Extended Warranty

I know most people recommend avoiding extended warranties .

any opinions on the one offered by MB on the Sprinter?

if something goes wrong it will be expensive.

the engine is covered for 100,000 on the regular warranty. the extended warranty goes out only 1 more year but also covers, rear axle, transmission, audio systems, cooling systems and climate control

thanks for any input

I am generally hugely negative on extended warranties in almost all contexts. BUT, those provided by the OEM are a rare exception. The reason 3rd party warranties make little sense is that they are a zero-sum game--if you win they lose. And, if they were losing on average, they would not be in business. OEM warranties are different. There are two reasons for this: (1) they can fix your vehicle for less money than anybody else (because they own all the spare parts and they have the dealers under their thumb); and (2) they have a vested interest in keeping you "in the family." For these reasons, it is at least within the realm of possibility that a manufacturer's extended warranty might make sense. Whether it ACTUALLY makes sense is a quantitate question that is difficult to answer. In the case of the Sprinter, I am inclined to think that they ARE worth considering, if you are fairly sure that you will continue to own the vehicle for the duration of the extended warranty period.

A couple of things to note, though:
--Even if the warranty is transferrable, I doubt that a future buyer is likely to reimburse you for your investment, so if you are NOT likely to keep the vehicle, it is probably not worth it.
--You can purchase a MB extended warranty at any time before the basic warranty expires. It makes little sense to purchase it before then. Yes, the price may be a bit higher, but you will have kept your money until then, and you will know the vehicle and your relationship to it much better by then.
--For dealers, extended warranties are high markup items. For this reason, they are prime targets for negotiation. I like to save them for the point in the negotiation in which I am "ready to walk" (meaning I have squeezed as much as possible from the dealer). As I walk out the door, I turn around and say "OK, tell you what. Sell me an extended warranty at your cost and we have a deal." It often works. You will be surprised what their actual cost is. (This, of course, is an exception to the "don't buy it now" rule).

I heard a few consumer reporters say to stay clear of all extended warranties for electronics but with vehicles only go with manufactures extended warranties and avoid ones offered by third parties. If you haven't bought your Sprinter yet negotiate your best deal on the van then work your deal for the warranty. There is some good profit for the dealer in the warranty regardless of what they say.

I'm planning on purchasing the OEM extended warranty when I get nearer to the end of the standard warranty. I figure that's more than enough time to shake out any near catastrophic issue and provides peace of mind forms planned long term ownership of the van.

Diana,

The MB Extended Warranty is a 3yr/125,000 mile warranty that starts when your original new vehicle 3yr/36,000 warranty expires. You MUST have purchased the extended warranty within the first new vehicle 3yr/36,000 miles in order to get the extension. The price of the MB Extended Warranty is negotiable so polish up on your negotiating skills.

Is it worth it? Well, you need to look at your driving habits. If you put 50,000 miles a year on it then probably not. If you only put 15,000 a year on it then maybe yes. In all likely hood will you win or will the dealer win? I'm thinking you will win.

Good luck and let us know what you ended up with.

stew

Diana,
Will you let us know the price of the warranty? Both the "asking" price and the negotiated price? That would be helpful for anyone who plans to get one near the end of the original warranty. thanks,

Please allow me to give you a quote for the MB extended warranty. Send me an email and I will send you back a quote.
Dave@sprinterguy.com

On every other can on the planet FORGET warranty's.
On a Mercedes Sprinter GET THE LARGEST WARRANTY THEY HAVE.

Aftermarket extended warranties-whether on vehicles, appliances, or whatever, are to be avoided at all costs. Manufacturer's extended warranties on appliances, etc. usually aren't worth their cost either. However, on a vehicle-especially a Sprinter-they are highly advisable, in my opinion. The Sprinter is heavily layered with electronic systems. The once-simple Diesel engine, in its modern, low-emission incarnation, is also heavily encrusted with complicated, sophisticated systems. One "module" going belly-up could well justify the cost of the Mercedes manufacturer's extended warranty. When I bought mine (2014, crew/144"/high roof/v-6 with coolant heater and lots of other options), I purchased the extended warranty. It was the one item the dealer would negotiate on-I got them to knock $800 off the price. I would have bought it even if they didn't.

I just purchased an ELW for my ML350 - seven days before my 4yr warranty expired. The following dealers/reps had very competitive prices. I was quoted over a $1,000 in difference between dealers.

I'm not sure if Sprinters are different, but I could purchase the ELW anytime during the factory warranty period for cars. MB charges the dealer a 15% surcharge if sold after 30 days as an incentive to sell with the vehicle at time of purchase.
However, MB also periodically suspends that surcharge as they have currently done for the month of Dec 2014.

If you're considering doing so, now is the time to buy before the surcharge returns in 2015.

Certain states charge tax by law on ELW. CA and TX do not.

Dan Boone - Mercedes of Austin - 512 454 6821; dan.boone@mbofaustin.com
Erin Mahre - Mercedes of Santa Rosa - 707 521 3996; erin@smotherseuropean.com
Jeff Santos - Mercedes of Elmbrook - 262 821 5000; jsantos@mbofelmbrook.com