How much does it cost to maintain your Merc?

[s500surrey]

I'm curious... What is an acceptable level of maintenance on your Merc to keep it running?

My 7 year old S500 (99) has done only 56,000 miles. Repair & maintenance bill this year is as follows:

July - Service (inc replacement of Sump) 2550 (main dealer)
Jun - Replace 4 Pirelli tyres 865 (tyre dealer)
Mar - Pulley failure 350 (independent)
May - New break pads fitted 95 (Kwikfit)
Oct - Power steering failure 828 (main dealer)
Oct - Recovery truck after ignition failure 250 (through AA)
Nov - Estimate. repair of sensor 400 (main dealer)

Total bill for 2006 (so far) for 7 year old Merc = 5338 QUID

*** HOW MUCH IS YOURS? ***

Now, somebody tell me, this seems a lot of dosh to spend on a 7 year old Merc....

a) Is my car CURSED?
b) Was it built in DAGENHAM rather than Stuttgart?
c) Am I doing something WRONG?
d) Was the S Class designed to SELF-DESTRUCT the year they brought out the new series?
e) Do you get what you pay for when you buy luxury Mercs OUT OF WARRANTY?
f) Am I winging about beer money - is 5 grand a year the price one must pay for a MARQUE OF QUALITY?

***WHAT'S YOUR STORY?***

I am really keen to know... any enlightenment will be most appreciated


Find out more -> Want spiritual? Get Merc!

 

[Howard]

You've spent twice the value of my car on maintenance this year .....

Shocking ....

 

[Andy W]

My 8 year old C180, serviced once in 3 years, £140, water pump £55, Auxillary belt tensioner + shox £95, new battery £95.......thats it, think I got off lightly, all the parts were fitted by myself.

 

[sagalout]

That really is shocking for a 56k mile car

 

[GazCaff]

I am fortunate to be mechanically and electrically competent. My C Class is one of the easiest cars I have ever worked on. I am also lucky to have a mate who allows me to service my car at his workshop FOC and use his oil (he buys it by the 1000 litre). Anything that is beyond my scope or beyond what I am willing to tackle I'll ask IBW to do.

 

[l5foye]

That is a lot of beer money. You do need to exclude tyres and brake pads as these are normal replacement items. That is £960 off the total. You have paid or are about to pay the main dealer £3778. Why did you not use an independent for those things? You sad tale does show why extended warranties can be a good investment.

 

[Gollom]

Does sound sad. To be a little fair though, some £1600 of that is for "normal stuff" (tyres, pads, servicing including the £250 recovery fee but less approx £50 for AA membership - was Mobilo invalid?) Did you try a reasoned discussion with the dealer/MBUK for at least a contribution toward the sump? My experience says that they are not averse to listening.

How much did you pay (ballpark) for the car?

Here's wishing you better luck now that lot is out of the way!

All the best

Steve

P.S. I have got to add that my W203 has cost below average to maintain in comparison to previous cars like the Cougar and the Rover - and I know which I would rather be in! Your comment on the £50 - £1500 price range (I am a Mercedes mechanic by day) is a little unfair - what quality car costs below £1000 to maintain nowadays?

 

[Robbo]

I average well over £1000 per service on the C class regardless of whether its an A or a B. Mostly due to extra work that needs to be done. I still have outstanding issues that need resolving (passenger electric window broken, clonky front suspension).

By far the most expensive to run car I have ever owned. And the most troublesome.

 

[zakh]

Its just a misconception that MB are great cars...They are not.
They fail randomly...im thinking of defecting to Lexus or Honda...

 

[Uberwagon]

Since April i've spent......

£150 - 3 oil and filter changes.
£260 - Transmission oil, pan gasket, oil filter (Pan removed so I could inspect it for any debris.
£800 - 8 tyres, 6 on the back, 2 on the front.
£300 - Front discs, front and rear pads + sensors (Paid by previous owner but still part of this years servicing)
£500 - Replacing a piece of bent chrome trim, foglight, fanbelt, clips and bits and pieces.
£12 - Rear top mounts

All of this is from a Merc dealership, prices on general stuff is genuinely great value and pattern parts are just a waste of money imo if you intend to keep the car.

I have yet to do the rear spheres, some rear suspension bushes, front shocks etc but it has done 125,000 hard miles and I do enjoy spending on it knowing it is being kept in rude health!

Dave!

 

[Silestanix]

2004 Vito Traveliner 111CDI - 39k miles...

1 word...Alot.

June 04 - October 05 - 27 times back to stealership

October 05 - October 06 - 31 times back to stealership.

Cost and time wasted is imaginable, pretty much everythings gone wrong at one point or another; 1 of the trips back to MB was on the 2nd day of ownership when the electric windows packed up... :|

In contrast, my 51 plate Clio has been reliable since I bought it in Jan 2003. In the 51k I've done on it since I bought it, with all the mods fitted (All within a week, about 200 miles into ownership - Aftermarket manifold, port polishing, cold fed induction kit, straight through exhaust with Decat *still passes MOT without a Cat * with a 1.6 backbox to take the power gain, none of that boy racer granny fart back box crap) only 1 problem has occured, and that was the rear door on the driver side, the handle packed up.

The car gets driven alot, sometimes hard, but I service it dead on every 7k miles. The Vito has had better treatment, with the same service intervals, but hasn't lived up to the MB name. It's going on ebay hopefully next week.

Enough is Enough.

Hopefully I'll pick up a 97-98 Sprinter 312D SWB with the proceeds of the sale. They're bulletproof.

 

[Ian B Walker]

Hmmmmm 260E has set me back the grand sum of £80 in the last year. (servicing). The E220 has cost me £164 (2 tyres and a servicing)

 

[s500surrey]

Hmmmmm 260E has set me back the grand sum of £80 in the last year. (servicing). The E220 has cost me £164 (2 tyres and a servicing)

260E... now that's a proper Merc... How comes these ones just keep going???

 

[s500surrey]

How much did you pay (ballpark) for the car?

* 27,500 , 2.5 years ago... Reasonable??

Your comment on the £50 - £1500 price range (I am a Mercedes mechanic by day) is a little unfair - what quality car costs below £1000 to maintain nowadays?

* Yeah, you're right... It probably was a bit unfair... Not many are cheap to maintain. How do you think these costs compare on like-for-like with other marques (BMW, Lex for example)? I read somewhere on this Forum about a Lexus owner having his complete gearbox replaced out of warranty for free by the main dealers... Is this bull or do other marques really get that kind of service?

 

[Rory]

Total bill for 2006 (so far) for 7 year old Merc = 5338 QUID

In my view, the only people who should run this kind of car (and older 7 Series BMW's etc etc) are people who's daytime job is a main dealer mechanic.

 

[Ian B Walker]

260E... now that's a proper Merc... How comes these ones just keep going???

Beats me. yes it is so rusty it makes a 210 / 211 look pristine but with mega miles under the belt it just keeps going. Always starts first turn of the key, Cylinder head never been off , sticks to the road like glue, comfy on long distances, quiet ( I have been in some more modern Mercs that sound like tractors in comparison) I love it to bits. I keep promising it an overhaul and soon I shall give it one, an overhaul that is

 

[del320]

Do I detect amongst s500surrey's twenty-odd posts today a certain disillusionment with the products of Daimler-Chrysler?

 

[s500surrey]

Do I detect amongst s500surrey's twenty-odd posts today a certain disillusionment with the products of Daimler-Chrysler?

LOL... what gives it away??? I'm just jealous of that 260E ...

 

[del320]

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=30993

For what it's worth, my costs over the past five years and 28k miles have been:

£3438 - Petrol @ 28mpg
£2297 - Tax, MOT, Insurance, AA
£1483 - Dealer Servicing
£ 900 - Unexpected Costs - Water Pump, Immobilisor
£ 687 - Consumables - Tyres, Brake Pads, Battery
£8805 - Total - 31.4 pence per mile and no depreciation .

Worth every penny:bannana:

 

[s500surrey]

For what it's worth, my costs over the past five years and 28k miles have been: £8805 - Total - 31.4 pence per mile and no depreciation Worth every penny

Agree wholeheartedly - that's how it should be!