Should I purchase an extended warranty?
 

I recently purchased a "Starmark" 1998 E320 with 48,000 miles on it. Except for the last oil change, all service was done by the dealer (one previous owner). I'm going in Monday to finalize everything and was offered an extended warranty (beyond the Starmark 1 year warranty) for $1,500 and 4 years/100,000 miles.

Sounds good to me. Any input? Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Yes,
I would strongly recommend you get the extra Starmark. If you do a search you'll find a load of information on why. It's the best warranty and practically everything is covered. And more than likely, it'll pay for itself!

This is a very good price on the warranty. It's normally a lot more than $1,500. It doesn't, however, cover wear items like brakes, rotors, tires. This can lead to a lot of money down the road.

Kuan

Yes..I would purchase the extended warranty no matter how great the car is (I am sure its nice) but you would rather pay the 1,500 now than 3 years.

Know what you are getting first! We bought one on our Jeep, and really was only concerned on the major components (at the time). Recently we had an electrical problem and found the policy doesn't cover electrical. The paper work they provided tells what's covered in one section and what's not covered in another section but never really addressed the electrical. It wasn't until I called that I found out that there was no coverage on electrical. I would have had a tow bill, $200 deductible plus who knows what else. Read the policy first, and don't take the sales persons word for what you are getting, they probably know the least!

BTW the Jeep had a bad crank shaft position sensor. It took a couple of evenings to figure it out, but it saved a few bucks.

Enjoy your new car.

Ernie

Yes, by all means get the warranty. Starmark is excellent. Many MB shops will encourage you to report problems as Starmark provides great coverage. The dealer’s shop makes good $$$ because of the way MB pays for Starmark, you get a 0 deductible warranty, plus you get problems resolved. You can find the warranty details at mbusa.com under Starmark. Look at it this way: It is entirely possible that you question the utility of the warranty due to the cost. Would you rather risk throwing away $1,500 over the next 50,000/4 years miles or risk paying for any significant problems that may occur? You are looking at a gamble of about 3 cents per mile that something will go wrong.

To provide you with a partial overview of what could go wrong, look up “E320” on this site.

Yes, buy the Starmark warranty. But read what it covers first so you get a full understanding. Some things you would think were covered are not. I just found out the hard way (to the tune of a little over $1000) that almost everything having to do with the sun roof is not covered.

Even so, it is still worth the price.

Cheers

Bill

Bill,

I don’t remember what failed on your sunroof, but do you think that the problem could have been eradicated had regular maintenance – lubrication & cleaning -- had been done?

Wondering as I was looking through my W124 CD and they describe a rather lengthy procedure for partially disassembling, cleaning, and lubing the sunroof, I’d bet that this just never gets done, even at a dealership....

Tracy:

Possibly, however, my car has been maintained per the Mercedes schedule so it should have been getting all the appropriate lubrications, cleanings, and functional checks. It had a fresh 45,000 mile check at the dealer's facility when I bought it, had the 52,500 check at another dealer's facility, and failed at 57,800 miles. A bigger problem may have been that I just don't open the sun roof much (I sunburn easily, it's noisy, and if you spend a lot of time on freeways it is smelly). Never have liked the @#$&%*@@! things much to begin with but you can't avoid them any more.

Cheers

Bill

Thank you for all your replies. I'll get the F&I guy to add it on when I go in on Monday.

The Starmark 1 yr covers you to 2002. 4 yr/100k for a 1998 car would also end in 2002. I don't think it is 4 yrs after your Starmark warranty expires.

read the Starmark warranty documentation for yourself...have the dealer fax it to you!

the added/extended Starmark is exactly that (added./ extended)....starts and continues past the standard 1yr/100K (that comes free on any Starmarked car)

the added/extended protection is available for just powertrain or both powertrain and more stuff....

the cost of Starmark extended protection is standard in the US

theoretically, Starmark- is an insurance policy and based upon the pricy nature of MB parts and MB dealer labor, is quite reasonable....why wouldn't you want to have a used MB covered with no deductible mechanical insurance? ...note, it does cover major items and not every little item...so become familar with what you are buying

also, ask to see a "master inquiry" for your vehicle prior to puchase...it will tell you the repair history+++

good luck
-fad

A '98 sold around here by a dealer carries the standard, transferrable warranty of 4 years = good to 2002. They give an extra year with a Starmark = 2003. Is this extended warranty then good until 2007?

I'm too old to do the math.....

extended Starmark is exactly that, "extended"

have the dealer go over it with you for your particular transaction: ie when the standard factory MB warranty expires, when the standard 12/100K Starmark starts, when extended Starmark rises and sets....these will be documented in the closing paperwork (keep in a safe place, you'll likely read it one evening when wondering if a repair is covered).

aloha
-fad

Thanks for all your input. The original Starmark warranty would have added a year to the facory warranty taking the coverage to 2003 or 100k miles. Instead of the $1,500, three year 100k extension, I opted for a one year extension. In the end, I'll be covered through July 2004 or 100k miles. Didn't think paying the full pop for three years was wise because the car will have gone over 100k miles.

Again, your input is appreciated! Now I'm gonna go back and finish the clay bar project I started yesterday.........:p