is all I could say when the service advisor told me that my 2000 ML320 needed 4 wheels worth of brake pads to the tune of $660. $660!!!! That is a lot of enchiladas my friends. I checked the parts here and they run $230. Gee, I wonder what I'll do. :-)


$440 for pads
$220 in labor

Yeah, that's not right. Somethings goofy there alright. We get something over $100 for the front pads, i wanna say $130 or so, and .8 to install, so whatever .8 of $80/hr is- oh, $64. The rear I'm not sure on the price, i'd guess less than the fronts, same price for install as the front. Are you sure they aren't wanting to do rotors too?

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She said "pads and sensors".

Even that is a little misleading. The sensors on the ML are part of the pad assembly, not a seperate part on these like other Mercedes. I'm not there to look at the truck obviously, but my gut reaction is that the front pads may be ready for replacement at your mileage, on the rears I find it difficult to believe they are ready to be replaced. Got another MB shop who can look at it, or at least get a quote for reference on replacing the pads? The pads aren't part of the free service, just the inspection of them are, so you could get them replaced anywhere.
OR you could get the pads at fastlane and have them installed there maybe, if they'd do that. It would be interesting to get a quote from them for the parts only and labor only, I'd like to compare the price for parts against what we get for them, also the labor time they want to charge you (time units, not the hourly labor rate, that varies alot depending on, well, lots of things).
Gilly

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Thanks for the responses Dan, my wife is offering to fly you down to Texas for our MB repairs. She thinks it will be cheaper than our local dealer.

Kidding aside, I'll be doing the pads. I see in FastLane that the sensors are offered separately. I intend to take a look at the rear to see how much pad life is left.

Oh sure, for what I charge you could send me down there 1st class, or maybe charter a Learjet.
If you go back to Fastlane and look at the picture of the front brake pads, then enlarge that picture by clicking on it, you'll see that the pad sensor is already attached, that's how they come. I don't beleive that the picture they show of the front pad sensor (as a seperate part) is correct, that looks like a sensor for most 124's and 201'S, not an ML. The sensor is only on the left front, none on the right, and right now I'm not sure if a 320 has a rear sensor, I think it's just a "squealer" like a GM car has for example. Be sure to use the new covers for the sliders that are included.
I am unfamiliar with the Mintex pads, although I have seen this name on MB pads before, so I'm sure it's good stuff. I just don't know on the stuff "not in the MB box" what they come with for sure as far as sensors, everything I put on is in the MB box.
Have fun doing it, it's pretty simple.
Gilly
ps Since the pads come with the sensor already attached, I can't swear to the fact that the correct sensor is available seperately. You get a new one already with the pads, so it's a non-issue.

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Took off one rear wheel. The outboard pad looks to have about 60% left and the inboard about 50%. I realize that they wanted to replace them, knowing that they wouldn't last through to the next 12,000 mile service.

I just turned my $660 brake job into $110.