benze550

so my car is at the dealership, and the service adviser called me saying i need need air shocks in the rear for $1500. i went in for brakes. my brake pad wear lights notification came up on the dash. hes know tell me i need rotors for a total $1000 (pads and rotors)

i have spent about 1500 before for a transmission problem and 1200 for oil leak. is it even worth for me to get it serviced at the dealership??? my car only has 38k and bought it brand new in 07. i go there for service and walk out with a tampon in my a$$. it feels like they making money off me.

homeofstone

You need to find an independant shop that will save you money. Rear shocks from Arnott will also save you money and have lifeime warranty.

ozusa

I don't have the dealer parts prices for an E550, but based on my E320 4matic I would expect a pair of vented rear disks to be no more than about $350 and the pads to be no more than $150, plus one sensor at about $10. This would be at the upper end of dealer retail prices.

There are far, far cheaper ways to get the parts than at a dealer. Add on about two hours labor and you should still be several hundred dollars less than $1000, so it still doesn't add up to $1000.

If you were able to do it yourself, and use non-dealer parts, the job could be done for around $300 or even less.

vettdvr

Air springs you need or airmatic shocks? The shocks are about $450 each and about 3 hrs total install for both. Fair price might be around $1100 for both at independant. Brakes. I found that the wear sensor trips for me with my driving style with about 10,000 miles left on the pads. This gives time to get them changed. My + has been on in my E500 for about 3000 miles now and I replaced the front rotors/pads myself. The rears are also worn but when the weather cools I will change them. I decided to do the fronts when my front airspring/airmatic strut failed. I had the strut out and car ready so I did the front brakes at the same time. I am not surpirsed what was found on your car. Pretty normal stuff the real question is who/how you have it repaired. My front brakes rotors/pads/and airmatic struts total cost was about $1100 but I did all the installation.

MercFiveHundred

I don't understand how you need new rear shocks at 38k. Did they BOTH fail?

Flash Gordon

I agree. It's highly unlikely that you should replace them. I had my E500 for almost 10 years at 70K and did not have any issue with the airmatic suspension. The stealer is trying to rip you off!

Besides, just because the brake pads light came on, you need not to replace them immediately. You still have time to shop around for the job.

vettdvr

My rear airmatic shock failed by leaking. Why who knows it did. Oil was running down the shock and over a bump in my drive it was clunking. I replaced both around 80,000. They can fail earlier your road condition may cause early failure. My rear air springs failed arond 85,000 miles. Now at 122,000 miles I have replaced.

airmatic compressor
Rear air springs
Both rear airmatic shocks
Both front airmatic shocks/spring assembly

Not to bad for 122000 miles only about $10,000 in maintenance cost had the dealer done all the repairs. Somehow that sounds a bit like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer and saying it is ok.