lifesurfer

I have owned the 2020 GLB 250 for about 4 years now. It is my first ever MB I have 24k miles on it. Manufacturer’s warranty will be over soon. Ideally, I would like to buy a new car now, but my family has grown and expenses have grown (with a new house and stuff), so I am trying to be judicious and trying to plan and see if I can continue with GLB. In a year this car will be paid off, it will be nice to get rid of a monthly payment. I have liked the car and I have not had issues with it.. Except a finicky AC that makes random loud noises (anyone else has that?). Also, it was the first version of this model, so there is always that fear that something that is not time tasted will hurt me at some point.

Anyway, I need to make a decision about whether it is possible to keep this car with low-ish expenses, since the manufacturer's warranty will soon be over at 4 years. I need your personal experiences/opinions about the following. It would help me greatly in order to take the right next steps/decision.

1. People with GLB and more miles than me - have you encountered any issues? Would love to know especially about the 2020 version. I just hope there are no issues soon after the warranty period is over.
2. If I keep the car around, the prepaid maintenance plan will be over too. How bad would it be to go to third party shops for regular maintenance? Is it not recommended?
3. How do I start the search for extended warranty? Just start calling the dealers?
4. Is extended warranty worth it with MB? I read some stories on this forum about dealers not being keen on covering repairs because MB makes it hard for them to get the reimbursements. If this is the case then entire extended warranty thing seems like a waste.
5. Is the third party warranty a good idea for MB? Which are some good third party providers if you think it is worth considering?

Thanks!

Serhan

I had a 2013 GLK350 with V6 and it was 8 years old with no problems when I traded for GLB35. It was not a first year model so most of the issues were fixed most probably in previous years. My indie mechanic who used to run 2 MB service shops did the required maintenance and I went for MB service for a few warranty recalls. The independent mechanic is 1/2 to 1/3 cheaper than MB service shops and usually more responsive as well.... GLK AC was louder esp after a warranty recall and it was running cold/heat in a few seconds in comparison to GLB which takes much longer. GLB has more electronics and that is the part where my problems showed up eg transmission software update and loosing the traffic updates after routine second year maintenance. The other common problem with GLB is with engine cylinder head repair which has an extended warranty by MB:
https://mbworld.org/forums/glb-class...nder-head.html

I didn't have a MB extended warranty. For MB extended warranty, you can read the posts regarding to that:
https://mbworld.org/forums/extended-...ml#post8876415
https://mbworld.org/forums/extended-...ml#post8406535
https://mbworld.org/forums/extended-...scussions-191/

I think this was third party, which you can search for reviews:
https://mbworld.org/forums/glb-class...y-pricing.html

goditas

The best financial decision in my option is to keep it. Keep it for at least 4 additional years or even longer. Even if you have 2 to 3K a year in repairs/service, it is still less than the annual average cost of new and used car payments. If reliability is really a concern, with 24K, you can buy an extended warranty from MB for a reasonable amount. Once you pay the car off, you will have more money for savings and/or investments.

ILoveNY

I feel GLB has a better reputation than the GLC now

W205C43PFL

Many forum members suggested keeping the money that would otherwise be used for purchasing a warranty in a bank account or basically save it and use it when you need it instead of purchasing a warranty.

lifesurfer

Thank you! Lot of good info here.

louiechewy

I can recommend you reach out to Jeff Jackson to get a quote on PPM and ELM. I bought a 2021 GLB at a run-rate mileage less than yours though, and I haven't had any issues at all.
Jeff provided me really competitive quote back then. He should still be competitive now.

Jeff Jackson
Finance Director
Mercedes-Benz of Louisville
2520 Terra Crossing Blvd
Louisville, KY 40245
JJackson@MBLouisville.com
502-896-4411 Main
502-894-6829 Direct