Prepaid Maintenance Caveats
11-13-2023, 10:24 PM
#1
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W213 E350
Prepaid Maintenance Caveats
Considering that the 2yr/20k and 3yr/30k prepaid-maintenance plans went up roughly $100-$200 sometime back in September of 2023, and given the fact that many dealerships often run promotions or service special coupons from time to time (I have seen A as low as $229.99 and B as low as $449.99 and even oil+filter only for $89.99). Do you all still deem the prepaid maintenance plan worth it?
I also wanted to float this thought past all of you. Should one have an active prepaid maintenance plan, can one still elect to pay out of pocket and "save" the prepaid maintenance plan for use with a more expensive service (usually B services or transmission/spark plug services)?
An example would be say the next service coming up is a B service and one has bought a three-year prepaid maintenance plan. This B service will be conducted using the pre-paid plan. The second service is an A service, which one would then elect to pay out of pocket for. The third service is B + spark plugs which will use the 2nd service agreement. The fourth service is back to A which will be paid out of pocket. Finally, the fifth service is B + transmission fluid exchange which the 3rd and final prepaid service plan would be utilized. All of these services happen under the 3-year hard limit, however, they do not necessarily adhere to the 30,000 miles outlined.
I know of individuals who were still able to utilize prepaid maintenance plans after their time had run out but not their mileage. I am wondering now if Mercedes actively tracks the mileage or time when it comes to these service contracts. Should the above example be possible, I can see there is some value to prepaid maintenance plans through Mercedes.
As a heads up, an extended warranty can only be purchased on your vehicle before the new car warranty expires (4yr-50k miles)
If leasing, prepaid maintenance plans can be "residualized" meaning you pay only a portion of what they quote you. These service plans include dealer markups and can be haggled down.
If you buy a prepaid maintenance plan after the fact, you can buy it from any authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership. You can navigate here (https://www.mbusa.com/en/shop/warranty-maintenance ) and plug in your vehicle VIN/mileage + zip code of different areas with Benz dealerships to get an idea of how much these warranties may cost. Or alternatively, you can look through this forum as there are certain individuals on here that will sell you these plans at cost or + $100 or so. Keep in mind that the vehicle must have less than 80,000 miles on the odometer and needs to be 8 model year or newer when it comes to purchasing's these..
I also wanted to float this thought past all of you. Should one have an active prepaid maintenance plan, can one still elect to pay out of pocket and "save" the prepaid maintenance plan for use with a more expensive service (usually B services or transmission/spark plug services)?
An example would be say the next service coming up is a B service and one has bought a three-year prepaid maintenance plan. This B service will be conducted using the pre-paid plan. The second service is an A service, which one would then elect to pay out of pocket for. The third service is B + spark plugs which will use the 2nd service agreement. The fourth service is back to A which will be paid out of pocket. Finally, the fifth service is B + transmission fluid exchange which the 3rd and final prepaid service plan would be utilized. All of these services happen under the 3-year hard limit, however, they do not necessarily adhere to the 30,000 miles outlined.
I know of individuals who were still able to utilize prepaid maintenance plans after their time had run out but not their mileage. I am wondering now if Mercedes actively tracks the mileage or time when it comes to these service contracts. Should the above example be possible, I can see there is some value to prepaid maintenance plans through Mercedes.
As a heads up, an extended warranty can only be purchased on your vehicle before the new car warranty expires (4yr-50k miles)
If leasing, prepaid maintenance plans can be "residualized" meaning you pay only a portion of what they quote you. These service plans include dealer markups and can be haggled down.
If you buy a prepaid maintenance plan after the fact, you can buy it from any authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership. You can navigate here (https://www.mbusa.com/en/shop/warranty-maintenance ) and plug in your vehicle VIN/mileage + zip code of different areas with Benz dealerships to get an idea of how much these warranties may cost. Or alternatively, you can look through this forum as there are certain individuals on here that will sell you these plans at cost or + $100 or so. Keep in mind that the vehicle must have less than 80,000 miles on the odometer and needs to be 8 model year or newer when it comes to purchasing's these..
11-14-2023, 06:15 AM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
These are MAINTENANCE plans not SERVICE plans and meant to pay for the first 2 or 3 A & B or A, B & A services as required.
Doubt they can be used to cover anything else - read super fine print.
Spark plugs etc are not under the A & B but under their own per service booklet and occur less often like every 50k miles not every 10k.
I say why give them you money to hold for something lasting 3 years?
What do you save?
Heck my dealer charges $199 for A and $299 for B service - I would have lost money for the fact my 3 yr maintenance was free as part of being a CPO at the time.
Doubt they can be used to cover anything else - read super fine print.
Spark plugs etc are not under the A & B but under their own per service booklet and occur less often like every 50k miles not every 10k.
I say why give them you money to hold for something lasting 3 years?
What do you save?
Heck my dealer charges $199 for A and $299 for B service - I would have lost money for the fact my 3 yr maintenance was free as part of being a CPO at the time.
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