Service before Warranty ends - Main Dealer vs Independent

[Slartibartfast]

I have decided to have all of my future servicing (for my SL350 R231) done by an Independent specialist (AMF). As the car was bought from a Mercedes Main Dealer and has an "Approved Used" Mercedes Warranty, is it a good idea to get the next service done by a Mercedes Main Dealer after 11 months (so any work that is flagged up can be done under warranty, if covered) or just let AMF do the service and identify any extra work that may be needed? The next service due would be an "A" service as it has recently undergone a comprehensive "B" service by the Main Dealer.

Just a thought.

 

[V6GBJ]

I have decided to have all of my future servicing (for my SL350 R231) done by an Independent specialist (AMF). As the car was bought from a Mercedes Main Dealer and has an "Approved Used" Mercedes Warranty, is it a good idea to get the next service done by a Mercedes Main Dealer after 11 months (so any work that is flagged up can be done under warranty, if covered) or just let AMF do the service and identify any extra work that may be needed? The next service due would be an "A" service as it has recently undergone a comprehensive "B" service by the Main Dealer.

Just a thought.

I have the same prospective situation with my GLE, bought last December with a Merc warranty. My plan is to have the car carefully checked by my local indie, whom I have used for years. If issues are flagged up, I shall take it to the dealership to have them sorted and then back to my indie for a service. My indie will do a proper health check free of charge.

 

[markjay]

No bad options here, though if it was my car, I would have carried-out the last service before the warranty expires at the dealer. Personal opinion....

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Highly unlikely that they will give the car a once over to pick up warranty work, they would need you to describe a problem for them to investigate.

That said something may get picked up in the standard vehicle health check which is done whenever a car goes into the main dealer workshop.

If you’ve already decided that you will switch to an independent workshop then you could get them to do the next service, and get the main dealer to do the MOT.

The extra cost of an MOT at a main dealer compared to any other MOT station is minimal at best. I think it was £50 in March, compared to £35 at the council run centre.

 

[Peanut Budda]

Personally if under warranty, I'd go main dealer.

 

[Will]

I would get the ‘A’ service and MOT done at a main dealer.

No argument there regards any warranty issues that way. The car will be on site, they can do it all in one go - along with any issues you may have noted by then over the next 11 months.

Supply your own oil that meets the correct spec (eBay MB oil/Costco Mobil 1 etc) and the price will likely be comparable to an indi anyway.

Any wear items they identify (eg brakes) you can always get a second opinion on and done elsewhere if needed after the service

No right of wrong here of course, but that’s what I’d do

 

[Peanut Budda]

I would get the ‘A’ service and MOT done at a main dealer.

No argument there regards any warranty issues that way. The car will be on site, they can do it all in one go - along with any issues you may have noted by then over the next 11 months.

Supply your own oil that meets the correct spec (eBay MB oil/Costco Mobil 1 etc) and the price will likely be comparable to an indi anyway.

Any wear items they identify (eg brakes) you can always get a second opinion on and done elsewhere if needed after the service

No right of wrong here of course, but that’s what I’d do

They will fit/use items that you supply personally?

 

[markjay]

They will fit/use items that you supply personally?

Some dealers (though not all) will allow you to supply your own oil.

Independent specialists (but not dealers) will also allow you to supply the rest of the service parts (filters, brakes, etc).

 

[Peanut Budda]

Some dealers (though not all) will allow you to supply your own oil.

Independent specialists (but not dealers) will also allow you to supply the rest of the service parts (filters, brakes, etc).

Quite surprising that. I get an indy would allow you to, but I'm shocked that a main dealer does.

 

[Will]

Quite surprising that. I get an indy would allow you to, but I'm shocked that a main dealer does.

I guess it’s surprising if you’ve never asked before - but when you break any of the services down, it’s just parts and labour

It depends on the dealer in question but certainly some of them are happy to allow this.

Main dealers as middlemen charge too much for oil really (MB don’t make it themselves of course) and modern cars often take quite a lot (8+ litres) so you’re typically looking at around £100-150 for the oil alone.

You can buy 20L of genuine MB branded oil for less than £70 with the usual deals on eBay which would easily do two services with plenty to spare, or Mobil 1 would be around £50ish for 10L from Costco leaving a couple of litres spare for top ups if required.

Possible savings close to £100 a time, adds up over the years or if you’ve more than one car etc

 

[markjay]

Quite surprising that. I get an indy would allow you to, but I'm shocked that a main dealer does.

While some dealers will supply MB-branded oil, many will have their own oil deals with Shell or ExxonMobil etc - I.e. they are not obliged by the terms of their franchise agreement to use only genuine MB oil. As long as the oil you supply is the correct spec, it will be fine for the dealer to use it in your car.

 

[Peanut Budda]

I guess it’s surprising if you’ve never asked before - but when you break any of the services down, it’s just parts and labour

It depends on the dealer in question but certainly some of them are happy to allow this.

Main dealers as middlemen charge too much for oil really (MB don’t make it themselves of course) and modern cars often take quite a lot (8+ litres) so you’re typically looking at around £100-150 for the oil alone.

You can buy 20L of genuine MB branded oil for less than £70 with the usual deals on eBay which would easily do two services with plenty to spare, or Mobil 1 would be around £50ish for 10L from Costco leaving a couple of litres spare for top ups if required.

Possible savings close to £100 a time, adds up over the years or if you’ve more than one car etc

While some dealers will supply MB-branded oil, many will have their own oil deals with Shell or ExxonMobil etc - I.e. they are not obliged by the terms of their franchise agreement to use only genuine MB oil. As long as the oil you supply is the correct spec, it will be fine for the dealer to use it in your car.

I mean from the point of view of what happens if something goes wrong, (not sure what but something), it surely must get murky as far as liability is concerned?

 

[Steeve]

Get it done by an Indie and ask them to thoroughly look for any possible warranty work. If any show up don't get them to log the service, then book it in with Merc pre armed with the info. As Bobby Dazzler mentions, Merc won't be looking for things to fix under warranty.

If nothing shows up you've saved a few bob.

Your car can't already be due it's A service? If I recall you've only just got it after a grounds up B service?

 

[Tuercas viejas]

Quite surprising that. I get an indy would allow you to, but I'm shocked that a main dealer does.

There is absolutely no way I/We allow customers to bring their own under normal circumstances.
It leaves the shop in question wide open to litigation should something go wrong.
Reputable shops like mine have garage keepers insurance and overall umbrella policies of 1,5 & 5 million dollars lability to cover screw ups . But using customer supplied parts reduces that coverage and a litigation potential nightmare if something goes sideways.
Tuercas viejas

 

[Slartibartfast]

Get it done by an Indie and ask them to thoroughly look for any possible warranty work. If any show up don't get them to log the service, then book it in with Merc pre armed with the info. As Bobby Dazzler mentions, Merc won't be looking for things to fix under warranty.

If nothing shows up you've saved a few bob.

Your car can't already be due it's A service? If I recall you've only just got it after a grounds up B service?

Next service isn't until January next year, just planning ahead

 

[markjay]

There is absolutely no way I/We allow customers to bring their own under normal circumstances.
It leaves the shop in question wide open to litigation should something go wrong.
Reputable shops like mine have garage keepers insurance and overall umbrella policies of 1,5 & 5 million dollars lability to cover screw ups . But using customer supplied parts reduces that coverage and a litigation potential nightmare if something goes sideways.
Tuercas viejas

Three of the indies who sponsor this forum have fitted in my cars parts that I supplied. They didn't seem to have an issue with that. I guess things work differently in the US.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

My main dealer has accepted oil for 15 years or more, never an issue. Similarly they have also fitted:

1. A genuine Mercedes part which I purchased from a different (Mercedes-Benz UK owned) main dealer when they could supply the part more quickly.

2. A quality aftermarket part when the genuine Mercedes part was on a very long back order which we’d waited 2 months for and there was still no date available.

They just said that if there’s a problem with the part which is replaced under warranty, then I would need to pay labour charges if I asked them to remove/replace again.

In the case of the part supplied by a different main dealer they said that it would make it more complicated in the event of a warranty claim, but it could be dealt with.

 

[Will]

I mean from the point of view of what happens if something goes wrong, (not sure what but something), it surely must get murky as far as liability is concerned?

Hmm - I’m not sure what angle this takes.

Having a service carried out doesn’t give you some kind of extra warranty (other than standard MB parts warranty - 2 years on most bits) but in the event of a problem you’d still have to establish the cause of failure. Not sure that matters much with oil though (2 years!)

Likewise, if you had a service and the oil was supplied by the same place that did the work, it doesn’t follow that any issues will be at the liability of the garage. It would need to be proven what went wrong and who/what was the cause.

And if the oil used was supplied by an authorised MB main dealer anyway..?

What about top ups?

Regardless, oil that meets the correct approval/MB specifications is fine and this isn’t perhaps as unusual as it might seem to those who’ve not realised you *can* supply your own oil at some places.

 

[markjay]

I can understand why some businesses will refuse to fit parts supplied by the customer, it's a commercial decision for each business to make, but it's far from being the norm in the UK.

 

[Tuercas viejas]

Three of the indies who sponsor this forum have fitted in my cars parts that I supplied. They didn't seem to have an issue with that. I guess things work differently in the US.

Yes they do !
The US is a very litigious society.
Several landmark cases have come before the courts in California where the plaintiff being the supplier of "customer parts" that subsequently failed, and the shop (the defendant) was sued for negligence.
The usual judge's comment or judgement "Is that it happened on your watch and you as a professional in the industry should have rejected the parts in question as an informed professional engaged in the business of repairing automobiles"! bang!
Down comes the gavel !

Unlike the UK , Independent shops can subscribe to industry watch dog newsletters monthly & who also conduct trade seminars in place like Glendale (So Cal) where such trends in the industry are aired with trade professional speakers on such things as methods of staying out of courts amongst other trade trend topics.
Tuercas viejas