https://a.co/d/gObvXF5
this is the one I use.

 

Thanks for this piece of advice. I myself am in the same boat as op - I would really like to keep my E300 for 3 more years after the new car warranty expires. My options are:
i. take the miserable trade in value, and buy a honda CRV (for practicality and utility more than anything else)
ii. buy extended warranty and keep the car for another 3 years (and cop the stealership Mercedes tax on Transmission Service, Tyres, Batteries, Spark Plugs)
iii. keep the car without warranty and then have a massive bill shock if and when the cylinder head fails.

option ii looks very appealing to me today having re-read your post. 2 weeks ago it was option i.

Decisions, Decisions!

 

Self-insuring is about risk management. Plain and simple. Risk management is about not only managing risk, but mitigating it. You "self-insure" small (relative term), manageable risks, that would not financially "hurt" or decimate you -- and you transfer larger risks, that would. In this case, a warranty, which is playing the role of insurance. While I have my own views on risk management -- and that is what I do professionally -- I will say this, getting a very unpleasant surprise on some massive repair is not the "only" cost you incur. The cost doesn't end there. It's happened on an asset that is depreciating, and depreciating faster and faster, exponentially, each and every year (each and every day actually). Who is to say that the massive repair, when completed, is going to have a positive impact on the value of your car? If it was worth $20,000 and then the next day something major happens, and you go for $7,000 or $10,000 -- we all know your car is not worth $27,000 or $30,000. Obvious, but think along these lines. If you don't repair it, then what? As is? Auction?

Price the warranty. Think about if it works for you -- as opposed to taking on the risks. If the risk would hurt you financially -- then you prudently have to transfer that risk and get the warranty.

I am not cheap. I am a comparative consumer and do not want to get taken advantage of. I have zero problem paying for quality work, service, convenience, and other aspects that go along with this. While I can afford a $7k or $10k hit, it doesn't mean it's a good risk to take on. Just because you can afford a loss doesn't mean you should take on the risk. If you think it does, that's OK, that's your own personal perspective on risk management. The longer I keep a car, without any warranty, the more I am at risk as that risk keeps growing.

 

We have two cars between my wife and me. My E300 is under extended warranty and my wife's Toyota is self-insured. Like the previous post stated, risk management is about knowing the level of risk and figuring out how to best minimize it or to prevent it. The risk with Mercedes is much greater and the financial implication much higher than the Toyota, that is the reason why we only warranty the Mercedes and not the Toyota.

 

I bought a 2018 W213 CPO with 50k miles. At 58k, one month before the warranty expired, I had the dealer perform an inspection. Here's what they found:

• Motor mounts need to be replaced,
• Rear flex disk needs to be replaced,
• Rear main seal needs to be replaced,
• Front engine cover needs to be resealed,
• Starter needs to be replaced.

Also, not covered by warranty, dealer recommended replacing two parking sensors and one radar sensor due to a very minor, low-speed parking lot ding to the rear bumper.

The car came with a complete service record and a Certified Pre-Owned warranty.

I've had a number of E-class and M-class vehicles, and I keep them until they reach 120k-140k miles. That's when the clearcoat starts to evaporate and the engine issues start to get really expensive.

The point is, if you don't do your own maintenance, oil changes, brakes, spark plugs, ATF service, etc., and if you don't get the CPO warranty for the first year of ownership, these vehicles can become money pits in a hurry.

 

I just replaced the beige plastic seat cover on my ML350. (Sorry, MB-Tex plastic seat cover.) ;-)

$350 for the driver's OEM seat cover and $350 for the labor at a local upholstery shop.

I would have done the passenger side as well, but the OEM version is no longer available unless you buy it with the seat cushion for more than $1,000.