MB servicing - sky high prices but nothing new

[W1ghty]

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

View attachment 159487

Jesus Christ !!

 

[GrahamT]

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

View attachment 159487

 

[GrahamT]

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

View attachment 159487

Just had new disks and pads all round on my 2017 W213 estate at my local Inde., Cost £ 820.28 using OEM parts.

While there I asked about his charges for servicing. A 'B' service is currently £390 inclusive. Since my breakdown cover ( for both of us) with GEM is just £140 this year I will find it difficult to renew my MB service plan.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Just had new disks and pads all round on my 2017 W213 estate at my local Inde., Cost £ 820.28 using OEM parts.

While there I asked about his charges for servicing. A 'B' service is currently £390 inclusive. Since my breakdown cover ( for both of us) with GEM is just £140 this year I will find it difficult to renew my MB service plan.

I changed the rear discs n pads the other week , brembo , £218 . I won't pay silly money for easy work. I've priced up the fronts £280 . Discs , pads £33 .

 

[GrahamT]

I changed the rear discs n pads the other week , brembo , £218 . I won't pay silly money for easy work. I've priced up the fronts £280 . Discs , pads £33 .

Age and mobility denies me that option.

So £ 530 for parts then.. £290 for someone with considerable experience to do it for me, little contest IMHO

 

[DSM10000]

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

I have told you before about your impetuous behavior!

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Age and mobility denies me that option.

So £ 530 for parts then.. £290 for someone with considerable experience to do it for me, little contest IMHO

£1250 all round for mine . I'll stick with co codamols and a hot bath for now

 

[markjay]

During my ownership of the W204, the combination of a service plan for scheduled services at the dealer and a trusted indie for anything else worked well for me (and for the car).

 

[slade1]

Nothing new, had this problem with expensive MB service/repairs over 60 years ago.

 

[E55 BBA]

Interesting. I’m have exactly the same car which needs the same service.
I’ve recently moved to the West Midlands, can anyone recommend a good independent?
Also, does it need gearbox service? It’s 2016, 47k.

 

[Fastcar155]

I had a service plan for my C207E400 and the cost was approx £40.00 per month / 12 months ago and Mercedes refunded all my payments within 7 days after I cancelled the policy ( car written of )

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Interesting. I’m have exactly the same car which needs the same service.
I’ve recently moved to the West Midlands, can anyone recommend a good independent?
Also, does it need gearbox service? It’s 2016, 47k.

Box service should of been done 2021 . Thereabouts.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Interesting. I’m have exactly the same car which needs the same service.
I’ve recently moved to the West Midlands, can anyone recommend a good independent?
Also, does it need gearbox service? It’s 2016, 47k.

MSL Performance in Birmingham and Mercland in Nuneaton are both very well regarded by members of this forum.

 

[Funkyboy]

Just get oil and filter change to keep the breakdown cover, though if you go on compare the market you will get breakdown cover covering everything for £50. Changing the cabin filter and air filter plus fuel filter is so easy. If you lived by me I would change them for nothing for you. You would just have to buy the parts which are not that expensive. If you definitely want to stick with everything done through mercedes their service plan is better value were you pay a set fee each month

 

[Smiley]

The car is 8 years old now and you do 3k miles a year ish. In 7 years time it will only have done about 40k miles. It has probably had multiple unnecessary fuel and air filter changes (or at least you paid for them) over the last 8 years. In 7 years time it certainly will not be worth £20k, more like £5k. For your usage all it needs for the next 7 years and 20k miles is 2 or 3 oil and filter changes and one or two brake fluid changes. The air filter probably looks like new - have you looked at it? Fuel quality is so good in this country that the filters will last for years. Up to you but I would not be spending £500 every year to service an 8 yr old car to drive 2000 miles.

 

[Mark9999]

I’m lucky enough to have a good indie near by (Autoelite Hull) if you want to stick with main dealer the Mercedes Servicecare plan is the way to go - fixed cost for the duration. IIRC it’s better value if your next service is a B.
Mark

 

[Waitforme]

I’m in a similar position regarding what to do for the upcoming service on mine in a month or so.
E400D 2019 (69 plate ) 22k on it , doing about 4k a year. Up until now it’s had main dealership servicing annually but I’m swithering about main dealer or indie this year.
No plans to sell the car as I usually buy new / ex demo and keep them until the wheels are about to fall off.
Decisions decisions……

FWIW … also have a 2016 Mini Countryman 2.0 diesel from new, currently had its last main dealership service about 6 years ago , 115k on it , all it gets is an oil and filter service at an indie every year and the Mot lets me know what else it needs.

 

[gassygassy]

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

My nearest main dealer can't even do the job . . . .apparently.
When I had been smoking something funny - or was it the excess alcohol? I am stuck thinking of a reason why I would do this: I went in, helped myself to their coffee and biscuits, as you do, and asked very innocently what the cost of a 6,000 mile service on my 1983 W123 would be. I expected they would just say £125 or whatever the cost is. Instead they said 'bring it in and we will have to take a look at it to give you a price'.
So if they don't even know the cost of a service, do they actually have anyone in the workshop that knows how, and what, to do in a 6000 mile service on an old Mercedes? I bet they cant do anything to a car unless they can plug in a computer and do what the computer tells them to. The trouble is that mechanics who know what 11 thou, 13 thou and 25 thou are for, are all retired. Like me.
Anyway now I have regained my sanity of course I won't go there and ask them again. I have just replaced the very siezed-up, corroded water pump and all is well.

 

[gassygassy]

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

View attachment 159487

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

View attachment 159487

Last winter in France the cab heating in my Sprinter motorhome would only blow cold. The fan blew good and strong but there was no heat. I stopped at a MB commercial dealer and was bowled over by their enthusiasm and helpfulness. They immediately diagnosed the problem - this was as they were turning off the lights and locking the doors in the evening. They said stay here overnight and we'll fix it in the morning. Next day they had it in first thing and set about the job. They quoted me €750 for three new servos which I accepted because the dealer I bought it from approved the cost. In the reception area I was amazed at the low prices they had on posters for the jobs listed in the quote above. I would willingly pay them, and those are all jobs I would do myself without blinking an eyelid. I was even more surprised when I got the bill. Not the €750 I was quoted but €630 instead. Even more interesting was that the bill was divided down into different labour rates at 0.1 hour intervals. In other words, the first item was 'deliver vehicle to inspection bay and diagnose fault': 0.1hr at €60 per hour. Then the rest of the bill itemised every single little bit of work - dismantle dashboard, 0.3hrs at €65 per hour, and so on. It did take them about 5 hours to do the job - including their statutory 2hr lunch break which I was not charged for.
So the conclusion as far as I am concerned is that for any job bigger than pumping up your tyres it is probably cheaper to pay a £200 ferry fee and get the job done in France. Apparently it is law that they have to itemise each action they take on your vehicle, and price each skill differently.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Last winter in France the cab heating in my Sprinter motorhome would only blow cold. The fan blew good and strong but there was no heat. I stopped at a MB commercial dealer and was bowled over by their enthusiasm and helpfulness. They immediately diagnosed the problem - this was as they were turning off the lights and locking the doors in the evening. They said stay here overnight and we'll fix it in the morning. Next day they had it in first thing and set about the job. They quoted me €750 for three new servos which I accepted because the dealer I bought it from approved the cost. In the reception area I was amazed at the low prices they had on posters for the jobs listed in the quote above. I would willingly pay them, and those are all jobs I would do myself without blinking an eyelid. I was even more surprised when I got the bill. Not the €750 I was quoted but €630 instead. Even more interesting was that the bill was divided down into different labour rates at 0.1 hour intervals. In other words, the first item was 'deliver vehicle to inspection bay and diagnose fault': 0.1hr at €60 per hour. Then the rest of the bill itemised every single little bit of work - dismantle dashboard, 0.3hrs at €65 per hour, and so on. It did take them about 5 hours to do the job - including their statutory 2hr lunch break which I was not charged for.
So the conclusion as far as I am concerned is that for any job bigger than pumping up your tyres it is probably cheaper to pay a £200 ferry fee and get the job done in France. Apparently it is law that they have to itemise each action they take on your vehicle, and price each skill differently.

Erm . Bit far for me is France . I decided on buying the brake parts myself and took a journey to my drive outside . I changed front and rear discs and pads ,using brembo. Total cost £460 . ISH . Opposed to the £1250 price at mb.