hawk20
MB Enthusiast
SERVICE WHY KEEP FULLMBSH
Here’s a view contrary to that which most express on forums. Might be worth considering.
Even on my S class the A service is only £235 inc vat and of that only about £100 inc vat is for labour costs. That is with over £100 worth of top quality low ash fully synthetic oil included, which means I get 15,000 miles plus between services.
In the 80’s I remember paying over £200 for a service, and then you needed one every 6,000 miles. Servicing IMO is now cheap when you allow for the large mileages between services.
The B service on my S class costs me £444 inc vat of which about £200 was labour.
First note that the cost of services is only £679 for 30,000 miles which is twopence farthing per mile (2.26 pence). This is the small change of motoring. The average motorist doing 12,000 miles per year can cover servicing for £340 per year. Put £7 a week into a jar and it is all paid for. Fuel is likely to be £1200 to £2000 depending on engine size and type and dwarfs servicing.
Depreciation will be several THOUSANDS per year for any new or nearly new car, unless kept a very long time. Servicing really is the small beer of motoring.
Go to an indie and you can halve the labour charge. Big deal. That is £60 per year saved. You save £50 on the A and £100 on the B service over 30,000 miles. Gosh a whole halfpenny per mile saved! Yes, that is all.
You can save on the oil at some indies. Yes but you can take your own oil to any Merc dealer and save too.
Other jobs like brakes, exhausts, plugs (if you have them), fluid changes and the like can all be done at an indie and you still keep Full MBSH.
Why bother? Here are four good reasons.
If you don’t go in, you don’t get them. And according to What Car there are thousands of cars that do not even have the serious recalls done (people move, lose touch or just don’t bother).
5. I would never buy without FullMBSH and there are many others who feel the same. Lots of threads contain the advice ‘look for FullMBSH’. It makes a difference to some, and as such it can help your resale price. Not a huge amount extra maybe, but a bit of a bonus.
Here’s a view contrary to that which most express on forums. Might be worth considering.
Even on my S class the A service is only £235 inc vat and of that only about £100 inc vat is for labour costs. That is with over £100 worth of top quality low ash fully synthetic oil included, which means I get 15,000 miles plus between services.
In the 80’s I remember paying over £200 for a service, and then you needed one every 6,000 miles. Servicing IMO is now cheap when you allow for the large mileages between services.
The B service on my S class costs me £444 inc vat of which about £200 was labour.
First note that the cost of services is only £679 for 30,000 miles which is twopence farthing per mile (2.26 pence). This is the small change of motoring. The average motorist doing 12,000 miles per year can cover servicing for £340 per year. Put £7 a week into a jar and it is all paid for. Fuel is likely to be £1200 to £2000 depending on engine size and type and dwarfs servicing.
Depreciation will be several THOUSANDS per year for any new or nearly new car, unless kept a very long time. Servicing really is the small beer of motoring.
Go to an indie and you can halve the labour charge. Big deal. That is £60 per year saved. You save £50 on the A and £100 on the B service over 30,000 miles. Gosh a whole halfpenny per mile saved! Yes, that is all.
You can save on the oil at some indies. Yes but you can take your own oil to any Merc dealer and save too.
Other jobs like brakes, exhausts, plugs (if you have them), fluid changes and the like can all be done at an indie and you still keep Full MBSH.
Why bother? Here are four good reasons.
- MobiloLife includes a 30 year rust guarantee, which at least on older cars is worth having as numerous threads show Mercedes doing what it says on the tin for those with FullMBSH.
- Free breakdown cover in UK and Europe. For me and my wife the AA want £150 per year for full breakdown cover and up to £100 for cover on trips to Europe. That on its own swamps the £60 I could save by servicing at an ‘indie’.
- Goodwill: if something serious goes wrong outside the guarantee period Mercedes frequently/often/usually make a substantial contribution to the cost provided that the vehicle has FullMBSH. Numerous threads on UK forums and US forums testify to this. IMO it is useful insurance. Some major jobs can cost £2,000 or £3,000 - a gearbox failure even more. And having FullMBSH and ‘goodwill’ behind you can be very valuable. Not in all cases. But certainly in many.
- Last but definitely not least have a look at this thread listing recalls and service campaigns on the new S class. And remember that the new S is probably the most reliable Mercedes ever straight from the oven. These are often modifications, software updates and other improvements which dealers are told to do to your car FREE when you go in for a service.
If you don’t go in, you don’t get them. And according to What Car there are thousands of cars that do not even have the serious recalls done (people move, lose touch or just don’t bother).
5. I would never buy without FullMBSH and there are many others who feel the same. Lots of threads contain the advice ‘look for FullMBSH’. It makes a difference to some, and as such it can help your resale price. Not a huge amount extra maybe, but a bit of a bonus.
