Quote Originally Posted by Fearnest View Post
You mean they don't send someone around to handle that little chore for you?
Nope, they don't do that. Newer models change themselves, but I haven't been real happy with their QC in the last few years. Plus, the two we have are going strong with no signs of quitting. As far as service goes, Dread, MB's Roadside Assistance is top rate. For the life of the car, regardless of age and number of owners. They'll come to you and jump start it, replace the battery, do a simple tire repair, and some other model specific things at no cost except parts. I've used it twice.

Once when the battery died in the wife's '01 ML430. They sent a tech from the nearest dealer who tested the old battery and the charging system, confirmed the old battery was dead, and replaced it. After replacing the battery he reset the stereo, and re-synched the sunroof and the steering angle sensors for the stability control program. All I was charged was the cost of the battery which was about $100. It did take about two hours for the tech to reach me, but it was a Friday afternoon in Fairfax, VA. Lotsa traffic.

The second time was last year when my '93 400E wouldn't start after we'd had breakfast at a local restaurant. They had a tech out to me in about 90 minutes. This was around noon on a Sunday. He helped me determine that the fault was with my starter, arranged a local rollback transport to a local independent MB repair facility, and even gave me a ride home. All I paid was the transport fee of around $35.

BMW's Roadside Assistance program, on the other hand, refers calls to local AAA providers, who are rarely well trained on BMW specific issues, and the charges for these services can vary wildly depnding on the situation and the specific provider. All in all we've been VERY happy Benz owners. Hopefully, they'll pull through this current quality slump and get back to building some of the best engineered cars money can buy.