SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: how to spend $3300 in 2 hours
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how to spend $3300 in 2 hours
walked in the dealer, had the front brakes done (pads and rotors, lasted 25k miles) and two new rear tires (alsted 12,000miles), and walked out with $3,300 less in my wallet, OUCH... 
And I was able to get a 'deal' on the brake job, 'only paid' $2400, when most dealers were quoting $3k.
And I was able to get a 'deal' on the brake job, 'only paid' $2400, when most dealers were quoting $3k.
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From: Southern California
09' Ferrari Scuderia 16M Spider, 11' Mercedes SL63 AMG, 09' Mercedes S550
Reminds me of the "major" tune-up on my old Ferrari 355...$10,000 (not a misprint). I now have an Ferrari F430 Spider which costs a much more reasonable $3000. Of course, when it comes time to replace the 430's ceramic brake rotors and pads, it will cost $30,000 (again, not a misprint). You play, you pay!
Tim
Tim
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a g
Why is it rape? and the dealership labeled 'the stealership'? A SL65 costs what? $150,000 new? You think it is awkward the brake job costs $2500+? Just be glad you never generally replace engines, that I would guess would be well in excess of $40,000.
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Mercedes Benz
I love the line the "stealership". No one wants to pay anyone for services rendered and its kind of pathetic. I would love to walk up to those same people and offer them a price below their cost on whatever service they provide for a living. I bet they would tell me to f off and go pound sand.
If you want to save the cash do the work your self but don't sit back and accuse them of screwing you. If you noticed dealerships are closing down left and right. Tell me that places close down because they are making such massive profits on sales and service. Learn what it costs to run a dealership and then realize what you have to charge to turn a profit. Its just a simple business model.
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Joined: Nov 2005
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From: orange county ca
2019 S63,2015 SL63, 2007 SL55, 2006 SL55, 2003 SL55
I see most of your point but how is it fair if the dealer wanted to charge me 3 hours for something I did in 1? If they need to charge $175 per hour I can understand that as high as that may be but I do have a problem with the amount of hours.
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Mercedes Benz
If 3 hours is the book time for the job then its hard to go below that. They can discount it a bit but not down to just one hour. Also is labor 175 an hour at your dealership? I know here in Southern California it is 150 or so an hour but in areas like the Pacific Northwest it is closer to 100-120 an hour. Labor charges are typically regional. When one dealership in a region raises the labor costs its just a matter of weeks until the others follow suit.
With all the associated costs it is getting harder and hard to turn a decent profit in this field. The factory is cutting back on warranty work and warranty pay to the point where the dealership and techs barely make anything on some jobs. That makes a job like this brake replacement very valuable.
Edit -- 3 hrs for front and rear pads is in the ball park for book time. I think you could ask for a better deal and get closer to 2 hours with a smile and a hand shake.
Last edited by CynCarvin32; Feb 10, 2009 at 03:17 PM.
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a g
A good technician should be able to complete the job quicker, but does that mean they shouldn't earn the book time rates because they are better technicians? Trust me, they don't return major margins on the parts, and that is another reason they charge book time.
Besides the bay space is expensive and CynCarvin32 is right. My shop when I lived in michigan cost nearly $3,000,000 to run annually.
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From: Arizona
SL55AMG, Ferrari 348, Ferrari Testarossa, Ferrari F40, Ferrari Mondial t, Ducati 916, Indycar
The last time I bought 65 front rotors, I paid ~$1K + $200 something for pads. 55 rotors are only ~$100.
But you can't complain about what someone charges for a service. They have overhead, employees, utilities, taxes, etc.... and just maybe would like to make a profit. If you don't want to pay, figure out how to DIY. That will work for some, but for most, they would rather pay someone. When I was younger I did allot of my own work on my cars, including engine out majors on my Ferrari's, but now... most of the time it's worth it to have it done.
But you can't complain about what someone charges for a service. They have overhead, employees, utilities, taxes, etc.... and just maybe would like to make a profit. If you don't want to pay, figure out how to DIY. That will work for some, but for most, they would rather pay someone. When I was younger I did allot of my own work on my cars, including engine out majors on my Ferrari's, but now... most of the time it's worth it to have it done.
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From: Maryland
'14 E63S & '14 Audi SQ5
Funny...my car is at the MB dealership today. I am having my front rotors and pads replaced on my CL65. My buddy is a Master Tech there and got me a pretty good deal $1,580 for both front rotors (down from nearly $2,500 MB list price). I bought the Akebono ceramic pads from Tire Rack ($200 shipped). Because they are doing some other warranty work (and my buddy is doing the work) I am getting a discount on the labor. So my complete front brakes change will cost $2K. When I first got my car another MB dealership charged $600+ for just the front pad change. So the OP is right most MB dealers will charge $3K to change the front brakes.
Tom
Tom
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John Deere
Some dealers make a killing on parts and some charge somewhat close to cost. If you can post itemized prices on those rotors from your receipt, I can tell you exactly what the markup was. Front pads are around $200 for the 65.
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Mercedes Benz
Its called trying to cover costs and make a profit. Without profit no one will be there to fix your cars. Pretty simple.
Last edited by CynCarvin32; Feb 10, 2009 at 04:27 PM.
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John Deere
Jeans and shoes are far less of a commodity, I would say. MB parts are easy to find online and an OEM rotor is an OEM rotor. It isn't as easy to find out what is Brooks Bros COGS for a suit, or to even get one through alternate channels, but parts are a different story.
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From: Georgia
E 63S Wagon Renntech, E55 Renntech, SL65, SL 55 030, ML, bunch of old ones--they come, they go...
If you wanna be mad at someone...
for making all the money, then don't be too mad at your dealer. Lesee, he has anywhere from a $2(old, small) to $20 million (Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, LA) dollar investment, while he has to cover anywhere from $200k to $2 million a month in overhead....then has to put up with the factory's BS nite and day...and wait to open his mail for hundreds of thousand of dollars for parts and equipment that he'll never need or use once... spend all day waiting on the newspaper, TV, radio guys to come by because he's an "easy mark", as well as all the Little league teams and charitable organizations. Think the guys at MB in NJ have to do this? And if you had $5 to $20 million available, in credit and/or cash, would you put up with this mess? Me neither.
Yep, some of them are downright lousy. Some are just trying to keep it together. Wanna be mad at someone, probably better to direct it to the manufacturer. They are the ones with the most profit left in the process.
BTW, if those pads/rotors failed that you put on in your garage, and you hit a kid in a crosswalk, wouldn't you immediately be on the phone to the "stealer" to let them know you planned on indemnifying them? The liability insurance at out local small market dealer, a tenth the size of the big metro ones, has an annual premium of a few hundred thousand dollars.
Just saying I've seen it from both sides. It ain't perfect for either. Or us. Just gotta choose your battles.
Go ahead.
Yep, some of them are downright lousy. Some are just trying to keep it together. Wanna be mad at someone, probably better to direct it to the manufacturer. They are the ones with the most profit left in the process.
BTW, if those pads/rotors failed that you put on in your garage, and you hit a kid in a crosswalk, wouldn't you immediately be on the phone to the "stealer" to let them know you planned on indemnifying them? The liability insurance at out local small market dealer, a tenth the size of the big metro ones, has an annual premium of a few hundred thousand dollars.
Just saying I've seen it from both sides. It ain't perfect for either. Or us. Just gotta choose your battles.
Go ahead.
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From: Georgia
E 63S Wagon Renntech, E55 Renntech, SL65, SL 55 030, ML, bunch of old ones--they come, they go...
...who would tell you....
that we want to get the deep pockets on the hook!
No matter how much you carry, gotta be nothing compared to the manufacturer...
No matter how much you carry, gotta be nothing compared to the manufacturer...
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From: orange county ca
2019 S63,2015 SL63, 2007 SL55, 2006 SL55, 2003 SL55
I don't know, that was just a high guess. They can charge $200 an hour if that's what they need to do, I was just surprised I could do the job having never done it, in less than 1/3 the time.
I sell car parts for a living so I understand the need for profit and overhead cost.
I sell car parts for a living so I understand the need for profit and overhead cost.
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From: Maryland
'14 E63S & '14 Audi SQ5
Tom
