I Took A 400k Mile E55 AMG To The Dealer, Here's How Much They Want To Fix It. 

Many dealers take the mick. The turbo actuator link pin broke on my ford transit. I removed the broken pin at the side of the road with a pair of pliers, and made a temporary repair using a split pin and a few small washers. I called into fords parts department, the assistant couldnt find the part on his computer, so I showed him where it came from on my van. He got his manager to have a look. I was told by the manager the part was not ment to be removable, and that it came with the actuator, and that the actuator came with the turbo and manifold, and that the parts without labour would cost £1200. I declined to be shafted, and let the temp road side repair do its job perfectly for another 7 years before selling the van. Manufacturers dont want you to repair your vehicle, its not in their financial interest.

Moral of the story: have a good relationship with your mechanic or get ready to take it up the ass with prices. Gotcha. Great video!

I'm drunk af and i still learned a shit ton from this video. Subbed!

Most people who talk about cars on youtube don't do any mechanical work under the hood. Glad to see that you do, and know what your talking about. Thanks.

I love how clean that car is underneath.. Where i live 400k mile car would be rusted to shit.

It's barely broken in.

Gotta love the MB dealer. Miss a pretty major oil leak but of course are more worried about joints that aren't catastrophic.

I was 20 when the 2003 E55 came out. It was unattainable for me at the time. Now your channel has had me really considering buying one. Great to see great content by someone who is local to me. Thanks Alex

Anyone else noticed how every single mechanic knows more than every other mechanic.

Moral of the story Learn to fix as much shit as possible yourself!

Nice vid...most dealerships are money leaches because they know they can be. My mechanic backed me up for a refund from a dealership due to their shoddy work and exorbitant pricing. They misdiagnosed my car three times leaving me stranded and pissed and they were trying to tell me a bunch of crap that my mechanic proved them to be lying. They caved and I rec'd a check for $700plus...I still wrote a bad review on their web page comments.

Mercedes of westmont illinois told me my ML needed a engine tare down to fix a misfire in cylinder 6 that would cost over $6000 so i had a nice laugh, went to auto zone and bought a few spark plugs, did the work myself (35 min) and no more misfire lmfao. If ur car has over 100k on it they simply dont want to work on it and will lie to get u to refuse repair. Another time the service manager shook his head at me and said to remove the step boards and replace windshield wipers would be "alot of work". Stay out of the dealer if ur warranty is expired

Should do a follow up with the prices if you fix it yourself.

$2,422 for those lower ball joints and control arms? LOL. Did them myself for less than $250 with good parts. Shows that if you want one of these cars you should definitely do as much as you can in your own garage. Great video btw.

I'll do it all for $1.95 A Big mac meal n a 6 pack of Bud

the wallet flush lol

It's not "strange" that they didn't find the oil leaks, it's horrifying. Imagine if you were someone trusting this dealer to perform a PPI on a car you were looking to buy. They had no problem taking your money to do a half assed job.

lol Based on that quote its almost cheaper just to buy another E55 with less miles.

BMW, Jag, Benz, Range Rover. If you can’t afford to buy it new, you can’t afford to buy it used. Best advice I ever got.

Hi 1st time seeing your video.....really good to watch and solid advise also regarding servicing and repairs. Cheers from the uk.

After owning and servicing an '03 Audi Allroad, your videos make owning and servicing a E55 AMG feels totally achievable.

Very well edited and clean videos, keep up the good work!

Awesome stuff bud! As soon as the video started, instant subscribe. I look forward to your vids and layin down some serious knowledge 🤘👌

Respect, great video, lots of useful information. Here in Germany when you take a car to the dealer for inspection a guy to whom you have been assigned to does all the paperwork and checks your car. Checks front (for chip cracks, wipers ect), back, sides, and underneath and you can be there with him and see what he is looking at and understand his explanations if something needs to be fixed. So he does a general inspection and you leave you car for a more detail inspection. I don't know do they take the panel for the bottom. Tomorrow the car is finished.

Great Video ! And now replace all the parts also with such a clear explanation that would be gold! And than compare costs would be great great to see! I am sure you could teach us so much how to fix up cars!

Many people refer to them as, "stealersips", for a reason.

For such a low sub count, your videos are very well done. You speak clearly and know what your talking about. keep it up! Subscribed!

There are hardly any parts listed on this pamphlet. I would understand that it is work + parts as $90 for cabin air filter is very expensive. Additionally lot of rows there are listed as service which would consider activity and parts. Lots of the parts will be expensive as they would be sourced from dealership and definitely work could be done cheaper in independent garage. Great video!

I honestly can't think of a single thing I'd pay a dealership to do to a car. They have such insane prices for labor and parts.

That is a damn clean car for 400,000 miles jheeze

Nice, finally found a Mercedes youtuber, just got a 2013 gl450 any videos on opinion on those since you seem very knowledgeable, I like your honesty man subscribed:)

You talk a lot of sense, mate! Keep up the good work! You're definitely worth subscribing to. I'm in Australia but I kinda wish I'd got you to do the same with the 2005 Mazda 3 the I bought last July. The deeper I dug (after purchase), the more it stank. I suspect it was originally bought and owned in Japan, then shipped to Australia, once it had reached the age limit. Apparently, a lot of Japanese drivers aren't too keen on maintaining their cars. Wish I'd known that earlier!

Why would the dealer bother putting any time into it? A 30-second look says it needs way more work than it's worth, and the dealer knows no owner is going to ever bother.

400,000 miles on a AMG E55? WOW!!!

I subscribed today. Presenter is very professional and well spoken something lacking in most of what I've seen on RU-vid regarding automobiles.

This guy certainly knows. I was in the "motor trade" from 1968 to 2000 working at and with car dealers independent repair shops and parts stores. I have never subscribed to any RU-vid channels but I am subscribing to this.

$8,000+ and $25 Shop charge. The $25 is for lunch.

I learned the hard way not to ask a dealer for an inspection. Brought my E46 M3 to our local BMW dealer and they came up with almost $11,000 in repair costs!! $4,000 just for some suspension parts that were FINE. Ended up fixing everything that was truly bad with a private shop for $500. The other "bad" parts can be replaced at home (if you know what you're doing) for not even 5% of what they were asking. They really just look for ways to make money when dealing with a customer who doesn't understand cars. Lesson learned, do your own repairs or trust your mechanic.

One big reason i like your content; is that even though you have been working as a mercedes mechanic, you're not bias, and stay critical.

Great video man. This helps out a lot of people. Nothing's worse than a shop taking a ride for your money. I bet to fix everything on that youd spend no more than 2k if you do all the work yourself. Most of that stuff looks easy to do. Those oil leaks can be a pain though.

Awesome video! Very detailed! After dealing w/a mechanic that wanted to charge me almost $100 to change my brake light switch, pleaseeeeee believe, I did it myself. I bought the part for $12 & the correct tool for $10 & like MAGIC!! It was fixed in 5 mis :-) A+ Video!!

great video !!!!

Nice video bro.... you got one more sub. In the list...good work keep it up 👍

I love the channel locks as a tool to check joints. I’m doing that from now on thanks.

That car looks like its in pretty decent shape considering the miles it has. I see those cars with less than 100k that look completely trashed.

I'm a car dealer. A lot of people take their vehicles to the dealer for their Presale inspection. Can't tell you how many deals I lost because dealers give them a laundry list. I once had a lady come back in a Mercedes and the estimate for repairs was more than I was selling the car for! I tell people take the car any mechanic just not the dealer or you're wasting everybody's time

Super interesting! Would love to see you do something with a Jeep Wrangler.

Neat video, a 400K car would have already been in junkyard in my rustbelt city! Wondering what kind of camera do you use for the super close up videos...I am amazed at the incredible details I could see!

great video! very interesting to see your dealer prices over the pond. just to compare we are a independent Mercedes specialist over in the UK we do the lower pressed in ball joint for £120 using a genuine joint supplied and fitted per side alloy control arm £126 using a TRW arm per side supplied and fitted upper wishbone ball joint £72 using lemforder per side supplied and fitted

The bottom line is- you're going to pay the price- for what you can't fix yourself. I perform all repairs and maintenance on my fleet of vehicles myself.

Great video! New subscriber

Found it very interesting thanks 🇬🇧

so are the AMG parts different than stock? i punched up rotors for a 04 e55 and a bunch came up for under $100. i think people should really avoid these older cars unless they can wrench them themselves.

If my repairs were over $10k.......umm I think I would just leave it there and buy something newer!

Thanks a lot dude, looking to buy one of these

As I started watching and less than a minute into this video I told myself I bet he's gonna say about 10K..... damn I love it when I nail it !

Those oil leaks were probably present at around 60,000 miles.

Your content is so good....

Great video (first of yours I've watched) One big thing missing: What are the street prices of the replacement parts? I'm rejuvenating an '83 Mercedes with my son, and love showing him the hard numbers of DIY vs handing a dealership your credit card. Learning basic mechanical skills is a more exciting for him when he can see the 4 hours of R&R a worn out part sometimes saves several hundreds of dollars. I'd love to see each recommended repair with the raw costs of the parts needed.

You are awesome fellow Chicagoan. More power to you.

HAH. I laughed at the fog light cost. I wanted to include OEM fog lights on my Nissan 240sx restoration and SR20 build. Nissan wanted $650 PER LIGHT.

i hate it when dealers rip you of 1200 bucks for a ball joint. this car would probably be scraped because of insane repair costs. call that eco friendly 🤐

I have a 2005 E55 AMG, 76500 miles, second owner. Have owned it for two years now, no troubles. I have had many cars from 70 SS Chevelle LS6 to 4.4 S4 audi and many in between. this is my favorite by far. It has all the toys and sound system. don't keep cars long but I think ill keep this one. I'm 70 years old and do 100 every time out. doing a Fabtech up grade soon to 600HP can't wait!

Amazing how clean it is underneath. Here in the UK a Merc of that vintage and mileage would be covered in corrosion.

If you where in the New York Area, I’d drive my car to you. Good detail check.

I know what happened. "Hey jimmy everyone else is busy. I need you to do an an inspection on this" "I've only I'm a lube tech and I've only gone to Mercedes school for suspension." "Just do it". Suspension was jimmy. Flushes were the service writer. Seriously though, been in the business a long time. Sad to see the stuff they missed. Especially those brakes. Yikes!! You're right about that car having no business at the dealer unless it was a sentimental vehicle. I could see someone spending that kind of money on a car that was their dads/moms that passed. Especially if they don't know anything about cars.

Hey there, I'm new to the channel and I just subbed. Great video

Great, Video, Can I ask, What camera you used?, It looks so good. I would love to know.

Damn... almost 30,000 miles a year usage... Probably a livery vehicle or a real fanatic!

I don't own a Mercedes but i like your channel enough to subscribe. Your delivery is smooth, direct and entertaining. Who knows, you may convince me to change my user name to' Bimmeraudimerc' lol.

dude!!!! how many times can I thank you!!!! you are VERY HELPFUL

Great video, subscribed. I am here in Chicago as well.

First thing wrong with this car is the fact that they purchased a car with 400k

400000 miles is pretty much to the moon and back - impressive that it’s still in one piece !

Good balanced video, nice work

just found your channel, i dig it. maybe check the balance of your intro/outro music vs. your voice, it's really loud in comparison! diggin it

When they handed you the estimate were they wearing masks that cover there nose and mouth and a gun on there hip ? Lol That's just a shame they rip them rich people off like that hopefully some have enough common sense My new job is standing outside of the dealer with a sign saying I'll do it for half lol

"Wallet flush". Lol!

A good fitter is hard to find I have been taken for a ride before. Thanks for being honest and showing us the truth.

One of your videos showed up in my recommended videos' list and I'm glad it did. Subscribed right away.

Wallet flush,love it

Strange thing happened after watching this video: I feel enlighten as if I'm ready to go Euro lol

Honesty is #1 when it comes to repairs and You show how you should treat all your customers. You're absolutely right, find a mechanic you can trust. Dealership service dept are there to make the difference in loss of profit from the point of sale and make it up on the back end in parts and service. My buddy who owns Graybeal Auto in Shorewood, has been working on cars for over 20 years and building race cars for nearly 15 years. He NEVER does any work on anyone's car without showing them Exactly what's wrong and explaining what is involved. He let's you know what Has to be replaced and what can wait if it's gonna be too much for you all at once. Also, like You, he Never charges to inspect and let you know IF you actually need repairs done there or if it's a simple fix you can do at home.

I live in Chicago with 03 E500 Sports. Will Love to show it to you for your opinion and what I can do make it go faster? Still looks Brand New.

now i know how to check the ball joint great vid!!!

I own a 1992 Mercedes 500SL...slight leak in the power steering pump. Mercedes dealership wants $1475 just for the pump. Got a remanufactured pump online for $327. Stay away from them. Get yourself a good mechanic, you'll keep costs down dramatically.

Do you give advice on all cars and if so can you tell us Jaguar guys how to get the limp mode off without taking to dealer cause they crazy 300.dollars an hour!,but if you could answer this you my friend will be without a doubt a kick-ass mechanic and gentleman. thank you for your time

Great video. Thanks

The fact that a Mercedes lasted that long is very impressive and gives me hope for the brand and German cars in general.

When are you going to take it to a dealership you know so we can see the "savings"

Loving the white Trans Am licence plate cover dude!!

I enjoy your videos very much. I was thinking about your qualifications. Do you have those listed somewhere?

Bizzare asf, I just brought my mom's van back from service and it had the same 3392 service tag on the rearview mirror!

This car has no rust which is weird, especially in Chicago. In Chicago they dump alot of salt on the streets.

First time watching. Very informative

Shoutout to all the DIY mechanics on this post tuning in from all over the world.

This makes me want to take my car for a inspection

DAMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!! I call that car a hoopty. Ride it till it falls apart .

That's really good job.

Where in Chicago are you? I want to take my car to you. Great video!