Went to my local dealer to get some plastic fender liner nuts and happen to ask the price of the rear strut assemblies for my 99 ML 320. I had just purchased and installed a pair of Mercedes strut assemblies made by Sachs complete with Mercedes part# and MB star on shock body. I paid $107 for the pair. The dealers price is $418 each, that means $836 a pair. I think that equates to 750% more than I paid.

They charged $480 a pair for the front shocks. I paid $204 for a pair of Bilsteins that are of much higher quality than the ones the dealer sells.

If I purchased the front shocks and rear struts from the dealer it would have cost me $1316. I paid $311. for better quality front shocks and the identical rear struts. I saved $1005. on the parts alone.

I have no idea what they would charge for labor. The front and rear took me about 5 ½ hours but I’m not a professional and this is the first time I did shocks on an ML. I do used air tools for everything and that speeds things up. I would think someone with experience with an ML could do the whole job in 4 hours or less. However, it seems that the amount of time the dealer charges for a lot of jobs has nothing to do with the real time involved in doing that particular job.