When I had the 20k Service done last year I commented that it seemed to go smoothly and that I would post the 40k Service experience.
The 40,000 miles service was the second oil change for the van, as recommended by Mercedes. MB recommends changing the oil and attending to various other filters every 20,000 miles. The tires were changed at around 35,000 miles, to Michelin tires. I mentioned after the 20k service that MB Wilsonville suggested I change the stock tires, due to their estimation that they were wearing out soon. I did take the van to Costco and had them install new tires, but I than had them removed the next day and the stock tires reinstalled at another tire shop. Costco Tire Center in Eugene damaged all of my alloy wheels and refused to pay willingly, which eventually landed them in court, buying all of the damaged wheels at the same cost of my new MB Sprinter wheels, along with paying my court costs. Besides the retailer issue, the Michelin tires I bought at Costco didn't leave a good first impression, because handling seemed pretty horrible and actually dangerous. Fortunately, as I had hoped, it turned out the the tires settled down over the next several weeks of driving as the tread wore off. The original Kuhmo tires easily held on, with tread to spare at around the 35,000 mile mark, however they were retired at that point.
Unlike the 20k service, the 40,000 service was performed at the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Eugene. As usual, I first called all of the dealerships that service the Sprinter, such as Freightliner and several Mercedes dealerships, along with a few outside shops to check pricing for the service. The MB dealer in Eugene previously quoted the most expensive 20k service, however they offered the best deal on the 40k service through a "prepaid maintenance plan". This just meant I paid for the 40k service and the 60k at the same time, just prior to my appointment and the bill worked out to be the same price as just the 40k service. This was really a no brainer, but the service was still spendy, as the next two services together cost about $1300.00 all together, however it was still less expensive than any other service provider, when using the same oil and parts. In the end it was also more convenient to have the work done at my closest service provider.
One of the MB dealers offered me a big break, like half off on a 100,000 mile MB warranty, so I figured it was finally worth a shot at the discounted price and I took the hook. While at the 40k mile service, months later, I met a business man who lives in my area who runs refrigerated Sprinter Vans. When I asked what service he was waiting for he mentioned that his 2009 Sprinter had an engine replaced after a few hundred thousand miles (at $17,000 cost) and this service was to check an engine light. I wished him the best, before taking the dealer shuttle to the mall. If I ever run into this issue, hopefully it will be under warranty.
It always pays to check around on pricing with different service shops, as different dealerships can charge a very different price for the same service. Compare their service quote to see if they include the same services, as some dealer service shops, for example, include the fuel filter and brake fluid replacement and alike, and others don't. This can make the difference of hundreds of dollars. In my case I also discovered that quoted prices from dealerships can change drastically, so don’t get your quotes more than a month away from your scheduled service.
Our family’s Sprinter has been solidly reliable, with only one issue that I have scheduled an appointment for, that issue being what appears to be a small leak of water, showing up under the front passenger floor mat. The leak could possibly be attributed to the last windshield replacement, which was done way back on the first week of ownership. While at the dealership for that, Wilsonville MB will also replace the driver's airbag which was since recalled. Following these services I plan to take the van across to Discount Tire for the tire rotation, since it has been around 10,000 miles since the tires were installed.
Expenses from 20,000 to 40,000 miles
Optional Aftermarket Upgrades:
1. Grill Guard- Around $500.00 for Equipment & Install
2. Bug/Stone Deflector- Around $120.00
3. LED Low Beams/High Beams & Driving Lights- $100 a set x 3= $300.00
Notes about optional aftermarket upgrades.
1. Looks great, but does make front bumper sensors useless, w/ false alarm when not switched off.
2. The deflector was installed as instructed, but it doesn’t have enough bite to stay attached on hood.
3. They have a lifetime warranty and I do drive everywhere with my lights on, so we will see if it’s worth it. The downsides are that changing headlight bulbs are a real physical & emotional pain. Once installed, the LED lights will most likely (as mine do) show error messages, that the bulbs need replacement each time you turn them on or flash your brights. So far, it seems worth it.
The 40,000 miles service was the second oil change for the van, as recommended by Mercedes. MB recommends changing the oil and attending to various other filters every 20,000 miles. The tires were changed at around 35,000 miles, to Michelin tires. I mentioned after the 20k service that MB Wilsonville suggested I change the stock tires, due to their estimation that they were wearing out soon. I did take the van to Costco and had them install new tires, but I than had them removed the next day and the stock tires reinstalled at another tire shop. Costco Tire Center in Eugene damaged all of my alloy wheels and refused to pay willingly, which eventually landed them in court, buying all of the damaged wheels at the same cost of my new MB Sprinter wheels, along with paying my court costs. Besides the retailer issue, the Michelin tires I bought at Costco didn't leave a good first impression, because handling seemed pretty horrible and actually dangerous. Fortunately, as I had hoped, it turned out the the tires settled down over the next several weeks of driving as the tread wore off. The original Kuhmo tires easily held on, with tread to spare at around the 35,000 mile mark, however they were retired at that point.
Unlike the 20k service, the 40,000 service was performed at the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Eugene. As usual, I first called all of the dealerships that service the Sprinter, such as Freightliner and several Mercedes dealerships, along with a few outside shops to check pricing for the service. The MB dealer in Eugene previously quoted the most expensive 20k service, however they offered the best deal on the 40k service through a "prepaid maintenance plan". This just meant I paid for the 40k service and the 60k at the same time, just prior to my appointment and the bill worked out to be the same price as just the 40k service. This was really a no brainer, but the service was still spendy, as the next two services together cost about $1300.00 all together, however it was still less expensive than any other service provider, when using the same oil and parts. In the end it was also more convenient to have the work done at my closest service provider.
One of the MB dealers offered me a big break, like half off on a 100,000 mile MB warranty, so I figured it was finally worth a shot at the discounted price and I took the hook. While at the 40k mile service, months later, I met a business man who lives in my area who runs refrigerated Sprinter Vans. When I asked what service he was waiting for he mentioned that his 2009 Sprinter had an engine replaced after a few hundred thousand miles (at $17,000 cost) and this service was to check an engine light. I wished him the best, before taking the dealer shuttle to the mall. If I ever run into this issue, hopefully it will be under warranty.
It always pays to check around on pricing with different service shops, as different dealerships can charge a very different price for the same service. Compare their service quote to see if they include the same services, as some dealer service shops, for example, include the fuel filter and brake fluid replacement and alike, and others don't. This can make the difference of hundreds of dollars. In my case I also discovered that quoted prices from dealerships can change drastically, so don’t get your quotes more than a month away from your scheduled service.
Our family’s Sprinter has been solidly reliable, with only one issue that I have scheduled an appointment for, that issue being what appears to be a small leak of water, showing up under the front passenger floor mat. The leak could possibly be attributed to the last windshield replacement, which was done way back on the first week of ownership. While at the dealership for that, Wilsonville MB will also replace the driver's airbag which was since recalled. Following these services I plan to take the van across to Discount Tire for the tire rotation, since it has been around 10,000 miles since the tires were installed.
Expenses from 20,000 to 40,000 miles
Optional Aftermarket Upgrades:
1. Grill Guard- Around $500.00 for Equipment & Install
2. Bug/Stone Deflector- Around $120.00
3. LED Low Beams/High Beams & Driving Lights- $100 a set x 3= $300.00
Notes about optional aftermarket upgrades.
1. Looks great, but does make front bumper sensors useless, w/ false alarm when not switched off.
2. The deflector was installed as instructed, but it doesn’t have enough bite to stay attached on hood.
3. They have a lifetime warranty and I do drive everywhere with my lights on, so we will see if it’s worth it. The downsides are that changing headlight bulbs are a real physical & emotional pain. Once installed, the LED lights will most likely (as mine do) show error messages, that the bulbs need replacement each time you turn them on or flash your brights. So far, it seems worth it.
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