my first "B" service is due and then compare the cost of the service writer's version of the service versus what is covered under the pre-paid maintenance. From what I understand, the service writers will include expensive, "recommended" services that are not a part of the pre-paid maintenance items. The pre-paid maintenance "may" be less expensive than the service writers version. At which time you can decide to do only what the PPM covers or accept the additional recommended services. Either way, the "B" service can get close to the $3000 number easily.
3) Is there anything else that you think I should look into I live in Texas (rock haulers, concrete trucks, dump trucks) so I would always get the MB windshield replacement coverage, especially if you have the "Acoustic Comfort" package. Talk to your sales advisor about this one for sure.
4) Is there anything that you should warn me about that might be put on the invoice by the dealer that I most likely do not want Unless you live in a snowy / rainy state, skip the "All Season Front / Rear floormats." Your car will come with the carpeted floor mats installed. The "All Season" floor mats are just black rubber and add $185 to the cost of the car. I wish I had skipped these as I now have to find a place to store them and I'll never use them. I did skip the wheel locks. No one is going to steal the wheels unless you live in a barrio. I did have them add the first aid kit. These used to be free with an MB but are $35 now. I have triplet grandkids so there's always a good chance that someone (usually me) will need a bandage.
5) Is there anything that you should warn me about that might be put on the invoice by the dealer that I might want Your sales advisor will very likely go over several coverage options to consider. The wheel and tire coverage and appearance coverage. I declined all of these.
6) What oil change schedule should I follow - the one put out by MB or one that changes the oil more frequently? I am going to take my car back to the dealer between 3000 and 5000 miles for them to do an oil change. The first oil change is not called for until 10,000 miles but that is ridiculous in my opinion especially for the first oil change. I've already met my service advisor and told him that I do not want any service "counters" re-set in the car, just do an oil and filter change and that's it. I'll take it back in at the first "A" service for the oil change again. After that, I will do my own oil and filter changes using LiquiMoly oil from FCP Euro dot com at the in between interval (15K, 25K, 35K, etc.)
Congratulations on the new wheels! You'll enjoy it for sure.
