Is anyone aware if MB’s lease terms require one to service a leased vehicle at a dealership? I’m looking into leasing one and realized that their “A” and “B” maintenance packages that are required every 10k miles start at ~$250 and go up to ~$700. Of course there’s always a euro car tax, but several hundred dollars for what effectively amounts to an oil change seems absurd and completely changes the total cost of the lease. __
So, I suppose my question is, can you just get the car serviced at an ASE independent shop (keeping documentation, of course)?
I believe that, legally, manufacturers aren’t allowed to force you to service your car at the dealership. Make sure to keep documentation of all the services you do, though.
I’ve owned four Mercedes Benz and they are not cheap to maintain. Currently, the “A” schedule maint is primarily an oil change. Pre 2010 they used to be free but now range from 250-300. The “B” is above $350 (with coupon about $350). The “B” is oil, fluid check, tire check, wiper blade replacement, car wash and other bogus checks. I was glad to finish my lease on my 2014 E350. If you purchase the service up front it still way too expensive. For example, my current lease (Lexus G350 FS) my oil changes are less than a hundred bucks. I do not go to the Lexus dealership but opt to go to Toyota dealership. I miss the great customer service but don’t miss the price markups. When I had my last MBZ I went to a certified service center and it did NOT nullify my warranty. I was told as long as I kept a copy of my service records I was ok. When I turned the car in, it took about 15 minutes. MBZ of San Diego leasing rep walked outside (10 minutes), verified mileage, walked around the car and came back. I signed a form (car release and liability) then left. A month later I received the standard lease return fees. Real easy.
BTW, there was another guy before me that turned his car in. His MBZ E-class was a mess and was 4K over mileage allocation. His Benz looked like he used it to go camping. When the leasing agent reported he owed a lot of money, his reply was that he leased five MBZ’s prior and was getting another. But if he gets charged then he will lease another car like a BMW. He was pretty irate. The lease rep said she was sorry and he was not charged. During the past six years, leasing has been a breeze (on my third lease now).
They do have higher tolerance than gm or toyota based on the reports. Of course mercedes return fee is like 695. I am trying to see if I can lease a cheap smart car to get away from that requirement.
They use a credit card to determine if the damage is too big
It seems that the general consensus is that it’s probably not mandated in the lease agreement, but this is something I’ll obviously have to confirm independently when I read through the contract. It’s just nice to be armed with some anecdotal information before going into the dealer.
if you are leasing a benz, make your life easier and get their prepaid maintenance. i brought my C300 to a local euro shop and they didn’t do something that was required…i got charged for that when i returned the car - i had no idea.
for the extra 15 bucks a month, they can maintain it-for that little amount why risk it on a lease AND i have a MB…it’s not that much more each month for total piece of mind!!!
