IS IT TRUE THAT IT IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TO MAKE REPAIRS ON A MERCEDES OR BMW THAN MOST OTHER CARS?
(2010-05-27 20:29:09) 1. Says: I own a 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse and want to sell it to buy a 2002 - 2004 Mercedes or BMW. I will probably get about $6,500 for my car and the cars I am interested in purchasing range from $9,000 to $14,000. My father keeps telling me that I will not be able to afford repairs on a Mercedes or BMW. Are the repairs/tires/etc. that much more expensive for them? Also, he said most garages like the ones I am use to bringing my Eclipse to for repairs (like muffler/sunroof not opening, etc) will not even try to repair a mercedes or bmw. Who will then?2. Says: Yes, very true. Your dad and everyone is right except for wiseornotyoudecide.All European cars suck to work on. Mercedes, BMW, VW, Volvo, Porsche etc. are all over-engineered and aren't designed with any common sense. German's make it really hard to work on there stuff forcing you to go to the dealer.
Here's one example. In order to aim the headlight's on the new Mercedes, you need a $5000 hand held device and that's all it does. In order to aim the headlights on an Eclipse, you need a screwdriver.
Don't even think of using anything but genuine BMW dealership parts like brake pads etc. or your wasting your time because nothing else works right.
I'm a professional, sure I can fix electrical issues on a BMW but you know what? It's not worth my time. Let some other sucker work on it. It's no problem for factory trained BMW mechanics because that's all they work on and have access to all the software that BMW won't release to the aftermarket. They release just enough to the rest of the repair industry to please the EPA. Jerks.3. Says: Yes, repairs on BMWs/Mercs are a lot more expensive. A friend of mine had the door bashed in on his BMW and it cost $5,000 to fix.
You will have to take a BMW/Merc to a mechanic who specialises either in prestige or European cars. I drive a Peugeot and get it serviced at the dealer, purely because they have an in-depth knowledge of the car.4. Says: Many of the higher-end or traditionally European car brands - BMW, Mercedes-Benz, but even VW or Volvo - require specialized training. Your standard mechanic these days can work on US/Japanese cars, but BMW and several other brands require an extra year of training, as well as occasional courses afterward, for the mechanic to be certified to work on these cars. These mechanics are hand-picked by the specialty schools.
As a result, to have a certified brand mechanic is costly and often requires going to a dealership that has one or more of these certified mechanics on staff.5. Says: depends on the area you live really but it usally cost more because many shops do know how to work on them... you must find speciallty shop or take it to a dealer and dealers charge alot more than normal shops...6. Says: Why don't you do research on your own by contacting part stores, dealerships, and shops on how much it would cost to repair the vehicle you want. You can also find out what are the most common problems or replacement parts on a certain vehicle by inquiring around. I can tell you that most BMW's and Mercedes use premium, and would probably burn it much faster than your eclipse at much less mileage. If you put regular you will have many problems, so my suggestion is due your research and if you can't afford to put premium on a vehicle maybe is not a good idea to get one. Also Insurance for those vehicles are ridiculously expensive, something else to think about. IN response to some of the postings here about specialty schools, that is nonsense FACT Toyota, Honda, and Mitsubishi are the most sophisticated vehicles on the road electronically. A Honda civic has more computer power than a Ferrari F40, and that says allot. Specialty schools my rear end, sure there is training but any mechanic knowing the basic workings of the vehicle and understanding of the electronics can fix any vehicle. Only diagnosing trough the computer is a problems as specific software is required, but if any mechanic was allowed to have the software they could as well fix any vehicle, and there would be no need for dealerships to claim their mechanics are special. By the way Every single vehicle, machinery, device that has some electronics in it anywhere in the world has Mitsubishi technology in it, FACT. Yes even BMW's and Mercedes7. Says: your dads right most garages don't carry the parts cost too much very few parts made by other companies
the mechanics need training on those cars costs a lot
both the garage and mechs need to be certified to work on the cars or you blow your warranty and they can get into trouble8. Says: Most luxury car brand repairs are expensive. Often there is more time involved in the repair, and parts tend to run higher than normal too. For example, you can buy a decent tire for most cars for around $60. Mercedes tires are uncommon sizes, and usually range from $120 for the bottom of the line tires to $350+ for higher end tires (Continental DWS run about $170 per tire most places and are a good choice).
Your dad is 100% incorrect when he said most garages won't attempt to repair a BMW or Mercedes. The thing you have to watch out for is most garages WILL attempt to repair a Mercedes or a BMW. Most likely they will not have the parts and will have to special order them. However, most garages may not be able to complete the repair correctly and cause you a whole lot more cash as a result, depending what is being done because working on a Mercedes is a bit more complex than working on a Toyota. However, a good mechanic will be able to fix your car no matter what it is.
The dealership is always a good place to service especially for major services that require an indepth knowledge of the car (anything that involves engine work basically -- anything else anybody can do) because the mechanics there are used to doing it, but they will charge you an arm and a leg. If you have a warranty, they can do your warranty work. Also, servicing elsewhere may possibly void your warranty, but fewer warranties have that in the fine print in recent years -- read your fine print!
If you look around town however, you probably can find a private repair garage that specializes in high end imports that will save you a lot of money. There's at least two places near where I live like this I can think of off the top of my head. Look at the cars in their lot awaiting pickup, and if you see a lot of Mercedes or BMWs sitting in the lot, that is a good sign. Then, google the repair shop name and find some reviews online.
Don't expect $6,500 for a trade in unless a dealer is running a special where they will double your trade in value. If it still has low miles and is in excellent (showroom) condition, expect $4000 tops for an 02 Eclipse.
Also, Mercedes and BMW's reliability is below average. Not like Kia/Hyundai bad, or even Chrysler/Dodge bad, but expect more repairs than you would with your Ford, Honda, Buick, or Toyota (assuming all the recalls were completed).9. Says: Mercedes repairs are not out of line compared to other luxury vehicles but they are more expensive compared to more entry level vehicles. I'm not sure about BMW's though.
Pretty much every garage/shop will take in a Benz or BMW but what some of them lack is the experience, tools, and/or diagnostic equipment to properly service those vehicles. I have personally come across instances where a Benz was worked on by a shop and the job was clearly over their heads. The car would then need to be taken to another shop or dealer to fix what the first shop messed up. In my opinion, it pays to search out either speciality shops, or even a dealer, that has the experience to work on the vehicle and fix it correctly the first time. Tag: IS IT TRUE THAT IT IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TO MAKE REPAIRS ON A MERCEDES OR BMW THAN MOST OTHER CARS?