SLK servicing cost

[robcatterall]

I've just been quoted around £500 for a service on my 2001 slk230 with 46,000 miles on the clock. They say it is a B service which will take around 3 hours. Does anyone think this price is a bit excessive? Should I take it to a non MB garage and lose money on its re-sale value or pay the extra for MB service history? Does anyone know how much MB service contracts are?

 

[jberks]

This old chestnut again. To use dealers or not.
3 hours at £90+vat is £320 without oil and parts so you can see where £500 comes from.

You need to check exactly what they include in the quote as they may have factored in work they do at 50k etc. E.g. My dealer wanted to change the plugs at 50k - I didn't and I won!

Ring round other dealers, you will find the price varies between them my more than you'd expect and you can haggle.

I personally don't believe specialist service history damages the resale value - certainly FMBSH doesn't seem to encourage the dealer to offer more than trade, but it's horses for courses. I still use the dealer for servicing though I use a specialist for everything else. This is mainly for the corrosion warranty though and i may not do this much longer - probably the next A service as its only a couple of hundred, and then to the specialist for the B on.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

My view...your car is out of warranty...go get other quotes and check out independants....then choose....the full service histroy may help you sell in on but it doesnt have to be MB dealer service...just shown that you have serviced it correctly when it is meant to have it so the new buyer is fully aware of how well it has been looked after by its previous owner, where as one without any service history will be deemed a dog and generally only bought by those who have a good idea what they are doing....or and MB dealer who knows there stuff....


and check you oil type and supply your own...it will knock £30 off.

as above check exactly what you are too recieve for this price. It May be that they are doing a complex service and it may not seem as high if that is the absolute total. I would guess that there may be more to add to that.


and the news this week is the service and repair industry has been told to clean up its act...here is the time for the MB dealers to off load the shyster practices, drop the prices to undercut the indy's and provide full support and back up....which of course would be subsidised by them loonies like me, who buy new cars.....but at least we would go back, which is what they want so while you wait they can tempt you to buy a new car again and so it goes on etc....it isnt difficutl is it, and yet they have never got this bit right....makes you wonder why they bother selling the cars in the first place.

 

[robcatterall]

SLK service cost

Thanks for the replies, they are most appreciated. The quote I got was from a dealership down south, the dealership my Dad uses in Liverpool said that a £500 service would be a 5 hour job and doubted my car needed it. I'm still unsure as to what to do, I'll probably end up paying it this once as I might get the new model in the next year. In the meantime I might ask MB how much a service contract would be.
Thanks again and appologies if this topic has been discussed before,
Rob