Annual warranty service

[Bobbettyl]

2020 View 24D
Mercedes says I am due for annual maintenance which would be first time .
Asked approx what cost would be and he states approx. $900-1000 for this initial service.

I was somewhat shocked.

Anyone share their experiences with Mercedes warranty service ?

[RV-Travelers]

Mercedes-Benz vehicles are neither cheap to purchase nor to maintain. Perhaps that should have factored into your decision process when researching and purchasing an RV.

What, specifically, are they doing for $900 - $1000?

Our 2016 Era has specific service intervals for everything. The Service A and B schedules cover a lot of the basics. The timing is usually based on mileage and/or months.

Your dealer should be able to provide a detailed list of what's covered. Last I checked, the Schedule A service was $275 and B was $425 for our Era. These cover some basic inspections and services, such as oil and filter changes. Everything else is additional $.

Some of the services we have asked about are things like replacing the fuel filter (around $500) and servicing the transmission (fluid flush and exchange, also around $500).

If you are fairly handy mechanically there are some things you can tackle yourself. There are lots of videos on YouTube covering things like air filter replacement, oil and filter replacement, etc.

We recently took our Era in for the Service B maintenance. I gave them a written list of things to specifically NOT do that I could do myself, such as replacing the air and fuel filters as well as the windshield wipers. All of those things would have been additional cost on top of the Service A/B charges.

You can also look around for independent shops that specialize in Mercedes-Benz maintenance. One near us claims to be "Sprinter gurus" (our RV is built on an MB Sprinter 3500 van). They are a bit cheaper than the MB dealer, perhaps 25% or so on various services. You'll have to decide if the money you save is worth the risk; quality of independent shops may vary to some degree vs. MB dealers (which may also vary, but at least they probably have some level of competence and certification).

One thing I'll suggest is when the MB warranty (on our Era, 3 years / 36K miles bumper to bumper; drive train is 5 years / 60K miles, I think) is expiring, see if your MB dealer will do a free multi-point inspection. We took ours in at the 35-month mark and they didn't find anything. It was some peace of mind for us, particularly as we were leaving on a trip shortly thereafter.

It's expensive, but I have been satisfied with the Mercedes-Benz services to date. I always call the same service advisor, who is excellent. He is extremely knowledgeable, explains everything, is happy to quote prices for additional services and listens well.