mleskovar

Same problems at dealers and I would contend more so. The mechanics get a flat fee/percentage of the work and it's no where near what you pay them. They need to do more cars to make more money. Indies also usually use the same parts supply as the dealers. Getting a position with a good Indy shop is desirable as they generally pay mechanics more for the same job and the pressure to produce is lower (generalization).

Indies can subscribe to all of the same services and the good ones do. A side advantage to using an Indy is they can go outside the MB box to fix a problem when a dealer is stuck with the 'official' fix.

Not so important if they're taking advantage of you. I get the feeling they treat MB owners like a captive audience. You rarely find bad mechanics at good Indy shops. They're usually hand picked and well trained. My major gripe with dealers is they charge WAY too much and quote excessive parts replacements when they're making educated guesses to cover themselves. Labor at an Indy is usually 1/2 or less of what the dealer charges.

CEB's advice on how to pick a good Indy in post #25 is right on. Ask other MB owners and the good Indy shops are well known.

Westwind

Thanks for the list. I have it in my book, but this is convenient to print and take it to (whoever) for reference.

justdonating

Had my car in for B service today. While talking to the service advisor I was offered Prepaid Maintenance for $699, which would cover today's B service and the 40k service. Given the cost of the 40k service it seemed like a good deal, so I took it.

JALLEN4

As a retired franchised new car dealership owner, I can assure you there is a significant difference between the levels of expertise found in the dealership environment and that of the independent. I have no inherent distrust of an independent and in fact used them often for used cars I did not represent. The difference is what you are working on and the technical level of the repair.

The independent tech is not somehow better paid although charging far less. Like anything else, you get what you pay for. The dealership will have far more training on later model vehicles, more diagnostic equipment and experience on these vehicles, far better support from the manufacturer, access to a continuous stream of TSB's and engineering support, and a myriad of other advantages.

While the independent can be an excellent source for straight-forward routine repairs and services, the more technical repairs are better sourced from the dealer. I would personally be far more likely to use an independent for the "A" service than the more complicated 40,000 mile service. If saving a couple of hundred dollars on critical services was going to change my life-style, I would have bought a Toyota.

CEB

See my comments below in bold

SoCalCLK

$1,200 seems a bit high for the 40K service. I figured it would be between $400-600. Have you searched the Internet for a 20% coupon? That would save you $240.

In the end, for a major 40K service, I would take it to the dealership, if it were my car.

CEB

Every DC area dealer quotes between $1100 and $1400 for the 40k. It it outrageous? Of course, but that's what dealers charge.