mirkee1

I'll be buying a 2016 E350 sometime this year. I drive very little, perhaps 9k mi. per year. If I get a certified car, the warranty will be extended to five years from date of purchase. If I add a MBZ extended warranty, it takes the warranty out to 7 years, 75K mi. I don't need 100k mi. Will that warranty kick in when the regular or certified runs out? If so, the certified warranty seems superfluous, as my extended warranty will take me to 7 years anyway. Will I be able to get a MBZ extended warranty whether I buy from a MBZ dealer or not, and at the same price? Are there limitations as to buying a true MBZ extended warranty, certified dealer, dealer, private party etc. In any case it would be a one owner car. I would buy the extended warranty from an out of state MBZ dealer, as I am in CA and everything costs more. I am one hour away from my nearest MBZ dealer, in Central Coast CA. Hope I'm making sense.

Rogue Leader

If I were you I'd be looking less at the total years of warranty and more at the total years of warranty that will cover YOU. For example a 2016 could have been purchased any time from around mid 2015 to late 2016, and that makes a big difference in how much warranty you have. I lucked out with my 2014 the in service date was Nov 2014, so when i bought it Nov 2016 it had 2 full years of warranty left, +1 CPO warranty added. I then purchased 2 more years through someone on here (Saving me $1000, and yes the car MUST BE a CPO car purchased at a Mercedes dealer to get the CPO warranty) so my car is covered for 5 years from MY purchase date, unlimited mileage (the CPO warranty has no mileage restriction). My car is now covered through Nov 2021. My point is who the heck cares about the first 2 or more years of ownership before you got it, you should be getting the car in perfect working order.

If you buy a non CPO car you are limited to aftermarket warranties which in some cases can be a good deal but you need to be careful. Also you may have a deductible and certain exclusions. The CPO warranty has exclusions as well but they are not as restrictive as those from many aftermarket providers. It depends where you want to go for service too, your local indie shop probably charges less, is local, and may be less restrictive about an aftermarket warranty. You said the closest dealer is 1 hour away so thats something you may want to factor in.

I drive less than you, my daily commute is about a mile each way, I put like 5k miles on the car a year. But looking through this forum people have problems at every mileage with these cars. No I wouldn't call them unreliable, but the cost to repair is high, especially involving the electronics, or if you get a 4matic the transmission or awd system. The CPO warranty can easily pay for itself. As it is though warranties are always a gamble. BUT if you do buy the CPO warranty and you sell or crash the car before its start date, you can get the full amount refunded to you. After that date you can sell it with the car as a bonus, or cancel it and get a partial reimbursement.

Mud

I bought my 2011 car with 25k miles at a third party dealer about 5 yrs ago.. I'm the second owner. Obviously it was still under factory warranty at that time. Before purchase I contacted a local MB dealer who brought up any dealer services done. Any dealer can find this based on the VIN. I also verified clear title. I then contacted MB directly and verified that it was eligible for extended warranty as it was still under original factory warranty.

I bought the MB ELW (7yr/100k) separately, shopped it around the country and i used this forum for recommendations. See the section in the forum for warranties. I don't drive that much so the net (total) warranty for me was 7yr/100k miles , or a 3 yr extension of the original factory warranty.

In my case the identical CPO version of my car was a bit over $8k higher, out the door pricing. My purchase, including buying ELW, was a significant cost savings. Others experience may vary but this worked for me. I don't have anything for or against CPO.

mirkee1

Let's see if I understand you...the only way to buy a genuine MBZ extended warranty is to have a CPO car? That's what I'm trying to get straight. If I'm going to buy a warranty that will take me to 7 years and 75k miles, I'll probably pay less for one with no CPO warranty and I'll be getting a warranty out to 7 years anyway. Warranty mileage is immaterial to me as I wont reach the limit. If the only way to get a MBZ extended warranty is with CPO, then I don't need to think about that. I'll leave the MBZ warranty vs. after-market for another day. Yes, once my warranty expires I'll get it serviced at an independent.

I understand your point as to when the car was first sold. I always look at the CarFax to determine when my original warranty will run out. Is there a way to see when the car was put in service without inquiring at the dealer?

Lastly, I learned to buy cars through my father's credit union. They had a "surrogate auto shopper" for new cars. You'd tell her exactly what you wanted and she would get the best price and tell you where you could pick up your car. You went in through a back door and all the paperwork was ready for you. Very slick. I'm allergic to closing rooms and I get bored quickly and walk out and come back the next day. I'm kinda slow so once you change one number on what I had in mind I have to go home and re-think. I don't get emotionally attached to cars and it's sort of like buying a toner cartridge for my printer. I know what I want and don't really need to look at it or test drive it. It's a Mercedes and I expect it to be perfect. I don't know much about cars and I'm not mechanically inclined. This will be my 11th Mercedes. I'll be buying it later in the year as I have too much on my plate right not. Knee surgery and two kids getting married...yikes! In the meantime, I'll keep driving my Toyota SUV (dog's car). In my mind it's a done deal and since I have time, I'll wait for the perfect car. I'm, particular about color. Grey with the ash interior. Pimp car.

mirkee1

Thanks Mud. This is exactly the info I was looking for and you are on the same wavelength as me. Why pay for the CPO if I'm just going to buy the extended warranty anyway? There was a car I was looking at but it is at a Toyota dealer with no CPO. Substantial saving but I did not want to do it because I thought I would be unable to get the extended warranty. I, too, will shop the extended warranty and probably get a maintenance contract as well. We got the maintenance on my wife's C300 on this forum and are very happy. I'll probably get extended warranty on the C300 as well, less to think about.

thenew3

No, you can get a genuine MBZ extended warranty without a CPO car. If the original purchaser of the car bought a MBZ extended warranty ( up to 7 years 125k miles) they can transfer it to you if you bought the car private party from the original purchaser. Or if they didn't buy the warranty but is still under the factory 4 year 50k mile warranty, you can get them to buy the extended warranty then sell you the car in which case the warranty will transfer to you as well.

CPO has a 1 year unlimited mile warranty beyond the original 4 year 50k. You have the option to buy another 2 years worth (still unlimited miles) making it a total of 7 years from original in service date of the vehicle.
the 2 year extension of a CPO is a bit pricey due to the unlimited miles.

If you are buying from private party, you can get 1, 2, or 3 year extension and 75k, 100k or 125k miles. Making the warranty 5, 6, or 7 years from original in service date. Since this is limited miles, the extension is a bit cheaper than the CPO and covers a bit more. (At least this was the case when I bought my last two MBZ extended warranties).

mirkee1

Where the heck do you guys find private party cars anyway? All I ever turn up are dealer cars when I search.

thenew3

autotrader.com, cars.com, cargurus.com Many of the online sites have listings by private owners (as well as dealerships).

Mud

Certainly opinions vary on CPO, some choose to only buy CPO and that's of course up to them. My criteria was to first verify condition/price, then to look at warranty. I'm like you I think, using more of a time-based warranty vs mileage based. I did not want a third party warranty either, I wanted to be able to take it in with no hassles. It all turned out well, I did use the ELW with zero issues or delays. You just have to do your homework first.
My car was purchased at nxcess motorcars in Houston.

thefisch

Just to be clear, the 7 years for the MB ELW starts from the original in-service date for the car regardless of when you buy it. So in practice, adding 2 years to the 1 year CPO to max it out gives you the same 3 years beyond the original 4 year warranty as the 7 year ELW. Mileage matters with the MB ELW but not so much for you given how little you drive.

Buying from an MB dealer, you will probably end up with a CPO car which are not eligible for the MB ELW, only CPO coverage. Buying from non-MB dealer or private party, the car should be eligible for MB ELW (don't assume - be sure to check before you purchase by running VIN by finance staff at MB dealer).

There are differences in coverage between CPO and MB ELW. CPO is an inclusive warranty meaning only the items listed are covered. Mind you the coverage is good but it is not as complete as the MB ELW which is an exclusive warranty - they cover everything except what is listed as exclusions. Last time I look years ago, the MB ELW covered everything except glass, batteries and trim. There are examples on here of repairs that CPO did not cover but I wouldn't worry about it if you find the car you want at a price you're happy with.

mirkee1

Are you in Texas or did you have your car shipped?

mirkee1

[QUOTE=thefisch;7672795]
Just to be clear, the 7 years for the MB ELW starts from the original in-service date for the car regardless of when you buy it. So in practice, adding 2 years to the 1 year CPO to max it
Buying from an MB dealer, you will probably end up with a CPO car which are not eligible for the MB ELW, only CPO coverage. Buying from non-MB dealer or private party, the car should be eligible for MB ELW (don't assume - be sure to check before you purchase by running VIN by finance staff at MB dealer).

Yeah, that's the part where I get confused. CPO not eligible for MB ELW warranty? Most of the cars I'm seeing are CPO. If I buy from a non-MB dealer, wouldn't I be buying a third party car? Are those eligible for MB ELW? How about a MB dealer car with no CPO...eligible for ELW?

I doubt that I would be financing through MB unless they have a realy good deal. My credit union has pretty good rates. I may also pay cash and be done with it.

thefisch

To be eligible for MB ELW, the car needs to be within 4y/50k mile factory warranty and not be CPO'd by MB yet. Chances are that any used car within factory warranty sold at an MB dealer will have gone through CPO and have that coverage (and therefore not eligible for MB ELW). And since you're looking at 2016 models, then they will probably all be CPO's at MB dealers.

Not sure what you mean by 3rd party car. Maybe you're thinking 3rd party warranty which just means an extended warranty sold by another party, not MB. The car is still an MB. MB ELW is a better extended warranty compared to 3rd party options that you can get for a Mercedes. But some 3rd party options are still good. Fidelity extended warranty is a decent option and also sold my some MB dealers as another option. Carmax extended warranty is also good IMO. If you want an opinion on if a 3rd party extended warranty is good, then ask a service advisor at your local MB dealer. They know which ones are easy to work with.

Buying from another dealer or private party does not effect eligibility for MB ELW (assuming the car was not CPO'd previously).

cetialpha5

[QUOTE=mirkee1;7672922]CPO and ELW are two separate warranties. As others mentioned, it's either one or the other. If you get it from an MB dealer, it has to be CPO or nothing. If you buy it without a CPO warranty, you can't get the ELW later as that disqualifies the car if it was sold by an MB dealer without a CPO. So you can only get a CPO warranty from an MB dealer. Only way to get the ELW is either from a private party or some other dealer that's not an MB dealer. If that dealer bought it from an MB dealer, that may also disqualify it for ELW which is why it's important to ask the vendors in the extended warranty sub forum whether a particular vin qualifies for an ELW or not. There are other sites like craigslists that sell cars private party, but it's hard to find for a 2016 as most people keep their cars at least 3-4 years before selling and it's a lot easier to trade a car in with that kind of asking price than to sell it private party.

mirkee1

What I mean by third party is: If the car is for sale by a non MB dealer, let's say a Toyota dealer, and I by from them, wouldn't I be the third owner original owner->toyota dealer->me? I read on another post that the original owner could purchase the ELW and then transfer it to me but that sounds cumbersome.

thefisch

Dealers usually don't count as an 'owner' unless they used it as a demo car. Some MB sales folks will say MB ELW is only available to folks who buy new from them (original owners) but that's not the case. Folks by used all the time and then get the MB ELW from willing finance folks

Mud

I was local and went there to see and eventually buy the car.

Alandf

I'd like to add my recent experience to this thread.
I bought a 2016 E350 from a independent non Mercedes car lot in San Jose. The car is still under warranty.
The local dealer in Marin County said that I am not eligible for the ELW because I am not the original owner. This has nothing to do with CPO. The Dealership wants to sell me an after market warranty sponsored by Penske.
I only have 29K miles on the car.
All advice appreciated.

cetialpha5

Go to the extended warranty subforum and contact one of the many vendors mentioned those posts. Give them your vin and ask them if it qualifies for the extended limited warranty.

https://mbworld.org/forums/extended-...-warranty.html

Longroof

You can still purchase MB ELW! Your scenario is exactly the same as mine. I purchased my 2016 S212 from an Audi dealership (out of state to me). It had been traded in by its original owner for an Audi SUV. After reading posts in the Extended Warranty Discussion forum I had no problem purchasing MB ELW from Jeff Jackson (also out of state for me) at a very deep discount to ELW retail price. Like you, I am a low annual mileage driver (3K/yr) and went with the 7 year/75,000 mile ELW option.

Jeff's info FYI:
jjackson@TafelMotors.com
Finance Director
Tafel Motors
4156 Shelbyville Road
Louisville, Kentucky 40207
(502)896-4411 ext . 1246

Hope this helps.
- Longroof

Rogue Leader

Jeff is where I bought my CPO warranty as well, he is great to work with makes it very easy and was $1000 less than the dealer wanted.

I was wrong in my first post in not mentioning that if you buy the car privately or from a non Mercedes dealer you can buy an ELW (if its still within the factory 4yr/50k period). You are right though, a LOT more of these cars end up back at the dealer because they are traded in or lease returned, and therefore become CPO. They are out there privately though eBay is a good place to look too. You can save yourself a bit of money in going this route (tough to give an exact number, but when I was looking it was around $5k on average) but you may be limited in choices for options/color/etc.

Also of course its always good to be wary of private cars and get a pre purchase inspection done. While the car may well be within warranty period, many cars that end up at independent dealers are from auction. Mercedes auctions cars that don't meet CPO standards, such as if the car was ever in a reported accident. Now a minor accident is not a reason to NOT buy a car, but you just want to make sure it was all repaired to factory spec.

mirkee1

I agree with Jeff Jackson as being responsive and very fair on his price. We had purchased a maintenance contract from him for my wife's C300 earlier this year and everything went very smoothly. I emailed him yesterday about possible ELW on two cars and he answered me this morning. One a MBZ CPO and the other a Toyota dealer MBZ, Both qualify for ELW out to 7 years. He told me CPO car would be cheaper as one year already covered. Two additional years on the CPO car, three on the non CPO. Looks like it's six of one half a dozen of the other. Kudos to Jeff Jackson.

cetialpha5

While that's true, it may be a few hundred less for the two additional years of CPO vs 3 on an ELW, as mentioned earlier, a non CPO car could be about 5k cheaper so the few hundred you save on the CPO you end up paying on the price of the car. Plus the ELW seems to cover more than the CPO and if the OP isn't going to be driving that much, the unlimited miles on the CPO won't matter. What I'd like to see is the face on the service adviser when someone who drives a lot brings in a CPO car with 200k on it. I believe you can also get your money back on an ELW if you don't end up using it when you trade it in and you get nothing on the CPO.

Rogue Leader

You can get your money back on the CPO warranty if you don't use it and there is a balance left, say if you sell the car before it goes in force, or pro rated after.

Both Jeff Jackson told me this, and my dealer as well.

Alandf

Does this sound correct2016 E-350 with 29,000 miles on the clock.
Local dealer offered 3 year ELW 75K for $ 3150 . Dealer in Milwaukee ( recommended in this forum ) gave me a price of $ 1950. Both warranties are MB.
Local dealer is $1200 higher ~60%
Should I go back to local dealer and see if they will match the offer. Representative I spoke to was inflexible when I asked if there was any room in their pricing.
BTW I always loved cars and do not trust or like dealers!
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