Service Plan....Worth it?

[bc100]

As I don't want to do the work myself, I took one out when it was discounted for a BAB schedule. It worked out at £360 per service and I think it is reasonable value for money. The Mobilo provides a better service than the RAC ( even though the RAC provide the Mobilo service! ).
I checked with local independents and when I factored in oils and other consumables it didn't work out a whole lot cheaper. Plus there is the FMBSH badge when you sell it.
If your not paying then let the company go the service plan route and enjoy the coffee and muffins whilst you are there.
As for quality of work done, I have always lifted the bonnet and checked for a new filter and looked at the oil etc. On my Volvo I once retrieved a spanner from the engine top after a main dealer service.

 

[Rob7seven]

Don’t forget that you get free Mobilo if you car is serviced at MB so if you already had RAC, AA, Green Flag, etc you can save on those costs.

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Does the free Mobilo deal still apply if you have an MB serviced car after the three year warranty has expired, and is there any time limit? If it extends mainland Europe wide, for me at least, that would make it worthwhile paying for dealer servicing after 3 years, if I ever kept a car that long.

My four MBs have all been more or less problem free, the only exception being my C250 Coupé, which suffered electronic problems in France, and a potentially serious engine problem in Germany, on separate trips. All dealt with under warranty, though it was interesting to learn that the warranty on home market MB vehicles was only two years. The three year UK deal would have been honoured eventually, but after the second year I'd have had to pay the German dealer the full amount, then claim a refund from MBUK.

The French dealer in St Nazaire was pretty offhand about what turned out to be a failed sensor which killed the ABS system, stability control, traction control, and several other sensor controlled functions, all totally inoperative. Their only advice after a Gallic shrug, was that I should drive "Vairee carfullee". My memory of wet hairpins on Alpine passes in a moderately powerful car with inactive traction control is not an experience I'd willingly repeat.

The German dealer, Autohaus Peter, Osterode in dem Harz, were welcoming, helpful and efficient beyond belief, staff even came in on a Sunday to run a confirmatory computer check on my car. They wanted to hold onto the car to fix the likely problem, no problem with loan cars etc, but it was running more or less OK, and we had almost two weeks of hotel bookings etc, so that wouldn't have been too convenient. Eventually they told me to keep an eye out for noises and warning lights etc, and to stop immediately if anything happened. I kept the revs down, the the next 2000 miles back to the UK were uneventful. I took the car straight to Poole MB dealer Sandown. They accessed the two German checks, and ran one of their own. This revealed that the 2000 miles of gentle running on top quality 102 octane Aral Ultimate had run the engine in perfectly, and the potentially serious fault had cleared. However, as there was no doubt the fault had existed, they replaced the cylinder head and some of the injection system anyway as a precaution. They's also noticed signs of corrosion on the AMG alloys and replaced three of them, this on a 6000 mile car that had never ventured out onto salted roads, but all this did take them ten days. That's real service of course, which goes some way in justifying Mercedes dealer charges,

 

[EmilysDad]

..... That's real service of course, which goes some way in justifying Mercedes dealer charges,

but surely you shouldn't had those kind of problems with a 6000 mile car .....

 

[Paul Garrett]

but surely you shouldn't had those kind of problems with a 6000 mile car .....

Thats what i was thinking, how on earth can all that go wrong on a car with so little milage? Seems they got a wrong un there?

 

[Rob7seven]

but surely you shouldn't had those kind of problems with a 6000 mile car .....

True, but clearly mine was ein Freitag Auto, even the best manufacturers have them it seems, and there were never any other problems with it.

 

[mioba]

Mobilo is renewed at every MB service. Regardless how old your car.

 

[rorywquin]

but I'm sure you'd save far more than the cost of AA or RAC if you have your car serviced at a good independent rather than main dealer servicing.

I checked with my indy (does the B class) and with the discount I got for my 3 year package - he could not compete.........

 

[rorywquin]

I was given the hard sell for a service plan from a MB dealer even though i have an older car but when i did the maths i was not worth it as i get the service parts myself , not need air filters as have K&N air filters,i buy a K&N oil filter, i buy the cabin filters from MB and change the charcoal filters when needed , oil i get a bit of discount when i buy Mobil 1 at halfords and the Bosch plugs every 30.000 miles and i just pay labour for sevice and A/C system check and regas if needed and they stamp my service book which is a new MB one i got off amazon

Lovely if you want to fiddle around servicing a car. I don’t. I’ve better things to do with my time. I stopped servicing my own cars the minute I could afford to do so.

 

[rorywquin]

Does the free Mobilo deal still apply if you have an MB serviced car after the three year warranty has expired, and is there any time limit? If it extends mainland Europe wide, for me at least, that would make it worthwhile paying for dealer servicing after 3 years, if I ever kept a car that long.

Yes.

 

[Ron240]

My cars first service is due at the end of June and I am glad I took out a 2 service plan soon after buying it. With the 20% promotional discount it corst me £576.
I am planning to ask how much this service costs before I mention I have a service plan. In fact I will not be mentioning it at all until after my service has been carried out if they dont ask me.

Just booked my car in for 18th June.
They did ask me if I have a service plan and it came up on their system anyway.
The cost of my A service if I was paying on the day would be £283.70, for basically an oil and filter change, top up screen wash and a set number of checks.
Time allocated for the service is around 1.5 hours I believe.

 

[s5tuart]

Just booked my car in for 18th June.
They did ask me if I have a service plan and it came up on their system anyway.
The cost of my A service if I was paying on the day would be £283.70, for basically an oil and filter change, top up screen wash and a set number of checks.
Time allocated for the service is around 1.5 hours I believe.

£189.133 per hour? Minus oil and filter of course

 

[Paul Garrett]

Lovely if you want to fiddle around servicing a car. I don’t. I’ve better things to do with my time. I stopped servicing my own cars the minute I could afford to do so.

Oh i never service my car rory, i just get the bits and only thing i do is the charcoal filters everything else garage can do oh and pollen filters when A/C needs a clean out.

 

[Ron240]

£189.133 per hour? Minus oil and filter of course

Yeah pretty much all main dealer servicing is daylight robbery....but that's where they make a significant amount of their profits.

 

[Paul Garrett]

Yeah pretty much all main dealer servicing is daylight robbery....but that's where they make a significant amount of their profits.

Would never let a main dealer service my car, esp as its an older car now, a new car yes to keep the service history on it but my local garage does a good job, cheaper and stamps book for me, anyway after my last debarkle with a main dealer over a new battery install i lost faith in them and called them incompetent , only use them for parts i need now....bunch if muppets

 

[mioba]

Yeah pretty much all main dealer servicing is daylight robbery....but that's where they make a significant amount of their profits.

Its what pays the salaries of of ppl walking around doing nothing and the huge showrooms. The customer service was much better before they went big franchise and it was local franchises.