There are a couple things to keep in mind with warranties. One is, they are priced by the insurance provider to make money for them. On average, they will. For each guy who gets more in repairs than he paid, there is another guy (or two) who got less. People who had fewer repairs either had better reliability, owned the car for less time than planned, or couldn't be bothered to take it in for service when small issues arose. It is great to hear anecdotal evidence from one person who had poor reliability and enormous patience for service visits to a dealer who happily charged full price for all sorts of things over a long period.

Next, Sometimes dealers find and bill for repairs which are far in excess of what is needed and a few unscrupulous ones don't even make repairs or replace parts. You say your transmission makes a noise, they tighten a bolt and charge for a replacement transmission. People without warranties don't tend to authorize such repairs and/or get a second opinion or fund a cheaper alternative.

The best alternative is to drive a car which needs minimal repairs and no extra warranty coverage. Failing that, shop around for the best warranty deal you can get and price it to cover only as much as you need in terms of length and deductible. Then be prepared to spend time and energy dealing with service centers. The issue with shocking reliability on Mercedes products has gotten so widely known that it is a bit embarrassing to drive one more than three years old because pretty much everyone knows you are suffering mightily.

 

Yes, they are priced generally to make money. And insurance companies certainly do make money on them. Price of warranties can vary greatly depending on make of car. For example, the cost of a warranty on a Honda or Toyota is almost always cheaper than a German make due to their long history of over all reliability. I'm certainly not the only one who has come out ahead on my warranty. I bet if you surveyed all W221 owners who've purchased a warranty and kept their cars at least a couple of years, the vast majority come out ahead. Same with the BMW and Audi guys. Repairs are majorly expensive on these cars and the cost of one major repair could easily more than pay for the entire warranty cost. BMW, Benz, and Audi are all extremely expensive to repair and all have lots of reliability issues. I really don't think that the warranty companies have caught up with them regarding pricing of their policies. If they did, the premiums would either be significantly higher or they wouldn't offer any kind of coverage at all once these cars exceed 50k miles.

Honestly, I think you're making all of this up or have read some strange articles on the internet. There may be a few unscrupulous repair shops, but people who own Benz' would likely never take their cars to those kinds of places....unless they are completely stupid and don't do any kind of research on the shop. Perhaps Benzs55 might, but not people who have any kind of common sense.

I think the only ones who know anybody is "suffering" with repair costs are the people on internet boards or the shops who have to listen to the customer complaining about the costs. People who buy these cars want to have a car that rides and drives like no other in its class. If they didn't do the proper research before buying their used Benz and get in over their heads on repair costs, then the blame rests squarely on their shoulders. The car may seem rock solid and have a great service history when you buy it, but that does not mean that major systems won't break down, sometimes almost immediately after you buy it. If there is anything that can be gained from most owners who've purchase a used S-class, it's buy the lowest mileage car you can find with a full service history and never own it without warranty coverage. The vast majority of folks who've owned their S-class for any length of time will certainly agree with me. Warranty companies are not the winners when it comes to these cars.

 

Let us know what Bruce offers.

Thanks

 

Haven't heard back from him yet.

 

Considering the team of actuaries the insurance/warranty industry has, I'm fairly certain there are a ton of factors involved. I find it hard to believe that somehow S class warranties have slipped under the radar where we are the benefactors due to their incompetence.

With that said, most of us who hunt out forums are enthusiasts and research this stuff. Given normal participation rates we are probably a blip on the radar in their eyes.

So in short, hit me up with an offer for a 4K warranty or don't. They know they assume some risk, but at the same time are buying goodwill for further warranty purchases on lesser risk vehicles in the future.

Have to approach it as how a casino host would treat ya. There's a chance they can claw the money back if they treat you right.

 

It's been 7 months and I'm now at 38k miles. No repairs since Feb.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop....

 

Dave, how to get info about their warranty? i see nothing on the web

 

Dave, I went to Baxter Credit Union's website and saw the Mechanical Repair Coverage (MRC). It this the same one you got? Does one have to be a resident of Chicago or a member of any group to buy their warranty? FYI, I am looking extended warranty for 2013 ML350. Thanks.

 

If you're in the Chicago area, you can join BCU and purchase the warranty. MRC is the coverage. You would want to choose the Platinum plan as it's the only exclusionary policy available.

 

Bummer!! I am in Maryland.

 

Hit the $8K mark in repairs for the S600. Can't say I would recommend Assurant.

Latest is they are flat out denying a motor mount replacement since it is a wearable item according to them. Probably will require a phone call.

 

With all of the talk of people pondering whether to purchase an S-class with or without a warranty, I thought I’d chime in with my experience. Some members think it’s a stupid idea to spend the money on a warranty because they don’t think they’d ever be money ahead. Some say they are going to do their own repairs and purchase parts at discounts online and do the repairs themselves, thus saving over dealer repair costs. While others state that they are going to set up an account where they will deposit money to pay for any repairs that come up. Those are all novel ideas, but I don’t think most people who’ve never owned one of these machines before and are purchasing it 2nd, 3rd, or 4th or more hand really know what they are getting into. So I thought my experience might help others in making their decision about whether it’s a good idea to have warranty coverage, vs the other options.

Background: I purchased my one owner 2007 S600 sight unseen from a very reputable dealer in the San Diego area and had the car shipped to the Chicago area. I purchased it with just 24k miles in late November, 2014. The car was originally put into service in April, 2006. I had previously purchased warranty coverage on my E60 M5 through my credit union. It is a “Member’s Choice” service contract that has claims administered through “The Warranty Group”, who also administers claims for CarMax warranties among others. (If you live in the Chicago area, I can help you with a contact to help set it up). I purchased a 7 year/75k miles policy that began on the date I purchased the coverage. I’m covered until Nov, 2021 and 99,xxx miles. I have the Platinum policy, which is their exclusionary coverage. It covers all items on the car, except the items that specifically excluded….which would include items such as batteries, hoses, tires, brake pads & rotors, wheels, glass, body panels, etc. Basically the items that are normal wear items or things that would be repaired by a body shop if you got into an accident. I paid $3287.00 for the policy and I have a $100 deductible per service visit. I got it cheap and for a long time due to the low starting mileage. I can go to any dealer or independent shop to have the work done. Price and years of available coverage are determined by starting miles. Like all insurance policies, the warranty company pays at a pre-negotiated rate, which is usually less than a person without coverage would pay for a repair at their dealer or an indy shop.

I’m going to list items that were covered and paid for by my warranty. If it’s for a non-covered repair or the purchase of normal wear items like batteries, tires, brakes, etc, I will not be including it in this list. I will list the issue, remedy, and total cost of the repair. You can subtract $100 from each claim for my deductible. I will update this list periodically as I have more claims.

1. 2-20-15: Replacement of gearshift lever which my wife broke off: $562.70

2. 6-2-15: Whining noise coming from engine, transmission shifting harsh. New idler pulley installed, as well as MB remanufactured transmission: $7395.35

3. 8-20-15: Check engine light on and ABC dampener very noisy. Vacuum hose replaced and new pulsation dampener on ABC pump installed: $733.54

4. 2-16-16: Excessive vibration during cold weather and running loud. Replace 3 motor/transmission mounts: $923.68.

5. 2-27-16: Check engine light came on and car running rough. Installed left side ignition coil: $1849.75.

6. 10-21-16: One horn and washer pump not working. Installed new parts: $630.94.

Total claims paid to date: $12,095.96.
My responsibility: $600.00

 

I have to bring my S in for some warranty work in the near future.

I have been getting an intermittent BRAKE, ABS, ESC INOPERABLE MESSAGE. Comes and goes. I assume it's a wheel sensor.

The "dog bone" has broken and the steering wheel doesn't tilt/ fortunately for me it's in the down position.

When I am parked and the car is running it will violently shake for a few seconds. It's not the engine. It appears to be the suspension purging air from the system. Normal?

This next issue I had with my E class and now the S class does it. Not often but enough where it is annoying. I get a lot if dummy messages. mainly has to do with lights or the SOS not working but when I check the lights are working. They clear themselves on the next engine start. does the ECM need to be reflashed?

Dave, how did your wife break the gear shift lever off? I have heard of this happening to other people as well. I tell my girlfriend to always be gentle with it.

My life has been quite hectic lately and I haven't had time to schedule a service appointment, and I need a loaner. I am going to try and doit this week.

 

sounds like the car has some issues. Where did you buy it from? auction car?

 

LOL!!! 1 owner CA car with 24k miles when I got it. This stuff is not uncommon for a 10 year old S600. That's why I purchased the warranty.

 

No Dave not yours.. sir thomas, sounds like some real issues.

 

Ha, no arguments there. My warranty has been quite helpful. I wouldn't have bought mine if I wasn't able to obtain one. For the record when I bought my S600 it had 28K on it. Basically immaculate in appearance and well everything looked/checked out ok. FL car.

So in around 10 months of ownership:

First 3 months:

-Idler pulley -- Struggle with Assurant, ended up eating some of the cost.
-Sat radio module
-Rear door control module
-ABC hose along with front pulsation dampener -- Amazing what a racket a leaking ABC hose can cause when starting the car
-Broken air hose to seat. Simple fix. Amazing all the seat bladders still work.

So it was fine for a couple months. Next up, click of death from the sunroof.
-Required sunroof motor

Meanwhile, during this time of ownership I have had a slight loss of coolant. Around 300-400 miles of driving low coolant comes on, around a cup or so tops it off and it is happy again for the next 300 miles. No signs of leakage of course with that small amount. Figured it was the top turbo coolant seals.

Finally, the past couple weeks had a weird issue when the front shock went crazy and I had a steady ticking noise from the engine. Took it in to an indy mechanic here for the first time to try them out.

Results:
- Tandem pump bad, replaced. Sound gone, suspension happy again.
- Had them pressurize and look for coolant leaks. Result was it held pressure with no issues, which points to the coolant cap. Makes sense, as there was traces of residue on top of the tank. But it was so minor to look at and couldn't really tell. Besides, when are things that dang simple?
- Motor mounts are shot. Their cost to replace? $585. Bargain. But again, Assurant is balking at it.

To reiterate, looking at around $8-$8.5K so far. Caveat Emptor and all that picking one of these up.

Oh, best part about S ownership is how it sticks your manhood in a light socket and flips the switch when you are down about it just to rub salt in the wound.

After I made the last appointment I drove it and it prompted me with break pad sensor warning indicator. (Rear brakes are shot, I'll replace those myself). Then to top it all off, as I pull into the parking place at the repair place...for the first time in 10 months it complained about tire pressures.

Feel like I own Christine sometimes.

 

So far those are the only issues. I bought it from a Porsche dealership.

 

I'm in Maryland as well and just purchased a s63 where you able to find coverage?

 

Quoting my own post for a refresher.

I brought my S to Mercedes for service and to address my issues. The car was asking for a service A so I figured I would have it done. They wouldn't give me a loaner but they did provide shuttle service. Not having a loaner wasn't an issue I have two other cars.

The dealer did the service A told me I had an oil leak at the EGR. I did not see or smell any oil.

As I suspected I needed a wheel sensor on the driver side front wheel and a ball joint. I guess I hit a pothole at some point that messed everything up. Again, I saw no evidence I needed a ball joint. The car was straight as an arrow. No wheel play.

No issue was found with the air suspension It could have had water in the system. I guess it's possible.

Even though there is power to the tilt wheel the dealer said they need to replace the steering column. I wonder if they are actually going to this.

The warranty company I purchased a service contract from agreed to all the repairs with no complaining. They did send an adjuster out to look at the work that needed to be done.

I am not sure how much this is going to come out too.I did not ask. I just know my responsibility is $200 plus the Service A.

I am very curious to see the final bill. I have a feeling it's going to be in the $3000 dollar range. The Column alone could be around $2000 to $3000 dollars.

Anyone wanna take a guess?

 

I am up to about 2 grand in covered repairs at the 12 month mark of ownership on my S550. Just had two new O2 sensors replaced and they had to drop the entire exhaust to get them, also re flashed the ECU. Cost me nothing and took the dealer most of the day to fix. Even got a loaner C300. I would never drive this car without the factory warranty.

 

Cross Post from GL Forum:

This post will be kind of an intro thread and the start of my warranty experience. I own a 2007 GL 450 with 53,000 miles on it currently.

I read a lot of threads on this forum related to aftermarket warranties, and whether they are worth the purchase or not. I used Dave's warranty thread heavily when researching the aftermarket company I would go with, so I figured I would start a thread documenting my experience with the company I purchased a contract through.

The Contract:

After hours and hours of research I decided to buy an aftermarket warranty through Carchex. Carchex is simply the front man selling the warranty for the administrator. They sell warranties for several administrators including royal administrator services, assurant, and The Warranty Group. After lots of research I knew I wanted to buy my policy with the administrator being the warranty group. They are one of two or three administrators who service the Carmax warranty which is known to pay out on claims, the other Carmax administrators are Fidelity warranty services and I believe easy care. I also consulted my service advisor at Fletcher Jones who said that the warranty group is a good company to work with. Obviously in a perfect world I would have gone with fidelity warranty services as they are the best in the business, but their policy for an exclusionary coverage plan on my car for four years was $20,000 and had to be purchased through Fletcher Jones (lol).

It is important to note that the only aftermarket warranty contract worth purchasing on cars like these is called exclusionary coverage. Exclusionary coverage means that the company has to list out in writing the components that they will not cover. If it is not written, the component is covered under the warranty. When I was purchasing the warranty through carchex I demanded that the warranty group be my administrator, and I wanted their highest level of exclusionary coverage which is called titanium coverage. I had them send me the contract and I read it line by line to understand exactly what is not covered under my warranty. I looked for things that I know will fail on my car like the airmatic suspension and various other things.

So I purchased a four year 51,000 mile coverage plan through the warranty group. I paid $5000 for the policy.

My Experience:

The warranty has a cooling off period of 30 days and 1000 miles before you can make a claim. At Day 35 and 1400 miles I got a check engine light and heard a big bang from the front right corner of my car. I got out in the front air suspension was riding on the wheels. I thought to myself oh boy here we go, better get ready for battle. I towed the car to Fletcher Jones here in Las Vegas, and I gave my service advisor all of the necessary information to start the claim (this was Thursday). Yesterday, I called my service advisor to get a status update. He told me that the check engine light was an upstream O2 sensor, and that my front passenger side airbag had a gaping hole in the side of it. He told me he called the warranty group to make the claim and that they had flat out denied the air suspension but were looking into the O2 sensor. I told him that was ridiculous, I had purchased exclusionary coverage and there is no exclusion for air springs or air suspension in the contract. He said that the warranty group representative told him I have platinum coverage (stated component) and that if I had titanium coverage the entire claimwould be covered. I immediately got on the phone with the warranty group to clear up what was evidently a clerical error in my contract. They told me I needed to contact carchex to resolve the issue. After hours of going back-and-forth between carchex and the warranty group and spending massive amounts of time on the phone with the warranty group supervisors they cleared up the issue and admitted defeat in saying that I do in fact have titanium coverage which is their highest level of exclusionary coverage. They corrected the error on my profile and all was right in my world. My service advisor called them back and they approved the entire claim which I'm sure will be a hefty tab. Other than the clerical error and having to fight to get that resolved, my experience has been very good so far. I will use this thread as a running tab of all of my warranty claims over the next four years, and my warranty experiences. I hope that my experience and what I have written here can help some other MB owners have a little insight into what to do and what not to do when buying an aftermarket warranty. You need to negotiate hard and do lots of research upfront, but the peace of mind is worth every penny knowing the repair bills can be massive.

Claim #1: upstream O2 sensor and right front air spring. Estimated total: $2,500.

 

I think it's also important to note that when using an aftermarket warranty, having a service advisor who goes to bat for you is just as important as having a good warranty company. My service advisor is amazing and he is a true car guy who fights for his clients.

 

Yea, but how do you find that type of service advisor? This was my first trip ever to the dealer for service. The consigliere asked if I wanted a particular advisor. I was assigned one. I guess he did his job ok. They approved the work. I can also see the advisors taking complete advantage of the warranty company too. I seriously doubt my car needed a $2000 steering column. The dog bone is a $7 part and 5 hours on labor. all told it should have been about $900 to repair.

When dealers and mechanics alike hose service companies like this than we pay more for the contract at purchase and increase the likely hood of repairs being denied.

 

Repairs are based on book rate. I highly doubt that a high end Benz dealer is looking to hose warranty companies. With warranty repairs, especially non factory, the service advisors have to call in first to get the repairs approved. In many cases, depending on the cost and type of repair, the warranty companies send a field rep out to inspect the damage before authorization for the claim. Service advisors know this and are not going to put their jobs on the line by trying to do unnecessary repairs.