Extended Warranty

[Woodard]

Good Evening...I own a 1998 E320 Wagon with 32,000 miles. The car is out of warranty and I am considering purchasing an extended warranty. I am worried about possible costly repairs. Has anyone purchased an extended warranty or have any information on what company to purchase one from?

 

[V8AMG]

You have two options: MB warranty or commercial warranty. MB warranty, while being the most comprehensive, is v. expensive, costing upwards of £600 a year (depending on car age and mileage). A commercial warranty such as the one offered by the AA is another option, costing upwards of £350 per year, i can't vouch for it personally, but i have read on another forum that they replaced someone's climate control unit plus another thing without hassel, and he had an SL and was paying about £470 a year.

 

[duncanda]

Search the web for warranty companies. I've taken one out on my 1999 E240 for £297, which covers dealer rates, wear and tear and MOT insurance. This seemed reasonable to me. I haven't made a claim so can't vouch for the company. The proof is always will they pay when there's a claim.

My wife had a policy with Warranty Direct for her Fiesta. She made a claim for a replacement heater control valve, but they refused to pay because the description of the part by Ford didn't exactly match any parts mentioned in their policy document. I didn't renew with them and told them so.

Hope this is of use.

 

[Rob B]

I bought an extended warranty with my E230 Est '97 which seems the cheapest way to do it. I paid approx £300 for an extra 2yrs for a RAC Gold warranty from an independent dealer which I was informed was equivalent to the MB warranty.

I've had a rear hydaulic strut replaced so far so it's paid for itself. My experience with RAC is that they are careful to follow a procedure to ensure the item is covered but once the decision is made the go ahead is almost immediate. I think it depends on the type of problem you have and the amount of investigation required. There can sometimes be a fine line with the warranty company's view of what is a real warranty failure and what is wear & tear. The hope is that when something serious happens that you wouldn't reasonably expect, you are covered.

Hope this helps

Rob

 

[uumode]

I did a little research on warranties, and the best (but most expensive) are those which cover all components with a small exclusion list.
(The best one is the fully comprehensive MB approved warranty - not the lesser 'mechanical only' MB approved warranty)
HOWEVER recently (last month) the MB warranty company went into receivership :? Not sure if it has been resolved yet.

Next best cover for components is Warranty Direct's fully comprehensive scheme.

The least comprehensive are those with a LISTED component list which don't normally cover items such as electric windows, memory seats, rain sensor's which are the electrical gremlins that normally go wrong rather than a crankshaft cracking in half for example.

The other thing to watch out for is when the warranty company will pay out, most aftermarket warranties only pay when there is a complete component failure.

I read on Google groups that RAC only approve repairs upto a certain hourly labour charge (can't remember what, maybe something like £40?) which forces you to take your MB warranty repairs to backstreet mechanics for repair.

The AA cover seems better and actually prefer you to take it to main dealer, though in the small print you will find they do not cover diagnostic/strip down labour charges, so if the main dealer (with expensive hourly charges) finds it is not the component they thought it was, you are liable for the charge.

Another point to watch out for is the maximum value of a claim some are £1000 for example.

 

[web-rover]

Warranty providers

Duncanda, where did you get your warranty please? Sounds good. Please post here and perhaps if anyone else has experience of this outfit they could add their comments and experience.

I'm a bit wary of the MB warranty. My dealer refused to fix my electric windows under warranty at two years, saying it was an 'adjustment'! Though I did get an engine damper repaired - though I had to ask, it wasn't offered. They also seem to be a bit coy about how long it is. I thought it was 4 years nowadays, but can't find any mention of length in my documentation. My car was registered January 2001. On my last service a front wheel ball joint needed replacing. Again no mention about warranty cover, but the car was 3.5 years old, so maybe cover is 3 years?
Any thoughts folks?

 

[jaymanek]

I can tell you the mobilo-life corrosion warranty is 30 yrs on cars registered after Aug 98... Only valid if paint is original/ or repaired my MB dealer...
the rest of the warranty is 3 yrs as far as im aware...

Jay