Sunroof question for M.B Doc

My trusted MB dealer in SE CT has just told me that one of the pop-up brackets in the sunroof of my '94 E320 wagon is badly damaged and with the headliner, parts and labor the job will be about $1200 (please consider regional costs in your reponse, CT is high in everything). They have always been very straight forward and treated me very well in the past. However I have read here that the roof liner ($330) is removable and may be re-used if not damaged. The question is:

Does this $$ for this job seem outrageous?

Is the headliner part of the sunroof mechanism?

I was told that the job is about 6 hours worth of labor. Is this accurate?

I have also read that in this model the sunroof is problematic. What should I look for next. I use it often.

Thanks for your time.

[mbdoc]

The W124 chassis sunroof isn't what I would call problematic. The W126 chassis(1986 & later) did have twice the problem with less than 1/3 as many sold. However the parts on both cars are made the same, so after repeated use they can be subject to failure.
That estimate is HIGH & I haven't ever seen any repairs that were with-in $400 of that, even with a new headliner.
Labor rate around here is $90 @ hr. & the job should be around 4.5-5 hrs.
IS there a hole in the headliner? Many times they can be removed & then re-bent back into original shape.

Thanks for the rapid response. There is no hole that I can see on the outside. I wasn't brave enough to remove the headliner myself and check inside. I have had a feeling for a while that some of the 'perks' given by my dealer here like free loaner cars, wash and vac jobs are really paid for by the customer in the cost of the job. They quoted me ~6 hours labor for the job. I guess it is the cost of doing business with them. I really don't have any complaints as I have called them up while driving to work to report a problem and they've taken me in and fixed the car the same day. Thanks again. Their labor rate is $79/hr by the way.

I hope your sunroof repair goes well. A couple of independent shops have quoted me around $600.00 to repair my non-op sunroof on my wagon, although the price can vary of course depending on actual parts needed. $ 1200 seems way high though.
BTW, how do you like the 99Eclass compared to your wagon?
I'm aving a bit of an adjustment problem in that I prefer to drive the old 87E300tdt rather than the 99E300turbodiesel that I bought a year ago.
Steve Hutson

Right now I prefer the wagon for a ride. I like the recirculating ball feel vs. the rack and pinion feel. I like the smaller steering wheel in the E300 though. I have read comments that the newer E class cars feel like an upgraded Honda but I think that is because of the R & P steering. I love the 'smooth' feel of the turbodiesel vs. gas engines though. It can't be described well enough to someone who doesn't have one. Thanks for the words of encouragement regarding the sunroof. I love driving the wagon with the roof open and all the windows down (kids don't like so much though!).