Mercedes Owners Could Get Money Back After Warranty Settlement — Here’s What to Know

The Price Of Omission

The automotive industry is littered with cautionary tales about corporate mistakes. The most common issues usually pertain to safety concerns, recalls, or, worse, to concerted efforts to keep certain things from the public.

All corporate entities that sell products are held to a high standard for transparency, especially those that make and sell cars. Vehicle purchases rank among the biggest investments an individual will make in their lifetime, so when certain details about parts and warranties aren't clear, buyers pay the price.

Mercedes-Benz is one of those companies that went under the microscope due to alleged dishonesty – and it has recently decided to settle the case.

High-Cost Emissions Parts

According to Classaction.org, a settlement has just been reached by luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz USA. The suit alleges that the German carmaker intentionally omitted all parts that should be classified as “high-cost emissions warranty parts” from the warranty booklet.

It was found that the brand did this to limit its own expenses and exposure to owners who would make warranty claims on the said parts. Simply put, under California law, all high-priced parts should come with a seven-year 70,000-mile emissions warranty. As a result of the brand's actions, owners were forced to pay higher repair, diagnostic, and replacement costs.

There is also a court-approved website regarding this specific class action suit: HazdovacEmissionsWarrantySettlement.com. In it, those who file a valid and timely claim form have multiple options for receiving their reimbursement settlements. The suit is a little confusing at first, but here are the salient details:

• Mercedes-Benz has agreed to compensate up to 50% of the out-of-pocket costs for claims pertaining to qualified repairs and replacements.
• Mercedes-Benz has agreed to also reimburse 100% of the cost for claims pertaining to a qualified diagnosis of parts affected by the warranty.
• 100% Coverage will also be provided for claims filed for qualified repair, replacement, and diagnosis of a qualified part under the warranty.

More Details

All of these claims are available to class action members with vehicles between the four-year/50,000-mile and seven-year/70,000-mile warranty period. These services can also only be availed at authorized service centers.

As mentioned, this suit is very detailed and quite confusing, but to be more specific, the cars eligible for the claim are 2015 models through the present year. Also, these cars should be registered in states that follow California's emission and pollutant regulations.

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