Is Mercedes Benz expensive to maintain?

This article will answer the question: is Mercedes Benz expensive to maintain? We also find out some of the reasons behind the high maintenance cost of Mercedes Benz. 

Is Mercedes Benz expensive to maintain?

Yes, Mercedes Benz is very expensive to maintain. The cost of annual servicing of Mercedes Benz passenger cars can be from 500$ to 1000 $ depending on the model. 

The spare parts are also not cheap, as the majority of the parts are manufactured in German, they cost almost double in some markets like America, India etc as shipping costs and additional taxes are added to the base price of spare parts.

Mercedes Benz cars have the latest driver assistance systems and complex components onboard, working on these systems requires special highly qualified technicians. Therefore, the cost of labour can be from 150$ to 250$ based on the location of the dealership. The turnaround time and overall complexity of working on the vehicle are high.

 The drivetrain components are closely packed together hence in some cases complete engine assembly may be required to remove from the vehicle to rectify any oil or coolant leaks.

Over 3 years, the average cost of maintenance can be from 3000 $ to 5000 $. If the vehicle is not maintained properly unexpected electrical faults can occur. Diagnosis of such faults is expensive and if the vehicle is no longer under warranty, it can easily get out of budget depending on the nature of the fault. 

What are the reasons behind high maintenance costs?

Mercedes Benz passenger cars have high-performance engines and a 4Matic all-wheel-drive drivetrain. Some models even use hydraulic and pneumatic suspensions to provide the highest levels of comfort and performance to the customers. High levels of comfort and performance come at a price though, following are some of the reasons behind high maintenance costs:-

• proprietary engine oils and fluids 

Mercedes Benz uses proprietary engine oils and transmission fluid in its passenger cars to ensure reliability. The engine oil capacity of Mercedes Benz engines can be from 6 to 10 litres Only the engine oil is never replaced in Mercedes Benz service. engine Oil filter and drain plug or drain bolt washer are also replaced if the engine oil is drained from the drain plug on the oil pan. If the engine has an oil dipstick then the drain plug is not replaced as engine oil is extracted by oil extracted.

Mercedes Benz has standard 0 W 40 fully synthetic engine oil and a high-performance version Mercedes Benz AMG. Like other German car manufacturers, Mercedes Benz tests and publishes specified oil grades in MB sheet numbers. The MB sheet numbers start from MB226.5 and go till MB 229.7, depending on the engine in the vehicle the correct MB sheet number oil is used.

Currently, Mercedes Benz, 9-speed gearbox is largely used across its model range, the oil capacity is 10 litres and it is replaced at 60000km or after 4 years. The 9 G-Tronic also uses integrated transmission oil filters in the oil pan, which are also replaced at each oil change. Therefore the cost of a simple oil change can get up to 600$ if transmission oil is due to be replaced.

• Extensive service process

The usual service schedule is 15000 km or 1 year which comes early. The service computer in the vehicle notifies the driver of the remaining km or days. The servicing is categorised into service A and service B. Service B involves additional tasks like replacing the fuel filter, replacing the automatic transmission oil and oil filter.

When the vehicle reports for service to a workshop, it is not limited to the simple oil change, the vehicle is thoroughly checked according to the service checksheet. Onboard computers are scanned for any fault codes and the condition of the battery is also checked by a midtronics tester.

Processes involved in service of Mercedes Benz passenger cars.

• Interactive session- when the vehicle reports for service to the workshop, a visual inspection and short test is performed with the customer. Additional tasks like oil leaks, coolant leaks, and damages to suspension components are identified and explained to the customer.
• After the interactive session, the technician covers the vehicle interior with seat covers and performs checks according to the service checksheet of the vehicle
• Additional jobs- the main goal is vehicles should report to the workshop only once, if the brake pads and tyres are close to wearing limits additional estimate is given to the customer.
• After replacing engine oil and oil filters, drain bolts are replaced and torqued to spec
• Brake fluid is also replaced, wheels are removed and wheel hubs are cleaned and lubricated.
• Lastly, star diagnosis is used to scan the vehicle fault memory.
• If there are any applicable service measures, they are also performed after servicing.
• The quality inspector checks the vehicle by performing a road test before the vehicle is cleaned and returned to the customer.

 A vehicle health card is filled by a technician after assessing the condition of brake pads, brake disc and main battery and it is presented to the customer at the time of delivery of the vehicle. 

• Additional jobs and Fault rectification

During visual inspection of the vehicle underbody. Suspension components like lower control arms, thrust arms, ball joints and shock absorbers are checked. Any cuts or leaks are identified which can compromise the operation of the vehicle.

Suspension components are subjected to constant stress and they are more exposed to the elements. Despite the superior quality of Mercedes Benz parts, certain components like shock absorbers and ball joints can leak due to bad road conditions. 

Brake pads and brake discs are not covered under warranty as they are classified as worn components. Usually, Mercedes Benz brake pads and discs can last for 30000 km but if the vehicle is used in the city and under a constant braking zone, then the brake pads are replaced during the service.

Fault rectification is the process of replacing the faulty part so that the fault does not occur. However, as Mercedes Benz uses complex engineered parts they rely on each other to function properly. 

Fault in one component can affect or damage another component for example, if there is an open circuit in one or more glow plugs then instead of replacing only affected parts all the glow plugs along with the output stage relay are recommended to be replaced. This is done to avoid repeat repairs and frequent breakdowns.

• Expensive engine repairs

Engine oil leaks are identified before performing an oil change. The quality of engine oil drained is also checked, if it is less than the specified quantity further checks are performed to ensure there is no excessive engine oil consumption. 

Engine oil leaks can be expensive to rectify, oil leaks from crankshaft rear oil seals need complete removal of engine and gearbox from the vehicle and total repair cost can be up to 600 $.

Mercedes Benz uses NANOSLIDE coating on the cylinder walls. This is an extremely thin coating applied to the inner surface of the cylinder to reduce friction between the piston. Twin-wire arc spraying (TWAS) is used to spray an extremely thin coat of iron-carbon alloy on the cylinder walls.  The friction between the piston and piston rings is reduced by almost 50 per cent.

If the vehicle is driven through the water, the engine can suck water from the intake port and as water is an incompressible fluid, it will damage the engine and cause the hydrostatic lock. Such an engine needs to be rebuilt, authorised parts are available at the dealerships and after repairs, the engine can last for the entire service life of the vehicle. Engine blocks with NANOSLIDE coating must not be resleeved and reused. The entire block or in some cases complete engine must be replaced.

Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in

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Which is the most reliable Mercedes Benz?

Conclusion

Even if the maintenance cost of Mercedes Benz cars is on the higher side, they can last for more than 10 years without any major issues. The company also offers a standard warranty of 3 years and unlimited mileage, extended warranty packages can also be purchased until 6 years. Star ease service packages can be bought for almost 10 years which can hugely benefit the customer by locking the service cost at the time of purchasing the package.

FAQs: is Mercedes Benz expensive to maintain?

Do Mercedes have a lot of problems?

Mercedes Benz cars do not have a lot of problems if periodic maintenance is performed regularly. If the condition of the vehicle is neglected the Mercedes Benz like any other car can have a lot of problems.

Is Mercedes-Benz a reliable car?

yes, Mercedes Benz is a reliable car, company offers 5 years standard warranty with unlimited KMs and customers can even purchase an extended warranty package from the authorised dealerships.