Originally Posted by kash2014

I have a low mileage car too, and I was going to defer big maintenance things like tranny flush until I hit 40k miles which would be around year 6.

But, with the tranny issues on my model year, I don't want to give MB a reason to deny any future warranty claims so I made the decision to follow yearly intervals until my extended warranty is up and forget about mileage

Originally Posted by thefisch

You might be better off starting a new thread or finding an old one about maintenance on low mileage cars. Folks with opinions on that may skip this thread if they are not interested in prepaid maintenance packs.

You are right that most dealers would go by the book while an indy mechanic may help you just address what is critical based on inspection of the condition of the vehicle, fluids, etc. to keep the car in running shape if that's what you want. Other than the spark plugs, most of the services (A,B,brake flush, tranny) are all about replacing the fluid. While your tires (check for dry rot) and brake pads may last you many years, the fluids will still break down over time. And without a dipstick for the atf fluid, it wouldn't be simple to check the condition of it. So it may not make much of a difference for low mileage situations but you should look into it before prepaying for any maint.

I would talk to that indy shop and see what they say can be deferred in low mileage situations. At a minimum, get their prices for the services that the prepaid pack would cover. I did that - my 60/70/80 at my local dealer would run me about $2,200 plus tax while at a local indy the same services would be $1,400 plus tax. So if I can get a 3 pack for $999 then I am still saving $ over the indy prices while sitting in a much nicer waiting room and getting a much better loaner.

Another consideration is whether or not you plan to get an extended warranty since you are nearing the end of your b2b warranty. If you do, then you will want documentation that maintenance was done according to the MB guidelines to avoid denial of claims. If you don't follow the guidelines for replacing the atf fluid, they may not cover a transmission repair or replacement.

Originally Posted by kash2014

I have a low mileage car too, and I was going to defer big maintenance things like tranny flush until I hit 40k miles which would be around year 6.

But, with the tranny issues on my model year, I don't want to give MB a reason to deny any future warranty claims so I made the decision to follow yearly intervals until my extended warranty is up and forget about mileage

Originally Posted by Pntblnk

I dropped my 11 E550 off this morning for the 40k B service. The dealer quoted $499 + $155 for brake flush. Looking at the prepaid option since this single service will run ~$700.

Question: I thought 3 packs were $999 but dealer now telling me since I have the 550 not the 350 the price is $100 more @ $1099. Is the selling price for the service packs set by MBUSA or does each dealer have the ability to change pricing?

Man do I miss MB Foothill Ranch in SoCal. Local Columbia dealer stinks - I should be honored to give them my money!

Originally Posted by Pntblnk

I dropped my 11 E550 off this morning for the 40k B service. The dealer quoted $499 + $155 for brake flush. Looking at the prepaid option since this single service will run ~$700.

Question: I thought 3 packs were $999 but dealer now telling me since I have the 550 not the 350 the price is $100 more @ $1099. Is the selling price for the service packs set by MBUSA or does each dealer have the ability to change pricing?

Man do I miss MB Foothill Ranch in SoCal. Local Columbia dealer stinks - I should be honored to give them my money!

Originally Posted by Pntblnk

Yes - verified that the tranny F&F, brake fluid, oil / filter and air filter were all covered for replacement on the prepaid package. I didn't check spark plugs for the 60k but that's another great question.

Originally Posted by CEB

Look on MBUSA (price out a new car) and see if there is a difference on the prepaid maintenance between the 350 and 550. I believe the 550 maintenance packs are a bit more. Why? Because they can be.