My first and last Mercedes, probably..!!

[Havard]

Yep. I have been warned about the inspection.

They won't be getting an inch out of me as they have already upset me with their antics. They can sue me as I have to pass the invoice at work too. I have never, ever heard of a car needing discs at such a low mileage. Looks like I'll be going to Audi or Volvo next time.

H.

 

[Mr Tidy]

That's disappointing OP.

When I sold my 123d at 81K miles it was on original pads and discs all round - but then it was a BMW! :lol:

You say the pads must be hard, but it could be the discs are soft - either way good luck getting it sorted.

 

[R60BBA]

Have you changed the front pads since ownernship?

No. Preston Mercedes tried to convince me that they must have been done on the first service if the discs are in this condition. I checked all the paperwork and they weren't done or even an advisory. I just paid for a basic service without any extras.

H.

They can’t argue that if there is no paperwork to support their claim.

From what you’ve said it’s probably one of the following:

1. Flat pads on uneven discs which cause hotspots when braking resulting in warping.
2. Pads were not bedded in properly.
3. Using the brake pedal at traffic lights and on hills instead of using the handbrake.

It is an interesting one as usually the pads go before the disc. But tbh, you’ve gotten 30,000 miles out of the car without changing the pads which is quite good imho.

Also, I know your car is on lease but I’m pretty sure you could take it to an indy and get a full set of OEM pads/discs and a fluid change for less than £800.

As long as you return the car in order how would they know?

 

[Lazza]

As part of the lease agreement, the car has to be serviced by a main dealer...

Glad you checked that, I was going to say that the ‘anyone can service as long as they use genuine parts’ really only applies to purchases, and the lease cars are almost always main dealer only for servicing.

Do brakes come under servicing? I would have thought they would be classed as consumables the same way as tyres. You aren't expected to go to a main dealer for those.

 

[Havard]

Have you changed the front pads since ownernship?

No. Preston Mercedes tried to convince me that they must have been done on the first service if the discs are in this condition. I checked all the paperwork and they weren't done or even an advisory. I just paid for a basic service without any extras.

H.

They can’t argue that if there is no paperwork to support their claim.

From what you’ve said it’s probably one of the following:

1. Flat pads on uneven discs which cause hotspots when braking resulting in warping.
2. Pads were not bedded in properly.
3. Using the brake pedal at traffic lights and on hills instead of using the handbrake.

It is an interesting one as usually the pads go before the disc. But tbh, you’ve gotten 30,000 miles out of the car without changing the pads which is quite good imho.

Also, I know your car is on lease but I’m pretty sure you could take it to an indy and get a full set of OEM pads/discs and a fluid change for less than £800.

As long as you return the car in order how would they know?

I am not sure if it is all logged on a central system. I hold the brake when stopped and very seldom use the handbrake, I don't see how this can casue problems if I am not moving. Also, I have driven all my cars like this for 26 years.

At 16k miles, the front discs were 25%, rears were 15% worn. Suddenly in the last 16k miles the wear has been accelerated.

I have learned my lesson with these guys and considering the potential purchases that I would make over the next few years, I wouldn't give Mercedes the time of day. Bolton have offered to have a look at the car for a second opinion but I know the discs are worn, you can tell but the question is why?

H.

 

[Angelus666]

Bugger that for a lease car....ebay is your friend here

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-C220-AMG-14-17-FRONT-BRAKE-DISCS-SET/112819459472?hash=item1a44905590:g:qqcAAOSwiYlaDHgi

 

[Hilly30si]

On my contract hire small print it said Service must be carried out at a Mercedes main dealer. It also stated that any service due before the end of the contract term must be carried out, so on a two year deal it would have to have two visits, if it was and 18 month deal then one visit would suffice.

 

[Havard]

I think I am stuffed as far as having work done anywhere else. At £497.00 to have two brake discs fitted, these guys know how to bill and don't even seem concerned that a customer is upset or the argument doesn't add up. At £1500 for two services on a car that is 21 months old, I think it is up there with Aston and Porsche prices.

H.

 

[Angelus666]

You can get the discs changed anywhere, even do them yourself....how will the leasing firm know they've been done elsewhere?

 

[Wondermike]

As part of the lease agreement, the car has to be serviced by a main dealer...

Glad you checked that, I was going to say that the ‘anyone can service as long as they use genuine parts’ really only applies to purchases, and the lease cars are almost always main dealer only for servicing.

Do brakes come under servicing? I would have thought they would be classed as consumables the same way as tyres. You aren't expected to go to a main dealer for those.

I don’t have a copy now, I thought my leases covered everything, including tyre choice - no budget tyres. Good point though, I can’t remember.

On my contract hire small print it said Service must be carried out at a Mercedes main dealer. It also stated that any service due before the end of the contract term must be carried out, so on a two year deal it would have to have two visits, if it was and 18 month deal then one visit would suffice.

The way around that is to have the first service 2-3 weeks late, so the second one isn’t quite due when they come to collect it. I got caught first time around but did the above next time and it was fine.

 

[Hilly30si]

When I went into the Dealership (not the supplying one ) about a month before the first service became due, the service manager told me the cost for the two services needed would be £1260 invc VAT. She then said because the car was not 12 months old she could do the Service Pack which then amounted to £730 inc VAT for both services. I took that out there and then.

It just makes my blood boil that they can charge for, what in my case would have been two oil changes and a general check. The mileage on the car at first service was 8k miles and only 17k when it went back. With Audi on a two year deal you would only service once

 

[Z4M-2006]

They have to grab money back somehow on these £299 a month deals..

We have seen a lot of BMW's wearing out rear pads and discs prematurely... Seen rear pads do 12/13k on the back and the discs mid 20k...

Front have been half worn and relatively fresh at same miles..

Weird.

 

[BMWZ4MC]

My wife has an E Class Coupe (which is mechanically more closely related to a C Class than an E) and she has it serviced at the main dealer to maintain its resale value. They routinely find additional items that ‘must’ be fixed if she takes the car in. Strangely enough, when I take it there and tell them to call me to authorise any work, they find that a service alone is enough!
My wife has been through two sets of pads each fronts and rear in about 70K km, and had an advisory that new discs should be fitted on one occasion. I told her to instruct them to replace the pads only and, when I checked, the discs were well within the specified minimum thickness with no lip (Sydney main dealers for expensive European cars are renowned for being crooks).
Your discs are shagged and need replacing, so clearly they aren’t trying it on. I would be concerned about the rapid wear and asking for a credible explanation.

 

[jimmybell]

To be honest, having had a C63 i'd not hesitate to buy another Merc, loved it. To balance the books i'll provide an example of good and bad Merc dealers... though i've had the same with BMW too, tbh:

My merc dealer of choice is AUC only but outstanding really, nothing but great service. At 'new to me' garages I tend to put a car in for MOT to 'test' interest in finding faults that don't exist, at Caterham, to my surprise i got back to find MOT complete, a full inside/outside valet, and they topped up my liquids and provided a full 100 point check type thing (no advisories!), with that video of the inspection too which is handy for a thorough check of tyre wear - essential on c63 heh. All for a £50! I also had a coffee on drop-off and one on collection. Pretty sure they made no money from me that day, but as such i go back there for any Merc stuff.

Ironically my local garage is actually Croydon, which until recently had 2.1/5 rating on google reviews (they've been doing work to fudge that upwards it seems, now at 3.3). I couldn't even BUY a car there if i WANTED to, incredibly hard to achieve anything in that dealer. After 3 failed attempts to test drive an A45 ('we've lost our car', 'sorry the salesman isnt in today for your booking', 'we forgot to book in your test drive in the calendar so the car is already out') i went elsewhere and bought a C63. I once made the mistake of going back in on a 'sales event' to enquire about a potential AMG GT purchase and it took them 40 mins to find a sales guy to speak to me, i gave up and left.