zoomie

Dealership charges $219 + tax.
Big O Tires charges $199 + tax.
Private Mercedes service company charges $80 + tax.

Does anyone else have experience the cost of an alignment? Please keep the following format for simplicity so that readers can scan through it more efficiently. Paragraphs are hard to read.

- Where did you get the alignment? Store name, phone number, etc.
- Cost before/after tax.
- How long did it take?
- rear wheel drive or 4matic?

Thanks.

vettdvr

My alignment at Firestone was $375 for lifetime.

This included installing the Caster bolts for adjustment.

Interesting now but it appears the ball joints are squeeking at 70,000 miles and might have to have alignment checked after new joints installed

More to come.

FYI,, I found Michelins to be the best tire I installed on the E500 for wear, noise and normal driving.

zoomie

Can you go to any firestone location or does it have to be specifically the one where you signed up?

uberwgn

Our local dealership charges $130. I didn't think that was cheap, sounds like it might be based upon these comments here.

Personally, the alignment is one job I won't farm out to the local Goodyear store or the neighborhood mechanic.

Benz-O-Rama

My local dealer, EuroMotorCars-Germantown Maryland, just charged me 79.00 for a 4 wheel alignment last week.

zoomie

I received quotes from those Mercedes service companies and the cost had ranged from $90-$150 for a 4 wheel alignment. Camber kits cost $11/bolt

mpx220

I had mine done 3 weeks ago and my local dealer, Fletcher Jones of Fremont, charged me $129 for a 4 wheel alignment.

vettdvr

I found a Local (non-dealer) repair shop that did front end repair. I asked them if they could do the alignmnet. They sent me to a Firestone dealer. The dealer would not take appts. and told me I had a 4 to 6 hr wait. This was in another town. I then shopped around at the Firestone dealers. Finally I found one that had a alignment person that knew what he was doing. I did have to install the caster alignment bolts to get the #'s right. He gave me a detailed print out before and after the alignment. The Firestone dealer tried to get the caster bolts but the MB dealer would not sell to them. I had to drive 100 miles to the dealer to buy the bolts then bring them to the F/S dealer. I was having a alignment issue on my F250 4WD truck. Brought to the same alignment person,, solved that problem. So My answer would be you will have to find a Firestone dealer that can/will do the work. They had a fully shop to include the new road force balancing system.

Of course I tipped the alignment guy well enough so that he would remember me. I have had no issues with tire wear since this alignment and running Michelins on the E500.

The lifetime alignment probably was over kill but given the ball joint issues on the E series, might be a good investment.

vb26

keenan's of doylestown just quoted me $250

spotless

Is it true that modern MBs require some type of special key to have the alignment done, so not all conventional shops can do them?

vettdvr

[QUOTE=vettdvr;2467275]
Interesting now but it appears the ball joints are squeeking at 70,000 miles and might have to have alignment checked after new joints installed

More to come.

QUOTE]

At 70,000 miles the squeek was worn out ball joints. Both bottom joints were replaced. When I drove it out of the dealer it pulled hard right. Went straight to Firestone where I have the lifetime alignment. They checked and it was out of alignment. Corrected alignment now driving back as it should.

One week after the ball joints went out I had total SBC brake failure. Now with New SBC warranty pump it stops also.