Are Starmark W140s still available? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

sixto · #1 11-02-2006, 08:29 PM

Do MB dealerships still sell W140s with Starmark coverage?

Thank,
Sixto
93 300SD

Gilly · #2 11-02-2006, 08:49 PM

Nope, can't have over 75,000 miles or be over 6 model years old. This is 2006, 6 model years would be model year 2000, which would be the 220 chassis. Even if the 220 was made in 1999, it would be OK, but a 99 140 would NOT.
Gilly

sixto · #3 11-02-2006, 08:55 PM

Is existing Starmark coverage transferrable?

Sixto
93 300SD

Ferdman · #4 11-03-2006, 05:28 AM

Gilly, MBUSA must have changed their policy regarding Starmark pre-owned automobiles. We bought our 1992 300CE (27,000 miles) in 1999 and got a 3-year/100,000 mile Starmark Component Warranty with it. At that time I understood that 8-year old cars were eligible for a Starmark Warranty.

Gilly · #5 11-03-2006, 05:33 AM

I checked it right off the MBUSA site so I believe this is accurate, you can double-check if you want to. Yes someone with an existing Starmark warranty I believe can transfer it or cash it out, but again check the website:
http://www.mbusa.com/pre-owned/about/certification.do
Go to the above page, and towards the bottom, click on "report instructions", it lists the "Starmark stoppers", can't link to that page directly.
Gilly

Johnhef · #6 11-03-2006, 09:26 AM

They changed it to 6 years after the term 'starmark' was changed to 'certified pre owned'

this happened sometime around october 2004.

jcyuhn · #7 11-03-2006, 09:53 AM

The last time I looked into it, Starmark transferred in consumer-to-consumer sales. But if the car went through a dealer - MB or otherwise - the Starmark warranty terminated. This was as of ~two years ago. I suspect it still is, as it seems to be standard practice across many of the pre-owned/CPO warranties I read about.

Slight thread-jack, but does anyone else find that CPO is too dumbed-down and not worth it, relative to Starmark. Whereas Starmark could be had for up to four years (on cars still under factory warranty), CPO tops out at three years. And the cost of the three year CPO warranty is 50% higher than the four year Starmark extension. If DC thinks it's cars are that bad, I'm sure not interested.

- JimY

Will_w202 · #8 11-03-2006, 05:40 PM

I bought an aged unit that was 7 years old at the time of purchase. They wanted to move it, so I negotiated an extra year - 2/100 - for Starmark, and it was the best thing I've ever negoatiated for. If you aren't TOO picky about color, options, etc, see if you can find one you've seen on the MBUSA site for a while. Get them to make a concession for an extra year and buy the car. I firmly believe age hurts more than mileage, so maybe find an early 220 with low miles, that is full of dry-rotting mounts and bushings, just begging for warranty replacement

Gilly · #9 11-03-2006, 06:20 PM

Just be aware that they still seem to speak in terms of "model years", not years. To them, for example lets say 6 years is correct, this is 2006, so 6 model years would be Model year 2000. If it is a 2000 built in 1999, the car is still OK. If it is a 1999 (say for example a 1999 140 chassis), they would not be able to certify it in 2006, it's too old, no matter if it was built in 1999 or not. I still think the info is correct per the website, even though I didn't know the name changed to CPO.
Gilly