Service Price Shock !!!!!

[PeteTheOldGit]

Just priced a B service for my C200 W205 Petrol 2015. Cars done 52k and my first service since owning.Phoned the dealer and nearly suffered a heart attack. its a major service according to them to include a pollen filter oil and filter and brake fluid change oh and a lubrication of the panoramic roof, £575 of my hard earned, absolute madness , previous car was a XF Jag and each service for the three I had were £199 each time. Independent specialist £250, sorry dealers I always try and support the networks but not this time.

 

[ioweddie]

Probably includes plugs, and coolant change as well as brake fluid, still sounds a bit rich though!

 

[Peter103]

Apparently the B3 service for my E350d where they do all that you've included above costs £951-36. Not due till next March, and i pay a service contract of £35 a month, always have, got to be good value, and always get a free courtesy car for the day.

 

[tonysmb]

I've said it many times; the dealers seem to have upped their prices hugely in recent years, all the time pushing the 'value' of service plans, which obviously lock people in to the dealer network. My local dealer used to charge c£75 for a diagnostic check just a few years ago; it's now c£170-£180.

With the number of new MBs now being sold on MB finance packages, which invariably require main dealer servicing, it helps the balance sheet.

 

[jaymanek]

Just use an independent!

 

[Rory]

Apparently the B3 service for my E350d where they do all that you've included above costs £951-36. Not due till next March, and i pay a service contract of £35 a month, always have, got to be good value, and always get a free courtesy car for the day.

It only seems good value as the dealers payg price is insane. Last dealer B service on my car was £249.

I get a courtesy car from the indie I use.

 

[markjay]

Your best bet is a good specialist, or alternatively an MB Service Care Plan. But paying dealer prices for individual services is a very expensive way of owning a Mercedes-Benz.

 

[markjay]

Just priced a B service for my C200 W205 Petrol 2015. Cars done 52k and my first service since owning.Phoned the dealer and nearly suffered a heart attack. its a major service according to them to include a pollen filter oil and filter and brake fluid change oh and a lubrication of the panoramic roof, £575 of my hard earned, absolute madness , previous car was a XF Jag and each service for the three I had were £199 each time. Independent specialist £250, sorry dealers I always try and support the networks but not this time.

Your 3 years old car with 52,000 miles on the clock almost certainly had more than just one service each year. This can create some confusion as to what is actually needed.

In theory your 2015 car should have had so far a Service A in 2016, Service B in 2017, and a Service A again this year.

But because it is actually asking for a Service B, in must have had an additional service at some point, probably due to the higher-than-average annual mileage.

A Service B includes engine oil and filter change, some checks, and a cabin (pollen) filter change. Typical cost: ca. £400.

The additional items that are due this year might be the following:

- Pano roof lubricating - due every 31,000 miles/3 years. So based on the time, yes it's due this year because the car is 3 years old now, but based on the mileage, this should have really been done during the previous service (unless the car covered more than 20,000 miles in the past year alone). Typical cost: ca. £40

- Replace spark plugs - due every 46,500 miles/4 years. So again if the car has already reached this mileage when it was last serviced, then the spark plugs should have been changed then. If they were not changed during the previous service, then they will be due at the next service i.e. now. Typical cost: ca. £170 (4-Cyl).

- Replace air filter - as above - due every 46,500 miles/4 years. So may have been done during the previous service, otherwise it's due now Typical cost: ca. £50.

- Brake fluid change - due every 2 years (regardless of mileage). So this should have been carried-out last year (2017), and will need doing again next year (2019). In short, if your car was serviced to MB spec, then the brake fluid change shouldn't be due this year. Typical cost: ca. £110.

The funny thing is that had the car done less 10,000 miles per year, then the third service (2018) would have been one of the cheapest as the car only requires a basic A service (ca. £260) and pano roof lubricating (ca. £40).

What is causing the higher service costs in this case is the higher-than-average mileage your car has covered.

The key question is whether the spark plugs, air filter, and pano roof were already done during previous services due to the mileage, in which case they will obviously not be due again this year - otherwise all 3 will need doing, in addition to the Service B.

 

[markjay]

Just to add that the prices above are main dealer prices.

A specialist will be cheaper (and in many cases also better).

Alternatively, with MB Service Care Plan, each service will cost you a flat rate of £420 all-inclusive, i.e. regardless of what else needs to be done.

 

[E53AMG]

Very good answer by Mark above, detailed but concise, you get a gold star from me ;-).

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[PeteTheOldGit]

Probably includes plugs, and coolant change as well as brake fluid, still sounds a bit rich though!

Didn't say it included plugs of which I could understand a bit more the high quote as they are platinum or iridium so expect £20 a plug plus fitting. It just seems excessive and she then quoted me on a three year service plan at £54 a month , that equates to £1944 over three years, absolute madness in my opinion.

 

[PeteTheOldGit]

Just use an independent!

Oh I will be after getting over the shock of MB quote. I've always stood by the dealers no matter what car I have owned in the past and I'm in the trade supplying vehicle parts and know a lot of independents, I'm afraid thou I cant justify this price I really cant.

 

[PeteTheOldGit]

Your 3 years old car with 52,000 miles on the clock almost certainly had more than just one service each year. This can create some confusion as to what is actually needed.

In theory your 2015 car should have had so far a Service A in 2016, Service B in 2017, and a Service A again this year.

But because it is actually asking for a Service B, in must have had an additional service at some point, probably due to the higher-than-average annual mileage.

A Service B includes engine oil and filter change, some checks, and a cabin (pollen) filter change. Typical cost: ca. £400.

The additional items that are due this year might be the following:

- Pano roof lubricating - due every 31,000 miles/3 years. So based on the time, yes it's due this year because the car is 3 years old now, but based on the mileage, this should have really been done during the previous service (unless the car covered more than 20,000 miles in the past year alone). Typical cost: ca. £40

- Replace spark plugs - due every 46,500 miles/4 years. So again if the car has already reached this mileage when it was last serviced, then the spark plugs should have been changed then. If they were not changed during the previous service, then they will be due at the next service i.e. now. Typical cost: ca. £170 (4-Cyl).

- Replace air filter - as above - due every 46,500 miles/4 years. So may have been done during the previous service, otherwise it's due now Typical cost: ca. £50.

- Brake fluid change - due every 2 years (regardless of mileage). So this should have been carried-out last year (2017), and will need doing again next year (2019). In short, if your car was serviced to MB spec, then the brake fluid change shouldn't be due this year. Typical cost: ca. £110.

The funny thing is that had the car done less 10,000 miles per year, then the third service (2018) would have been one of the cheapest as the car only requires a basic A service (ca. £260) and pano roof lubricating (ca. £40).

What is causing the higher service costs in this case is the higher-than-average mileage your car has covered.

The key question is whether the spark plugs, air filter, and pano roof were already done during previous services due to the mileage, in which case they will obviously not be due again this year - otherwise all 3 will need doing, in addition to the Service B.

 

[PeteTheOldGit]

Your 3 years old car with 52,000 miles on the clock almost certainly had more than just one service each year. This can create some confusion as to what is actually needed.

In theory your 2015 car should have had so far a Service A in 2016, Service B in 2017, and a Service A again this year.

But because it is actually asking for a Service B, in must have had an additional service at some point, probably due to the higher-than-average annual mileage.

A Service B includes engine oil and filter change, some checks, and a cabin (pollen) filter change. Typical cost: ca. £400.

The additional items that are due this year might be the following:

- Pano roof lubricating - due every 31,000 miles/3 years. So based on the time, yes it's due this year because the car is 3 years old now, but based on the mileage, this should have really been done during the previous service (unless the car covered more than 20,000 miles in the past year alone). Typical cost: ca. £40

- Replace spark plugs - due every 46,500 miles/4 years. So again if the car has already reached this mileage when it was last serviced, then the spark plugs should have been changed then. If they were not changed during the previous service, then they will be due at the next service i.e. now. Typical cost: ca. £170 (4-Cyl).

- Replace air filter - as above - due every 46,500 miles/4 years. So may have been done during the previous service, otherwise it's due now Typical cost: ca. £50.

- Brake fluid change - due every 2 years (regardless of mileage). So this should have been carried-out last year (2017), and will need doing again next year (2019). In short, if your car was serviced to MB spec, then the brake fluid change shouldn't be due this year. Typical cost: ca. £110.

The funny thing is that had the car done less 10,000 miles per year, then the third service (2018) would have been one of the cheapest as the car only requires a basic A service (ca. £260) and pano roof lubricating (ca. £40).

What is causing the higher service costs in this case is the higher-than-average mileage your car has covered.

The key question is whether the spark plugs, air filter, and pano roof were already done during previous services due to the mileage, in which case they will obviously not be due again this year - otherwise all 3 will need doing, in addition to the Service B.

Thanks for the detailed reply, surely they would know with the electronic service record in front of them what as been replaced in previous services, my biggest worry from an independent is that they don't have any software updates that the car needs.

 

[rf065]

How much difference does actual mileage make?
Reason I ask is my C Class first service was an A service, less than 4000 miles on the clock, second service was a B service with 12000 miles done.
According to the MB service sheet, they listed my mileage on the first service as 15,500 & 31,000 on the second. Am I paying for mileage related items I might not require?

 

[markjay]

A good specialist will have STAR with subscription, and can update the software on the car, update the Digital Service Book on MB's central computer, and perform SCN coding if need be.

Under the EU the Bloc Exemption, car manufacturers are obliged to make available to independent garages the tools and access to their computer system (hopefully this arrangement will continue post-Brexit).

There's obviously a cost involved, so not every independent garage chooses to do that, but the good specialists will have it.

Pretty much the only things a specialist can't do is warranty repairs and recalls.

(There are other benefits to dealer servicing though, such as Mobilo cover and anti-perforation guaranty)

 

[markjay]

Didn't say it included plugs of which I could understand a bit more the high quote as they are platinum or iridium so expect £20 a plug plus fitting. It just seems excessive and she then quoted me on a three year service plan at £54 a month , that equates to £1944 over three years, absolute madness in my opinion.

Have a look here:

Service Care Selection tool

The cost for a C-Class with up to 15,000 miles per year, is £36 per month.

The £54 you mention is if you buy 3 services but pay over 2 years (instead of paying over 3 years).

However if you buy 3 services and pay over 3 years, the cost remains £36 per month.

So 36×36/3= £432 per service all-inclusive, or £1,296 in total over 3 years.

You can bring this cost further down by choosing your service plan so that it does not include any basic Service A where nothing else is needed, and pay for it at the time of servicing (ca. £260).

 

[markjay]

How much difference does actual mileage make?
Reason I ask is my C Class first service was an A service, less than 4000 miles on the clock, second service was a B service with 12000 miles done.
According to the MB service sheet, they listed my mileage on the first service as 15,500 & 31,000 on the second. Am I paying for mileage related items I might not require?

This is a separate issue... my posts were based on the assumption that there was an intention to adhere to the manufacturer's recommended service schedule.

But to your question... the manufacturer can not know how the car is being used, and any service schedule they come up with is at best a guesstimate.

And the 'mileage' in itself is not a good measure either.

A car doing mostly motorway miles, a car being used as a taxi and constantly driven in slow-moving city traffic, and a car being used only for the school run and for going to the shops, will all need very different service schedules. The 'every xx months or xx,xxx miles' rules are an approximation at best.

So can you stretch the service intervals on low annual mileage cars, without any noticeable ill effects? Most probably yes. But as said... this is a separate issue.

 

[BlackC55]

How much difference does actual mileage make?
Reason I ask is my C Class first service was an A service, less than 4000 miles on the clock, second service was a B service with 12000 miles done.
According to the MB service sheet, they listed my mileage on the first service as 15,500 & 31,000 on the second. Am I paying for mileage related items I might not require?

Is that the mileage that's listed on the digital service book? That looks like service interval mileage rather than the actual mileage that was on the car at the time. If it is down on the service book as that mileage then it may be a mistake and is able to be changed. PM me your reg and I'll take a look

Natacha

 

[E55BOF]

Didn't say it included plugs of which I could understand a bit more the high quote as they are platinum or iridium so expect £20 a plug plus fitting.

Really? I bought a set of genuine Bosch for the E63 for£7.50 each from eBay. The ones that I replaced were identical Bosch plugs, except that they had the little Mercedes logo on them. Surely even MB-supplied plugs wouldn't have that high a mark-up, would they?