Lease is up next year. Car will have approximately 12-14K miles after three years. Appropriate oil/filter changes are/will be done, but I'd like to know if MB lays a penalty on you for not doing the B1 cabin filter change and brake flush at turn in time?

 

If the car is being serviced by MB at the appropriate yearly schedule, you should have nothing to worry about. If you're doing the servicing yourself, then it's up in the air.

 

Obviously agree that if I let MB rape me on service B, I'll have no problems as MB will have extracted their pound of flesh. So, could you please expand on "....then it's up in the air)?

 

Your car is leased. MB/leasing company might want to make sure it's been serviced properly.
If they are satisfied with what you've done they might want to extract a few more dollars from
you. Or they may be okay with what you've done. Let's hope you just hand the keys back, they
say thanks and all goes well.

 

Interestingly, I emailed my service advisor as to whether there would be any extra charges related to A/B service when the car was turned in. All he kept replying was that these changes were "required," and never answered whether or not there would be $ charges. His replies were like listening to a politician spinning an answer. I have the feeling that as phone and emails are most likely monitored/recorded by the stealership, he had to tow a line. And that line probably is: Don't let the leaser know how we will rape him when he turns the car in. Next week I'll be seeing the SA and will be able to ask him, off the cuff, just what the deal is.

 

When you say "appropriate oil changes are/will be done." To me that means it's been almost 3 years and you haven't been keeping up with required scheduled maintenance. There are required and recommended maintenance items. They are there and set in your owners manual for a reason. Just because you think it doesn't need to be done doesn't mean you are taking proper care of your car. To not perform the required maintenance ESPECIALLY in the first few years is the worst thing to do to a car besides not doing anything period. Also keep in mind that certified pre-owned prices are on average going up because of people like you that feel it's not necessary to properly maintain your car. What happens is the Mercedes dealership you turned it into has to now do every maintenance item that has not been done and documented in the vmi history. In order to certify a Mercedes the maintenance history has to be up to date. Because the used car department now has to put extra money into your car that in turn makes the price higher for the next guy. If you turn your car in and you have cords sticking out of your tires, no maintenance history, damage yes you will 100% be charged. Mercedes has a company that comes out to inspect the cars when they are turned in. The dealer does not do it. If you have the money to buy/lease a car like a Benz, just take care of it properly so the next owner doesn't get stuck with a piece of junk that was neglected. You don't have to do it at a dealership, just make sure you keep your records. Anyone who states anything else about this subject is giving you false information. It's a shame to see such nice cars turn into a pile of sh*t because someone is too cheap. Nobody cares to try to take a few extra bucks from you. Mercedes is more concerned with keeping the millionaires, not the guy who gets bent out of shape over a brake flush. To them you can move on to something more budget friendly like a Toyota because you obviously don't appreciate what you own.

 

Good to have a master MB tech onto the forum to knowledgeably help us with our question. I do appreciate knowing what to expect when turning the car in. However, I don't think it was "appropriate" to assume that I don't know what I was doing vis-a-vis observing the MB maintenance schedule, or to infer that I was going to turn in a "pile of sh*t." I put approximately 4500 miles/year on the car (although after 2 years the car mow has 8000 miles) and religiously replace oil and oil filter (DIY) with quality products (usually Mann filters, Mobil 1 or Castrol Edge-all MB spec'd) on an annual basis. So, with such low miles, I thought that replacing the cabin filter and flushing the brake fluid was bit much considering the car's low mileage and the fact that it is well driven but never abused.

It's not a matter of money when it comes to these schedules, it's the raping prices that MB charges. No matter how much money one has, one doesn't like to have that raped feeling...I think you'll agree. Oil and filter cost me under $50 (an easy DIY on the 2L turbo,) cabin filter and dust filter cost $40 (an easy DIY,) can't do the brake flush, so my reasonably priced foreign car indy (a BMW master tech) will do it. Not sure how much my MB stealership would charge for Service B, but I feel comfortable in assuming that it will be somewhere around $200 more than what I will have spent doing the oil/filter, cabin filter myself and having the indy do the flush and rest of Service B inspection.

 

Here is another thing to consider with scheduled maintenance and why it should be done at the "stealership" as you put it. There are a lot of things that could be on the verge of going bad or things that currently need to be fixed on your car. Your aftermarket service shop most likely will not notice those issues because they are not trained by Mercedes and do not drive your exact car all day long numerous times a week. All he's going to do is change your oil, filter, set tire pressures and kick you out the door. If you had it done at a "stealership" you would have had your service done and had the warranty repair done. When I say these cars can turn into a pile of cr@p it's because most times they do when not taken care of by a dealership. Sorry "stealership." Another tip is out if the 16 years I've been a tech at a few different "stealerships," there has never been a good knowledgeable tech that left to open his own shop. The only techs I've ever seen or hear about leaving a dealership to open or work at an independent shop are usually pretty bad techs that do questionable incorrect or flat out wrong repairs. Vast majority of good techs are taken care of by the dealers and know it's never a good profitable move to leave to work at an independent shop. Majority of independent shops are absolutely terrible, I see what they do constantly, definitely not saying that all techs from dealerships are good but they are most of the times better for sure. Every week I see cars come in from independent shops that have us fix what they misdiagnosed and you never even realize it. They bring it in without you knowing, we fix it properly, they pay the bill, pick it up and call you and say it's fixed. They either eat the cost of the repair themselves because they don't want to tell you they messed up or sometimes they will charge you with a little added on for themselves. All it takes is 1 misdiagnosed, 1 incorrect part installed, or 1 visit for maintenance that was done incorrectly to make your few hundred bucks you saved go out the door because you have to bring it to a stealership to fix it right. Additionally, if you have a good history with your dealership any major repairs that might need to be done within a few months or a year after your warranty has expired, Mercedes will often step in and cover the repair or cover the cost 50/50. But if you only go to independent shops you will get no assist guaranteed. It's a very poor misconception that you will pay more over the life of your car if you bring it into the dealer. It always catches up at some point and will always cost more to avoid the dealership. Again, I literally see these examples everyday. Everyone seems to hate the "stealership," until you need help. Then they are life savers. It's a hard lesson to learn and some people never do. My suggestion for anyone is when you go to the dealer, ask your service advisor to have a team leader or whoever he has work on his own car be the tech who looks at yours. Talk to the tech and establish a good relationship with the guy and you will likely never have a horrible experience.

 

I get what you are saying, although I certainly can't fully agree with several of your assumptions. You obviously have a very good relationship with your MB employers and most likely you have been well compensated for your work...and judging by your replies, you're quite a defender of MB. Can't say anything wrong with that! I'm not looking to get into a "pissing in the wind" contest about some of the points you have made, but I will defend my indy. My indy has owned his shop for 20 years and I have been using him for work on my 2002 BMW 325 and 2006 BMW Z4 (both bought new and both sold after 10 years use) after their warranties ran out. So, I have about a total of about 12 years experience with him (about 6 years for each car.) He does everything by the book and wouldn't warranty a part/work unless it is OEM or BMW factory rebuilt. For all the work he has done for me over the years (brakes, fair amount of A/C work, motor mounts, various flushing/replacement of fluids and much more that I can't remember) I have had not one complaint about the cost of repair as he was always significantly less than BMW (BTW, I'd first get an estimate from BMW,) and never had to go back to him because of a repair gone bad. Man knows his stuff and I guess I have been a bit lucky to have found him.

Look, bottom line for me is: I don't have "deep pockets" and these cars are my retirement perks. Usually keep a car for 10 years, although the C300 is my first leaser which will be turned in after three years use. I take very good care of my cars. If I don't get hit by one of the terrible drivers here in SoFL during this last year of leasing, I'll be returning a "perfect" car, inside and outside. MB will love me as they won't have to do anything out of the ordinary when they prep the car for resale.

BTW, as you know your stuff, I'd appreciate your comments on why a car with 8000 miles needs to have the cabin filter and brake flushes done. Also, from day one, the windshield wipers chatter. MB service, first "scrubbed" the windshield, replaced the wipers and set the blade angle with some expensive machine. Wipers still chattered as before. MB next replaced the windshield, Wipers chattered and are still chattering two years later. I have been inquirig, every so often, about a fix, but none to date.