should i buy the warranty

craigworkinger · 10-01-2009, 08:11 PM

should i buy the extended warranty for 2003 S55 AMG V8 Kompressor that only has 14,000 miles on it owned by a car collector? The warranty is for 4 years or 50,000 additional miles?

They want $5,000.00 for it. What do you think about adding Lo-Jack s it needed on a MB?

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Hotrod-Realtor · 10-01-2009, 09:13 PM

Tough call on a $5,000 outlay of cash. If I were a betting man, I would say you will have to replace the ABC pump within the next four years which will cost $2,500. Ball joints are common too but aren't that much. Motor mounts @ $600. Intercooler pump and I'm sure others can chime in with other common problems. At the end of the day if you plan to keep the car the four full years it is probably not a bad idea to purchase the warranty.
I would guess that you could command a higher sales price when you go to sell it if it still had a warranty. With that in mind you would probably recoup half the cost when you go to sell so I say GET IT!
What color and options?
Take care,
Warren

bzliteyear · 10-01-2009, 10:40 PM

if this is a zero deductible bumper to bumper, then i think $5k is a no-brainer.
if there are exclusions and larger deductibles, it makes it tougher to analyze. i bought 2 yr warranty for my 92k miles 2002 S55 almost 2 yrs ago for about $3k. the bad news is i've paid close to $4k in deductibles/non-covered items(ABC, flushing, etc). this is why i felt no brainer if warranty includes all. for me, since even though it was probably a break-even on benefits receiver vs. what i paid, i still think worthwhile.
PL

Corsa9000 · 10-02-2009, 02:52 PM

I say it is a smart move. As others said above ABC pump replacement is a given now and will cost you $2,500 to $3,000. I have and highly recommend MB warranty for three reasons:

1. Zero deductible
2. Fast approvals by MB Service Dept. within minutes
3. Transferable, so whatever you pay now is added to your resale value and will go to the new owner, just in case you decide to sell

Good luck!

lungs414 · 10-04-2009, 09:39 AM

Different car I know but try Lisa, just takes a phone call and she is super sweet and knowledgeable. I just bought an 09 s550 4matic in Sept. and my purchasing dealer wanted $4K for a 6yr/75K warranty I got it from Lisa for $2790, and it is a MB warranty.

Call Lisa Lehrbaum at Courtesy Motors (authorized MB dealer in Chico, CA) at 1-800-655-3535. They used to sell MB expended warranties for just a little over 50% off. Maybe they still do?

Ok, to help others purchase cheap MB ELW's, there are 2 ways to directly contact "Lisa":

1) DIRECT LINE: (530) 230-3154. The best times to reach "Lisa" are in the evenings, 5pm-8pm PST. She also has Tuesday's off (as well as one weekend each month), so if she's not there, then call back another day. If she's busy, then call back in a few minutes. DO NOT LEAVE HER VOICEMAILS!!! She receives too many voicemails, and cannot respond to all of them! The best thing to do is to be patient, and call back in a few minutes... or use Option #2 below....

2) E-MAIL: lisal@donotspam.chicocourtesy.com <== REMOVE "donotspam." FROM THE ADDRESS! If you cannot get a hold of her using the telephone, or don't have the time or patience to call, then you can also reach her using e-mail. If you are e-mailing her, please include the following information about your Mercedes-Benz vehicle:

MB ELW YOU'RE INTERESTED IN (ie: 7yr/75K, 7yr/100K, etc)

CAR YEAR
CAR MAKE/MODEL
VIN#
# OF MILES

YOUR FULL NAME
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE NUMBER (so she can call you back)

She will respond to her e-mails as soon as she can.

ivanj · 10-04-2009, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigworkinger

should i buy the extended warranty for 2003 S55 AMG V8 Kompressor that only has 14,000 miles on it owned by a car collector? The warranty is for 4 years or 50,000 additional miles?

They want $5,000.00 for it. What do you think about adding Lo-Jack s it needed on a MB?

Besides "Lisa", get the VIN and have a dealer run the service history on the car and make sure the present owner has any Bulletins taken care of before the car is purchased.

Lojack depends on where you live. I have one in my used G500 but have never activated it.

What I have noticed is that people are stealing accessories, mirrors and stuff like that as the economy crumbles. Lojack doesn't help with that.

hegar817 · 10-19-2009, 09:03 PM

I just purchased my extended warranty from autoprotection.com for 2003 s55 with 110,000 miles bumper to bumper. Coverage is for 5 year 100k miles for 130.00 dwnpmt and 94.00 per month for 24 month for like 2400.00. I feel such a relief.

djamer · 10-19-2009, 09:06 PM

without a doubt, buy one a warranty. An 2003 model even in pristine condition is still an 2003 model. To replace the ABC or repair leaks/valve replacements. These are pretty costly.

bzliteyear · 10-19-2009, 09:08 PM

are you sure the ABC is covered?
besides the pump, the valves are also very expensive. my warranty covered the pump, but they wouldn't pay for the flushing of the new fluid, or the new valve.
Patrick

djamer · 10-19-2009, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bzliteyear

are you sure the ABC is covered?
besides the pump, the valves are also very expensive. my warranty covered the pump, but they wouldn't pay for the flushing of the new fluid, or the new valve.
Patrick

ABC Flush is considered maintenance, and yes, an extended warranty will not cover this procedure. But the warranty will cover ABC Failing due to valve leak, bad strut or ABC pump failure. Most reputable warranties cover these components. See fine print.

I had my ABC leak and valve replaced under extended warranty. No questions asked.

If you plan on keeping the car, dealers are recommending a ABC Flush every 30K and ABC Filter change to keep the main components free of contaminants. Also, it's important to note, these cars are meant to driven, at least from talking to other owners, when their SLs or S classes are garage queens, that's when the ABC issues occurs: lack of driving. just a thought.

Good luck w/ your purchase.

hegar817 · 10-19-2009, 09:42 PM

While on the ABC subject. Do you guys notice that when not driving the car, the car tends to lower itself until its turned on then goes up back to normal.

bzliteyear · 10-20-2009, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hegar817

While on the ABC subject. Do you guys notice that when not driving the car, the car tends to lower itself until its turned on then goes up back to normal.

sadly, that's the first symptom that the system is not working 100%. my car lasted another 12k like that...and then pump went out.
PL

Reckless · 10-20-2009, 01:59 AM

My car is in the shop getting left side struts replaced for $7400 + $900 for motor mounts = $8300 + $2000 work of transmission work 6 months ago =$11,300 and I still have 85k miles/6.5 years left to go on my warranty. I bought my car with 23k miles.

It really depends how many miles you drive a year. My dad only drives 3-5k miles a year so its not a big deal... I like to drive, so I average 25-30k miles per year.

Corsa9000 · 10-20-2009, 02:19 PM

Hegar817,

Please keep us posted on the coverage and general service from autoprotection.com. Curious to see what they cover and how good they are. Thanks.

hegar817 · 10-21-2009, 09:56 PM

Definately will do my friend. Waiting on the details to arrive in the mail.

03MBAMGs · 11-03-2009, 04:53 PM

I have an 03 S55. I've had it 3 years now and it had 21,221 miles on it when I bought it and only has 34,970 now. I bought an extended warranty when I bought by recommendations from this forum. I paid $3500 for mine & it's anything mechanical, electric or hydraulic. Close to bumper to bumper. I've had more than $4k in ABC repairs alone that only cost me $200 in deductibles. As they told me, "DO NOT BUY A USED AMG WITHOUT A WARRANTY UNLESS YOU HAVE DEEP POCKETS". BTW, I love my car. 99.9% of the time it's driven like a grandma but when my buddy pulled up along side of me this morning @ a stop light in his Beemer 540i I enjoyed leaving him like he was tied to a tree and that was even with the tranny in C mode.

pas · 11-03-2009, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bzliteyear

sadly, that's the first symptom that the system is not working 100%. my car lasted another 12k like that...and then pump went out.
PL

That is normal the valves have metal seats for longevity and do not hold pressure for more than two weeks, if the car is sagging in a week or less you have a problem.

carsnob · 11-15-2009, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reckless

My car is in the shop getting left side struts replaced for $7400 + $900 for motor mounts = $8300 + $2000 work of transmission work 6 months ago =$11,300 and I still have 85k miles/6.5 years left to go on my warranty. I bought my car with 23k miles.

It really depends how many miles you drive a year. My dad only drives 3-5k miles a year so its not a big deal... I like to drive, so I average 25-30k miles per year.

Just paid $3500 to extend my '07 S 600 wty to 7 yrs. Based on what I've read, that seems to be money well spent. Anyone had experience what happens to the V12's when the wty. runs out? If this car becomes a classic keeper after 7 years, will I be needing deep pockets when the mileage adds up? (I'm guessing 90-100,000 miles on a V12 could require some serious repairs...

Zachmac · 11-15-2009, 05:50 AM

I made the mistake of NOT having one initially. I then spent $2700 having the ABC pump replaced. After thatI decided to start researching warranties. Based on posts on this site I went to the nearest Chrysler dealer and bought a 2 year unlimited milage policy for $2780. That is for the BEST policy they sell, basically bumper to bumper. They will write up to 5 yrs depending on milage but my car was already at 81k miles so they would only do the 2 yrs.

About three weeks later my car starts drooping on the left front overnight. Sure enough it was the ABC valve body. Another $2700 to the Mercedes dealer BUT now all I was out of pocket was the $200 deductible (you can pay a little more and get 100 or 0 deductible). Dealer said Chrysler was easy to work with and covered the repair no questons asked. The Benz dealer said they have had nothing but good experience with this policy. It is fully transferable as well if you go to sell. Highly recommended! It cost about half what Mercedes quoted!

10-01-2009, 10:40 PM	#3
bzliteyear Super Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: SF Posts: 773 Drives: 2002 S55 AMG 1995 E320 Cab	if this is a zero deductible bumper to bumper, then i think $5k is a no-brainer. if there are exclusions and larger deductibles, it makes it tougher to analyze. i bought 2 yr warranty for my 92k miles 2002 S55 almost 2 yrs ago for about $3k. the bad news is i've paid close to $4k in deductibles/non-covered items(ABC, flushing, etc). this is why i felt no brainer if warranty includes all. for me, since even though it was probably a break-even on benefits receiver vs. what i paid, i still think worthwhile. PL __________________ 2002 S55 silver/blk vent seats/distronic/parktronic 1995 E320 Cabriolet black opal/beige 2002 540i Sport steel blue metallic/grey 2006 R500 pewter/ash grey previously: '00 E320 wagon/'01 MB E55/'95 BMW 525i/'00 MB E320 Lorinser wagon/'89 Porsche Cab/'95 Lexus SC400/'00 BMW X5 4.4i/'99 MB C230K Sport/00 Porsche Boxster S/'93 MB 600SL/'90 Porsche 928/93 Porsche 968/'90 Infiniti Q45/90 Acura Integra/'88 Porsche 944T/'83 Porsche 944/'82 Toyota Supra

10-04-2009, 09:39 AM	#5
lungs414 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 8 Drives: s550	MB Extended Warranty Different car I know but try Lisa, just takes a phone call and she is super sweet and knowledgeable. I just bought an 09 s550 4matic in Sept. and my purchasing dealer wanted $4K for a 6yr/75K warranty I got it from Lisa for $2790, and it is a MB warranty. Call Lisa Lehrbaum at Courtesy Motors (authorized MB dealer in Chico, CA) at 1-800-655-3535. They used to sell MB expended warranties for just a little over 50% off. Maybe they still do? Ok, to help others purchase cheap MB ELW's, there are 2 ways to directly contact "Lisa": 1) DIRECT LINE: (530) 230-3154. The best times to reach "Lisa" are in the evenings, 5pm-8pm PST. She also has Tuesday's off (as well as one weekend each month), so if she's not there, then call back another day. If she's busy, then call back in a few minutes. DO NOT LEAVE HER VOICEMAILS!!! She receives too many voicemails, and cannot respond to all of them! The best thing to do is to be patient, and call back in a few minutes... or use Option #2 below.... 2) E-MAIL: lisal@donotspam.chicocourtesy.com <== REMOVE "donotspam." FROM THE ADDRESS! If you cannot get a hold of her using the telephone, or don't have the time or patience to call, then you can also reach her using e-mail. If you are e-mailing her, please include the following information about your Mercedes-Benz vehicle: MB ELW YOU'RE INTERESTED IN (ie: 7yr/75K, 7yr/100K, etc) CAR YEAR CAR MAKE/MODEL VIN# # OF MILES YOUR FULL NAME ADDRESS TELEPHONE NUMBER (so she can call you back) She will respond to her e-mails as soon as she can.

10-19-2009, 09:06 PM	#8
djamer Super Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Northern VA Posts: 787 Drives: SL 500	without a doubt, buy one a warranty. An 2003 model even in pristine condition is still an 2003 model. To replace the ABC or repair leaks/valve replacements. These are pretty costly. __________________ R230 SL 500 (Diamond Silver, Black Birdseye Maple with Teal Designo Interior, AMG Package) 07' Corolla CE -- the practical daily driver :) 08' Matrix

10-19-2009, 09:08 PM	#9
bzliteyear Super Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: SF Posts: 773 Drives: 2002 S55 AMG 1995 E320 Cab	are you sure the ABC is covered? besides the pump, the valves are also very expensive. my warranty covered the pump, but they wouldn't pay for the flushing of the new fluid, or the new valve. Patrick __________________ 2002 S55 silver/blk vent seats/distronic/parktronic 1995 E320 Cabriolet black opal/beige 2002 540i Sport steel blue metallic/grey 2006 R500 pewter/ash grey previously: '00 E320 wagon/'01 MB E55/'95 BMW 525i/'00 MB E320 Lorinser wagon/'89 Porsche Cab/'95 Lexus SC400/'00 BMW X5 4.4i/'99 MB C230K Sport/00 Porsche Boxster S/'93 MB 600SL/'90 Porsche 928/93 Porsche 968/'90 Infiniti Q45/90 Acura Integra/'88 Porsche 944T/'83 Porsche 944/'82 Toyota Supra

10-20-2009, 01:59 AM	#13
Reckless Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 215 Drives: Mercedes S600TT LET Tune	My car is in the shop getting left side struts replaced for $7400 + $900 for motor mounts = $8300 + $2000 work of transmission work 6 months ago =$11,300 and I still have 85k miles/6.5 years left to go on my warranty. I bought my car with 23k miles. It really depends how many miles you drive a year. My dad only drives 3-5k miles a year so its not a big deal... I like to drive, so I average 25-30k miles per year. __________________ 2005 S600 V12TT LET Tune

10-01-2009, 09:13 PM	#2
Hotrod-Realtor Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Lake Norman Posts: 114 Drives: S55	Tough call on a $5,000 outlay of cash. If I were a betting man, I would say you will have to replace the ABC pump within the next four years which will cost $2,500. Ball joints are common too but aren't that much. Motor mounts @ $600. Intercooler pump and I'm sure others can chime in with other common problems. At the end of the day if you plan to keep the car the four full years it is probably not a bad idea to purchase the warranty. I would guess that you could command a higher sales price when you go to sell it if it still had a warranty. With that in mind you would probably recoup half the cost when you go to sell so I say GET IT! What color and options? Take care, Warren

10-02-2009, 02:52 PM	#4
Corsa9000 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 67 Drives: 2004 S55 ///AMG	I say it is a smart move. As others said above ABC pump replacement is a given now and will cost you $2,500 to $3,000. I have and highly recommend MB warranty for three reasons: 1. Zero deductible 2. Fast approvals by MB Service Dept. within minutes 3. Transferable, so whatever you pay now is added to your resale value and will go to the new owner, just in case you decide to sell Good luck!

10-19-2009, 09:03 PM	#7
hegar817 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 46 Drives: 2003 s55	I just purchased my extended warranty from autoprotection.com for 2003 s55 with 110,000 miles bumper to bumper. Coverage is for 5 year 100k miles for 130.00 dwnpmt and 94.00 per month for 24 month for like 2400.00. I feel such a relief.

10-19-2009, 09:42 PM	#11
hegar817 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 46 Drives: 2003 s55	While on the ABC subject. Do you guys notice that when not driving the car, the car tends to lower itself until its turned on then goes up back to normal.

10-20-2009, 02:19 PM	#14
Corsa9000 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 67 Drives: 2004 S55 ///AMG	Hegar817, Please keep us posted on the coverage and general service from autoprotection.com. Curious to see what they cover and how good they are. Thanks.

10-21-2009, 09:56 PM	#15
hegar817 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 46 Drives: 2003 s55	Definately will do my friend. Waiting on the details to arrive in the mail.

11-03-2009, 04:53 PM	#16
03MBAMGs Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 117 Drives: 03 S55 AMG	I have an 03 S55. I've had it 3 years now and it had 21,221 miles on it when I bought it and only has 34,970 now. I bought an extended warranty when I bought by recommendations from this forum. I paid $3500 for mine & it's anything mechanical, electric or hydraulic. Close to bumper to bumper. I've had more than $4k in ABC repairs alone that only cost me $200 in deductibles. As they told me, "DO NOT BUY A USED AMG WITHOUT A WARRANTY UNLESS YOU HAVE DEEP POCKETS". BTW, I love my car. 99.9% of the time it's driven like a grandma but when my buddy pulled up along side of me this morning @ a stop light in his Beemer 540i I enjoyed leaving him like he was tied to a tree and that was even with the tranny in C mode. __________________ 03 S55 AMG with Concept Neeper Javv 20' wheels, 08 Infiniti QX56 (Bike/Family Hauler), 04 SLK320 Special Edition (Wifey), 03 C32 AMG with 18' BBS (Sold)

11-15-2009, 05:50 AM	#19
Zachmac Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Aiken, SC Posts: 118 Drives: 2004 S55	Extended warranty I made the mistake of NOT having one initially. I then spent $2700 having the ABC pump replaced. After thatI decided to start researching warranties. Based on posts on this site I went to the nearest Chrysler dealer and bought a 2 year unlimited milage policy for $2780. That is for the BEST policy they sell, basically bumper to bumper. They will write up to 5 yrs depending on milage but my car was already at 81k miles so they would only do the 2 yrs. About three weeks later my car starts drooping on the left front overnight. Sure enough it was the ABC valve body. Another $2700 to the Mercedes dealer BUT now all I was out of pocket was the $200 deductible (you can pay a little more and get 100 or 0 deductible). Dealer said Chrysler was easy to work with and covered the repair no questons asked. The Benz dealer said they have had nothing but good experience with this policy. It is fully transferable as well if you go to sell. Highly recommended! It cost about half what Mercedes quoted! __________________ 04 S55, 80mm VRP TB, Kleeman K2, headers and sport cats, de-starred. 06 R350 Family Hauler 80 Fiat Spider 70 XKE Jaguar OTS

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