MB Dealer Parts Prices - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Brian77 · #1 11-27-2010, 06:04 PM

Maybe it's just that I am so use to purchasing my parts online. Maybe it's the fact that the US dollar is in the tank compared to the Euro. However, I had 3 recent shocking experiences at getting quotes from the MB dealer for w126 parts. MB dealer wanted well over $100 for a monovalve to repair the heater; MB dealer wanted $115 per motor mount (I recall them being about $40-$50 apiece few years ago); and MB dealer wanted $16 for each bolt for the shock mounts. Each time, I said, "Thanks, but no thanks." Is it just me? My car is a 25 year old 300SD not a 300SL Gullwing! Sorry, just venting.

Brian

JHZR2 · #2 11-27-2010, 06:15 PM

I've found it also depends upon the dealer. Some want to be overly high-end, as if paying excessively for parts is the way to do it... While others are more reasonable.

Ditto for service. I called mb of Wilmington, del a while back on the cost of an alignment, and they wanted $89 with the special. I asked mb of cherry hill, they wanted $159. I said that Wilmington had a special, and they told me that $159 was their special, $40 off the regular price.

Kidding me, right?!?

LandYaghtLover · #3 11-27-2010, 06:16 PM

I would think online parts would also reflect a large uptrend in prices. I just bought several hundred dollars of genuine MB stuff online and found the prices to be very, very competitive. In fact, this car, thus far, has been less expensive on parts than my Lincoln.

I assume you are DIY. I would then buy online unless no option. I had to go to dealer for rear window shade nylon cord. I bought two since only a few exist now. They were $35 each! But the dealer did ship them to me on their dime.

Hit Man X · #4 11-27-2010, 06:16 PM

You are buying OEM parts, not aftermarket... prices do not seem out of line to me.

The two dealers I purchase odd bits from are fair in pricing to me.

layback40 · #5 11-27-2010, 07:46 PM

Brian,
Dealers tend to be expensive 9 X out of 10 times. The only times I have ever got stuff from a dealer is when they have had old stock to be cleared out.
It is worth checking the buyparts link. They kick a## on price, delivery & service!
I am not affiliated with them in any way but I always look up their prices. For you guys in the USA, they will move mountains to get what you need to you quick.

strelnik · #6 11-27-2010, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by layback40

Brian,
Dealers tend to be expensive 9 X out of 10 times. The only times I have ever got stuff from a dealer is when they have had old stock to be cleared out.
It is worth checking the buyparts link. They kick a## on price, delivery & service!
I am not affiliated with them in any way but I always look up their prices. For you guys in the USA, they will move mountains to get what you need to you quick.

There's only one dealer in the area who gives discounts to MBCA members, and they are very good in general.

Jeremy5848 · #7 11-27-2010, 10:03 PM

Four years ago I paid $99 each (dealer price) for motor mounts in my 1987 300D Turbo (W124, OM603) and $150 to have them installed, so $115 each today sounds quite reasonable in comparison. I too think that's outrageous but that's what you get for owning a Mercedes and hiring someone to do the work for you.

OTOH, when my '96 E300D (W210, OM606) needed motor mounts in 2007, I bought them on line for a total of $121 and installed them myself. Today's prices are about $10 each higher.

Zacharias · #8 11-29-2010, 12:10 AM

Overall I have only good things to say about one of the local dealers. The parts guys know me and they take the time to dig out stuff, sometimes based on my very shaky technical input. I can assure you that expecting the same from dealers for other makes would be a challenge for a 10-year-old car... let alone the 300td I am ordering lots of stuff for lately, which is now 30 years old. Frankly the parts support from Mercedes is still excellent, though I can see it deteriorating bit by bit now.

In terms of price, actually oddly enough I find them not bad on the things I HAVE to order from them, most of the time. They seem out of line only on stuff I eventually find is available aftermarket. That could be fluke.

It must be said, however, that where parts are being re-manufactured (in other words, old stock is gone and new stock is being commissioned), all bets are off. Be ready to pay.

Cheers

bustedbenz · #9 11-29-2010, 12:14 AM

Evidently, great minds think alike. I just started a thread on this tonight -- which makes me look rather silly since I didn't know this one existed until it got bumped to the top.

I decided after last week's trip to the dealer parts counter that I would never darken their door again unless I absolutely COULD NOT buy it anywhere else -- and I'm going to keep that promise this time.

Those dinky plastic windshield washer nozzles for my 240D were $15 apiece. The right angle plastic hose connector for them (the size of your thumb nail and just plastic pipe fittings) was $7 and I had to have two of those.

Air cleaner mounts for a 617 turbo were $17 each compared to less than $5 on the forum shop.

Left $103.04 behind for a sack of parts that I should have had bronzed and mounted on my wall rather than put on the car. Wasn't worth more than $20. Never again.

barry123400 · #10 11-29-2010, 02:08 AM

What can really temper a guy working on older cars. Is when the time comes a needed part is not available new or used. The resultant search can be a misery and price becomes almost a secondary consideration.

I spent the best part of two years from time to time seeking an acceptable hood ornament. There just where almost none left anywhere and the original was not repairable. I had almost given up when I located one. There were even a couple of non productive goose chases during that time.

Mark DiSilvestro · #11 11-29-2010, 10:05 AM

Something like washer-nozzles and related fittings I would try to find at a salvage-yard. Unless they have such a high failure-rate that good used ones can't be found. Generally, I haven't had too many problems with aftermarket parts made by an OE manufacturers.
It's some of the 'mystery-brand' parts, usually made in China, that I try to avoid.
I gave a friend a new aftermarket hood-star for his '72 220, and it turned grey, then crumbled after a few years. So I gave him one of my spare original W115 hood-stars. When I needed one fo my 240D, I got one from the Mercedes dealer that's made in Turkey. Good so far, but we'll see how it holds up. I had a problem last year with a Chinese aftermarket flex-disc, so I returned it and got one from the dealer as well. Price was somewhat higher, but not (IMHO) outrageous.

Happy Motoring, Mark

vstech · #12 11-29-2010, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bustedbenz

Evidently, great minds think alike. I just started a thread on this tonight -- which makes me look rather silly since I didn't know this one existed until it got bumped to the top.

I decided after last week's trip to the dealer parts counter that I would never darken their door again unless I absolutely COULD NOT buy it anywhere else -- and I'm going to keep that promise this time.

Those dinky plastic windshield washer nozzles for my 240D were $15 apiece. The right angle plastic hose connector for them (the size of your thumb nail and just plastic pipe fittings) was $7 and I had to have two of those.

Air cleaner mounts for a 617 turbo were $17 each compared to less than $5 on the forum shop.

Left $103.04 behind for a sack of parts that I should have had bronzed and mounted on my wall rather than put on the car. Wasn't worth more than $20. Never again.

even $5 is high for the air cleaner mounts... I think they are less than 3 here on the forum. I've found them for less in other places. try giving Roy a call before you attempt to "darken the door" of the Dealer... we don't call them "stealerships" for nothing.
oh, and I've got plenty of parts in stock you know... you HAVE been to my shop...

punkinfair · #13 11-29-2010, 10:57 AM

it's interesting how people have different perceptions of the same thing.

i run a parts business, supplying parts for vintage VW's. we have trade accounts with the major wholesalers, all of whom also deal in mercedes parts. so this means for my own personal MB's i can get parts for wholesale cost.

we also have a shop and we started working on the older MB's since i know them quite well. even with the wholesale parts available to us i still purchase lots of parts from the dealer. i get a decent discount at the dealer also but nothing like wholesale. we buy a lot of VW parts from the dealer also, for the same reasons stated below.

there are a few issues at work. one thing is you have to know what you're buying. for many parts the aftermarket part from your online vendor (that originates from the wholesaler) is the same as the dealer part. for instance a strut will be the same part, made by boge or sachs, from the dealer or from the vendor. so you shop on price alone. for some items the dealer is pretty much the only source, like for many small body or trim items. i find the prices for most of these type of things are not unreasonable from the dealer. for some items, especially anything made of rubber, the aftermarket parts can be very poor. for example on an 80's 300E there are molded rubber hoses for the idle valve and they are 2-3x as much from the dealer than from the vendor, but the parts are not the same. you will fight for an hour to get the aftermarket part installed and it will never quite fit, the dealer part will install easily and perfectly. so the dealer part wins, especially if you're a shop and the install time is billed, and if you're not a shop they still win because this is a part that needs to fit and if you buy the aftermarket once you'll never want to buy it again because it's such a crappy part.

so for me there's no black and white "dealer=bad, vendor=good". the dealer parts are often better and this quality difference is often a deal-maker. the other issue mentioned in a post above is the dealer support from MB, which is excellent for older cars, at least at the dealer where we buy. it's vital to keep buying the older parts from them or they will stop stocking them, then you won't be able to get the better quality parts, only the cheap asian knock-offs. one of the main reasons we all enjoy MB's is that they last. one of the main reasons they last is because the parts are top drawer. if you want to keep your MB alive, it's the sum of it's parts and once you start putting cheap parts on it, you're slowly turning it into a dai-woo.

vstech · #14 11-29-2010, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by punkinfair

it's interesting how people have different perceptions of the same thing.

i run a parts business, supplying parts for vintage VW's. we have trade accounts with the major wholesalers, all of whom also deal in mercedes parts. so this means for my own personal MB's i can get parts for wholesale cost.

we also have a shop and we started working on the older MB's since i know them quite well. even with the wholesale parts available to us i still purchase lots of parts from the dealer. i get a decent discount at the dealer also but nothing like wholesale. we buy a lot of VW parts from the dealer also, for the same reasons stated below.

there are a few issues at work. one thing is you have to know what you're buying. for many parts the aftermarket part from your online vendor (that originates from the wholesaler) is the same as the dealer part. for instance a strut will be the same part, made by boge or sachs, from the dealer or from the vendor. so you shop on price alone. for some items the dealer is pretty much the only source, like for many small body or trim items. i find the prices for most of these type of things are not unreasonable from the dealer. for some items, especially anything made of rubber, the aftermarket parts can be very poor. for example on an 80's 300E there are molded rubber hoses for the idle valve and they are 2-3x as much from the dealer than from the vendor, but the parts are not the same. you will fight for an hour to get the aftermarket part installed and it will never quite fit, the dealer part will install easily and perfectly. so the dealer part wins, especially if you're a shop and the install time is billed, and if you're not a shop they still win because this is a part that needs to fit and if you buy the aftermarket once you'll never want to buy it again because it's such a crappy part.

so for me there's no black and white "dealer=bad, vendor=good". the dealer parts are often better and this quality difference is often a deal-maker. the other issue mentioned in a post above is the dealer support from MB, which is excellent for older cars, at least at the dealer where we buy. it's vital to keep buying the older parts from them or they will stop stocking them, then you won't be able to get the better quality parts, only the cheap asian knock-offs. one of the main reasons we all enjoy MB's is that they last. one of the main reasons they last is because the parts are top drawer. if you want to keep your MB alive, it's the sum of it's parts and once you start putting cheap parts on it, you're slowly turning it into a dai-woo.

word!

lkchris · #15 11-29-2010, 11:46 AM

There are any number of actual Mercedes dealers selling genuine parts online at 20-25% off MSRP.

These websites are also useful to just learn what you ought to be paying at your local dealer.

When you order online you pay freight and wait a couple weeks maybe for your parts to arrive.

The fact your dealer has something in stock--it it does--is worth paying for at times. I think the local dealer is also worth it when ordering something that may be damaged in shipping, i.e. no hassles for me if it happens to my dealer. Finally, your dealer will sell you a $1.25 screw and your mailorder source won't until you get to minimum order cost.

It's also just good to keep in touch with your dealer and be friendly to them. This can pay off.