Mercedes-Benz Warranty: Coverage, Costs & Options

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Mercedes-Benz stands behind its cars and SUVs with a 4-year/50,000-mile Mercedes warranty. This is a standard warranty length compared to other luxury brands and offers a reasonable term of coverage. But what does the Mercedes warranty pay for, exactly?

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Mercedes warranty as well as options for extending warranty coverage, including contracts with some of the best extended car warranty providers. If you’re ready to start comparing free quotes, click the buttons below.

Shown in the table below is an overview of the 2021 Mercedes-Benz warranty.

The new vehicle warranty covers most mechanical and electrical vehicle components for 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. “Four years” means 48 months from the date you purchase the car. Mercedes includes the powertrain warranty, corrosion perforation warranty, and roadside assistance plan in that 4-year warranty period.

The high-voltage battery in Mercedes plug-in hybrid models is covered by a separate limited warranty for 6 years/62,000 miles. In some states (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont), the battery for plug-in hybrid vehicles extends to 10 years/150,000 miles.

Also, in California and states that follow its emissions regulations (the states listed above plus Delaware, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington), certain parts of the emission control system are covered for 8 years/80,000 miles. These can include things like fuel injectors, intake manifolds, certain hoses and electronics, and other parts.

In addition to the warranty provided by tiremakers, Mercedes covers tires against defects in material or workmanship for 12 months/12,000 miles. Within that period, a Mercedes dealer will replace a tire if it becomes “unserviceable” as long as at least 1.6 millimeters of tread depth remains. That’s pretty generous, especially considering that on some Mercedes vehicles, the tires can be quite expensive.

Like most new vehicle limited warranties, the Mercedes-Benz warranty has some exclusions. As is typical among car brands, Mercedes does not cover:

• Wear-and-tear items, including brake pads and wiper blades
• Wheel alignment and balancing
• Glass
• Batteries for any remote controls, including the keyless entry system

Damage due to lack of maintenance, which, according to Mercedes, could include using “non-approved” service parts and fluids, is also not covered.

It may sound like “common sense” not to drive through high water, but people often do it, and it can damage a car severely, even to the point of being “totaled” by an insurance company. Mercedes specifically says this damage will not be covered, nor will damage from extreme storm conditions, hail, or other environmental factors.

Mercedes is also specific about the warranty not covering damage to the vehicle’s paint, trim, upholstery, or convertible top caused by “airborne fallout,” which could include chemicals, tree sap, and road salt. Just as a point of comparison, Ford’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers damage to the car’s paint from “environmental fallout” for 12 months/12,000 miles.

The Mercedes warranty does not cover loss of use of the vehicle during warranty repairs, nor “substitute transportation rentals,” lodging and travel costs, loss of pay, or other economic loss. When a warranty spells it out like that, you can be pretty sure some customers have tried to make such claims against the warranty.

Mercedes-Benz was among the first brands to offer a Certified Pre-Owned program for its used cars in the 1990s, and its current program is pretty picky about the cars it covers.

Mercedes models must be less than 6 years old and have less than 75,000 miles to qualify and must then pass a 165-point inspection for certification. Vehicles with identifiable structural damage or a problem shown in a CARFAX Vehicle History Report are not approved for the CPO program.

Mercedes vehicles that do qualify for CPO get the remainder of the 4-year/50,000 mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty (if any) plus another 12 months/unlimited miles of comprehensive coverage. According to Mercedes, this coverage extends to the powertrain, steering, suspension, brakes, electrical and climate control systems, and more. This warranty can be extended by one or two additional years, with unlimited miles in either case. As with the original new car warranty, normal wear on the brake discs and pads is not covered.

Although Mercedes-Benz may be famous for high-quality vehicles, the brand does not always rank among leaders in this regard, according to some trusted industry sources. In the J.D. Power 2021 J.D. Power Dependability Study, which surveys problems in three-year-old vehicles, Mercedes was found to have 122 problems per 100 cars. That’s just below the industry average of 121 and behind industry leaders Lexus (81), Porsche (86), and Kia (97).

Many people turn to Consumer Reports for automotive reliability information, and this publication scored Mercedes even lower, at 21 out of 30 brands. (Consumer Reports left out Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, and Ram due to insufficient survey data.) Notably, Consumer Reports indicates “most reliable model” and “least reliable model” for each brand in its rankings.

A Mercedes extended warranty can be expensive, but so can your Mercedes maintenance cost. According to RepairPal, these are some repair costs for a few 2016 Mercedes models, which may be past their original warranties or near the end:

• 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 sport-utility cylinder head gasket: $1,918–$3,180.
• 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 sedan seat heater: $661–$705
• 2016 Mercedes-Benz E400 sedan alternator replacement: $1,460–$1,540
• 2016 Mercedes-Benz S550 sedan power window regulator replacement: $2,177–$2,261

The Mercedes extended warranty offers excellent coverage, but it stops at 7 years/100,000 miles (from the vehicle’s original in-service date). That’s usually enough for many people, but aftermarket warranty providers offer more options to gain added peace of mind if you buy a higher-mileage car, and usually for a lower cost.

A third-party extended auto warranty provider, such as Endurance, can offer more flexible plans and up to 8 years of coverage or 200,000+ miles. Third-party warranties are available to cover original owners as well as CPO models after the Mercedes warranty has expired.

If you buy a used Mercedes outside of the company’s CPO program, you can still purchase a warranty plan from a third party. Endurance offers plans that extend coverage for 200,000+ miles.

Also, an aftermarket extended warranty company can offer basic coverage plans if you feel you don’t want to cover the entire car. For example, the Endurance Secure level, which is available in various length terms and miles, can offer essential coverage for the powertrain and a few other essentials.

Based on a survey our team conducted in 2021, CarShield is the most popular third-party provider, while Endurance and Carchex round out the top three. Although it comes down to personal preference as far as what type of warranty you purchase for your Mercedes-Benz vehicle, our research shows that most consumers who purchase with a third-party provider mostly choose those three providers.

Additional Third-Party Extended Warranty Perks

With a Mercedes-Benz extended warranty, you must have your car repaired by an authorized Mercedes dealer. With an aftermarket warranty, you can take it to a Mercedes dealer or just about any licensed repair facility. That can be a major convenience if your car breaks down far from the nearest Mercedes dealer. Of nearly 160,000 auto repair facilities in the U.S., only about 375 are Mercedes dealers.

Endurance and a few other extended warranty providers are direct payers. That means they pay the auto repair facility directly for covered repairs, so you don’t have to file a claim and wait for a check in the mail. You may have to pay a deductible, often around $50, depending on the plan.

We also graded warranty plans on the company’s reputation and the extras they offer, such as towing and trip interruption reimbursement for breakdowns and roadside assistance to deliver fuel, change a tire, or jumpstart a low battery.

Like most extended warranty companies, Endurance offers a 30-day cancellation period to have your purchase price refunded. If you suddenly have second thoughts or need the money for something else, you can simply cancel the coverage.