Anybody here have experience with these? Looking at buying a 14 year old MB with 74K on the clock and not sure of all the issues I MIGHT be looking at down the road I was wondering if having one might not be a good idea.

I have just started my research online and it appears there are a limited number of reputable underwriters/companies out there and MANY that I need to saty away from.

Any insight would be most helpful...

(You may or may not have seen my thread here about the 124 wagons - one frome Columbia SC, the other from Ft. Wayne, IN)

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Dale

One of the largest non factory auto warranty companies in the US is headquartered here in St. Louis. I believe the company name (underwriter?) is US Fidelis. The business has a long list of complaints, many lawsuits pending, and has caught the attention of many state Attorny Generals.

Buyer Beware..............

J. M. van Swaay

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1994 E320 Wagon, 230,000 miles
1995 E320 Sedan, 106,000 miles
1994 E500 Sedan, 79,000 miles

On a 14YO car it will not work out to your advantage. They are in business to make money not loose..

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BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

I called US Fidelis (sp?), curious about the price of the "extended warranty" on a '95 E320, it was right around $2500. A '95 E320 isn't worth much more than that.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I think you are referring to the "dime-a-dozen" sedans NOT the more difficult to find wagon. (Trust me, I've been ALL OVER the web for the last two weeks searching and there is a lot of junk wagons in the $2K - $4K range!) I did not state that in my opening post, sorry.

This is my deal - I have found a pristine 95 wagon with leather and the 'right' color combo but the AC appears to be misbehaving. The compressor kicks in, there is coolant flowing through the little sight glass but NO COLD or even cool air - just ambient temp. I am having a PPI performed at the MB dealer there tomorrow so I'll wait to get the answer. BTW - here is the car.

I THINK I have them figured out as to why they SEEM to be non-interested in negotiating much with this car. They told me NOT LESS THAN 4 - 5 times within the 90 minutes we spent there looking and talking about the car that "...there's been a LOT of interest in this car." Or "we just had a call from a guy in MA..."! It may or (more than likely) may not be the case but who's to say?! It shows extremely clean and well maintained, drives silky smooth, the leather still is CRACK FREE even on the driver's seat. It only has 74,xxx miles on it AND IT SHOWS. Now, what I THINK is they are waiting for that unsuspecting buyer who just "falls in love" with it and just "has to have it" and makes a foolish impulsive move to purchase it. Might be wrong but they just gave me the impression that they were not interested in 'dealing' on this car!

When I mentioned that I'd like to have a pre-purchase inspection on it the salesman said well that would not be a problem since they (actually 'another' business entity connected to their parent company) has performed almost all maintenance on it since it was 2 years old. Of course I said that that would not do as I wanted a totally independent and unbiased assessment of the car NOT FROM THE SAME DEALERSHIP THAT HAS IT FOR SALE! He said oh no they wouldn't pay to have it inspected! I said NO I'LL PAY FOR THAT! Oh. He got it then! SO, I am told it will be scheduled to be done first thing tomorrow morning. I will be calling the MB dealership early to 'introduce' myself to the service dept and give them a heads up on what will be happening concerning this car. DID I EVER TELL YOU THAT I HATE DEALERSHIPS FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE DREADED DEALER PARTS?

Anyway, kinda got off course here a little but back to the warranties, IF I were to purchase that car for what might be a bigger price than SHOULD be paid for it, simply because of its pristine condition, and its low miles and its one owner status, it seems that a 5 year 100K warranty (~$2000) would be a good investment since I plan to keep it long term - like ten years. Please, correct my thinking (if you can!).

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Dale

Perhaps I'm just not expressing my thoughts clearly, sorry.

The warranty was something like $2500 IIRC, and although I also prefer an outstanding car to the "dime-a-dozen" sedans, seems like it still is a substantial part of the purchase price of the car. Plus there are deductables for that price, factor in that a transmission repair for $3000 would cost you $500 deductible, plus the $2500 you've already paid, so you haven't saved a dime just paid it all up-front. Now consider that you and I look for outstanding examples, not those that are on their way down, we will maintain (or over-maintain) them properly, etc.

If you were the average buyer, with the average car, and take average care of it, the company has already calculated that you will recover less than you pay them (known as profit). You and the car are better than average aren't you?

BTW, I sold and sales-managed for several new European-marque dealerships including Mercedes-Benz while working my way through college, ran the numbers on extended-warranties many times. They are a huge profit for dealers (you like dealers, right?).

Another thing to consider is where the warranty (insurance) people will require you to have your car repaired, or how (new/used OE/aftermarket etc.). Next thing is whether the facility is willing to accept the insurance card as payment, and last is to consider how many of these warranty/insurance companies have filed for bankruptcy and are gone (with people's money, no company = no warranty).

What I'm saying in my typical long-winded way, is that I don't believe in extended warranties, and don't recommend that you buy one.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Babymog:
Something I failed to mention as well is that I am not even thinking about a warranty from the dealer, I'm looking at the only company (that I'm aware of) that will actually warranty a car with up to 150K miles. Here is an excerpt from their website - (I have a PowerShield quote for the car at a little over $2k without a deductible AND ASE certified shop of MY CHOICE that will cover AC and electrical problems. We all know about those 'wascally' electrical gremlins in these cars!)

Auto Extended Warranty Companies Reviewed


WarrantyDirect.com has the most coverage options of any warranty we have researched, and 28 years of experience, through several full warranty claims paying cycles. They are one of the largest bricks-and-mortar warranty companies, as well as an internet warranty company. In 2004, they sold more warranties than Toyota. They supply car warranties to over 2,200 car dealers, banks and credit unions as well as direct to consumers. Over 21,000 car dealers and auto repair facilities accept them. Most of their auto warranty plans cover wear-and-tear failures, overheating, unlimited number of claims and include free sign and drive roadside assistance. More coverage than most auto warranties, starts the day you buy, not the date the car was titled. Outstanding record with the Better Business Bureau and WebAssured.com. Licensed to sell warranties in California and Florida, the most stringent states when it comes to regulatory issues. Both states audit them periodically, we've inspected their facilities and verified they put the correct amount of money into claims reserves to pay your warranty claims. They process over 7,000 warranty claims every month.

• LuxuryCare+ - This is Warranty Direct's top-of-the-line bumper-to-bumper warranty for vehicles with high end luxury options. Full bumper-to-bumper coverage with wear-and-tear, Airbag Electronics, Emissions, GPS/Navigation, DVD/Video, Telephone/Bluetooth, and Internet Access systems. Warranty includes wear-and-tear failures and mechanical breakdowns, deluxe Roadside Assistance membership.
• SecureCare+ - True bumper-to-bumper protection for cars without luxury items mentioned above. Warranty covers wear-and-tear, and mechanical breakdowns, deluxe Roadside Assistance membership, and Emissions system coverage, with optional Airbag Electronics coverage, which many competitors exclude from their warranties.
• PowerWrap+ - Bumper-to-bumper warranty for vehicles whose powertrain warranties run longer than factory warranties. This eliminates coverage duplication of your powertrain thus a lower cost. This warranty covers wear-and-tear, mechanical breakdowns, Emissions System coverage, deluxe Roadside Assistance membership, optional Airbag Electronics coverage
• ExtremeWrap+ - The Chrysler Lifetime Powertrain Limited Warranty covers about 20% of your vehicle, what about the other 80%? That’s where ExtremeWrap+ comes in. Special coverage for the parts that Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep doesn’t cover after 3 years or 36,000 miles. Full bumper to bumper coverage with wear-and-tear, mechanical breakdowns, Airbag Electronics, Emissions, and deluxe Roadside Assistance.
• XtraCare+ - Warranty Direct's best level of named component coverage providing coverage for all 16 major systems of your vehicle. This warranty covers wear-and-tear, mechanical breakdowns, deluxe Roadside Assistance for cars over 4 model years old with as many as 100,000 miles on the odometer. This is the only high mileage wear and tear coverage on the market.
• MajorCare - Excellent coverage for big ticket items from 12 major systems of your vehicle, designed to cover the most likely to fail items. This warranty covers wear-and-tear, mechanical breakdowns, deluxe Roadside Assistance for cars up to 7 model years old and 100,000 miles on the odometer. The only high mileage wear and tear coverage of any warranty company.
• PowerShield is a comprehensive, low-cost, major component coverage designed for older and higher mileage vehicles with up to 150,000 miles on the odometer (Not available in CA or GA). PowerShield covers mechanical breakdowns for items such as the Engine, Transmission, Drive Axle, Timing Belt, Water Pump, Fuel Pump and more, and also includes Roadside Assistance membership.

Why We Recommend Warranty Direct

• Financially stable, over $350 million in assets, Paid out over $600,000,000 in claims, solid insurance backing
• A Forbes magazine Top 200 Company – three times
• Actuarially sound - we saw the actuary firm audit letters ourselves
• Dun & Bradstreet verified
• Best Better Business Bureau (BBB) report in the industry

Pros: No one beats their coverage, cheaper than dealers, flexible deductibles, less restrictive contract than others, free towing, transferable.

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Dale

we do? at first I thought you referring to that W210 wagon I pointed you at last week...
we've extended the warranty on our '03 Suburban (extended when purchased new, to 10/100k)
and the '05 E320 CDI (it was a M-B certified pre owned ((dealer demo)) and we also extended it same length (10/100) at time of purchase)

but I'm not sure if its worth an extended warranty honestly, unless you plan on having Ross motorcars do every single service on it.... 74,xxx, I've seen this listing... looks great! you and your wife will enjoy...
pocket that extra $2k+
put it away, incase you need major service on either vehicle, in something that will collect interest in some way shape or form (what I've done for my automotive 9-1-1 fund)
I've never looked back... I've been able to afford repairs as I go...
think about it... this engine in many cases sees over 200k already, which your warranty will have expired by then... so, large repairs come up, you've already flushed that with the warranty up front, that could possibly need to cover absolutely nothing.

I on the other hand, do feel that they can/do/will provide a piece of mind, but is your wallet just burning a hole in your pocket?
since I've owned my '95 E300D, the only things covered would have been the A/C (which was already covered by the dealer, per pre sale agreement), and ball joints (total of $630) in I guess coming up on just under a year and 15k miles...
now, look at the $1,400 difference... what kind of interest could you build on that over a year... then look at the next 2, 3, or 5 years... does it not come out ahead w/o the warranty?

anywho, you haven't called me lately. keep me updated on the status of your wagon hunts!

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Matthew McIvor

2016 E350 4Matic Black/Black
2007 GL450 4Matic with Off-Road Pkg Silver/Black
1995 E300 Diesel White/Gray
1994 S600 Euro Black/ Black Velour
1986 560SL Blue/Blue/Gray
1986 190E Blue/Blue 93k

Again, if you're an average buyer, the car is average, and you will take average care, ... the warranty company has calculated (and they have rows of people accumulating and crunching data on this) that they can take your $2000, pay for your expected average maintenance, and still have enough of your $2000 left to pay their overhead and enough profit to make it worth their while.

To be worth the $2000, one or more of the following must be true:

They don't know enough about their business to accurately calculate the risks,

Your car is significantly worse than average,

You will take worse care of your car than average (WITHOUT VOIDING THE WARRANTY),

You are an outlier, one that doesn't fit the curve, an unusually unlucky person.

If you enjoy minor maintenance yourself, or like some of us can't stand to watch a shop botch the job for $100/hour and thus do it yourself when practical, you tip the scales further in their direction.

I'm not saying that you won't benefit, you could be that unlucky person, and if $2000 of insurance gives you piece of mind then that alone could be worth it. People do benefit, but the odds and numbers favor the insurance company as they're not a charity organization.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I had a 2 year warranty with Penn Warranty which was a TOTAL SCAM! They wouldn't pay for anything. They only make you and your indy jump through hoops knowing from the beginning that they do not intend to pay for anything. My $800 spent was worse than throwing the $$$ out the window because it ties you up for 2 weeks thinking that they may eventually come through. Anyways, that price is much too high for a '95. You shouldn't pay more than $5K. At 74K, stuff will be needing to be replaced. I bought '95 E320 once with 72K. At 76K it needed a rebuilt MB tranny for $2400 from my indy. You head gasket will leak which will cost $1200 unless you want to just add a quart between oil changes. Then you have to worry about the harness and the evaporator anyways. That's why you don't want to pay more than $5K.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)