Should I buy an extended warranty
11-03-2015, 08:18 PM
#1
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Should I buy an extended warranty
Hi folks, so I just purchased a 2012 S550 with 26K miles on it and a few months of warranty left. Wondering if I should purchase an aftermarket warranty. How reliable are these cars. Traded my Toyota Tundra in on this one as I was tired of a truck. I have had warranties on my Toyota's and never used it so just wondering if it is even worth the cost.
11-03-2015, 08:36 PM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
Yeah, probably. If it hasn't reminded you it isn't a Toyota yet, it will at the MB service cashier window. I think if the car was sold via a MB dealer you can add extended factory warranty while the original is still in effect. Or your credit union can sell you a 3rd party service contract.
11-03-2015, 09:11 PM
#3
Super Member
Once you realize how deep in your pocket you have to reach for repairs the cost of a warranty would be a savings. Not saying that the cars are unreliable just saying that repairs are very expensive.
11-03-2015, 10:19 PM
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
So what should I expect to pay for a decent bumper to bumper warranty for say 3 more years.
11-03-2015, 11:48 PM
#6
Super Member
Long story short, I chose non-exclusionary coverage and bought from a local credit union. I'm not where I can verify price but for 100k miles, price was a low 3k I think. Same coverage bid between carriers ranged from 3 to 5.
Do your home work.
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11-04-2015, 11:02 AM
#8
MBWorld Fanatic!
In terms of convenience...zero deductible, OEM parts, no need for a back-and-forth between the shop and the service contract provider... the MB extended limited warranty would be my choice if the car qualified. If you bought the car from an MB dealer and the original 4/48 is still in force I believe you can buy up to three years of extended coverage with unlimited mileage for around $1500 per year. The clock on the extra years doesn't start until the original warranty expires.
11-04-2015, 11:15 AM
#9
i have a extended warranty thru Warranty Direct. I paid right at $4000 for mine. I had shopped around as well and thought this company would be great. Two weeks ago I have had issues with my car and they denied my claim for my suspension parts. Do Not go with this company. Its all been a huge headache. Im sure you can find a good warranty company but i would still highly recommend it.
11-04-2015, 12:07 PM
#10
MBWorld Fanatic!
The standard price for the Mercedes Extended Warranty on a CPO'ed car is $4500 for and additional 2 years unlimited miles beyond the standard extra year that you get on a CPO'ed car. There are dealers who will beat this price by a significant margin. You will need to research the forum as those dealers contact info is present within some of the warranty thread discussions.
11-04-2015, 01:29 PM
#11
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2015 S550
i have a extended warranty thru Warranty Direct. I paid right at $4000 for mine. I had shopped around as well and thought this company would be great. Two weeks ago I have had issues with my car and they denied my claim for my suspension parts. Do Not go with this company. Its all been a huge headache. Im sure you can find a good warranty company but i would still highly recommend it.
I agree that a service contract/extended warranty is an absolute must for these cars....unless you have huge disposable income and really don't care about forking out a lot of money for repairs.
I did a lot of research prior to buying the warranty I had on my E60 M5. Warranty Direct was a company that often came up at the top of Google searches, so I decided to investigate to see how they held up. The overwhelming evidence pointed to the fact that they were very difficult to deal with in getting claims paid. So I decided to steer clear of them. But I have the feeling that many people who made complaints didn't know what they're really purchasing or do the proper vetting of the companies before they make a purchase like a warranty. Dealers like to push certain aftermarket warranties because it is very lucrative in the F&I office. Unfortunately the customer feels like they've been bamboozled when they take their car in for repairs and find out they really weren't covered for the repairs. I have a feeling that you didn't read or comprehend the items that were and were not covered with your warranty. Most of the time, the majority of suspension components are not covered by any aftermarket warranty, even really good ones that are exclusionary coverage. Shocks, struts, bushings, ball joints, etc are almost all considered wear items which are excluded. Read your full contract so you aren't surprised if something isn't covered when you need to take your car in for repair. Also make sure that you follow the factory recommend maintenance schedule and have evidence of all maintenance as this is a place where warranty companies can and will burn you. It is in the language of all contracts.
With cars as complicated and full of so many state of the art systems like the W221, exclusionary coverage is definitely the way to go....as everything on the car is covered except for the items that are specifically excluded in the contract. Those items are usually things like glass, body panels, wear and tear items, and normal maintenance. Going with a named component warranty will likely put you in a position where the majority of the repairs your car will likely need won't actually be covered.
With the OP's low mileage, he can likely get into a very solid exclusionary warranty for a very reasonable price. Shopping at your local banks and credit unions is a good place to start. Many of them will offer solid coverage for our cars and are not loaded with markups. But not all of them do offer coverage, so you may have to make a lot of phone calls before you find one that fits the bill. For me, I was very fortunate that my credit union offered awesome coverage that covered my V12 twin turbo S600, which most aftermarket warranties won't touch. I also paid what appears to be a ridiculously low rate of around $3300 for 7 years or 75k miles of additional coverage with $100 deductible for exclusionary coverage. Amazingly, the S65 & S63 were covered at the same rate. In the year that I've had my car, they've already paid out more than triple what I paid for the warranty....and I have another 6 years to go. The warranties are also a great resale incentive, as most are transferable to the next owner for a small fee if you sell via private sale.
When considering the purchase of a car like the W221, it's likely best to find the lowest mileage example available. You'll pay more to get the lower mileage car, but the cost of the warranty is significantly cheaper and you can get more years and miles of coverage. If you save $5k to purchase a 60k mile car vs a 30k mile car, you really aren't saving anything by the time you figure in the higher cost of the warranty at those miles and less years of available coverage, not to mention the lower future resale of the car.
From everything I've been reading here, it is almost absurd to own one of these cars without coverage without a large bankroll.
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11-04-2015, 03:28 PM
#12
I recently bought an '08 with about 61k miles. So, not apples:apples, but I got a 36months/36000 mile exclusionary warranty through USAA (Assurant is the warranty company) for about $4500.
I've not had a chance to test it out, but reviews seem solid, and it is exclusionary, so I'm optimistic.
I've not had a chance to test it out, but reviews seem solid, and it is exclusionary, so I'm optimistic.
11-04-2015, 05:22 PM
#13
I agree that a service contract/extended warranty is an absolute must for these cars....unless you have huge disposable income and really don't care about forking out a lot of money for repairs.
I did a lot of research prior to buying the warranty I had on my E60 M5. Warranty Direct was a company that often came up at the top of Google searches, so I decided to investigate to see how they held up. The overwhelming evidence pointed to the fact that they were very difficult to deal with in getting claims paid. So I decided to steer clear of them. But I have the feeling that many people who made complaints didn't know what they're really purchasing or do the proper vetting of the companies before they make a purchase like a warranty. Dealers like to push certain aftermarket warranties because it is very lucrative in the F&I office. Unfortunately the customer feels like they've been bamboozled when they take their car in for repairs and find out they really weren't covered for the repairs. I have a feeling that you didn't read or comprehend the items that were and were not covered with your warranty. Most of the time, the majority of suspension components are not covered by any aftermarket warranty, even really good ones that are exclusionary coverage. Shocks, struts, bushings, ball joints, etc are almost all considered wear items which are excluded. Read your full contract so you aren't surprised if something isn't covered when you need to take your car in for repair. Also make sure that you follow the factory recommend maintenance schedule and have evidence of all maintenance as this is a place where warranty companies can and will burn you. It is in the language of all contracts.
With cars as complicated and full of so many state of the art systems like the W221, exclusionary coverage is definitely the way to go....as everything on the car is covered except for the items that are specifically excluded in the contract. Those items are usually things like glass, body panels, wear and tear items, and normal maintenance. Going with a named component warranty will likely put you in a position where the majority of the repairs your car will likely need won't actually be covered.
With the OP's low mileage, he can likely get into a very solid exclusionary warranty for a very reasonable price. Shopping at your local banks and credit unions is a good place to start. Many of them will offer solid coverage for our cars and are not loaded with markups. But not all of them do offer coverage, so you may have to make a lot of phone calls before you find one that fits the bill. For me, I was very fortunate that my credit union offered awesome coverage that covered my V12 twin turbo S600, which most aftermarket warranties won't touch. I also paid what appears to be a ridiculously low rate of around $3300 for 7 years or 75k miles of additional coverage with $100 deductible for exclusionary coverage. Amazingly, the S65 & S63 were covered at the same rate. In the year that I've had my car, they've already paid out more than triple what I paid for the warranty....and I have another 6 years to go. The warranties are also a great resale incentive, as most are transferable to the next owner for a small fee if you sell via private sale.
When considering the purchase of a car like the W221, it's likely best to find the lowest mileage example available. You'll pay more to get the lower mileage car, but the cost of the warranty is significantly cheaper and you can get more years and miles of coverage. If you save $5k to purchase a 60k mile car vs a 30k mile car, you really aren't saving anything by the time you figure in the higher cost of the warranty at those miles and less years of available coverage, not to mention the lower future resale of the car.
From everything I've been reading here, it is almost absurd to own one of these cars without coverage without a large bankroll.
I did a lot of research prior to buying the warranty I had on my E60 M5. Warranty Direct was a company that often came up at the top of Google searches, so I decided to investigate to see how they held up. The overwhelming evidence pointed to the fact that they were very difficult to deal with in getting claims paid. So I decided to steer clear of them. But I have the feeling that many people who made complaints didn't know what they're really purchasing or do the proper vetting of the companies before they make a purchase like a warranty. Dealers like to push certain aftermarket warranties because it is very lucrative in the F&I office. Unfortunately the customer feels like they've been bamboozled when they take their car in for repairs and find out they really weren't covered for the repairs. I have a feeling that you didn't read or comprehend the items that were and were not covered with your warranty. Most of the time, the majority of suspension components are not covered by any aftermarket warranty, even really good ones that are exclusionary coverage. Shocks, struts, bushings, ball joints, etc are almost all considered wear items which are excluded. Read your full contract so you aren't surprised if something isn't covered when you need to take your car in for repair. Also make sure that you follow the factory recommend maintenance schedule and have evidence of all maintenance as this is a place where warranty companies can and will burn you. It is in the language of all contracts.
With cars as complicated and full of so many state of the art systems like the W221, exclusionary coverage is definitely the way to go....as everything on the car is covered except for the items that are specifically excluded in the contract. Those items are usually things like glass, body panels, wear and tear items, and normal maintenance. Going with a named component warranty will likely put you in a position where the majority of the repairs your car will likely need won't actually be covered.
With the OP's low mileage, he can likely get into a very solid exclusionary warranty for a very reasonable price. Shopping at your local banks and credit unions is a good place to start. Many of them will offer solid coverage for our cars and are not loaded with markups. But not all of them do offer coverage, so you may have to make a lot of phone calls before you find one that fits the bill. For me, I was very fortunate that my credit union offered awesome coverage that covered my V12 twin turbo S600, which most aftermarket warranties won't touch. I also paid what appears to be a ridiculously low rate of around $3300 for 7 years or 75k miles of additional coverage with $100 deductible for exclusionary coverage. Amazingly, the S65 & S63 were covered at the same rate. In the year that I've had my car, they've already paid out more than triple what I paid for the warranty....and I have another 6 years to go. The warranties are also a great resale incentive, as most are transferable to the next owner for a small fee if you sell via private sale.
When considering the purchase of a car like the W221, it's likely best to find the lowest mileage example available. You'll pay more to get the lower mileage car, but the cost of the warranty is significantly cheaper and you can get more years and miles of coverage. If you save $5k to purchase a 60k mile car vs a 30k mile car, you really aren't saving anything by the time you figure in the higher cost of the warranty at those miles and less years of available coverage, not to mention the lower future resale of the car.
From everything I've been reading here, it is almost absurd to own one of these cars without coverage without a large bankroll.
11-04-2015, 05:23 PM
#14
I recently bought an '08 with about 61k miles. So, not apples:apples, but I got a 36months/36000 mile exclusionary warranty through USAA (Assurant is the warranty company) for about $4500.
I've not had a chance to test it out, but reviews seem solid, and it is exclusionary, so I'm optimistic.
I've not had a chance to test it out, but reviews seem solid, and it is exclusionary, so I'm optimistic.
11-04-2015, 08:17 PM
#15
MBWorld Fanatic!
it actually states in my warranty coverage that it would cover the suspension parts that went out other then the air shock. it specifically states control arms and sway bars. which i need replaced. ive tried speaking to even a supervisor and they supervisor will not even get on the phone. i'm going to try looking into getting a lawyer to look everything over. i hate going this route but then again i feel like im getting ****ed over by them. once again anyone that is looking for warranty do not go with warranty direct.
Normally you need a mileage affidavit and a cancellation request submitted in writing. You're entitled to a pro rata return of premium for the unused portion of the contract, less anything they paid out. The exact instructions will be buried in fine print but they're there.
Edit: I noticed your car is on 22" wheels and you're considering doing a drop. Those kinds of mods can be used to deny coverage for suspension related parts failure. Anything that they could argue increases the wear or strain on the components is fair game.
Last edited by Mike5215; 11-04-2015 at 08:24 PM.
11-04-2015, 09:02 PM
#16
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
On the tundra sites I used to frequent there were a few dealers around the country that would sell the Toyota Platinum Factory Warranty for around 1200 bucks versus the 3000 one at the dealer locally. Does anyone know if there are similar MB dealers around the country that do this. I talked to the guy I purchased my warranty from on my truck and he said that he just charged a few hundred bucks over cost and he sells thousands of these warranties per month just based on the word of mouth on the forums. I guess Toyota finally wised up and made new rules that dealers could not sell warranties over the internet. Would be great if there was a MB dealer that had this same attitude.
11-04-2015, 10:15 PM
#17
MBWorld Fanatic!
On the tundra sites I used to frequent there were a few dealers around the country that would sell the Toyota Platinum Factory Warranty for around 1200 bucks versus the 3000 one at the dealer locally. Does anyone know if there are similar MB dealers around the country that do this. I talked to the guy I purchased my warranty from on my truck and he said that he just charged a few hundred bucks over cost and he sells thousands of these warranties per month just based on the word of mouth on the forums. I guess Toyota finally wised up and made new rules that dealers could not sell warranties over the internet. Would be great if there was a MB dealer that had this same attitude.
11-04-2015, 10:32 PM
#18
If anyone has recent experience buying a discounted MB ELW would also like to hear who they shopped with, and bought from.
11-04-2015, 10:51 PM
#19
Super Member
On the tundra sites I used to frequent there were a few dealers around the country that would sell the Toyota Platinum Factory Warranty for around 1200 bucks versus the 3000 one at the dealer locally. Does anyone know if there are similar MB dealers around the country that do this. I talked to the guy I purchased my warranty from on my truck and he said that he just charged a few hundredd bucks over cost and he sells thousands of these warranties per month just based on the word of mouth on the forums. I guess Toyota finally wised up and made new rules that dealers could not sell warranties over the internet. Would be great if there was a MB dealer that had this same attitude.
Last edited by wilassasin; 11-04-2015 at 11:09 PM.
11-04-2015, 11:50 PM
#20
Save the lawyer money for the moment and read the section in the contract about cancellation. The way service contract companies (they aren't warranty companies...only the manufacturer of a product can warranty it) skirt the rules that would cause them to be governed by your state's insurance board is to make the policies cancellable. Otherwise they would be considered an insurance contract.
Normally you need a mileage affidavit and a cancellation request submitted in writing. You're entitled to a pro rata return of premium for the unused portion of the contract, less anything they paid out. The exact instructions will be buried in fine print but they're there.
Edit: I noticed your car is on 22" wheels and you're considering doing a drop. Those kinds of mods can be used to deny coverage for suspension related parts failure. Anything that they could argue increases the wear or strain on the components is fair game.
Normally you need a mileage affidavit and a cancellation request submitted in writing. You're entitled to a pro rata return of premium for the unused portion of the contract, less anything they paid out. The exact instructions will be buried in fine print but they're there.
Edit: I noticed your car is on 22" wheels and you're considering doing a drop. Those kinds of mods can be used to deny coverage for suspension related parts failure. Anything that they could argue increases the wear or strain on the components is fair game.
yea thanks mike ima look it over.
11-05-2015, 06:10 PM
#21
Super Member
I bought 2 years on my CPO MY2011 S550 for about 4400 bucks. That was one year ago. I dont know if I got a deal on it or not. They have several mile/year options. You should start with the dealer. The caveat is that you have to buy before the CPO warranty expires. In the end, I ended up with three years of warranty. 1 year CPO, now used up and two years beyond that.
11-05-2015, 06:31 PM
#22
MBWorld Fanatic!
I bought 2 years on my CPO MY2011 S550 for about 4400 bucks. That was one year ago. I dont know if I got a deal on it or not. They have several mile/year options. You should start with the dealer. The caveat is that you have to buy before the CPO warranty expires. In the end, I ended up with three years of warranty. 1 year CPO, now used up and two years beyond that.
11-06-2015, 10:09 PM
#24
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Love these forums, definitely going to do the MB 7YR75K warranty, found a dealer willing to sell me one for around 3K which seems like a bargain for 3 years of peace of mind. I have to say I am a little stunned with the parts and repair costs on these cars. I was used to Toyota's with 100K of zero cost other than tires, but they do not drive or accelerate like my new hot rod. 2 days after buying the car the back up cam failed, off to the dealer I went, fixing the module under warranty. Spare key cost me 400 bucks though, feel like I was raped on that one. I will keep this car for the 3 years and then probably buy another used one and buy the warranty again. Love the car but the cost to ride is pretty steep. Dealer gave me a new e class loaner and it is not the same caliber of car even at 3 years newer.
11-07-2015, 08:56 AM
#25
MBWorld Fanatic!
Yep. The S is a unique beast. Not even MB can replicate it at a lower price to point, which is why the E and C are nothing special beyond the star on the hood.
Expensive to build equals expensive to repair, which is why the warranty is essential.
The only other issue an S presents is that once you've had one it's very difficult to go back. When trade in time comes, there literally will be nothing you test drive that won't be a disappointment relative to the S. Also your family tends to get very attached to the S and in the end it's just easier to buy another one. I try to at least vary the colors so I don't feel completely stupid.
Expensive to build equals expensive to repair, which is why the warranty is essential.
The only other issue an S presents is that once you've had one it's very difficult to go back. When trade in time comes, there literally will be nothing you test drive that won't be a disappointment relative to the S. Also your family tends to get very attached to the S and in the end it's just easier to buy another one. I try to at least vary the colors so I don't feel completely stupid.
