MCD007

Just venting.

Took my car into dealer to get serviced since computer was telling me to. Bought the car in July last year. I assumed service fell under maintenance plan (1 yr) like my previous BMW.

Boy was I wrong, car has 2200 miles and I have to pay $239 for the service. In addition I have to pay $30 for a loaner. BMW gave free loaners and performed ALL servicing the first 4 years for free.

So I am paying $269 for a 15 min oil change. Never going to service again.

danlnyc

I've never ever been charged for a loaner my entire life....yes, I believe you did get "shafted" sorry bud.

BenzV12

You could take it to your private shop but you know it would void the warranty . Not to mention that you can save a few bucks per oil change or basic maintenance but if your car gets out of warranty because of not going to authorized dealer your loss will be even greater

MCD007

So for the next 3 years I have to take the car to the dealer for scheduled maintenance or else lose my regular warranty?

BenzV12

Well, I would still take it to the dealer if it was my car but your situation is kinda different , we talk about loaners . I have not loaned any car yet so I can't spaculate or comment what is the best for you ,sorry
Losing warranty is almost equal to losing money if something goes wrong namely on such pricey cars
In my case, I ordered Carlsson kit for two reasons (MB approves and my dealer is also dealer for it lol ) and it was more expensive than race chip pro but if I went for the latter, I was gonna void the warranty so I didn't take risk . Carlsson will be installed at the dealer when the car arrives .

BM2BZ

so what you are saying is your service advisor didn't tell you the price before they perform the services? what if the bill is $50k? you have to swallow it? that's just wrong! he/she has to get an ok from their clients before putting in the work orders. seems like you just paid and walked out but didn't complain. another nice guy got ripped by dealer. sad story.

MCD007

There has got to be some sort racketeering here. Buy protection via dealer service @ 5x the cost or else lose the warranty. I should be able to show the car was serviced properly at an independent place or better yet they should prove that lack of maintenance was the cause of the fault if the car is brought for warranty repairs.

MCD007

Yes, I did pay and walk because I incorrectly assumed that the 1 year maintenance included with the car was equivalent to what BMW offers (basically everything).

After getting back to my computer I read it only covers brakes and wipers and crap like BT adapters, and further it will only cover those if they are DEFECTIVE.

Essentially the 1 year maintenance is nothing and complete bull****.

danlnyc

why would getting your oil changed somewhere else void your warranty

I've also never heard of that my entire life.

There are tons of people on this forum who do their own oil changes. If any dealership says that they will void your warranty because you got oil changed somewhere else is BS.

BM2BZ

well, doesn't matter your assumption is correct or not, your service advisor supposed to give you a quote and an ok from you before put in the work order or have the technician work on your car. i had bmw for years before switching to mercedes. even everything is free, the service advisor still prints out an invoice for me to sign or calls me if they found out something needs to repair, free or not. sounds like your service advisor just screwed up. may not be the dealer's problem unless they taught them to do this to all the clients. otherwise, the main problem i can see from the dealer is they hired this guy.

MCD007

No, the advisor was correct and gave me the work order. I signed it because I was sure in my mind that 1 year maintenance actually meant maintenance on not defective wipers. Also, I wanted the computer service indicator reset. I'll have to chalk this one up as a loss and a lesson not to come back. I am disappointed that MB has not kept up with the competition in this matter and also incensed I had to pay $30 per day for a loaner (which I would assume at least be a comparable model if I am paying).

BM2BZ

so he gave you the work order w/the price shown and you were ok w/it? is that what you meant?

MCD007

Yes.

RSIKR

The warranty is 4 years, 1st year warranty includes the wear items like wiper blades. No service is included.

They are supposed to give you a quote in writing that you acknowledge by your signature.

I have never paid for a loaner.

An A service around here costs from $189 to $299. There are a couple of dealers that will do an oil and filter change for $89 with the same inspection you get on an A service. They will not and can not reset the service indicator because then they would be competing with their A service.

It is a simple matter to do the computer service reset yourself. Search this forum.

To change your own oil requires a fleece filter that costs $15-20 and 9 quarts of Mobil 1 that is of a type specified by MB. The sump holds 8 liters or 8.45 quarts. The oil and filter will cost you at least $65-75 DIY.
I

MCD007

This is a bit misleading because it only covers it if its DEFECTIVE. Therefore if your blade or pads are worn out from use they will not cover it.

I have always done servicing on my own for my other cars out of warranty. But I have been spoiled by BMW cost free program, I never imagined upon fine examination of the MB "mainenance plan" that it would really amount to nothing.

MCF

You don't have to take it to the dealer for Service A, B, C, etc. etc. You can take it to a qualified independent shop and save a few bucks, but I won't risk it. Dealer for me.

telemakhos

This is the first time I've heard of anyone being charged for a loaner when the car is still under warranty. I know of one dealer in my area that charged when the car was many years out of warranty but I don't know if they still do that.

MCD007

You sure about that? If I service it myself will they terminate warranty?

BM2BZ

why didn't you question them or simply walk out if you think the price was just wrong ?

MCD007

I was too confident that the 1 year maintenance basically meant 1 year of cost free ownership similar to BMW so I paid thinking I could get my money back after I reviewed the terms. But now I realize the maintenance for 1 year is a sham and only covers defects.

The advisor did tell me there was no such thing as a 1 year maintenance plan so I was hoping to prove him wrong. Well, in the end he is wrong about there not being a maintenance plan but its not the kind of plan I expected.

danlnyc

I'm 100% + another 55% POSITIVE that servicing it YOURSELF or by your indie mechanics shop WILL NOT TERMINATE YOUR WARRANTY. That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life. Whoever is telling you otherwise is CLEARLY misinformed or got ripped off without knowing.

K-A

Ouch. You shouldn't pay a dime for a loaner, and that's a high price for Service A, even from a Dealer.

danlnyc

Are you aware of what the dealership does to your car for Service A, B, and C? You're not risking anything by going somewhere else...the things they do to your car are things you can do yourself...

MCD007

from the warranty booklet.

If the owner has a warranty claim and
can show through receipted invoices
that the vehicle has received the required
servicing, the authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center will perform the
warranty work without charging for
parts and labor. It is the responsibility
of the owner to prove and the authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to judge
whether the required maintenance service
has been performed.

Cavu

What is this "1 year maintenance plan" that you mention in the first post? There is a maintenance plan you can buy when you buy the car, but I don't think it's only one year.

Are you confused because BMW offers free required maintenance on all there cars?