ml320 starter cost me $1,060!!!!

My on going nightmare of problems continue w/ my 98 ml320 w/ 65,000 miles. As if the non ending rattles & squeeks arent enough, i just got a quote on a starter that needs to be replaced at $1,060!!!! $600 for the starter & over $400 to replace it. Insane! The dealer said that it requires 5 hours of labor to replace it. I have to sell this pile of junk before i set fire to it. 3 months ago i had the 4 wheel drive differential replaced at a tune of $2,050. A vehicle that costs this much & w/ 65,000 miles on it shouldnt be having this many problems. Mercedes should be embarassed selling crap like this. I will buy a Kia or a Hyundia w/ there 10 year warranty & sell this lemon asap. Mercedes SUCK!!!!!

Reply to
jjW
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LOL! Why? It's a modern MBZ!

Reply to
trexo

Autozone has it for $190 rebuilt with lifetime warranty... this is far reasonable than $600 for a new one... or $420 for a Bosch rebuilt... probably only 1 year warranty.

Take it to independent shop and probably only $200 labor... so $400 instead of $1060... shop harder next time.

Reply to
Tiger

If the car is out of warranty, then why are you going to the dealership? As with any make of automobile the dealership will always be your most expensive alternative with regards to labor rates (gotta pay for that fancy showroom somehow) and parts (they will typically replace more than needed and always use brand new rather than re-manufacatured).

All cars have mechanical problems - Benz is no different. And the ML has never been one of my favorites wrt ride or longevity. It's possible that this is a problem given that they are built in the U.S. (Alabama) rather than Germany.

Reply to
Josh

I am bringing it to an independent shop & they are doing it for $750. Dealer charged me $160 to diagnose it. Still alot of $$$. Time & no tools prevent me from doing this job myself...if i can even replace it myself. Replacing a starter cant be 4-5 hours of labor for a skilled factory mechanic....can it? I have to take an auto shop class if i decide to keep this vehicle.

Reply to
jjW

Definitely!

No, the entire drive train, which includes the starter, is assembled in MB factories in Europe and is shipped to Alabama assembly plant to be installed into the vehicle.

Reply to
Rodney T. Grill

This still sounds a bit high, unless you are buying an OEM started as opposed to aftermarket. Personally, I'd not hesitate to go aftermarket.

That is a total rip-off, and another reason to never go to the dealer out of warranty!

It can, but some also can take less than an hour. It all depends on how hard it is to get to the bolts and how many other components have to be removed to get to it. One of the good things about the ML is there's a lot of room under the hood, so the starter may not be buried too deep. The worst cars to work on are front-wheel drive models with transverse mounted engines. I once worked on an Oldsmobile that had to have the engine dropped and the A/C compressor removed to change the starter. It was an all day job.

Well, if you want to learn how to DIY, that would be a good start, but you might be better of just shopping for a good independent mechanic.

Reply to
Rodney T. Grill

As far as I remembered... only the transmission is German... the transfer case and remainder drivetrain was of US origin.

Reply to
Tiger

Hmm, you could be right. From my factory visits, I know the engines and transmissions are pre-assembled in Europe. It takes about five minutes to uncrate one and install it into a chassis. I know there are some other components on the drivetrain that are also shipped from MB plants in Europe, but I'm not sure if the transfer case is one. I believe the differentials come from Europe, but I'm not 100% certain. I will check into it, though!

Reply to
Rodney T. Grill

I don't know where you live. If you live in Southern california, I can show you shop that do this job (part & labor) for less than $400 ($250 for part, $100 labor), and they're top knot shop

$160 to diagnostic starter problem is crime against human kind. Any mechanic with 1/4 of a brain take about 2 minutes at most to know if it's a starter problem or not. As the matter of fact, I have never heard of diagnostic cost for starter problem. Only for computer/electrical where I see diagnostic fee.

Sue your dealer, or call your credit card company, and dispute the charge.

Reply to
zam2000

Look - that is just normal for Mercedes Stealerships. They are nothing but crooks. It comes from Germany. Ole Jerkin Shrimp needs money to retire on and he has to make it somehow. You just don't realize how much it costs to be a big rich guy nowdays. They told me it would cost 4500 to replace my front end - er the front end on the car. So I went elsewhere and had it evaluated and it only cost the alinement charge for the new tires. No other work was needed and that came from 3 places that had the opportunity to stick it to me. But they didn't take it, just being the normal run of the mill repair shops and front end shops. Mercedes is run by crooks. Sorry, but their new cars suck anyway.

mcbrue honestly under the bridge in the trailer down by the river

96 S420
Reply to
MCBRUE

Ahh McBrue... you gotten smart here... for once.... Hope that continues...

By the way... the OE part markup is a funny story... and as you bet... quite a markup. Each level it rises is the same ratio.

It all begins with the manufacturer... Let just say $10 for this level...

Next level is distributor who sells to dealers or wholesaler... the price now becomes $20.

Then comes the wholesaler who sells to retailer... The price at this level is $40.

So finally before it can be sold to us at retail level... we have to pay $80 for the same $10 part.

That's how it work in OE parts. You might have noticed... Wait a minute! Dealer gets the parts at distributor's price? Yep... So the stealers makes $60 instead of $40 (from wholesaler).

So... you all are probably wondering...is that why we have $300 part bill for one item... yep that is it.

Reply to
Tiger

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