ldp010

I can fix my own car. I'm looking at some horror stories of the E55 breaking down on the ride home.

My question is would you buy the MaxCare CarMax warranty (~$2500 bumper to bumper w/$100 deductible) or would you instead spend the money on the SDS system to fix it yourself, if so inclined?

Looking at '06 w/53K for $33K...clean carfax.

03RSTT

I would buy the warranty. The price seems dirt cheap for the warranty.

I also fix my own cars but the cost of MB parts will pay for the warranty the first 2 years. My E55 in the shop now for

Gas tank, level sensors in the tank x 3 times, fuel pumps x 2 times, SBC brake accumulator. All of which are huge parts dollar repairs.

FWIW

chawkins2001

Get the warranty!

Silverx69x

Get an inspection....I nearly bought an E55 from Carmax and the inspection came back with a lot of issues. This was a few months ago. Sounds like the same car 06 with 50k on it.

Silverx69x

Punch in the VIN on Carchex. I paid full price for an inspection awhile back. If its the same car you'll be able to pull up that report for a fraction of the cost.

moosejaw

You want an opinion on the the Carmax warranty?
PM Turbo16lbs, he has one on his AMG C32 and he swears by it.

Jakpro1

Warranty all the way. Not a matter of fixing yourself as much as cost. One tranny and you'll be thankful you got it!!

03'55AMG

Warranty all the way, then get star and be happy with both! lol I dont have a warranty or star so you beat me... lmao

HIGHMILE E55

2500 bumper to bumper + 100$ deductible???? That is dirt *** cheap. Its a no brainer....

How many coverage miles though?

Faast

How long is this warranty ?

i_am_amused

sounds to good to true, so i'm going to guess it's 12/12 or 24/24, or covers no major breakage

$2500 for a blown AMG with more than 50K miles? that warranty must have some big fat hairy strings attached

if not, I will definitely be checking the carmax website for other amg gems

06E55

Not to mention, the SDS really isn't going to fix your car. Most of the things that happen to them can be repaired with the DIYs from this forum. SDS is mainly used for customization tool for most of us...

randallaguirre

I thought with the Carmax warranty you have to take it to Carmax to get fixed ?!??!?!???? I know most of their dealerships have full service centers.

Not sure I would want an AMG with a supercharger being worked on by a "jack-of-all-cars"

Anyone?

i_am_amused

ldp010

Can use any ASE shop. If you don't use Carmax service center, deductible is $50 more.

ldp010

It's the same car. Got the report. Says it blows smoke on startup but I didnt see that when cold starting it first this morning before test driving it. Can that be covered up? The report also indicates a trans slip from 1-2, which I did feel but it wasn't consistent...not sure if a fluid change would resolve that.

Thoughts? Should I also pass?

ldp010

Also with the active headlamps, should you be able to see them moving side to side with the steering wheel? I had the guy start it, put it in drive and move the wheel side to side and could not see any movement.

ldp010

Finally, the dynamic seats don't seem to work. I reset the settings and changed the mode to firm or aggressive, can't remember the term and didn't feel the bolsters moving in a turn.

Lee6082

I bought my E55 through Carmax. A friend is the GM and made me a smoking deal. I bought the Carmax warranty because I wanted protection and felt obligated because of the deal he made me. The car came with a Carmax 30 day warranty and I milked that first-New Gas tank, sensors and a handful of other things. I haven't used the extended warranty yet (knock on wood). But I did just her back from Jerry @ eurocharged who installed Pulley, Pump, HE, shorty headers and the famous Jerry tune.
Drove it from Houston home to San Antonio and all I can say is OMG!!!! I now have to learn how to drive it all over again.
Sorry to get off topic, hope the warranty info helps.

Lee6082

One more thing. You do not have to take it to Carmax for service, if you do your deductible is $50 less. I will be taking mine to my indy and he will get the $50 back one way or the other. if you don't already know of a good indy that knows these cars FINE ONE NOW as you will be needing his services in the future.
Good luck

ldp010

There are multiple mileage and deductible options. The coverage is 72 months...I think that is 72 months from time of purchase but I need to double check that...probably wouldn't be worth it if it's 72 months from the car's birth:

ldp010

https://www3.carmax.com/maxcare/intr...9?redir=false#

Looks like it's 72 months from the expiration of the factory warranty.

In the FAQs:
"7. I am buying a vehicle with an excellent reputation for quality and/or reliability.
Why should I consider MaxCare?
Even though the vehicle you have selected has a great reputation, MaxCare is still a smart choice.

MaxCare offers comprehensive mechanical coverage for your vehicle long after your factory warranty expires—up to 6 more years. And it even covers your vehicle's complex electronic systems. The plan could pay for itself in just one repair. Also, since your vehicle has factory warranty remaining, the cost of the plan is less expensive.

Also, keep in mind that MaxCare can offer coverage up to an odometer reading of 100,000, 125,000, or in some cases even 150,000 miles."

Eh, I feel like a salesperson here. That is not my intent. I'm trying to gauge if the CarMax warranty is worth it....yes it's cheap compared to others but if I have to hassle for any repair that I don't have done at CarMax, then it ain't worth it. The FAQs also say I need to ensure the regular maintenance is done to keep coverage...would do that anyway, just don't know if I have to use CarMax service for the reg maint. I hate extended warranties b/c you don't know if it's going to be a nightmare for you until after you need to use it.

Has anyone here used the MaxCare service at a place other than CarMax? It says I can choose another facility as long as they offer a 6month/6,000 warranty on the repair. Is that a standard warranty for an ASE shop (i.e. dealer)?

I know I've got a lot of questions but I'm in the process of buying this car (or not depending if they can fix the issues) and just want to know what I'm getting myself into.

Any advice/guidance is much appreciated.

Thanks.

ldp010

Thanks for the info...how did you determine you needed the new gas tank and sensors? Did you have it inspected by an independent shop? Dealer?

ldp010

Ok, this is the same car Silverx69x was referring to in posts #4 and #5 above. I got the report (from Dec '10) he was referring to...thanks a million Silverx69x. Report looks typical...big concerns on the report for me were:

THERE WAS NOTICEABLE BLUE SMOKE ON STARTUP. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED HARSHLY ON THE 1-2 UPSHIFT.

I was the first to cold start the car this morning and saw no smoke...after ~15 seconds I saw condensation smoke from it being only 45 degrees but definitely no blue smoke and did not smell like burning oil. The 1-2 upshift is not necessarily harsh...but the power of suggestion made me think there was an issue. Honestly, I couldn't detect one. I did the key on, floor it, key off, wait 3 mins reset thing and the car shifted great after that.

Here is what I found:
1) broken turn signal lens on drivers mirror
2) cracked 3rd brake light lens
3) a few scuffs and scrapes - wish they were not there but I understand it's got 53K
4) leaking valve cover (at least the drivers side) (1 plug boot, driver's side closest to front was all oily) and the pass side coil packs had oil (motor oil) and dirt on pretty much all of them...what causes oil on top of the coil packs? Does the intake plenum have some oil line in it?
5) it pulled to the left - alignment
6) highway speed small vibration at ~60ish - feels like it needs the wheels balanced
7) dynamic seats were not working - even after resetting to factory settings and putting the setting on powerful
8) the active headlamps don't seem to move side-to-side...don't know if they work while stopped? Car was running, in drive, and the sales guy moving the steering wheel side to side, I couldn't see any movement in the lights.

Now that I think about it, the oily plug boot in #4 could be spilled oil from the filler opening?

I asked them to resolve all of the above before moving forward...What do you guys think...pass or move forward if they fix the above? If I move forward, I have a 5 day no questions asked return policy so I can bring it to the dealer or independent shop for a full inspection prior to the 5-day return policy expiring.

Lee6082

I figured it out from research from this board. I noticed a gas smell inside after fill up. It goes away quickly and stronger in the back seat area (that is where the tank is. They (Carmax) figured out the sensors and yes I was shocked that they did of all places.

Research common problems here and then get a PPI from someone that knows these cars and that you can trust. Take the PPI to Carmax and they will fix it all as you have a 30 warranty (at least I did here in Texas). No matter what they replace/repair you need the extended warranty IMHO.