Stoofpilot

It would be interesting to understand what percent of SL owners have actually purchased a aftermarket warranty. My MB dealer recommended Fidelity yet there were so many complaints on line that I am tempted to roll the dice against the ABC system.

NCE500

Get a warranty.

I've had my SL just over a year, driven it all of 5K miles, and in 2 warranty visits, 10 months apart, my MB dealer has billed the warranty company every dollar I paid for the policy for fixing pretty mundane stuff, not ABC related. I've got 3 more years of warranty to go, which makes owning this car a much better experience. These cars were expensive new, and are expensive to repair.

A warranty will very likely pay for itself and make your car much more desirable if/when you choose to trade or sell. Be sure to go with someone your dealer will work with, and that the warranty is transferrable.

Benz-O-Rama

^^^^^^^^^

This man speaks the truth. I consider my SL600 a cream puff. I bought it with 11,000 miles on it, and it clicked over 32k recently. It's never had any major problems, but the repair bills are over $5000 so far. For instance, my passenger side xenon control module went out, 2300.00 thank you very much. Convertible top pump? You guessed it, another 2000.00.

Luckily, my Fidelity warranty has covered every penny to date. There are two Fidelity warranty companies. One is very good with an A+ rating on the BBB, and the other has an F rating. You must be looking at the bad one.


Get a warranty. I can't stress this enough.

blackmagic527

I have aChrysler service contracts but they arent being sold anymore . They are the best. I totally agree these cars are super expensive to repair. My warranty has save me three times what I paid.. Shop wisely and make sure they cover things like the ABC and the top motor .
After all thats done... Enjoy your ride they are truly beautiful cars.

mikeblah

anyone have any experience with extended warranties on higher mileage SLs?

I've got an 03 with 73k miles. don't mind spending the money on a good one and have been offered 'National'.

Thanks for the help, hoping to get this buttoned down today.

falconsprint

Can you provide more detail on how to recognize the good Fidelity from the bad one?

Stoofpilot

I just got a quote of $5,200 for a Fidelity three year 36,000 miles warranty. At that price I would roll the dice. Anyone else get quotes?

Benz-O-Rama

This is the one I have, and they have a very good BBB rating:

http://www.fidelitywarrantyservices.com/

And this is the one with the F rating on BBB

http://www.fidelityautomotivesolutions.com/index.php

I would almost garauntee you'll spend more than that in repairs, if you keep the car for any length of time. Every time you take it in for service, you're gonna see a $1000-$2000 repair bill. These are not cars to "roll the dice on"

See my post above for repair costs of common items.

NCE500

To give you second perspective, in a year I've replaced a door check ($450), (cracked) front lower control arm bushings ($800), axle seal ($550), fuel pump, fuel check valve, fuel pressure regulator, and fuel filter due to "Ethanol contamination", $2100. I paid my deductible for two service visits.

My SL was owned by a retired 70 year old, was never wrecked or abused, and came with full MB service history from day 1. I started at 19,500 and am currently at 24,800 miles. Absolutely love the car, but love the warranty equally.

That $5,200 will pay for itself. You might also try EasyCare, but they will likely be about the same or a little more. RPM, a sponsor, also sells warranties, you might want to check with them too.

+1. I would not advise rolling the dice unless you have to.