MB servicing - sky high prices but nothing new

[MSG2004]

I have a rant around this time
Service B not due until Sept, ie 12 months and I often get it
done at 13 months but may wait the 3 months or 1000 miles
from Sept. This keeps the breakdown cover in place

The car is a MB/GLE/250d - had from new 2016
and only done 22k mille
The car has FSH by MB

Dartford, my local is charging just under 972 quid and I believe that does not inc the AdBluse
Across the water, Lakeside is charging 766
The additional items this time, inc in price

• 
  
  Replace brake fluid -
  £125.23
  incl. VAT
• 
  Replace air filter element -
  £112.67
  incl. VAT
• 
  Replace fuel filter -
  £163.91
  incl. VAT
• 
  
• I'm guessing even an Indy will charge around 550/500 inc VAT
• 
  
• I'm consider Indy etc as most of the service work is visual as always and I'm pretty sure they miss some of that. The last B service the dealer
• forgot to change the key battery and the reason I knew, I sent the car with the key that did not work on the global open/closing of windows etc
• and they had in the past given me the second battery to put in the second key
• 
  
• 
  
• The only thing stopping me going to an Indy is the Mobilo cover will lapse and I believe you can't buy it stand-alone.
• I am aware Mobilio partners are RAC.
• Last year, twice the fuel filler cap jammed up and I had Mobilo around and they had the parts for it.
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• I don't think I'm selling the car as I'm unwell and can't justify the additional 40k in p/x for a new GLE
• 
  
• What would you do?

​

 

[abecketts]

use an indy

 

[Skd884]

Use mb guildford for a value (a) service for £139 which includes a video inspection then use all fords in da17 to fit your supplied additional items for a fraction of the cost.

If you pm me i can give you the details of a trusted mechanic i use in eltham who can do everything at a very fair £ if you want

Main dealer prices are a rip off for older cars and mb indies are not far behind imho

Is it worth taking out a service plan?

 

[markjay]

I don't think that a saving of £200-£250 a year is that substantial in the grand scheme of things (and no, I am not loaded ) - I would go with whoever I believe provides me (and the car) with the best service.

I started with dealer servicing for the W203 back in 2008, was put off by the dealer's behaviour so moved to Indies (Oly and Terry, who were both great), then moved back with the W204 in 2017 to dealer servicing which I was very satisfied with (Brooklands, who were owned by MB at the time but have since been sold).

Just go with whoever will serve you better, this is my advice.

 

[MSG2004]

Thank you all
I've used MB from the first car I had 2004 and then went non MB when cars were older and just had oil and filter changes
With the gle, as first brand new MB - MB dealer all of the time

I have used 'All Fords' for front pads and saved close to 300 vs dealer price and rear pads via mobile mechanic but everything else is via MB - oh, the battery was via Halfords last year, replaced it before it gave me probs.

Guildford is too far for me, but I've not ruled it out

We live close to dartford

As service not due for at least a couple of months - I will investigate further in the meantime. Thanks all and I look forward to any other ideas.

 

[W1ghty]

Thank you all
I've used MB from the first car I had 2004 and then went non MB when cars were older and just had oil and filter changes
With the gle, as first brand new MB - MB dealer all of the time

I have used 'All Fords' for front pads and saved close to 300 vs dealer price and rear pads via mobile mechanic but everything else is via MB - oh, the battery was via Halfords last year, replaced it before it gave me probs.

Guildford is too far for me, but I've not ruled it out

We live close to dartford

As service not due for at least a couple of months - I will investigate further in the meantime. Thanks all and I look forward to any other ideas.

Move to a 2 yearly (B service only ) schedule at an Indy .
Get seperate breakdown cover .
It’s an old car now and you aren’t doing the mileage .
Use Alexander Foti near Tonbridge for the work . AMF Mercedes

 

[OneForTheRoad]

OLD!!

Move to a 2 yearly (B service only ) schedule at an Indy .
Get seperate breakdown cover .
It’s an old car now and you aren’t doing the mileage .
Use Alexander Foti near Tonbridge for the work . AMF Mercedes

 

[W1ghty]

OLD!!

It’s now the final age of an EV

 

[tonysmb]

I would go with whomever you think provides the best service and/or value. There are good and bad dealers but also good and bad independent garages, so generic comments are not always accurate in differing parts of the country.

However, if it is a factor that you take into account, from my own experience I wouldn't place too much weight on a full dealer history adding much value should you look to p/exch in the future. When we changed my wife's owned-from-new MB a few years ago (it was 10-yrs old, low mileage, full history but not all main dealer), the salesman kept saying 'it's a pity it doesn't have a full dealer history, we could offer more'. When pushed, they would have added £200. Wow (sold it privately). It might be different for AMG GTs, SL63/65s etc., but for older 'normal' MBs it isn't, IMHO.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

I have a rant around this time
Service B not due until Sept, ie 12 months and I often get it
done at 13 months but may wait the 3 months or 1000 miles
from Sept. This keeps the breakdown cover in place

The car is a MB/GLE/250d - had from new 2016
and only done 22k mille
The car has FSH by MB

Dartford, my local is charging just under 972 quid and I believe that does not inc the AdBluse
Across the water, Lakeside is charging 766
The additional items this time, inc in price

• 
  
  Replace brake fluid -
  £125.23
  incl. VAT
• 
  Replace air filter element -
  £112.67
  incl. VAT
• 
  Replace fuel filter -
  £163.91
  incl. VAT
• 
  
• I'm guessing even an Indy will charge around 550/500 inc VAT
• 
  
• I'm consider Indy etc as most of the service work is visual as always and I'm pretty sure they miss some of that. The last B service the dealer
• forgot to change the key battery and the reason I knew, I sent the car with the key that did not work on the global open/closing of windows etc
• and they had in the past given me the second battery to put in the second key
• 
  
• 
  
• The only thing stopping me going to an Indy is the Mobilo cover will lapse and I believe you can't buy it stand-alone.
• I am aware Mobilio partners are RAC.
• Last year, twice the fuel filler cap jammed up and I had Mobilo around and they had the parts for it.
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• I don't think I'm selling the car as I'm unwell and can't justify the additional 40k in p/x for a new GLE
• 
  
• What would you do?

​

I'd personally just leave it alone , you've only done 22k since 2016 , what's the point. ?? Grease the fuel cap and just pay a garage to change the oil n filter . Join the RAC or AA . Believe me when I say ,there's cars out there that's never seen a service and still run up and down motorways.

 

[MSG2004]

I'd personally just leave it alone , you've only done 22k since 2016 , what's the point. ?? Grease the fuel cap and just pay a garage to change the oil n filter . Join the RAC or AA . Believe me when I say ,there's cars out there that's never seen a service and still run up and down motorways.

Cheers
I did that with the C class Mercs, both were bought from main dealer MB, the cars were around 12 months old and I did about 2 years servicing with MB then just had the oil and filter changed every 12, 13 months max, nothing else. However, these were petrol cars and at the time I did around 9/10k miles per year.

I am considering all options and I have already decided that if I don't get the main dealer service, I will go with the RAC as they are partners with MB

I may use a garage to do the brake fluid, filters (air&fuel) via someone like AllFords I have sued them for brakes and I did note a couple of other MB's there but they were older than mine and smaller cars.

I've also feel the price of my car will stabilise around the 20k - and at this age any service record will look good but I will certainly get the oil and filter done at around13/14 months since last service

 

[MSG2004]

I would go with whomever you think provides the best service and/or value. There are good and bad dealers but also good and bad independent garages, so generic comments are not always accurate in differing parts of the country.

However, if it is a factor that you take into account, from my own experience I wouldn't place too much weight on a full dealer history adding much value should you look to p/exch in the future. When we changed my wife's owned-from-new MB a few years ago (it was 10-yrs old, low mileage, full history but not all main dealer), the salesman kept saying 'it's a pity it doesn't have a full dealer history, we could offer more'. When pushed, they would have added £200. Wow (sold it privately). It might be different for AMG GTs, SL63/65s etc., but for older 'normal' MBs it isn't, IMHO.

Cheers - its ho i feel. I guess if you was selling the car at 3 yrs of age, its different as most people want the Mobilo and contact with main dealer as these cars do have their faults.
You've actually made me lean very seriously towards a garage I trust. Trust these days is hard to build/find and TBH, I don't trust MB as manager/dealer may be good but often it depends on the technician and some are seriously lazy or worse.

At Dartford, they had a service manger, great bloke, this was years ago before my GLE - he made sure I felt 100% satisfied and when my c class had a problems several times a car I bought from another dealer, possibly it was luck but the guy always got me a higher grade of car than mine and once I had a clk/320 for 2 weeks because they could not get the part. MB is not what it was. To put this in context, a sibling of mine bought a brand new S class in 2004 - the car used to "skip" from the rear when going over bumps - my sibling was provided with a very small car

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Cheers
I did that with the C class Mercs, both were bought from main dealer MB, the cars were around 12 months old and I did about 2 years servicing with MB then just had the oil and filter changed every 12, 13 months max, nothing else. However, these were petrol cars and at the time I did around 9/10k miles per year.

I am considering all options and I have already decided that if I don't get the main dealer service, I will go with the RAC as they are partners with MB

I may use a garage to do the brake fluid, filters (air&fuel) via someone like AllFords I have sued them for brakes and I did note a couple of other MB's there but they were older than mine and smaller cars.

I've also feel the price of my car will stabilise around the 20k - and at this age any service record will look good but I will certainly get the oil and filter done at around13/14 months since last service

Go with miles, not time on everything other than brake fluid , even that isn't imperrative to have changed every 2 years . Full service history on a car that's 9 year old and only 22k won't get any more money at any dealership tbh. I'm from the same mould as quite a few on here ,that service their own vehicles. Pouring money Into a mb dealership for servicing is just keeping Hamilton racing for another season.

 

[MSG2004]

Exactly that. As I said the C class cars just had the oil and filter and nothing else for at least 4 years on one of them and the other about 3 years if memory serves me well.

Unless MB lakeside can improve price by a lot which I doubt, I think I'll just have the fuel and air filters done along with oil and filter plus minor service ie just checks and reset of service indicator. Then buy RAC breakdown cover.

 

[DSM10000]

I have a rant around this time
Service B not due until Sept, ie 12 months and I often get it
done at 13 months but may wait the 3 months or 1000 miles
from Sept. This keeps the breakdown cover in place

The car is a MB/GLE/250d - had from new 2016
and only done 22k mille
The car has FSH by MB

Dartford, my local is charging just under 972 quid and I believe that does not inc the AdBluse
Across the water, Lakeside is charging 766
The additional items this time, inc in price

• 
  
  Replace brake fluid -
  £125.23
  incl. VAT
• 
  Replace air filter element -
  £112.67
  incl. VAT
• 
  Replace fuel filter -
  £163.91
  incl. VAT
• 
  
• I'm guessing even an Indy will charge around 550/500 inc VAT
• 
  
• I'm consider Indy etc as most of the service work is visual as always and I'm pretty sure they miss some of that. The last B service the dealer
• forgot to change the key battery and the reason I knew, I sent the car with the key that did not work on the global open/closing of windows etc
• and they had in the past given me the second battery to put in the second key
• 
  
• 
  
• The only thing stopping me going to an Indy is the Mobilo cover will lapse and I believe you can't buy it stand-alone.
• I am aware Mobilio partners are RAC.
• Last year, twice the fuel filler cap jammed up and I had Mobilo around and they had the parts for it.
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• I don't think I'm selling the car as I'm unwell and can't justify the additional 40k in p/x for a new GLE
• 
  
• What would you do?

​

Use Lakeside or an independent and buy breakdown cover?

Probably similar cost?

 

[MSG2004]

Use Lakeside or an independent and buy breakdown cover?

Probably similar cost?

As per my OP, Lakeside is just over 200 quid cheaper but still a hefty 766 quid.
My mistake was to contirune to use the MB dealers once the car was 6 years old. I bought a service plan
for the 4th service ie B serv and then A and then B - the 5th year inc the auto box

I will decide nearer the time if to use MB but atm, definitely leaning towards not going to MB

 

[milan11]

I would move to an Indy to get it done

 

[W1ghty]

All this talk of high prices makes me want to go and do another £30 oil and filter change on the CLK

 

[OneForTheRoad]

All this talk of high prices makes me want to go and do another £30 oil and filter change on the CLK

Whilst your on buddy , feast your eyes on these prices for my GLC 350.

 

[Duff3103]

So i had a discussion with someone who had similar queries about pricing etc

Instead of paying a warranty company the money put the money into an account of your own purely for the car to cover things that come off the back of servicing etc and pay normal day to day stuff like mot's and servicing out of your normal balance. You dont do a lot of miles by the looks of it so you might rack up a bit of cash to cover things that might not even get touched

£900+ is awfully expensive for a service