Took my 2015 Sprinter in for transmission service only. I do engine oil change, fuel filter change and other maintenance. I have an extended warranty with Mercedes out to 125k miles. I use my truck for my air conditioning service company. 38K on odo.
Transmission Service I want done by dealership. New filter, Tube, Oil. $668.25. A Cargo Van?
Shame on Mercedes for this.
During the service I was told I needed brake pads. $1300.00 for front and $1200.00 for rear. Includes pads rotors and labor. $2500.00.
Just for kicks I inquired about the 40K service, at the level I was paying for the tranny oil change I figured another 100 or so and I would have the dealer do it. No way, came back with
$1,900.00.
Had I elected brakes, Service B and Transmission today it would have been $5,068.00.
Very sad this is happening.
QUOTE!!!!
No shame on MB for this! Sorry!
Price gauging by a dealer YES perhaps!!
I often ask post originators like yourself to explain and present the charge out details but never yet has there been any MEANINGFULL response.
You don't mention whether this van of yours is a 6 or 4 banger variant.
I also begs the question were you advised by the service writer at the dealership where you presented your van as to what was going to be the estimate to do the tasks involved and did you authorize the R/O?
Basically in Anglo Saxon law there must have been an offeree offeror and acceptance of the contract no matter how simple.
Let's move for moment to something which might also present pricing fury!
Say Hotel lodging a bit like car repairs .
At Denver's DIA one hotel of the same chain charges $380 per night for a double room.
Three miles way the same chain hotel charges $110 per night!
In the restaurant at the first hotel, an evening a burger and fries starts at $27,50 per plate
Whereas if you want to walk a block there is a McDonald for the same at $5,20.
Or you go to watch the Denver Donkeys play a game and where the price of a
slice of Pizza is 8 dollars (when it costs 2 dollars to make a 12/14 inch whole pizza!)
I won't mention the price charge of a small glass of American pi$$ water on tap which you all swig down while a bunch of overweight & overpaid guys chase a leather bag around !
So now I have some perspective going here, let's look at the average price for the
basic trans service on 6 banger.
A filter is $15,00 a gasket is $17,00, washer is $4,00.
7 qrts of trans fluid is or should be about $140.
Total should be around $176 for parts /materials with maybe $25 for disposal sundries etc etc
.Labor normally for that job is 1,5 hours but your post doesn't mention their charge out rate.
So let's say charge out billable hours is $150 per hour or 1,5 hours being $225. So that should be about $381 plus tax!
So how did they get to your $668.25???
My first reaction is that they have some very high overheads or that they are trying to maintain the intrinsic exclusivity of their service! By and by with that they are also MB dealers who in some circles also believe they are selling a product which also has an intrinsic exclusive value!
Which of course to me is absurd, cos boiled down its just a piece of bent iron just like a burger which is two pieces of bread with a lump of greasy mystery meat inside, with a few bits of garnish! ( won;t mention at the beer is made of
!!)
Give us a breakdown of the charges and what did they actually they do?
As in all things though it has to be this guy Mr Cavet Emptor who is wagging his finger at you for the moment!
Dennis
Shop Owner and Mechanic