MB Extended Warranty - Experience on older Cars

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m.p.rogers

New Member
Joined
May 4, 2017
Messages
21
Car
C250 CDI Estate (S204)
Hi,

Since buying my Approved Used 2014 C250 CDI (S204) I've extended the MB warranty every year, 4 years down the line I'm paying £40 a month for the warranty and am concerned given the age and mileage of the car (95k) that any failure now will likely be branded "Wear & Tear" leaving me to pick up the repair bill.

Does anyone have any real world experience to offer of dealing with a warranty claim, particularly on older/higher mileage car, as I'm considering cancelling the cover if its likely not to pay out if/when I need it.

Appreciate it.

Mark
 
I would actually read through the small print of the warranty and also call in or phone my local main dealer and ask their thoughts on it.
I have the extended warranty on my 2015 model S class since buying it as a Mercedes used car nearly 2 years ago, I will be extending this next month for another year.
Back in 2011 I bought a brand new XJL ( my first and last brand new car ) after the 3 year warranty ran out I extended it every year for a further 8 years, up until it was written of by a drunk driver.
The Jaguar extended warranty is absolutely amazing with regard to what it covers, literally everything and all work can be done by the main dealer. I do a lot of miles and considered it was a good insurance to have.
However over that period of time I only had maybe £1000 of work claimed on it as in 100000 miles the car was so reliable, however you can bet that if I did not have the cover then something expensive would had done !
I replaced that car with a 2015 XJL and I have the extended warranty on that as well.
You mentioned the warranty is £40 a month, ok that is less than £10 a week, if by bad luck you had a transmission issue or a major ecu problem you could have a potential repair bill into several thousand pounds.,
So from my point of view a main dealer extended warranty for that kind of money would be a no brainer to have. My S class one is £110 a month and the Jaguar £140 a month .
 
I have used the Tier1 warranty on a number of MB Cars including a CL600 BT and my last MB an E500. Up to the 10 year limit, i had various....very expensive repairs carried out. No mention of wear and tear. Tier 1 is Tier 1. Only available upto 10 years.
 
Thanks both for your replies.

As I understand it, the tier system as of march 2019 no longer exists, now it's just a single level of cover offered.

The wording in the T&C's states no mileage limitation, but an age limitation of 10 years.

It then goes on to say the below regarding wear and tear, my concern is that once you get to the age/mileage of my car, surely it's very easy for the warranty provider to claim a gearbox failure for instance is wear and tear related at this age and therefore not covered.

Very happy to keep paying my £40 a week, if it genuinely provides me with cover for expensive bills. Sounds like you've had a positive experience woodythewise which is reassuring to hear.

I've asked my MB dealer in the past, but just had a "we asses each failure at the time", which doesn't really help me guage where that would leave me.

What is not covered?
Claims for mechanical or electrical failure of
covered parts if the failure is due to wear and tear
 
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I've asked my MB dealer in the past, but just had a "we asses each failure at the time", which doesn't really help me guage where that would leave me.

What is not covered?
Claims for mechanical or electrical failure of
covered parts if the failure is due to wear and tear

It's potentially open to abuse.

But what it really means is that stuff that would normally gradually wear or be replaced over a given period in use is not included.

So suspension components like springs and bushes and ball joints, brake discs and pads, or headlight bulbs, or seat upholstery, or pedal rubbers, or battery
.
 
The OP is correct. The old tier 1, 2 and 3 warranties no longer exist and have been replaced (for simplicity I was told) by a single cover, which is virtually the same as the old tier 1.
Incidentally I pay £36/month/3years for my 2015 E250 cdi cabriolet.
 
My Mercedes warranty would be near £1800/year if I actually took one out!!!! :oops:
 
I bought a used E250CDi cabriolet at just under 3 years old. They provided the remains of the manufacturers warranty plus 9 or 10 months of used car warranty.
The driver's door window didn't fit perfectly & needed adjustment to cure wind noise when the roof was up & vibration when the roof was down.
Thinking I had a valid warranty, when I next took it in for service I asked them to look at the problem.
By that time I was out of manufacturers warranty & into the used car warranty.
They said that squeaks & rattles were not covered on the used car warranty & I should have taken it in while the manufacturers warranty was still valid.
They wanted £125 + VAT to diagnose the problem (window needing adjusting - I could tell them that free of charge) before they would quote for the work.
Not impressed with their tier 1 warranty.
 
I had a new engine in mine at 8 years old under the MB warranty. Would have been £16k plus labour. Warranty is £495 per year.
 
Thanks for your responses, on balance it sounds like I'm being overly worried and I should be covered for failure of the bigger items should that happen - I'll carry on with the warranty.
 
I bought a 2010 E500 in Feb 18 and got a years warranty from the main dealer. Then paid for another year after that which took me up to the 10 year old limit.
Under the extended warranty I had 3 claims covered; a new starter motor and a new sunroof motor. Then the idler pulley went, taking the drive belt with it. Would not like to think what that lot would have cost me if I was paying for each repair so in my experience the warranty was worth having. Plus the car recovered by Mercedes and courtesy car provided if needed, as it was in one case as we were on holiday at the time.
 
My wife had her 64 plate GLA for just over a year (it was 3 years old when she got it) and developed an engine oil leak (can't remember the details) which was covered on the MB extended warranty, as was when an ECU of some sort died, along with the aux battery. It was definitely worth it from our point of view.
 
Hi,

Since buying my Approved Used 2014 C250 CDI (S204) I've extended the MB warranty every year, 4 years down the line I'm paying £40 a month for the warranty and am concerned given the age and mileage of the car (95k) that any failure now will likely be branded "Wear & Tear" leaving me to pick up the repair bill.

Does anyone have any real world experience to offer of dealing with a warranty claim, particularly on older/higher mileage car, as I'm considering cancelling the cover if its likely not to pay out if/when I need it.

Appreciate it.

Mark
Have you ever claimed on your warranty ?
 
I've had an MB warranty in place on two Mercs 216 CL500 and 222 S500L since August 2016 and have had plenty of warranty claim work done.

MB have never wriggled out of paying any warranty claim or blamed things on wear and tear - even when they disagreed with one particular claim.

The only exception being a window switch which was clearly broken but still operated the window. Fortunately it broke itself properly not long after so it was changed although I would have given it some encouragement had it not.
 
Arrgghh! I decided to extend my warranty last September (2015 e220 cabriolet), just after putting my car through the A7 service. Mainly because I'm, scared the roof might get stuck one day!). I decided to go with my approved local garage for the service and transmission oil change. There was a delay on the oil change bit and it's recently got a bit sluggish through the gears. I'm convinced it just needs a software update after being tinkered with. (I have it before and the MB dealer updated.)

Just called to book it in and apparently software updates are NOT covered under extended warranty?..what?...can that be right? that is totally ridiculous, how can a software update not be covered? Surely a techy working out of MB hq could just ping out to all used cars a need for an update and make millions....this seems totally wrong?

I can't see any value in the warranty now, before I book in and pay this extra £100 (and subsequently cancel the shit out of the warranty), does anyone have experience with this, or any idea how they can justify?

Charlie
 
Arrgghh! I decided to extend my warranty last September (2015 e220 cabriolet), just after putting my car through the A7 service. Mainly because I'm, scared the roof might get stuck one day!). I decided to go with my approved local garage for the service and transmission oil change. There was a delay on the oil change bit and it's recently got a bit sluggish through the gears. I'm convinced it just needs a software update after being tinkered with. (I have it before and the MB dealer updated.)

Just called to book it in and apparently software updates are NOT covered under extended warranty?..what?...can that be right? that is totally ridiculous, how can a software update not be covered? Surely a techy working out of MB hq could just ping out to all used cars a need for an update and make millions....this seems totally wrong?

I can't see any value in the warranty now, before I book in and pay this extra £100 (and subsequently cancel the shit out of the warranty), does anyone have experience with this, or any idea how they can justify?

Charlie
I think voluntary software updates are excluded but software updates as part of a fix to diagnosed issue. If the only fix is the update then it could be caught in the middle ground - not sure how it falls.
 
It all depends on whether you think a software update comes under the "servicing" banner or the "repair" banner. If its the former, no extended warranty will cover it.
 
I've certainly had updates done to my car to resolve issues but MB have told me previously they would not routinely update firmware unless there was a specific issue (if it aint broke don't fix it).

Arguably if you don't have an issue, there is little point in applying them.

There is, however, a bigger risk to main dealers as if the process goes wrong, you can risk bricking hardware which will need to be replaced at someone's cost.

Then there is the time to do the updates - some can take an age.

So I would agree with MB in so far as it is not a service item because the car will be working as it should.

If not, then you have a specific-issue and it goes back to my first line.
 
Last year I was paying £35 a month with warranty direct. This company are now being run by FBFM. The policy appears to be at least as good as the original, in coverage, and considering the car is now 1 year older I was expecting an increased premium. In fact the new premium is now just under £23. I know we never find out how good until we make a claim, but this seems to be a very good price, and I have just renewed.
 
I had a warranty direct cover about 8 years ago no on a c class, took it for an mot at 4 years old had a broken spring and leaking shock on the other side, i told the mot station / garage i have cover for that, he said no one covers that sort of thing its wear and tear, i showed him the book, he phoned them, all covered except the £50 excess i was very happy with that and would look at them again if i wanted it. Look through the small print WEAR AND TEAR EXCLUSIONS its in the very very small print always look for it !! All they want is your money.
 

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