Sprinter extended warranty and/or service contract. Worth it?

[Grampswrx]

My point is not that they need anything extra (every vehicle has pros/cons), my point is that it may give peace of mind to a potential buyer or you down the road.

[mikemikemike]

Originally Posted by JFlo

2016 4x4 now at 35k miles. 7yr/175k EW. Never had a MB service other than airbag recall replacement. Did all required service in my driveway.

Ah, a dealer indicated that one needs to do the service at the dealership to keep the warranty valid. Is that not true??

[mikemikemike]

OK, here are my current conclusions and observations:
-I'm going to get the extended warranty maxing it out at 7 years.
-Dealer service contract, not, and in fact, dealer service not so much. My service A was ~650 dollars for what as far as I can tell is an oil change, some extraordinarily high priced DEF and other fluids, and checking that the seat belts work.* The same service at a highly regarded local sprinter mechanic is 235. Mercedes, according to the dealer rep I spoke with today, does not require dealer service to support the warranty, just proof that the required service was done in the form of an invoice.

The key, I suppose, will be to find a trustworthy mechanic who knows these vehicles - I believe that is doable here in the bay area - and to not hesitate to head to the dealer for challenging issues when called for. The latter will be easy to do for the first seven years at any rate...

Very open to any input, and to changing my mind, but this is my sense now.

*I'm not going to fault anyone for this, but the van now has a tire pressure reading error that was not there before this service, and tires are at correct pressure. Without having heard back from the dealer about it, at least it erodes any assumption of infallibility in dealer service for me.

[Grampswrx]

I don’t like dealer service. However, when I can get a dealer service warranty, then I’m willing to go there.

[llamadave]

Our 2012 3500 just reached 100k miles. We had the extended warranty and saved at least twice what we paid with warranty service work done several times. We had all our maintenance done at dealers at 10,000 mile intervals with an average cost about $600 each. I recently started changing the oil and filter myself at 5000 mile half-way points.

David

[Hidesert]

I recently bought the Extended Warranty from MB for my 2016 2500 4x4. It provides an additional 4 years and up to 175k miles of coverage and cost me ~$4200. Seemed like a bargain.

[JayBea]

Bought it never used it!
Now 100,000 miles with nothing but regular services.
Regular services are expensive as expected.
JIM

[jrobe]

These extended warranty companies are just like insurance companies in that they know how to make money. They know how to set the price of the warranty so that, on average, the warranty will cost more than they will have to pay out on repairs. Of course, some unlucky people will save money with the extended warranty but the majority will not.

The main reason to buy insurance or extended warranties is to protect yourself from losses that you can’t really afford should they occur. Otherwise it is a gamble where the odds are with the insurance company.

Probably the most important thing is to read and understand the fine print so you know exactly what is covered and what isn’t before you buy the policy. The insurance companies are often very good at making this as difficult and confusing as possible.

[dirtyhippie]

So do you recommend not getting the extended warranty. We just bought a 2022 4wd diesel

[Steve Hunt]

Originally Posted by jrobe

These extended warranty companies are just like insurance companies in that they know how to make money. They know how to set the price of the warranty so that, on average, the warranty will cost more than they will have to pay out on repairs. Of course, some unlucky people will save money with the extended warranty but the majority will not.

The main reason to buy insurance or extended warranties is to protect yourself from losses that you can’t really afford should they occur. Otherwise it is a gamble where the odds are with the insurance company.

Probably the most important thing is to read and understand the fine print so you know exactly what is covered and what isn’t before you buy the policy. The insurance companies are often very good at making this as difficult and confusing as possible.

I agree completely, I worked for 27ish years in the diesel engine driven generator world at both the manufacturer level and also at the dealer level. Extended warranties were a very profitable revenue stream for both. Statistically the odds are that you will not save any money buying it...the only question is "do you feel unlucky"? Another reason the extended warranty is so profitable is because the majority of the warranty claim payouts are very early on in the life cycle under the "standard" warranty so to speak. Most everyone says they are going to keep a vehicle a long time but statistically it's not true...again playing to the profitability of selling you a extended warranty.

If you can't afford the repairs should you be buying a $100K+ toy ?? on the other hand if you just find comfort in knowing fairly accurately what your cost of ownership will be for xx years maybe it's for you. If you're not paying cash for the whole rig then you are also financing the extended warranty cost for 5,7,10 years...Yikes ! Do the math.

3rd party extended warranties are a scam for sure...just playing on peoples fear of the unknown.