Mercedes-Benz Maintenance Cost

If you want the power of a Mercedes, you have to be prepared to handle the cost. Maintenance cost, that is. Mercedes-Benz maintenance costs are pretty expensive compared to other brands. In one study by YourMechanic.com, it came in second place just behind BMW’s maintenance costs. Drivers pay about $908 on average per year to maintain and repair their Mercedes vehicles, according to RepairPal.com.

To look further into Mercedes-Benz maintenance and repair costs, we’ll use RepairPal’s Mercedes repair cost estimator and the True Cost to Own calculator by Edmunds.com. Reputable extended warranty providers can help lower some ownership costs, and we’ve researched the best extended car warranty providers on the market. All of our recommendations have great customer service, industry reputations, and coverage varieties.

Some automakers, like BMW, offer free maintenance coverage for the first couple years. Mercedes isn’t one of these brands. However, the company does offer a prepaid maintenance program that can cover regular services up to 110,000 miles. Mercedes claims drivers can save up to 30 percent on dealership maintenance by choosing a prepaid plan.

The price isn’t available online – you’ll have to contact a dealer to find out the cost. Here are the different plan types:

Note that you can’t buy a plan for a brand-new car that would cover the next 10 years or 110,000 miles. But once one plan ends, you can purchase another one, as long as your car is eligible.

You’ll have to decide if dealer-backed prepaid maintenance is worth it to you. While it allows you to save money on Mercedes-Benz services, some non-dealer European auto shops could probably do the same level of work for less. Plus, it’s good to remember that prepaid maintenance is just that: maintenance. It doesn’t include any repair work outside of the standard recommended maintenance schedule.

Practicing regular maintenance is important, especially if you drive a Mercedes. Going without scheduled services can lead to costly repairs down the line. Mercedes are built well and can last a long time if they are taken care of. Plus, a routine maintenance history enhances the value of the car when it comes time to sell.

As we mentioned, the average Mercedes annual maintenance cost is about $908. There are two types of scheduled services for Mercedes-Benz vehicles: service A and service B.

Service A happens after the first 10,000 miles and includes:

• Oil change
• Oil filter replacement
• Brake inspection
• Tire pressure check
• Fluid level check and correction

Service B happens after the first 20,000 miles and includes everything from service A plus extra items like changing the air filter and brake fluid. As the car ages, the computer will recommend other maintenance services like changing the coolant and transmission fluid.

The two types of services alternate yearly (or every 10,000 miles).

Below are a few costs associated with maintenance, including what an oil change costs if done outside of a regular service.

You can see that a Mercedes-Benz oil change costs a fair amount, whether you get one through a service at a dealer or on your own. That’s mainly because Mercedes-Benz vehicles require synthetic oil. You also might be more comfortable visiting the dealer or a specialty shop for an oil change instead of a chain, and that would increase the cost. At the same time, you only have to replace the oil every year or 10,000 miles.

We can also get a rough idea of a Mercedes-Benz E350 maintenance schedule cost over time. Let’s say you alternate service A with service B for five years, and let’s say the Mercedes service A costs $300 and service B is $800. With these prices, you’d pay $2,500 for the five services – that is, if nothing else needs to be done.

Of course, prices depend on the model, too. So, Mercedes-Benz C300 service B costs would be a bit lower, and S-Class vehicle services would be higher.

Five-Year Mercedes Maintenance Costs

Next, let’s look at some data on Mercedes-Benz maintenance cost over a five-year period. We’ll look at the cost to maintain 2021 and 2015 model-year vehicles over the next five years if they were purchased today. Spoiler alert: Older Mercedes-Benz models cost more to maintain.

This information comes from Edmunds.com’s True Cost to Own tool, which assumes people drive 15,000 miles per year. Costs are also dependent upon your ZIP code and driving habits. (We used a Portland, Oregon, ZIP code for the calculator.)

The C-Class sedan is a popular middle-of-the-road model for Mercedes. You can see that the cost to maintain a 2015 model is a bit more than a 2021 model.

The AMG C 63 is another story. Its performance V8 engine lets drivers enjoy 503 horsepower, but that means it also takes more care to maintain. Five-year maintenance costs for a 2021 model aren’t so bad, but if you bought a 2015 model today, you’d pay a pretty penny for maintenance over the next five years.

Common Mercedes-Benz Repair Costs

So far, we’ve talked about maintenance as scheduled or unscheduled replacements of fluids and parts expected to wear out. But another huge part of owning a car is paying for repairs. As expected, a highly engineered German car like Mercedes will require more work and resources to repair. Here are a few of the most common Mercedes-Benz repair costs:

Cost data from RepairPal

The tricky thing about repairs is it’s hard to plan for them. Breakdowns can just happen out of the blue. You can see there are definitely some costs to think about.

Here are a few Mercedes models and their annual repair costs (including maintenance).

Cost data from RepairPal

Along with the entry-level A-Class, C-Class Mercedes models are on the affordable end compared to other cars by the brand. However, they are still expensive to maintain compared to other brands on the market.

As you’d expect, repair costs increase as you move up the model line. Having more features, power, and technology translates into paying higher maintenance costs. According to these numbers from RepairPal, an S63 AMG is at least twice as expensive to maintain as a C350. Then again, the sale price is three times higher, too.

Here’s how Mercedes stacks up against other car brands in terms of annual maintenance and repair costs.

Cost data from RepairPal

While Lexus is a luxury brand, it’s also a division of Toyota. That means parts and labor are cheaper, which makes Lexus maintenance costs cheaper as well. The same goes for Infiniti, Nissan’s line of luxury vehicles.

The German automakers on this list all cost more to maintain. Then again, these brands also have many die-hard fans who wouldn’t drive anything else. The bottom line is it’s important to factor in the average Mercedes maintenance cost when looking to buy one, whether new or used. The sticker price is never the only amount you pay for a car.

An extended car warranty can reduce some of the financial stress that can come with owning a Mercedes. A warranty or vehicle service contract won’t help with your scheduled Mercedes maintenance cost, but it could help when a water pump breaks or your transmission needs work.

Extended service plans cover mechanical breakdowns when parts fail during normal use. As cars age beyond factory warranty limits, it can become very expensive to repair certain parts, especially with a German manufacturer like Mercedes. It’s not uncommon to rack up thousands in one visit to the shop.

Even if you can afford those types of repairs, it can just be an inconvenience to deal with them. An extended warranty can help you preserve your monthly budget so you can plan over the long term. Also, many plans come with small or $0 deductibles to keep your out-of-pocket costs low.

Not all extended warranty companies offer the same level of service or coverage options. We reviewed a number of the most popular extended car warranty providers and found a handful of them rose above the rest. Here are a few things you can expect to find with the best companies:

• Your provider pays the repair shop directly.
• Many plans come with extras like roadside assistance and trip interruption benefits.
• Coverage can include high-tech and advanced components.
• You can choose your own repair facility.
• Long coverage periods of up to 200,000 miles are available.

You don’t have to weed through all the shady warranty companies to get to the good ones.

Our team surveyed 1,000 extended warranty customers and found that the most popular companies are CarShield, Endurance, and Carchex. We asked respondents if their warranties worked, and 92 percent of people who used their warranty said it covered some or all of the repairs.

While we recommend Endurance and CarShield, we strongly recommend getting several quotes to ensure you get the best deal. If you are considering other providers, we encourage you to call and make sure they offer coverage for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.