Did I get railroaded it came out $2500 front brakes rotors and pads 2 battery replaced drive belt inspection and rear wiper arm , I feel the dealer took advantage of the situation and stole my money can anyone share any input on this.

 

last time I got the rear brakes and rotors done at the dealer (it has been 2 years I think) it was $900 for both sides. I just did the main and aux battery myself. Main battery (Bosch) was $325 and Aux battery was $125. so I think you got over charged but not sure what the labor rates are in your area, post pandemic

 

Yes, they made a bunch of money off you. I'm guessing they paid a heart surgeon to do the work instead of a tech.

 

If you didn't take the time to shop around, the dealer didn't take advantage of you. You took advantage of the convenience and paid for that convenience.
Don't like what the dealer charges? Go somewhere else (there's LOTS of good indy shops) or better yet learn how to do it yourself. Brakes are child's play. So are batteries. And don't get me started on the rear wiper.

 

Dealership record profits continue unabated.

 

Yes. Since the question is being asked after the fact, it should be noted that typical cost for brake jobs are posted countless times on this site.

 

Always ask for an estimate, no matter who you deal with. Last time I was in to the dealer I paid for the trans fluid change and fuel filter, probably paid to much but I didn't want to do those particular jobs but I also asked for an estimate before okaying the work.
Bob

 

I thought they wouldn’t deceive me like that after having them service my vehicle for the past 6 or 7 years, such a shame they did that. It shows they don’t value their customers. 😞😞

 

I know your wallet is hurting and I'm honestly not trying to kick you while you're down, but did they deceive you or did they charge you their standard shop rates for the jobs performed? Cuz by ALL accounts, dealership service isn't cheap. 7 year history or no, they're gonna charge you what they think they're worth.
Side note, some of my clients have been so since '97 (when I started). They still pay full freight for work I do, and they expect nothing different.

 

The killer is the brakes probably took an hour. It takes longer to jack up the car and get the wheels off than to change the pads. I just lift the air suspension, put my jack stands under and lower the suspension. Give me just enough room to pull the wheels off. Zimmer rotors and Akebono pads are probably <$300. I changed my batter the other day, $250 part and 20 min labor bc i did not move the seat all the way up and forward the first time.

Seriously find a good indy. if it is out of warranty or if you are paying for it, no reason to pay $1000 for the cup of coffee they give you.

Mostly i do my own work bc i enjoy it, but sometimes it take longer to go somewhere to do the work than do it your self. Brakes for example, easily under an hour and that is with extensive cleaning and attention to detail. Plus, I give the carriers a little spray of paint to fend off corrosion. I like knowing it is done correctly. I know if i take it somewhere it will take a few hours of of my day.

 

Well, to be honest, the guys on here that are saying they can change the brakes in a few seconds or whatever have done it before, probably done many many brake jobs on multiple cars in their life, already have all the tools, and have already pre-ordered the parts or driven to the store to buy them. The first time you do it, it will take you a few hours, you'll have to watch a video and read some instruction online, find the right tools, maybe buy a tool if you don't have it, order the right parts, etc., go slow enough to make sure you don't screw up something (you can! ask me how I know) then bed your brakes (you bed your brakes, right?) and clean everything up. You'll need a proper place to do it (garage or level parking spot in your driveway, if you even have a garage or driveway, a lot of people in the world don't), be strong enough to lift your wheels, smart enough to figure out how to release the rear parking brake, etc. It's a job that 99% of the population can't do. The first time I did my Mercedes brakes, I couldn't even get the wheels off because the used GL I bought didn't have the special locking lug bolt removal tool so I had to do a bunch of research and order the right one, they aren't marked. Then there are brake size choices, do you know your rotor size? Etc etc.. Of course the Mercedes dealer charges a ton of money, but you're getting value from that (convenience, warranty, peace of mind that the second most important part of your car after the tires are done correctly with Mercedes parts, a very nice waiting room, etc.). I took my Mercedes to an independent shop for brakes and some other work once, it was still pretty expensive. Mercedes ownership is expensive, you'll either pay in money or time, sometimes both. They sure drive nice when they're fixed, though.

 

You financed the technicians next trip to Hawaii.

 

I bet the tech is lucky to clear $30/hour after taxes. How much is the dealer hourly?

 

Sadly, dealers are generally out for themselves to the detriment of the customer.

 

I think you meant the dealer principle, or the CEO if it's a publicly owned group.

 

I dont know your mechanical abilities but front brakes and rotors are not too hard. its just a remove and replace. There are plenty of youtube videos on line to help you out and you can even do a search on here or even ask. For that amount of money, you could have bought yourself a nice set of tools along with brake pads and rotors and still have money left over. All you have to do is invest the time to do it.

 

never under estimate the dealers service center ability and willingness to bend you over at any and every opportunity. That is after all, their main source of revenue. They don’t make that much on selling cars. They make money on selling you the fix, or as Chris Rock has stated, “the money is in the medicine.”

Take the advice here and learn to work on as much as you can. Your time and money are worth wrenching for a weekend.

 

Sometimes you so yes you probably have to pay for convenience and that's all right. I'd say for genuine Mercedes parts even at a discounted price, you would have paid around $750-$1000 + DIY time, an Indy probably would have charged you $1300-$1500 so yeah dealer probably made around $1000 which is OK depending on your circumstances.

Wife's 2007 BMW 530i needed front brake job and local Indy won't give me an estimate unless I dropped off the car. Dealer wanted close to $1000 so I decided to look up YT and didn't find it difficult at all to do it myself aand bam, It's done and since I do have a lift, I decided to do it myself
Research on the internet told me how to check the rotors and I ended up doing just the pads.
Total cost $110 for pads

Having a lift do make things lot easier and without one, I won't even think about it
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I wish I had somewhere to put one of those, it would certainly make things a little easier.
Bob

 

A lift is certainly nice. Of all maintenance work, brake jobs are not among those that need a lift, or that would benefit much from having one.

 

with a garage like that, your better do your own brakes!! Jealous.

 

I cannot stress this point enough. I had an indy quote me $4k to replace the rear shocks. Bought $500 of tools, spent $800 on parts and it only took me 4 hours of very patient work. This forum and youtube are amazing! The best part is the mechanic wasn't even going to replace the springs while he was down there. Seemed like an obvious additional task considering im at 99k miles and they were original. The incremental job took 10 minutes per side and the springs were only $200/piece. Down the road, I imagine the indy would've charged at least $1.5k to do it.

Recently my radiator cracked. Indy quoted $1,200. I asked if they were going to follow MB directions and evacuate/recharge the freon, they said no. So literally they were going to do what I am going to do which is spend a few hours removing and installing a $200 part.

There is a learning curve no doubt, but I am surprised how (if you are remotely mechanically inclined) easy some of this stuff is.

Best part? it is FUN to fix your ride.

Brakes are on my list of easy DIY maintenance.