The "engine v belt" is worn according to the dealer and the fix is not covered under Starmark? Would like to hear from those that have had items "excluded" under the Starmark program and what recourse there is if any. Thanks

Sorry to break this to you man but you are SOL. The warranty is pretty clear with regards to wearable items: brakes, belts,cosmetic pieces,trim etc. are NOT covered. They do not bend at all.

I have had coverage denied on parts that were to fix a very dangerous situation of leaky gas...I pleaded my case to Regional Manager for MB with no success.

Good luck to you on this one.

__________________
Mark
92 500e Spruce/Parchment (41k)
95 E320 Cab Cabernet/Parch (30K)
94 LS 400 Anniv Ed (traded on 500e)
85 Toyota Supra (103k)
90 Toyota 4Runner (56K)
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Sometimes you have to put your foot down to get a leg up

Would I also be SOL on the front air dam which has seperated slightly from its mount point?

I guess it depends on what you hope for them to do. Some dealers are more liberal on reading of the warranty. All I can say is here in VA they are by the letter. In any event it doesn't hurt to ask...the worst they can say is no.

Let me know what they say?

__________________
Mark
92 500e Spruce/Parchment (41k)
95 E320 Cab Cabernet/Parch (30K)
94 LS 400 Anniv Ed (traded on 500e)
85 Toyota Supra (103k)
90 Toyota 4Runner (56K)
------------------------------------------------
Sometimes you have to put your foot down to get a leg up

Starmark warranty is a binding contract and is very clear.

If an item in question is not covered, MB is under no obligation to perform.

Front Spoiler and V Belts do not appear to be covered.

Items not specifically covered under Starmark may be covered under a type of 'goodwill' (or not)....ask nicely and see what happens (no need to get demanding over something that MB is under no obligation to address).

good luck and let us know what turns out
-fad

Well - no warranty coverage on the V belt or the air dam. It would be nice to have a policy that shows "exclusions" only as the coverage as advertised is always better than reality!!

...sounds like a GREAT IDEA to have 100% of the maintence items and more additionally in Starmark! :

ie
>belts, tensioners, fluids, tune-up items, all adjustments, bulbs, bushings, resistors, bumpers, windshield, brake pads, chips/ scratches in the paint....just to start a wish list

....unfortunately, I don't think used car buyers could afford such a comprehensive Starmark policy...just imagine the cost of such a policy to the public would approach an unsavorable figure that we'd all run for the hills!

fwiw- imho, MBs have always been somewhat pricey to maintain properly and keep in as-new condition. . but in return you receive the MB engineering and panache

every vehicle takes $$ to maintain- that's the reality of ownership

mbgreg- I don't feel that Starmark warranty as advertised is better than reality...my experience is that Starmark covers exactly what is provided in the contract (and some under Good Will Warranty)....naturally, I've had great experiences w/ 2 Starmark cars though....in either case, I wouldn't expect used car warranties to cover maintence items like belts/ tensioners and/or bumpers (unless manufactuer defect is apparant and unless its specifically stated in the policy....)

best regards
-fad

I find it odd that MB sales touts their CPO as better than all others and then when it comes down to it most owners have problems.

Mbgreg,

I had a Starmark car. The sales and marketing folks make you feel like you are buying a new car. BTW, the nature of the dealer you work with will greatly influence the experience quality of a MB.

You don’t say how long you’ve had the car or how many miles driven. If the V belt was inspected as part of Starmark certification and was stated as ok, you should actually have a warranty on it of some type. Starmark requires vehicles be operational per the inspection requirements. However, if miles/months have past since you bought the car, the warranty for wearable items will diminish quickly. A long story short, according to what I heard, the Starmark inspection requires ~~1,000 serviceable miles on at least some components. In my case the issue was remaining brake life – the brakes on my car needed replacing at ~5,000 miles after I bought it. Starmark said “Yawn, not our problem.” However, Starmark was extraordinary in all warranty related issues. Often where that didn’t apply, the dealership chipped in more than a little.

I understand what you are saying about the image of Starmark vs. the reality. I think that is in part a marketing angle – because MB is perceived to be the best, that mystique is obviously played up. And in a larger part “the reality” is achieved by the dealership from who you bought the car. Even though my “Starmark” turned to kind of a “Scarmark” because of the on going problems it had, the dealer was reallllllllly good and was an advocate on my behalf many times.

__________________
...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

In my case I purchased the car sight unseen from European Motors in Des Moine - a registered MB dealer. They Starmarked it under the Extended Component package and then shipped it to Manhattan Mercedes Benz for delivery to me. I guess you are right, perhaps the selling dealer would have been a bit more cooperative - but whose to say.

I for one, would pay more to have a "no exclusions" policy!

Hi mbgreg and lebenz- good points!

Since I've only had very good to excellent experiences with Starmark over the past 4 years...I'm naturally biased

but, as with anything- - nothings perfect!

I think MB does offer close to the "no exclusions" policy....n new MBs that is.

MBgreg- how many miles do you have on your car and how are ya enjoying it? daily driver or weekend driver?

I use mine on the weekend, it runs extraordinarily strong, runs very cool, and has been trouble-free.

best regards
-fad