For many, owning a Mercedes is a dream come true, but one thing that it’s impossible to avoid thinking about when considering any premium vehicle is the cost of services and maintenance.
Picture the scene: you’ve just purchased a brand-new Mercedes A-Class, but now you’ve started to think about how much it’s going to cost to keep it on the road and you’re worried. The last thing you want is to keep on paying out premium prices over the next ten years (or perhaps longer) to repair your vehicle.
When you purchase a new premium car you’ve already taken the price and the running cost into account. Often the maintenance and service costs are a secondary thought, though the assumption made by many is that keeping your premium car well-maintained will be expensive.
How close is this assumption to the reality?
If you’re in the market for a brand new car and you’re considering a Mercedes C-Class, an S-Class or perhaps a top-of-the-range AMG-Line model, it’s worth having a clear idea of the sort of prices you could expect to pay to ensure that your vehicle is being maintained correctly and that you aren’t presented with any unpleasant surprises when you take your car for a service.
Want to talk to someone about leasing a new Mercedes? Contact our team of vehicle experts and we can help you. Request a callback or call us now on 01903 538835.
Mercedes service costs – how much does it cost?
Ensuring that your car is regularly serviced is common sense. Though it’s not a legal requirement, it’s recommended that you take your vehicle in for a service every 6,000 – 10,000 miles. This will ensure that your car is roadworthy.
Mercedes, as a brand, offer two service types. Both are full services that can be carried out by any authorised dealership, or other service providers, such as Kwik-Fit.
A Service
This is the first regular service that your Mercedes will need. You should book this in just before your car has its first birthday or you’ve driven 10,000 miles.
The exact time that an A Service is required will be, conveniently, determined by your Mercedes’ Flexible Service System.
The A Service is the smaller service, so could be compared to an Interim Service. There are five standard checks and tasks carried out when you take your Mercedes in to the dealership or garage.
- Synthetic motor oil replacement
- Oil filter replacement
- Tyre inflation check and correction
- Brake component inspection
- Reset maintenance counter
The cost of the A Service varies by model, but prices start at just under £200 if you have an A-Class.
B Service
The B Service is the more comprehensive service and is recommended for vehicles that travel longer distances. So, if you do 20,000 to 30,000 miles or more a year in your Mercedes then you would be recommended to have this service.
Because the service covers more issues and is more extensive than the A Service, it is more expensive.
The B Service should be scheduled when your vehicle is around two years old (so one year after your first A Service), and then arrange to have a B Service every two years after that.
The B Service includes all the items included in the A Service as well as a number of other checks.
Interior
- Function check
- Warning and indicator lights
- Interior lights
- Windscreen wipers/fluid
- Replace dust filter
- Replace combination filter
- Parking brake
Wheels, brakes
- Condition/thickness of front and rear brake discs
- Front and rear brake pads for lining thickness
- Tyres for damage/condition
- Tyre tread depth
- Tyre inflation pressure
Vehicle underside
- Major component leakage
- Chafe marks, line routing, damaged components
- Front axle ball joints and rubber boots
- Mechanical steering components and rubber boots
Engine compartment
- Major component leakage
- Chafe marks, line routing, damaged components
- Check and replenish all fluid levels
- Engine oil and filter
- Engine cooling system (antifreeze and corrosion protection)
- Brake system
- Power steering
- Check and correct battery fluid level
- Active body control
- Windshield washer system
- Catch, safety catch and hinges on engine hood
- Condition of ply V-belt
Boot
- Battery condition
- Spare tyre inflation pressure
As it is a far more comprehensive check of your vehicle, the B Service costs start at £270, with prices changing depending upon the model you drive.
Mercedes service plan price examples
Example 1
Model: A-Class
Age: Less than 12 months
Mileage: 0 – 15,500 miles per year
Cost for 2 annual services: £720
Cost spread over 12 months: £60 per month
Example 2
Model: A-Class
Age: More than 12 months
Mileage: 15,500 – 31,000 miles per year
Cost for 2 annual services: £792
Cost spread over 12 months: £66 per month
Example 3
Model: S-Class
Age: Less than 12 months
Mileage: 0 – 15,500 miles per year
Cost for 2 annual services: £936
Cost spread over 12 months: £78 per month
Example 4
Model: S-Class
Age: More than 12 months
Mileage: 15,500 – 31,000 miles per year
Cost for 2 annual services: £1,080
Cost spread over 12 months: £90 per month
How much do Mercedes parts cost to replace?
Thanks to sites like WhoCanFixMyCar.com and YourMechanic.com it’s becoming easier to get the cost for replacing individual components for your Mercedes.
We have collected some average repair and replacement costs in the UK to provide some guidance, so that you aren’t hit with a huge unexpected cost if you need to take your Mercedes in to a garage to get anything fixed. All these costs are an average and will vary depending on the model you drive and, often, your location.
- Clutch replacement = £454
- Brake pads and discs = £306
- Brake repairs = £400
- Diesel particulate filter replacement = £268
- Alternator repair = £350
- Parking sensors = £168
- Starter motor = £283
- Cambelt change = £327
- Timing chain = £700
- Fan belt = £92
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How much does a Mercedes cost to maintain long term?
If you own a premium car, such as a Mercedes, for ten years or more, the last thing you want is for escalating repair and service costs to keep on hitting you in the wallet.
If you are planning on running your car for the long term (more than 8-years) then the good news is that the cost of running a Mercedes is cheaper than looking after Audi or BMW premium models.
Ensuring that you maintain your vehicle gives you reassurance that it won’t break down when you need it the most. If you would like to find out more about the reliability of Mercedes models, we have a detailed article outlining what you can expect from the manufacturer.
The two main reasons why Mercedes cost less to maintain in the long term are reasons to consider purchasing one.
- Mechanically less complicated – we know that every vehicle has, on average, 30,000 moving parts, however, Mercedes models have less complex functionality than other premium models.
- Previous research has shown that Mercedes owners might be more willing to live with some of the less safety-related problems instead of getting them fixed in the short term.
All in all, Mercedes service and maintenance costs are high, but compared to rival premium cars they are not so unfavourable.
Having read this article, we hope that you’re now in a stronger position to make an informed decision regarding your next car.
This article was written in September 2020. All prices were correct at the time of writing.
Except this is a complete bs. MB A Service is almost £400, a B service just came up as £621.01 (base) + extras for any other work like break fluid change, cabin air filter so count it well over £1000.
Your comment is right, as our article says a BMW is more expensive than a Mercedes to maintain, as the table in this article shows, which are the results of research, which came from statistics covering thousands of vehicles. A BMW typically over 10 years will cost £3759 more to maintain than a Mercedes. Mercedes servicing and maintenance costs are in line with Audi and Volvo. One easy way of reducing the costs of maintenance on any car and maintain your warranty would be to get the tyres, brake pads, discs and wipers changed at a Non-Franchised Dealer and get the standard service done at the dealership. Thanks again for your comments supporting our article.
This article is deceiving. The tile is: Are mercedes expensive to maintain? The answer is YES. the fact that BMWs are more expensive to maintain does not justify the outrageousness of how expensive is to maintain a Mercedes. The prices of yearly maintenance are wrong and it does not consider the price of recommended maintenance after certain number of mileage. Do I like my Mercedes? YES. Is it extremely expensive to maintain? Absolutely. I just paid $5000 USD for maintenance last time I took my 5 year old Mercedes to the shop. Simply put Mercedes Benz cars are for either the ignorant, the rich and ignorant or the 1 top percent.
Hi Cesar,
Thank you for your comment. Sorry to hear that you had so much expense with your Mercedes. I am sure that our US readers will find your insights helpful when it comes to making their choices.
The costs mentioned are not true . B service for a Mercedes is £500 and A service £300
Hi Vic,
Thank you for your comment. The prices in the article were correct at the time it was researched, and from further research we have found that the service costs depend greatly upon the individual car. I am sure that our readers will find this information helpful as a guideline for their expected costs when booking a service.
My 2012 SLK is having a B1 service at a cost of £772. I was quoted a higher price of £945. Both were MB dealerships.
Disclaimer: I don’t work for MB; just doing my homework before buying one. Made some service enquiries from local MB franchise today. For a 66 reg E-class 220 d estate you are looking at around: A Service: £550, B service £700, alternating every 15k or annually, gearbox service £900 needed less often. MB recommendation: go with the service plan at £39 per month for 3 years if you drive less than 15k / year which supposedly covers all three or look at a 4yr plan. Other prices: front disks and pads: £575, Rear disks and pads: £520. Couldn’t get a price for the timing belt / chain change, but if my experience with other brands is anything to go by, this won’t be cheap either. The dealer did confirm that brake and tyre work doesn’t affect warranty or service plan, so you can save money there.
Hi Robert,
Thank you for doing this research, and for sharing it with our readers. If you are still in the consideration stage with your vehicle purchase, it may be worth looking into leasing a brand new model. If you would like to speak with one of our vehicle specialists about the possibility of a lease with maintenance package, please contact Amanda on 01903 223391 and she will be able to pass you to one of our experienced team to talk through your options.
Hi
My 2013, 6 year old 50k, E220 CDI AMG Sport passed the MOT again in May 2019, and the cost was £30.50 for the test fee….no advisories.
Hi John,
It’s always good to hear from someone who has had a long-term positive experience with a car. I am sure that our readers will find this informative when it comes to buying a new car.
What BMW and Mercedes engines have cambelts? Pretty much all their modern engines have timing chains.
Hi John,
Thank you for highlighting this. We are in the process of updating a lot of the older pieces on the website with more current data and this is on our list to work on very shortly.
I have just had my Mercedes 220d serviced and MOTed I felt that I was being ripped off. I bought my car close to a year ago and I took out the service plan thinking it would save me money, I feel I made the wrong judgment. The nsf spring and link arm needed to be replaced or it would fail the MOT so I had no choice but to tell them to go ahead with the repair. So the service plan has cost me close to £450 then a further £532 nearly a £1000 for the first year of the car I expect more from Mercedes Benz it’s actually put me off the car now. And now thinking of getting rid.
Hi Donna,
If you are looking to upgrade and would like information on part-exchange on your current vehicle, please get in touch with Amanda on 01903 223391 in our Sussex office and she will be able to help you.
C200 Sport, coming up to 3 years old. Quoted just over £600 for an A service and MOT. (10, 000 miles covered from new). Rip off from MB Teesside! How much does an oil change cost
My local VW dealer does service Long life oil and filter for £99.
They check all other main fluid levels and look for any other issues.
All issues and visual checks are sent to me by video.
And they stamp my service book.
Don’t really know where Mercedes are getting these ridiculous prices.
In the main they use Oil and an oil filter.
Thanks for sharing detailed article regarding BMW service cost.
Mercedes b (full service) are not that cheap, they are quoted at £490 by Mercedes themselves, you can get them cheaper at independent garages but it’s safe to stick with the manufacturer for parts etc.
Hi Scott,
Thank you. We are in the process of updating some articles on the website with the latest information and this is on the list of pieces that we will be reviewing very soon.
Hi my c class cdi 220, 2012 year. The rear sub frame has snapped on a weld joint, not good as I was scared when it happened, it is in my local garage awaiting a new sub frame from Mercedes but has not arrived yet. Mercedes say they are in high demand. Is there any warranty that can help with the cost of replacement and labour? The car has done 71,000 miles and I don’t consider that high. Also there is no rust present. So the break was caused by a weak weld.
Hi David, thank you for sharing your experience with Mercedes, this will be very useful for our readers. To answer your question about Mercedes warranty, this completely depends on the length of your warranty and whether you bought it from a Mercedes-Benz Retailer or an Independent Retailer. From research, I’ve found that you are covered by “Parts Warranty” for two years from the date of purchase. If you purchased your Vehicle in 2012 it’s likely that the warranty has ran out and needs to be extended. If you’re ever looking to upgrade your current car, our Vehicle Specialists can secure your perfect next vehicle. Call our team on 01903 538835.