The biggest concern when it comes to owning or buying a hybrid vehicle is the high-cost of the hybrid battery unit should you need to repair or replace it. Mercedes, in particular, has been getting a lot of flak when it comes to the price of its hybrid battery units. This comes to no surprise as a replacement battery for the E 300 BlueTEC is said to cost upwards of RM120,000 and customers are obviously not happy with this.
In response, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) has announced the updated recommended retail pricing of the hybrid battery replacement units for the E 300 BlueTEC and S 400 h models. The battery costs RM50,000 for the E 300 BlueTEC and MYR65,000 for the S 400 h.
Earlier this month, MBM introduced its Hybrid Battery Extended Warranty Programme for the two models. With the extended warranty programme the cost to repair or replace the hybrid battery unit in the E 300 BlueTEC and the S 400 h is taken care of by MBM for up to eight years after the vehicle has been registered or up to 180,000km, whichever comes first.
The warranty, however, is RM2,688 add-on and it comes with a number of terms and conditions. Chief among them is that the warranty only covers repair or replacement costs should the battery fail due to a fault or defect by the manufacturer. Depletion of the battery capacity over time due to normal wear and tear is not covered under the warranty.
To be eligible for the program, the vehicle must still be within the standard MBM warranty which is within four years of registration. The vehicle must also go through an inspection before the warranty can be offered. On top of that, the hybrid battery must be deemed 100% in good working condition. Additionally, the vehicle must only be serviced and maintained by authorised Mercedes-Benz service centres.
MBM said in a statement issued to us today that “the satisfaction of our customers throughout the ownership experience is a priority at MBM and our Authorized Retailers. We have the best interest of our customers at all times and remain committed to delivering the absolute Best Customer Experience”.
But boy, that satisfaction sure does come at a price.
If you own an E 300 BlueTEC or an S 400 h and have any questions about the information mentioned here, you can reach out to MBM via telephone at 1-800-88-1133 (Mondays to Fridays,
