PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Sunroof Repair Cost on W126 (Reasonable?)

Lance Allison · #4 06-22-2002, 05:38 PM

So just how is it the dealer is being mistreated? They are charging about $90 an hour for their services and at that price, I expect them to return nothing but top-notch results. There should be NO QUESTION as to whether or not they are overcharging or doing shoddy work.

I went into this knowing it would cost a couple hundred dollars and had no issues with that. I actually have no problem paying what they are quoting, but was simply questioning if I was being offered a fair price. What is wrong with that?

Based on a service invoice dated 09/15/1999 for the same job I am having done, the job total was about $1090. It broke down this way...

Total parts 616.25
Total Labor 428.40 (5.6 hrs @ $76.50/hr)
Taxes 41.60
Shop Charge 4.00

Understandably the labor rate and parts costs have increased nominally since Sept 1999, but going from $1100 to $1500 seems a bit much.

I'm a bit reluctant to take any MB dealership service center at their word anymore. I don't know if you remember reading a post from me around April or May last year, but what should have been a simple replacement aux water pump ended up costing almost $5300. I took it in for a problem they diagnosed as a bad aux water pump and monovalve. About 15 min out of town from picking up the car, it started overheating (which it had never done before). Once it reached about 110-115, I called the service writer. After being assured it was okay to drive with the temp gauge pegged, I hauled it right back to the dealer doing the original work. 10 weeks and $5300 later, the car was fixed. Kinda funny considering my car had a complete top end rebuild/update about 50k miles before. Also, on the service invoice, the overheating was not mentioned. My theory is someone didn't refill the coolant. No way to prove it, I just know the car never had overheating issues prior to their work.

So again, how is it the dealer is being abused?????