Insane dealer service charges, or Boy Am I Glad I Have An Extended Warranty
06-05-2009, 11:42 PM
#1
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2002 CLK55 Cabriolet (DEAD: 1989 300E, 1984 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible)
Insane dealer service charges, or Boy Am I Glad I Have An Extended Warranty
I took my Beast (2002, 11,458 miles) in to have a few things done:
- Oil, lube and filter (I don't reach 3,000 miles too often, and the chassis is creaking a bit over rough roads)
- Replace radio antenna (car is garaged and covered, but the antenna sticks out and just enough afternoon Sun gets in to roast the antenna and made it crack)
- Replace front center bar across the opening in the front grille (had caught the bumper on a concrete block at the end of a parking space; popped the center bar out)
- Replace front driver's side washer cover (the little thing near the headlight; keeps getting caught on my car cover and yanked off, apparently)
Not much, right? Figure a couple of parts, some labor ... I'm outta there for a couple, three hundred bucks, right?
Final bill: $4560.34
Let the roll call begin!
- Claimed the lower control arms were shot. Replaced. $622
- Replaced said antenna. $72
- Oil leak. Replaced main oil pan. $20 in parts. $1435 IN LABOR?!?
- Rear end smoking, they claimed. Replaced "differential side seals". $1006?!?
- Oil change. $88.50
- Reinstall front center bar and replace missing washer cover. $120.20
- Replaced motor mounts. $708
- Brake fluid renewal. $122.25
- Coolant renewal. $92.75
Total parts was $722.30, total labor was $3763.20
Now for the "good"(?) news:
All but $620.51 was covered by my Mercury Extended Warranty.
Between this time and one other time I needed to use it, I've had almost twice as much in charges paid for by my Extended Warranty as I paid for it. And it still has 2 years left to run!
If you're hesitant to get an Extended Warranty, let this be a lesson for you - do it!!!
P.S. The original impetus to bring the car in? The creaking at the end of a driveway or when going over rough roads? Still there.
- Oil, lube and filter (I don't reach 3,000 miles too often, and the chassis is creaking a bit over rough roads)
- Replace radio antenna (car is garaged and covered, but the antenna sticks out and just enough afternoon Sun gets in to roast the antenna and made it crack)
- Replace front center bar across the opening in the front grille (had caught the bumper on a concrete block at the end of a parking space; popped the center bar out)
- Replace front driver's side washer cover (the little thing near the headlight; keeps getting caught on my car cover and yanked off, apparently)
Not much, right? Figure a couple of parts, some labor ... I'm outta there for a couple, three hundred bucks, right?
Final bill: $4560.34
Let the roll call begin!
- Claimed the lower control arms were shot. Replaced. $622
- Replaced said antenna. $72
- Oil leak. Replaced main oil pan. $20 in parts. $1435 IN LABOR?!?
- Rear end smoking, they claimed. Replaced "differential side seals". $1006?!?
- Oil change. $88.50
- Reinstall front center bar and replace missing washer cover. $120.20
- Replaced motor mounts. $708
- Brake fluid renewal. $122.25
- Coolant renewal. $92.75
Total parts was $722.30, total labor was $3763.20
Now for the "good"(?) news:
All but $620.51 was covered by my Mercury Extended Warranty.
Between this time and one other time I needed to use it, I've had almost twice as much in charges paid for by my Extended Warranty as I paid for it. And it still has 2 years left to run!
If you're hesitant to get an Extended Warranty, let this be a lesson for you - do it!!!
P.S. The original impetus to bring the car in? The creaking at the end of a driveway or when going over rough roads? Still there.
Good for you man. Good stuff 
06-07-2009, 01:50 PM
#3
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1999 E 320 (sold), 2015 AUdi S5 (sold) 2005 CLK55 Cab, 2016 Honda Pilot Elite, 2011 Jaguar XF
How do these warranty companies stay in business.....they have to know by now that the stealerships are messing around with them.
06-07-2009, 03:36 PM
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It was probably a MB warranty I had an after market warranty I paid like 3k for and I never used it. So they got my money for free. I doubt an aftermarket one would have paid that all out especially a seal. My fan clutch seized took out my radiator water pump washer tank and a few other random parts and none was covered under my 3k easy care warranty. Every time I had an issue with my car none of it was covered.
06-07-2009, 04:37 PM
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1999 E 320 (sold), 2015 AUdi S5 (sold) 2005 CLK55 Cab, 2016 Honda Pilot Elite, 2011 Jaguar XF
I think his was issued by Mercury Insurance. They mainly offer auto insurance but also have ext warranty plans too. NYSE listed as MCY.
06-08-2009, 07:34 PM
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08 CLS63, Honda Accord, 04 911
I will def. have to get one of these when my CPO car expires about a year from now. I'll gladly pay $2k or a bit more for all that coverage...can I call them direct or have to go through a third party?
