jherm

I am likely buying a C63S that's original factory warranty expires next week. Years ago I purchased a used BMW 550 and got a third-party extended warranty (sold by my BMW dealer) that wasn't too costly (if i recall it was somewhere in the $3-$4k range) and proved to be extremely valuable as there was an engine issue that was covered and otherwise would've run me $15-$20k.

So I figured I'd also buy an extended warranty on the C63. Well I called around to a few of my area Mercedes dealers to get an idea of the cost for this C63. I definitely had some sticker shock as they were generally quoting $5800 - $8500 depending on term. Given my past experience I am hesitant to buy a car with very high potential bills without having the extended warranty, but the costs ends up adding ~15% on the total price of the car (with the warranty) and frankly ends up being more than I was looking to spend on this purchase.

So just looking for thoughts from experienced C63 owners about whether owning it without a warranty is a big risk you wouldn't take or what. It's obviously a gamble that's outcome can't be predicted, but just curious for any thoughts or suggestions for a reputable extended warranty that could be cheaper than I heard from the dealers.

tobeit

My warranty is still valid but I inquired with MB extending it. It’s pricey but I still would do it in a heartbeat if I would not get/have a tune or other mods voiding the drivetrain warranty. Refurbished engines go for $16-&18k from what I can tell ...not sure what new once are + install. I think the 4.0 Bi-turbo engines are too new to really know their longevity. We know previous generations did not last all that long.

superswiss

Extended warranties are a huge profit center. A lot of people are scared into buying one by potential expensive repair costs down the road. When I bought my C63S last year, the dealership wanted to sell me a $7k extended warranty. I flat out refused and they looked at me like they had never seen anybody refuse it, and tried to scare me into buying it. Totally ridiculous. I've only had mine for 11.5k miles so far, so too soon to say, but I've owned several other German performance cars way past their factory warranty without an extended warranty. Yes, I've had some expensive repairs, but overall not enough to have made it worth buying extended warranties. You are frankly better off putting the money you would spend on the warranty in a bank account and pay for future repairs with it. While complete engine failures do happen, they are fairly rare in the grand schema if the car was properly maintained. An extra oil change here and there beyond scheduled maintenance goes a long way. Now having said all this, if you buy used then obviously you don't know all the history about the car. I would definitely look at Carfax etc. to see what has happened, but it seems MB dealerships don't seem to report to Carfax. If the previous owners got it serviced at dealerships, then you should be able to get hold of the service history through MB to get an idea of the issues the car has had in the past and whether it had its regular maintenance. IMO, a well maintained German performance car runs well past the factory warranty if treated well, but also when buying such a vehicle, make sure you can afford the maintenance and potential repairs.

jherm

Interesting thoughts superswiss. I understand extended warranties of all types (electronics, etc) are huge profit centers and they are so for a reason. The same reason insurance in general is a hugely profitable industry. In general, people are risk averse past the point of true actuarial realities and tend to overinsure. The delta between the true risk in any of these scenarios and the perceived risk can be considered peace of mind. That's part of what you're paying for with these. While probably financially or statistically illogical, I do think there is a value in peace of mind in these situations. In this case, the "extra cost" of peace of mind is probably right on my breaking point so I'm on the fence.

The selling dealer is getting a gasket replaced at an MB dealer next week (under warranty just before it expires). I have requested that while there they get the complete service history for me. The car is very low mileage with a very clean carfax history really only indicating the specific mileage services performed and no additional repairs, etc needed along the way.

tobeit

Of course, insurances make money and bet against that the majority of insured will ever use it. Insurances get in trouble when that does not hold true (example: repeated occurrence of large number hurricane claims vs the odds). But that’s not different for any other insurance or for that matter business including MB. MB makes most money on their top line cars (that includes us!) and by that logic of who makes money and how much you should buy a base line c300. Base models have much smaller margins. I would even venture to say that AMG extended insurances are not more expense when comparing vs $ value of insured asset. Just saying. But yeah, piece of mind. For a used car you can always just buy the minimal extended insurance (shortest term, lowest mileage) until you get confidence your used car is alright and then don’t extend it beyond that. If you change your mind, you can always extend again later.

superswiss

Yes, I totally get the piece of mind argument. However, I don't quite put extended warranty at the same level as insurance. Most things we insure ourselves for have the potential of being a financial ruin and also often we have zero control over them. Health insurance, natural disaster, being sued etc. If you get very ill and don't have health insurance for example that could easily spell financial ruin, or getting your house wiped out by a hurricane etc. A car on the other hand is a bit of a different story. If worse comes to worst you can forgo repairing the car and sell it for scrap and get around by public transportation etc.. Yes, it's still a loss, but not one that will most likely spell financial ruin and it won't leave you having to sleep in a tent on the street. Extended warranties, prepaid this and that are big business in this part of the world, because many people don't really have savings and didn't think about being able to afford and maintain their cars. I have a friend who owns an Indy shop and works on BMW and Mercs exclusively. He tells me stories about people buying expensive cars and then can't afford to maintain and repair them.

tobeit

pretty true

superswiss

BTW, for new cars another option is mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) which actually covers much more than an extended warranty and instead of having to pay a lump sum up front, it's just a small monthly premium. Unfortunately, the coverage has to be added at the beginning, but then it gets extended up to a certain mileage of the car. I have Geico and have looked into it. With Geico I have 15 months and 15,000 miles to add it. It has a $250 deductible and covers all parts and systems in the car for up to 100,000 miles. Most extended warranties actually have exclusions, so make sure you read the fine print. I'm still considering getting MBI, depending on how much the premium is. I have a few months and a few thousand miles left before I have to make a decision.

Go Dawgs

OP, can you give us more details on the car? What's the year and mileage? A carfax would be helpful.

I'm going to play devil's advocate to superswiss and tobeit. I think that investing in an extended warranty of sorts would be worthwile. I think $5,800-$8K+ is steep, though.
An extended warranty is an insurance contract. Sure.. insurance, in its purest form, is a transfer of [catastrophic] risk for a set payment. However, there are oodles of insurance coverages within the marketplace that people buy to cover events that would not be catastrophic.

https://mbworld.org/forums/extended-...scussions-191/
Go check this section out. There are a few MB warranty salesmen/women whose contact info is in the master thread. They will give you a MB extended warranty without the profit markup.

I bought my 2016 C63S with 4,500 original miles and it was out of factory warranty. I purchased a 6 year, 50K mile "bumper-to-bumper" (as they call it) warranty for $2,400 through Fidelity. I bought it through a good friend who works at a Toyota dealership here. I researched these warranties before I pulled the trigger and it seemed like a no brainer for me. I'm with you: I would prefer not to own cars like these without "peace of mind."

jherm

It's a 2016 with <25k miles. Carfax reflects 1 owner. No issues reported. Aside from title/registration/emissions, the rest of the history is a tire replaced/repaired at NTB in 2018 and 30k and 40k mile services performed at a dealer. Both services obviously performed early. That's it. Seems very clean.

Also, you're with me in an another regard. Go Dawgs! I saw your below post in another thread and it sounds like we live in the same neighborhood. Just sent you a PM.

"Atlanta has a few MB dealerships. I live in the "high sticker price" part of town which is where the AMG service location is."

Will definitely check out that master thread, thanks.

Go Dawgs

Small world. Replied to your PM. Awesome to meet a MBW guy that's right down the road!

SJGetsome

The warranty on my C63 expires at the end of the year and I keep debating whether to purchase an extended warranty. I am probably going to pass on the extended warranty and just set that money aside for future repairs as I know I'm going to modify the car with a tune and downpipes at a minimum.

///Bruce

All of this...the whole thread is based on having simple piece of mind. You pay for that. And, based on ow much you pay provides you with a better night's sleep. Whether it's for a home, a car, a bike, a boat... It's 'insurance'. Very very similar to buying Insurance at a blackjack table in Vegas. You think the dealer has 21? Percentages? Mathematical inference? Statistical outcome? Personally, I'm 'insurance poor', but I sleep real well.

On an extended warranty think 'which one will I hit first'? High mileage or years? This might help you narrow your choices. I have Geico with their MBI for my Porsche and a long term extended warranty and maintenance plan on the Benz through the dealership when we signed the ppw (everything was at dealer cost plus $45).

C63S1

iTrader: (2)

I bought mine used without warranty. Had to change the ATF twice but other than that, I am not worried about a repair I can’t cover vs. spending money up front for a warranty I may or may not use.

purplewidow

For me personally getting the extended warranty would have saved me a lot of money on other cars i have bought so this time i got it. In all honesty besides the peeling of the clear around my rear sensors on the carbon fiber from the factory this is the first car i owned i haven't had to take it to the dealer in the first year of ownership besides reg maintenance. It has done amazingly well so far.

Jimmy_c63s

I always say this in regards to the 205 C63 - Always buy one with some factory warranty left. These cars are known to play up. From minor issues like the infamous exhaust valve rattle to blown coil packs and side skirts coming off. These modern C63's are just prone to issues and it's a disappointment considering how new and also how expensive they are

Please, for your peace of mind buy one with at least 6 months of Mercedes warranty left. You'll 99% need to use it for something, I promise you!