Question about obtaining service records from dealer

[speedy300Dturbo]

Case is:

Person A sells car to Person B, with most dealer records, but a few receipts have been lost.

Person B is no longer able to contact Person A, and Person B wants to obtain the service records from the dealership.

Is this possible, and how? I'm trying to help out a friend, thanks!

[RKreutzer]

Hi speedy300Dturbo,
when I bought my car used, I went to the local MB dealer who had performed some service. I believe it depends how you approach them and that you run into an employee who is normally helpful. My MB dealer had a computerized system that could print the last four years of work done on the car and thats what they printed out for me. It is not an invoice, but it lists what was done. Thats how I know my motor-mounds were done in 1999 etc. It might also help, if you give them an oil change to do.
Hope this helps.
Reinhard Kreutzer

[engatwork]

I owned an E320 that I had purchased from the dealer (it was a local trade in). The car had been serviced by this dealer since new and when I purchased it I just called the service manager and asked for copies of all the service records. He faxed them to me without any questions asked. They went with the car when I sold it.

My dealer (don't know if it is the case eveywhere) keep the car record since the delivery date as long as one invoice is produces every year.
In my case, my dealer has all records since day one (Dec 16th 1988).
JackD

[suginami]

My experience has been different than all of the other replies.

I have always considered myself a heckuva nice guy, but I went to three different dealers here in Southern California, and was told the same story three different times:

The maintenance and repair records belong to the owner - not the car. If person A had the work done, then they belong to him - not to you. If you want the records for person A, then he needs to get them on your behalf.

I tried everything - was as charming and handsome as I can be - and nobody budged. I even tried calling on the telephone - nothing worked.

I was told everytime that they could only provide me with a VMI - Vehicle Master Inquiry - which is only a record of the work that was done under warranty or recall.

If you are able to get all of the service and maintenance history like some or all of the others preceeding my reply, then I think you are lucky as you need them to "look the other way" and break their own rules in giving you this history.

Wishing you the best of luck,

[Southern]

My experience was similiar to Paul's except that I purchased my Mercedes from a private owner from San Diago and drove it home to Chicago.

I took the car to a local Mercedes dealer to replace the air filter and picked their brain about obtaining the service records. I was told that there are several types of computer systems used by Mercedes dealers and that they could not obtain records from a different system than what they had. They also said that if service was done by a non Mercedes dealer then no records would exist.

I was not too worried since the service book (that came with the car) seemed to have been up to date on the A & B service schedules per the stamps.

Per the posts on Mercedes shop I contacted MBUSA to obtain the orginial invoice and service records for my Mercedes. They sent me what they could obtain which was the warranty work that Mercedes performed on the car. None of the A & B service schedules were listed.

[fz500sel]

When I bought my '85 300D from the original owner back in 2000, he told me the dealership he had always had maintenance done at. When I went to that dealership and inquired about the maintenance records, they told me flat out that the records belong to the dealership and that I was welcomed to look them over and write down any notes but I wasnt able to copy any of them. That was fine by me. I got a notepad and pen from a salesperson there and sat there in the service department for an hour and went thru every piece of paper in that file. I got plenty of notes and then was able to put them on a floppy. I keep all of my service records and oil changes on floppy disks as well as hardcopy.

I guess from what it looks like whether or not you can get the records is dependent upon the dealership itself.

Good luck,

[TomLatos]

Here is what worked for me.

When I was considering purchase of my 95 E320, I took it to the local MB dealer and asked them to perform a pre-purchase inspection and give me a copy of the maint records. They did it an NC and I got the records with no problem.

[Freestyler]

I guess we europeans are more fortunate when it comes to obtaining service records.

MB keeps a giant database, (i have been told where the mainframe is located, but i have forgot..), which contains EVERY single record of EVERY single MB's maintenance throughout the cars entire life. -But apparently only for euro models..?

I can walk into any dealership and get a print-out of my cars maintenance record.
Great, isn't it?

Freestyler

[90mbenz]

When I bought my 90 300 SEL from a private individual a couple of years ago, I went to the dealer for a few parts and for a small service item (don't even remember what it was). I asked for the records and was told they "weren't allowed to do that." So I asked for the service manager (big, glass enclosed office). He informed me that it was "MB policy not to provide service history except for work performed by the current owner." I'm not a hothead, but expressed my dissatisfaction with that 'policy' in a respectful way.

A couple of months later, when I had something else done by the service department, I asked the (different) service rep if he wouldn't mind running a printout of the history. He said, "Sure!" and handed it to me without a thought.