Hello, I am considering buying an '03 S55.

I searched this site for info on extended warranties and have a few questions.

The '03 S55 is still under warranty which will last up to 50K miles. The car is for sale from an MB dealer. It has about 20K left on the original factory warranty. I asked the dealer for a price on an extended "MB Warranty" that has the same kind of coverage as the original. I have a few questions that I am hoping someone may me able to help me with:

- If I am buying the car from an MB dealer, is there a warranty available from MB that will take it out to 100K miles i.e. a warranty that is through MB?

- Is there a warranty that will give me basically the same coverage as the original warranty (or better)?

- I was quoted $3900 from the dealer for a warranty that is a 5 year 100K mile warranty. This seems a bit high to me (relative to 3rd party ones, which I am not a huge fan of). Is this a reasonable price i.e. is this what one should normally expect to pay from an MB dealer for a 5 year 100k warranty for this kind of car?

- Is the extended warranty MB dealers sell from MB or really a 3rd party warranty?

- If it is a 3rd party one, is it relatively invisible/pain free for the customer i.e. you bring the car in to any MB dealer and they service it for things covered under it and they handle all the paperwork. Specifically I don't have to pay forst and then seek reimbursement from a 3rd party?

- Other: I have a friend who has an '03 S55 (lives in another state). He really likes the car but said the Navigation System accuracy is awful and the tire sensors on the S55 are constantly triggered.

- Any advice or experiences you have on either extended warranties or buying and '03 S55 is greatly apprecaited. (i.e. general advice on buying and owning an '03 S55 is welcome).

Thanks in advance for your responses and any advice you may have on this subject in general.

 

Trust me when I say this. BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY! It is either called a STARMARK or ELW (Extended Length Warranty). It isnt 3rd party, it is Mercedes. I can't recall extactly what it doesnt cover. But it DOES COVER the engine, trans., fluid leaks, and ELECTRICAL problems. That car is wired up like crazy. You may get really freaking lucky, but I would be willing to bet $10000 that the Extended Warranty will save you money in the long run if you plan on having it for that long. As for your friends car, it could be is Nav CD's are outdated, construction is always going on and changing maps, or he may have an antenna problem. As for the tire sensors, they are annoying but that is because they are accurate. If the tire pressure is below the programed spec it will tell you. He may have a leak if it goes off all the time, there is a good chance he has a leak if he has chrome rims. But back on subject. The Starmark and ELW are both painfree. At our dealership, by the time our service advisors call you to tell you what it needs, if its under warranty it is either already started or parts are already ordered. Hope that helps.

Tim

 

Tim,

Thanks for the reply and the info. It does help. I did a lot more digging at a couple of dealers, including the one I am considering buying the car from and here's what I found out:
- The Mercedes version of the extended warranty is no longer call it "StarMark" but call it "Certified Pre-Owned" and it will add either 12 or 24 mos. to the factory warranty and cover up to 100K miles. The "Certified Pre-Owned" warranty does cover electrical but *does not* cover the radio.
- There are 3rd party extended warranties available also, some are much better then others, some cover everything (including the radio) and are pretty much hassle free (i.e. if you get one of the good ones and get it from your MB dealer and the MB dealer deals directly with them vs. the 3rd part warranty insurer reimbursing you). They are not inexpensive (i.e. up to 4k), but worth it if you run into major electrical or mechanical problems on these cars.

My comment on the nav had to do with map accuracy, so I am sure you are right. He was frustrated with accuracy. My perspective on Nav's was based on my Garmin Nuvi, which is about $900 and, as it turns out, I believe it is better than almost all navigation systems that come factory installed (the Garmin Nuvi is amazing, touch screen, very accurate and "turn by street name")...anyway another subject altogether.

Thanks again for your input, it makes my decision a lot easier. I will definitely get some type of extended warranty (most likely Certified Pre-Owned). I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Mark