Mercedes Raodside Assistance - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jaschanks · #1 08-16-2008, 09:58 PM

Just wondering if anyone here has ever used the Mercedes Roadside Assistance program? What were your experiences and impressions? Is it a suitable replacement for AAA? I was curious as to what level of service to expect if the wife ever needs to use it. Thanks, JEFF

MTUpower · #2 08-16-2008, 10:06 PM

Not the place for this question, but I've used it and found it to be great. I dropped AAA for my wife because of the two times I used it I was impressed. Non diesel question ought to be posted elsewhere- this one may be best for OD.

Matt L · #3 08-16-2008, 10:09 PM

I have not used 1-800-FOR-MERC for a tow, but I am fairly sure that a tow is a service that you will have to pay for.

That said, I had AAA for a number of years. It might be useful if you're out in the middle of nowhere and don't know where to call for a tow, but 1-800-FOR-MERC is just as convenient for that. Especially considering how often that I really need to tow a car, which is probably once every ten years. Don't forget that if you actually use the AAA towing service, they won't want you to re-up. I am no longer a AAA member and have no inclination to sign up ever again.

When I was a member, I have called for service twice. Each time, it took almost two hours for a tow truck to arrive. That is not acceptable performance. I saved no money, but had my time wasted. You make your own choices. Your time might not be as valuable as mine, but even disregarding the extremely long wait times, it would have been cheaper if I had paid for all of my own tows and never heard of AAA.

zeke · #4 08-16-2008, 10:45 PM

We had each of our cars towed by AAA in the past week. Fast, courteous, responsible. No complaints.

Also called AAA when wife (then GF) broke my key off in the door of my Nissan truck in the middle of nowhere on a camping trip. Within an hour, a mobile locksmith came and had my old key (piece) out and a new key made.

We are plus members, so we have 4 tows of up to 100 miles/year.

pawoSD · #5 08-17-2008, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeke

We had each of our cars towed by AAA in the past week. Fast, courteous, responsible. No complaints.

Car reliability issues going on there??

I've used it once when I was stranded in northern KY on my way back from Florida, my voltage regulator had crapped out in Georgia, and I kept going....till it got dark and the battery was dead. I pulled off with no lights (no volts at all, not even enough to light the dome light!!) They came in about 45mins to an hour (they had to come like 25 miles) brought me a new battery, and suddenly the voltage regulator started working again (maybe it reseated with the engine stopped) and we were on our way. The alt worked another 5k before it finally died and I swapped it out.

All in all, excellent service, thanks MB!

compress ignite · #6 08-17-2008, 01:56 AM

Free:
1.Jumpstarts [or if yours is totally dead they'll bring you a new battery...
YES,you have to pay for the battery]
2.Using your spare Tire,they'll change a flat for you.
['Kind of like the clean underwear thing,induces you to keep your
spare in good shape...'Don't want the Technician frowning at
your ratty spare with no tread left]
3.'Bring you up to 3 gallons of fuel,if you run out.

Mercedes does not provide these services for free anywhere else on the Planet.

At the same time,having the telephone # of a skilled, reliable Rollback Operator can be a good thing.

Triple A is only as good as the contractor they use in the local area.
Sometimes Excellent...Sometimes a Nightmare. AND No Way to tell until
the truck drives up to you.(sometimes not even then,if you don't know what to look for)

jt20 · #7 08-17-2008, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by compress ignite

Free:
1.Jumpstarts [or if yours is totally dead they'll bring you a new battery...
YES,you have to pay for the battery]
2.Using your spare Tire,they'll change a flat for you.
['Kind of like the clean underwear thing,induces you to keep your
spare in good shape...'Don't want the Technician frowning at
your ratty spare with no tread left]
3.'Bring you up to 3 gallons of fuel,if you run out.

does the car have to be registered / current tags?

nhdoc · #8 08-17-2008, 08:02 AM

As others have said roadside assistance is not really a substitute for AAA for our older cars. They will bring you a battery or change a tire with your spare but they generally don't tow for free as AAA will.

I can say that with newer cars which are under warranty you do get towed for free but that's paid for by the warranty not by roadside assistance. I have AAA and have had to use it for towing a couple of times and have always been pleased with the service I have gotten from them...they were fast and always sent a good flatbed.

I find I can get more out of AAA discounts than it costs me in yearly fees (most hotel chains give a pretty good discount and even our local dairy queen takes 10% off for showing the card) not to mention car rentals if you do travel. All in all AAA is one of the few services I actually can say is worth the $$$.

compu_85 · #9 08-17-2008, 11:21 AM

So wait, that roadside service sticker under my sun visor is still valid? And it's free for the things mentioned above

-J

jaschanks · #10 08-17-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by compu_85

So wait, that roadside service sticker under my sun visor is still valid? And it's free for the things mentioned above

-J

Yep, as per the MB website any MB vehicle is covered no matter the year/owner.

compu_85 · #11 08-17-2008, 04:49 PM

Wow! That's a pleasant surprise!

Karma50 · #12 08-17-2008, 06:47 PM

I just found out today that the towing service is not free. I needed a tow (but as usual low on funds). The friendly person answering the line confirmed the services that Compress Ignite indicated are free for the life of any Mercedes. She offered to call a tow truck for me, but she didn't know if they have any kind of hook-up with the tow companies or if it would be the same as if I called a tow truck.

Does anyone know if the tow service is discounted?

This is for future reference for me as I was able to get going and get mine into the driveway without only the 3rd and 4th gear. Looks like this week I will be learning about transmissions as I figure out how to replace the B2 Band Piston. And I know this site will be a great help to this project as usual.

pawoSD · #13 08-17-2008, 08:56 PM

Parts and towing are not free....I paid $143 for my MB battery...

But it saved me, so it was worth it. And its nice to have a MB battery under the hood.

nhdoc · #14 08-17-2008, 10:04 PM

Nobody said parts and towing are free, the only thing which they provide free is some fuel if you run out (2-3 gallons) and they will swap a flat with your spare for free. They'd probably jump start you free too if all you had was a dead battery.

Myself, I carry extra fuel and can change a flat in 5-10 minutes so I'd never call them for that. They will install a new battery for the cost of the battery itself in most cases and that's a nice service but basically if you need to be towed you are still better off with AAA who will tow free up to 5 miles under their basic coverage and over that it's like $3 a mile. Just to get one tow a year pays for the service, not to mention all the free maps, discounts and other benefits you get with membership.

Again, roadside assistance is not the same as AAA. Roadside will send a tow out but it will cost you.

tobybul · #15 08-17-2008, 10:34 PM

Good discussion and topic. I myself tend to forget that the MB Road Assistance service is available to me... probably because I have AAA also. One thing to remember withe AAA however is to make sure that you contact them first if you need a tow - except in certain situations like emergencies. Otherwise they will not refund you your full tow cost.

I got stuck in snow in an interstate one time and a tow truck happen to be passing by and stopped to assist me. AAA paid the full cost.

I too was not aware that MB Road Asistance had limitations in what they will do. But its good to know just in case. Hopefully, this thread will help me remember about this service.