fathobbit

Hi,

We bought a 2012 ML350 almost a month ago and wa told my the dealer that we would need to buy the extended warranty before the one month completion date which about a couple of days away.

I was wondering if this was required or people recommened. If its recommended what is the best one to get. They do seem pretty expensive in the range of 3-4K though.

Thanks for your help.

LOVEMYBS

You're being ripped off in a BIG way! Dealers receive a large commission when they sell you an extended warranty. I would notify/complain to the sales/general manager and tell them you're referring the matter to MBUSA.

Your OEM factory warranty is 4 years or 50K miles. You don't need an extended warranty. As long as you're the original owner you can buy an extended MB warranty on the last day your orginal warranty runs out. However, IMO the MB warranty is too expensive for what you get. Sorry, but it's stealer C--P like this that gets me going. Don't listen to their BS.

aggst1

In my view, it would make sense to buy the Extended Warranty if a) it is fully transferable which usually is and more importantly b) it is significantly cheaper than buying later. Since the price quoted seems on par with what others are paying then what's in it for you? Why would you part with your money years before you need to? Maybe tell your dealer that "what's in it for me" and he can discount it. In any case I agree with the previous poster. The dealers make a large profit from selling ext warranties so he is pressing you for his gain.

roadrutz

The dealer makes a huge margin on an extended warranty. You have a LOT of room for negotiation! I paid $2,500 for mine and it's a 550, so you should be able to get yours for about $2K. It is a Mercedes -- not aftermarket -- warranty, fully transferable if you sell the vehicle, that extends the term of the normal factory warranty to six years plus an additional year on the drivetrain, all limited to 100,000 miles. If you won't go over the mileage limit, it is, IMHO, well worth the cost for the peace of mind it will give you. And if you sell the car, you'll get some of that cost back in increased value.

aggst1

Agreed, but what is the benefit for buying ext warranty so early? Piece of mind for year 5 or 6 of ownership when he is at year 0 and paying the same for it ?

fathobbit

If you buy with in 30 days of your vehicle purchase you dont have to pay the 15% surcharge fees apparently.

For 6 years/100K - its about $3599, 6 years/75K its $2499.

gsrjc

I personally would not purchase extended warranty.

roadrutz

Unless I buy a lemon, I keep any car for six to eight years so buying the extended warranty with the new vehicle makes sense for me. I seem to remember that there is a small surcharge if you buy the warranty later on; I find it easier just to pay the whole thing up front and be done with it.

venchka

Y'all do know about the Catch 22 of extended warranties, right? Search this forum. There are numerous discussions. Pros. Cons. Etc. I put the proceeds from the recent sale of my S70 where I can't get at them easily as my GLK support fund. The dollar amount was similar to the 3 years/25,000 mile (7 years/75,000 miles in dealer speak) extended warranty price.
Extended Warranty Catch 22: What are your driving habits? Miles per year? What if your miles per year changes drastically up or down in the next few years? You get miles or you get years. Unless you are very careful, you won't get both.

Wayne

roadrutz

I'm not sure what point you are making here.

There is a huge difference between aftermarket extended warranties and the factory extended warranty. The former have many exclusions and conditions, while the latter is simply a word-for-word extension of the original warranty.

As I said in my post above, the factory extended warranty is limited to 7 years -- 8 on the drivetrain -- and 100,000 miles, so obviously if you are going to put very high mileage on the vehicle it may not make sense to buy the extension.

A warranty is just like insurance. Every penny you pay may be money down the drain (in fact, you hope it is), but if something does go seriously wrong you have some peace of mind.

aggst1

+1 on the last comment. It is just an insurance policy just like health insurance. You pay X thousand per year and hope you don't use it at all. In the event you need it you are simply covered. One should never get into the mindset that says "I paid X thousand for ext warranty and never used it so it is a waste of money".

hdg

I took delivery of my brand new 2012 ML 350. I went ahead and bought the MB ELW (extended limited warranty) 5yr/ 100k, within the first 30 days to avoid the potential 15% upcharge. My selling dealer made me an amazing deal! It beat the 10 other dealerships I phoned. You may want to try them.

I did learn that the MB ELW is ONLY avail to the original owner, it can not be purchased on a demo car or prior service loaner car. Which I personally don't get. You've got to be the orginal owner.

Call Jennifer Jerman
Mercedes Benz Boerne (pronounced Burn-e)
Boerne TX
830-981-6021 Direct
800-440-0140

lkchris

A "new 2012 ML" is a W166.

hdg

lkchris
You are correct and I am aware of the chassis designation. However given the extensive warranty discussion on this posting I though those who did an internet search as I did and saw this thread might find it helpful.

Becks Imports

*** NOTE: I am biased because I sell 3rd-party extended warranties ***

The statement above is not true. The MB CPO and ELW extended warranties do not cover the same amount of stuff as the new-car warranty. I sell 3rd party warranties that cover as much or more than both CPO and ELW.

The fact that CPO and ELW are from MB is nice, of course. But for example, both the CPO and the ELW exclude struts. For those with ABC or airmatic suspension, this can be a signifcant issue. There are other examples, but that's one obvious one.

So read the contract, and the exclusions list, to make sure what you want covered, is covered. If anyone would like a quote on an excellent extended warranty, feel free to email me your car's VIN# and current odometer to brucem105@comcast.net.

Another reason to consider 3rd party is term. The plans I sell are not based on the original in-service date of the car. So if you wanted a plan for a 2007 car, with MB you're limited to a year or so of coverage (i.e. in-service date was 12/06, all MB plans would expire 12/13). With my plans, a four year plan would expire 4 years from today, in 2016.

Thanks.

Bruce

iankayem

Extended warranty is just another form of insurance.
So why not do as the insurers do?
Take your $3599 and invest it for 6 years. If youre any good with money you will probably be laughing.
And if you are unlucky and have a failure, you still have that $3599 plus interest to offset it.

roadrutz

Bruce: I don't wish to interfere with your right to make a living, but you are wrong. I have my Mercedes extended warranty on the desk in front of me right now. Struts and all suspension parts -- including for Airmatic -- are specifically listed as being covered. In fact, the only exclusions of any sort that I can find are radio parts and obvious things such as damage caused by use of improper replacement parts, accident, or lack of maintenance, and "seals and gaskets above 120,000 km except when required in connection with the replacement of warrantable parts".

All normal conditions of the original warranty such as roadside assistance are continued under the same terms as in the original warranty. The warranty is transferable to a new owner but not if the owner resides outside Canada.

It is, I suppose, possible that in the US your extended warranty is different from the one sold by Mercedes Canada, but I have no idea why that would be the case.

Becks Imports

Thanks for not blasting me!

I just hung up with MB....struts are specifically named as excluded in both CPO and ELW coverage in the USA (I did not ask about Canada).

The warranty is not a direct extension of the new-car warranty. Most people may not know the difference and may not need to, but there is a significant difference in coverage.

Again, this applies only to USA...not sure about Canada or elsewhere.

Bruce

Becks Imports

They are spreading their risk across thousands of different cars...some reliable, some not. So they can hedge. You are placing an all or nothing bet on a single car, so you can't hedge.

It can be a viable strategy, just depends on the car, how much you know of its history, and how comfortable you are with a 1% rate of return these days! It can definitely put you ahead long-term, but it also removes the safety net of protection against a catastrophic (and low odds) failure like a trans rebuild or something.

With some cars, though, the risk is far too high that repairs can exceed the banked repair money. For example, no way am I banking $3599 (or even $5599!!)for a CL600 repair fund.

Bruce

chikoo

Is it true that the ML350 is not eligible for MB ELW if the vehicle is purchased from a non-MB dealer and the MB dealer had auctioned off the lease return?

chikoo

Just got a Zurich Platinum VSC for my 2010 ML350 for $3000 for 6yr from today to 100K on my Odometer.

davey one

Us ML owners have got to the point we expect trans to go at 100k, front diff at 120k, SAM anytime etc, it should not be like this, and 50k factory warranty is a joke,

chikoo

^ Seriously?

davey one

Well ...yes!!! Mitsubishi gives a 10 year warranty, 5 on the vehicle and 10 on drive line, after owning afew Toyotas,Lexus, Mits,MGs,it never crossed my mind that the trans would give up at 100k in these cars... and never did.Dont get me wrong I still love our ML its the best tow vehicle i have owned ,its just the thought of GO TO WORKSHOP popping up on the screen after reading all the probs other people have encounted..

chikoo

did you actually go through all these problems or are you only speaking of experiences of others?