Mercedes-Benz makes highly engineered vehicles for the driving enthusiast, but no vehicle stays new forever. The comprehensive Mercedes-Benz warranty covers repairs for the first years of ownership and includes roadside assistance.
After it expires, it’s up to you to decide if you want more warranty coverage. We’ll get into the details of the Mercedes warranty and compare the automaker’s extended warranty to third-party options. Through our research, we’ve found a number of best extended car warranty companies on the market that are consistent and reliable.
To find the best option for your Mercedes, compare plans and get quotes from different providers.
Mercedes-Benz Warranty Overview
The Mercedes warranty is made up of many different parts. Here’s an overview of what Mercedes factory warranty coverage includes:
| Mercedes-Benz Warranty | Coverage Terms |
|---|---|
| New Vehicle Limited Warranty | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Hybrid battery warranty | 6 years/62,000 miles |
| Federal emissions warranty | 2 years/24,000 miles or 8 years/80,000 miles depending on part |
| Emissions warranty in 12 states | 3 years/50,000 miles or 7 years/70,000 miles |
| Hybrid emissions warranty in 4 states | 3 years/50,000 miles or 7 years/70,000 miles |
| Hybrid emissions warranty in 9 states | 10 years/150,000 miles or 15 years/150,000 miles |
| Roadside assistance | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Tire coverage | 12 months/12,000 miles |
What Does My Mercedes-Benz Warranty Cover?
One of the worst things is to drive your car off a lot and experience a repair just a few thousand miles later. The good thing is Mercedes offers a comprehensive warranty on all new vehicles up until four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.
The New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers almost all electrical and mechanical components on the car. It pays to fix defects in materials or workmanship, but it doesn’t cover normal wear and tear.
Unlike most brands, Mercedes doesn’t separate bumper-to-bumper coverage from powertrain coverage. Sometimes, the powertrain (engine, transmission and drive axle) is covered for longer than the rest of the car. Mercedes covers these parts under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Comparing 2021 car warranties, the Mercedes-Benz warranty is average. Five other luxury brands offer the same terms, including BMW, Audi and Porsche.
What the Mercedes Warranty Doesn’t Cover
Some things are not covered under the Mercedes warranty, including:
- Tire and rim damage
- Brake pads
- Wiper blades
- Damage from accidents or misuse
- Damage from lack of maintenance
- Environmental damage
- Interior surface damage
- Damage from racing or competitions
- Alterations
In short, defects are covered while damage is not. Defects are the fault of Mercedes, while damage after purchase isn’t.
While the items above aren’t covered, they won’t void your warranty. What voids a Mercedes-Benz warranty? Tampering with the odometer. If Mercedes can’t determine the true mileage of a vehicle, or if it has been altered, the vehicle is no longer eligible for any warranty coverage.
Mercedes Hybrid Warranty
Mercedes-Benz has a few hybrid models to choose from right now, and the company will be releasing some all-electric models like the Mercedes EQC in the coming years. At this time, the company’s hybrid battery warranty is short – just 6 years/62,000 miles.
For comparison, Porsche covers its hybrid batteries for 8 years/100,000 miles, and Lexus does the same for 10 years/150,000 miles. According to RepairPal, the high-voltage battery on the GLE 550e costs $12,495 to replace. While the Mercedes hybrid battery is designed to last beyond six years, it would be nice to see a longer coverage term.
Mercedes Tire Warranty
So, Mercedes doesn’t cover tire or rim damage, but it offers a tire warranty? Yes. The tires that come on your new Mercedes are covered against defects in material or workmanship – but not road damage from drifting. If a tire blows or becomes unserviceable while it still has at least 1.6 millimeters of tread, Mercedes will replace it.
Roadside Assistance
Roadside assistance comes on all new Mercedes-Benz vehicles. It expires with the New Vehicle Limited Warranty after 4 years/50,000 miles. Roadside assistance transfers to new owners as long as the warranty is still valid.
However, this policy used to be different. If you bought a Mercedes directly from an authorized dealer before January 4, 2011, you still have access to roadside assistance. This extended roadside assistance period only applies to the original owner.
Here’s what the roadside assistance program includes:
- Flat tire changes
- Jump-start service
- Fuel delivery
- Lockout services
- Towing to a dealership
- Trip interruption up to $300/day for three days
Add-On Plans
Like many other brands, Mercedes offers a few add-on services you can get with a new car. These include:
- Prepaid maintenance
- Dent repair
- Guaranteed auto protection (GAP)
- Key protection
- Wheel and tire warranty (covers road hazards and cosmetic damage)
- Windshield protection
- Interior and exterior protection
Mercedes Warranty Check and Transfers
To learn about your car’s warranty coverage, you can sign up for Mercedes me and register your car with its vehicle identification number (VIN).
The Mercedes warranty is transferable to new owners for free, as long as coverage hasn’t expired. If you transfer the warranty, be sure to transfer all of the service documentation as well.
Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Warranty
For certified pre-owned vehicles, Mercedes offers a 12-month/unlimited-mileage warranty that begins after the factory warranty expires. This CPO warranty is basically an extension of the same New Vehicle Limited Warranty terms, but the terms may not be identical.
Drivers also have the option of increasing coverage for two additional years with an extended Mercedes warranty for CPO vehicles.
The Mercedes-Benz warranty on used cars (non-CPO) is whatever is left of the factory warranty.
Why an Extended Warranty Could Be a Good Idea
The Mercedes 4-year/50,000-mile warranty can go fast when the ride is smooth. Mercedes gives you plenty of horsepower and features to have a great time on the open road. But after the factory warranty expires, you might feel like you have to pull back and drive more cautiously to avoid repair costs.
An extended auto warranty can cover repairs after the factory warranty expires. You can get a plan through Mercedes, or you can look at third-party options for coverage. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but the main goal of an extended warranty is to provide peace of mind for many more years and miles.
Extended warranties usually come with perks like roadside assistance, trip interruption and rental car coverage to make breakdowns less burdensome.
Mercedes Repair Costs
According to RepairPal, Mercedes drivers pay about $908 per year to maintain and repair their cars. That’s a pretty high number compared to the industry average of $652 per year. However, other European stablemates like BMW and Audi aren’t cheap either, with repair costs coming in at $968 and $987.
Within Mercedes, different models have different average yearly costs as well. Here’s a quick comparison with data from RepairPal:
- Mercedes-Benz C 300: $739
- Mercedes-Benz E 350: $788
- Mercedes-Benz S 550: $1,249
- Mercedes-Benz AMG E 63: $1,494
Of course, there’s also quite a difference in price between these models. The 2020 C-Class sedan starts at $41,400, while the AMG E 63 S starts at $107,350. More expensive parts means more expensive repairs (and more expensive warranties).
Mercedes-Benz Extended Warranty
The Mercedes extended warranty is really an extension of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, with just a few more exclusions. Some brands don’t actually extend the factory warranty but offer different plans with less coverage instead. We’ll provide an overview of coverage here, and you can check out our Mercedes extended warranty review if you want to find out more.
You have a few different coverage terms to choose from:
| Coverage Beyond the Mercedes Warranty | Total Covered Miles |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 75,000 or 100,000 |
| 2 years | 75,000 or 100,000 |
| 3 years | 75,000 or 100,000 |
You have to purchase a Mercedes-Benz Extended Limited Warranty before the factory warranty of 4 years/50,000 miles expires. If you buy it after 30 days of ownership, a surcharge may apply. You’re required to visit a dealership for repairs, which also guarantees genuine Mercedes-Benz parts.
Mercedes doesn’t publish official prices online, but we found some prices from Sears Imported Autos, a Mercedes dealer. Prices start at $2,150 and extend to $7,350 for a Mercedes-Benz AMG with the longer term.
The highest price for a C-Class is $3,750, and the highest price for an E-Class is $4,000. Keep in mind, these prices can change at any time, and your local dealership may offer different prices.
Since Mercedes is a luxury car, you’ll find higher prices overall for extended warranties whether from the dealer or a third-party provider. However, $2,150 at minimum for just one year of extended coverage seems a bit expensive.
Are you going to encounter $2,150 in repairs during the fifth year of ownership? It would be worth checking out other options for bumper-to-bumper coverage before settling on a plan from Mercedes. A Mercedes-Benz extended warranty can be worth it if you find the right price and coverage.
Mercedes vs. Third-Party Extended Warranty Providers
With the Mercedes extended warranty, you’re required to go back to the dealership for auto repairs. In contrast, third-party options will let you go to any mechanic certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) for repairs.
There are about 368 Mercedes dealers in the U.S., but there are many more European auto shops that employ ASE-certified mechanics. If you’d prefer to go to your dealer, many third-party plans will allow that as well.
Third-party plans will also let you add coverage even if your car’s warranty expired years ago. That’s not the case with the extended warranty from Mercedes.
More Choices for Price and Coverage
The main advantage of third-party extended warranties is affordability. While each plan is tailored to your specific car and situation, we’d venture to guess you can find much more affordable options from third-parties than the Mercedes extended warranty.
Third-party contracts might not cover every single item under the factory Mercedes warranty, but you can still find bumper-to-bumper plans, which are in the same tier of coverage. Plus, you’ll have many more coverage options to choose from – Mercedes only offers one option.
For example, Endurance and CarShield offer six types of coverage. This lets you customize your plan from basic powertrain coverage all the way to factory-type coverage and many levels in between. These choices open up more pricing options, too.
Our Recommendations for A Mercedes-Benz Warranty
Be aware that different third-party providers might not cover all Mercedes models. You’ll have to get quotes from individual companies to see what they can cover. This is the best way to shop for warranties, anyway.
You can’t really pull up prices for more than one company at once like you can when shopping for car insurance, unfortunately. Try to get at least three different quotes when you shop, even if the first option seems enticing. Just tell them you’re shopping around, since you are. The salesperson might offer more incentives to win your business once they know that, as well.
When you shop for a Mercedes, you probably compare details of many different models to find the one that suits you best. Shopping for extended car warranties is no different. Read through different sample contracts to find out exactly what’s covered. Then, get quotes from your top choices to find the best protection for your vehicle.
Methodology
The Detroit Bureau collects data from every major car warranty provider to formulate rankings of the best warranty companies. Our in-depth rating system takes into account coverage, pricing, transparency, customer satisfaction and ratings from industry experts. Each provider is given a weighted score in five categories, as well as an overall score out of 10.0.
We recommend auto warranty companies based on these rankings, but we also encourage you to perform your own research and compare quotes to find the best coverage.
