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Atlanta dealer charges $170 to assess warranty repair?!
Atlanta Classic Cars in Duluth is charging $170 to assess brake rotors for warranty repair/replacement. Only if the warranty repair is approved will I not be charged.
Is this normal?
Can anyone suggest more affordable options to assess the issue so that I can be confident the repair has a high chance of warranty coverage?
This is a 2017 E300 under warranty with 20k miles and a brake shudder that grows most intense from 40-30mph under braking.
Never heard of that but I know from past experience a lot of time brakes are not covered under the factory warranty as that is a wear and tear type of item.
Any chance you can go over to RBM? They are a solid dealer.
But, considering it's brakes, and brakes could just wear out (also, who did your tire rotations/installations?), I can see they have a leg to stand on. Many factors can lead to this, and they won't blindly replace the brakes and hope it works.
Thanks for the recommendation, I will check with RBM.
You are right about the troubleshooting, the attachment I provided states 4-5 steps to take to rule out other causes before approving a warranty repair.
If RBM also charges a fee, I will go to a more affordable independent shop first to do the first 4-5 steps, then take my receipt to the dealer to ensure I won't be charged a fee and the warranty repair will be approved.
What if somebody drove with a foot on the brakes and a foot on the gas should the warranty have to cover that? It costs money for labor even to asses the brakes, I can kinda see their point having been in the business myself. Especially these days, labor costs a fortune.
Thanks for the recommendation, I will check with RBM.
You are right about the troubleshooting, the attachment I provided states 4-5 steps to take to rule out other causes before approving a warranty repair.
If RBM also charges a fee, I will go to a more affordable independent shop first to do the first 4-5 steps, then take my receipt to the dealer to ensure I won't be charged a fee and the warranty repair will be approved.
In all honesty - I think it may be a wear issue , or if you have an indy doing your rotations and they are using an impact to install the wheel bolts - that could damage the rotor. If I were in your shoes, I would pay the dealer to do the inspection and warranty assessment. If they come back saying you need new rotors - you can purchase some aftermarket rotors (or rotors and pads from FCP euro with a lifetime warranty) and have your indy install. Probably the least headaches - my .02.
What if somebody drove with a foot on the brakes and a foot on the gas should the warranty have to cover that? It costs money for labor even to asses the brakes, I can kinda see their point having been in the business myself. Especially these days, labor costs a fortune.
One foot on the brakes and one foot on the gas wears down the pads, it does not warp the rotors.
Factory rotor warping on the w213 is a widespread issue with a service bulletin for warranty replacement, see the attachment from my original post.
Because there is such a small percentage chance that an owner's driving behavior would cause warping, because pads and rotors typically last tens of thousands of miles, because the car is in warranty, because the issue is widespread and a service bulletin exists, because this is not an unknown issue that would require hours of diagnosis and process of elimination (removing wheels and tires, checking balance, and visually inspecting rotors takes 20 min. max), a dealer is not justified in charging $170.
If they charged an hourly rate that is near the median of what other dealers in the area charge, and then a prorated amount of the hourly rate to perform the 4-5 quick inspection steps shown in the attachment, I would have no problem paying for 20-30 min. of actual work if the warranty repair is not approved.
It's the service advisor's implication that the warranty most likely will not cover the repair (against the known history contributing to the service bulletin itself), plus the upfront intention of price gouging, with which I find issue.
Who does your rotations and do they use an impact? These rotors are sensitive by design. Something worth clarifying - especially if the dealer did your rotation and balances / services. Jack up the car, remove the wheels, measure brake discs and pads, visually inspect suspension, check tire balance - seems not overly inflated for a dealer at least. Probably checking uneven wear on the tires too. Where did you do your A and B services? Do you have the broke rotor and pad measurements as required to measure ?
brake judder is a very common problem on the E-class unfortunately
my dealer changed the discs 2 times in 2 years and under warranty!
not that it helps cos the problem always returns
In all honesty - I think it may be a wear issue , or if you have an indy doing your rotations and they are using an impact to install the wheel bolts - that could damage the rotor. If I were in your shoes, I would pay the dealer to do the inspection and warranty assessment. If they come back saying you need new rotors - you can purchase some aftermarket rotors (or rotors and pads from FCP euro with a lifetime warranty) and have your indy install. Probably the least headaches - my .02.
Thanks for the FCP Euro recommendation! It looks like it will be $650 for front cross-drilled discs + pads if the warranty coverage is not approved, so good to know.
If no other dealer is more affordable than $170, I plan to take your advice.
It looks like Fremax supplies some OEMs and a lot of aftermarket applications. Other car forums' members seem to like the quality. I have the AMG Sport package so on CarID the appropriate Fremax drilled rotors are $86 each, a great price. If the warranty repair doesn't work out, I will try these out.
brake judder is a very common problem on the E-class unfortunately
my dealer changed the discs 2 times in 2 years and under warranty!
not that it helps cos the problem always returns
I’ve not had this issue but can say these actions are usually dealer dependent.
Some dealers have no good will. They are not interested in the warranty “hassle”.
Others are more than happy to help.
I recently went to a dealer for a recall I did not know was already performed (when I had a chip in the paint fixed from a certified Mercedes painter ) and out of the kindness of my heart I decided to throw them some business because I have an aftermarket warranty.
The warrantee itself has language in it to make me responsible for the diagnosis if the repair is not covered.
I drive a ‘13 63 wagon.
I asked them them to look into a clunk up front. They could not find the clunk. They did not charge even with a thorough inspection and lead amg mechanic test drive. So after they were nice enough to not charge me, I asked them to check on an intermittent radar sensor issue. He alerted me that he would have to charge for diagnosis even if he didn’t find anything and it was not covered. I authorized this. After running a scan and deciding the problem was too intermittent to charge warranty for, he did not charge me. Ultimately, I went to a new dealer that did not sell me my car and they did not charge me at all. I am not under factory warranty either. It’s likely this dealer wanted to earn my business because they knew I had a long extended warranty.
I understand paying for convenience but I am also a real stickler for great customer service. It’s the only thing that allows me to go and give my money to a stranger and feel good about it regardless of outcome.
Good luck
Gary
Last edited by Baltistyle; Feb 25, 2020 at 06:05 PM.
Reason: Spelling
I’ve not had this issue but can say these actions are usually dealer dependent.
Some dealers have no good will. They are not interested in the warranty “hassle”.
Others are more than happy to help.
I recently went to a dealer for a recall I did not know was already performed (when I had a chip in the paint fixed from a certified Mercedes painter ) and out of the kindness of my heart I decided to throw them some business because I have an aftermarket warranty.
The warrantee itself has language in it to make me responsible for the diagnosis if the repair is not covered.
I drive a ‘13 63 wagon.
I asked them them to look into a clunk up front. They could not find the clunk. They did not charge even with a thorough inspection and lead amg mechanic test drive. So after they were nice enough to not charge me, I asked them to check on an intermittent radar sensor issue. He alerted me that he would have to charge for diagnosis even if he didn’t find anything and it was not covered. I authorized this. After running a scan and deciding the problem was too intermittent to charge warranty for, he did not charge me. Ultimately, I went to a new dealer that did not sell me my car and they did not charge me at all. I am not under factory warranty either. It’s likely this dealer wanted to earn my business because they knew I had a long extended warranty.
I understand paying for convenience but I am also a real stickler for great customer service. It’s the only thing that allows me to go and give my money to a stranger and feel good about it regardless of outcome.
Good luck
Gary
Thanks so much for your words, Gary. It's good to know there are still some great dealers out there!
I’ve never had my dealer even attempt to charge me to “diagnose a problem.” I see the point of dealers charging though for this to keep everyone from just wanting them to check their car over.
On a good note, I did have a problem with my brakes (squeaking) on our current E class and MB did replace the rears (I think they replaced the pads) under warranty at about 2k miles. I had been complaining about the problem since I had 200 miles on the OD also.
I would find a good dealer and start a relationship with the service department. When I need them I always call and ask for the same advisor. I also pop in with doughnuts or some other things every now and then.
Good luck.
Last edited by BACnMercedes; Feb 26, 2020 at 08:52 PM.
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