Replaced the side mirror on my Mercedes…

Slothead56 · #1 03-12-2024, 06:14 PM

My wife smashed the right side mirror on our 2014 MB GLK 350 SUV. Ouch.

Took it to the dealer and they wanted about $1,700 to replace the entire unit.

$1,700. That’s a lot.

I found a replacement unit on eBay, watched a few videos and replaced it today myself.

$199 for the mirror and about 25 minutes of my time. Unbelievable.

I’m not a car guy at all, but I’m pretty handy and am really, really shocked by how simple it was to do this.

To all the shade tree mechanics out there…kudos to you for saving so much money. I can’t say I’ll start doing my own stuff all the time but for now at least I’m $1,500 ahead of the game.

Bob Womack · #2 03-13-2024, 03:52 AM

By the way, you can thank Volkswagen for that. Back in the '50s, car companies organized their dealerships with the service department being financial service centers, with service offered at basically near cost to the consumer.

Volkswagen brought one the least expensive vehicles to the U.S. market and figured out that the service department could be run as a profit center, just like the cars themselves. Because their cars and parts were so inexpensive and they ran a fairly low mark-up, the consumer couldn't really tell.

The rest of the industry soon followed suit. And you know what happens to any profit center in any industry. Mark-ups were soon burgeoning to increase profit and the consumer soon could see the difference.

When I was growing up, my family did its own work on cars, right down to rebuilding engines. The only work we didn't do was machine shop work, like boring cylinders. I'm back to doing as much as I can these days. And I rarely take the car to the dealership except when it is on their dime for the warranty. There is almost always a specialty mechanic who can do the work for less than the dealership.

Bob

LiveMusic · #3 03-13-2024, 06:29 AM

Congrats on the mirror fix and not going to the dealer. That price for a simple fix does not surprise me from a luxury car dealer. Outrageously expensive. I try to fix what I can and have not been to a dealer except for warranty work for decades.

I see people that I think are not high income people and who buy luxury car brand just because they think they can afford the monthly note and I'm thinking they are going to be shocked at repair prices if it ever comes up.

My SIL had a battery go bad on a used Cadillac she bought and the dealer wanted stupid money and I told her to let me handle it. I found a replacement battery (was a large one!) and did it myself for far less. My bro was working out of town.

Mr. Jelly · #4 03-13-2024, 06:46 AM

I see the vehicles on the used car lots with the year advertised on the windows and I always wonder where a person gets some of them repaired and what the expense would be. I also see allot of old top shelf vehicles in poor neighbor hoods and look at them as bad decisions. I had a friend that would buy a new Toyota every year and park the old ones in his hanger by his jet. He didn't want to mess with the fancy stuff.

Murphy Slaw · #5 03-13-2024, 08:07 AM

I love those videos on YouTube.

Lots of good tricks on there.

Talk2Me · #6 03-13-2024, 08:38 AM

Congrats on the fix. The fact that you "saved" all that cash is a reflection on the profit margin and greed of today's economy.

6L6 · #7 03-13-2024, 08:55 AM

One thing I learned early on in my car ownership life: NEVER take my car back to a dealer for servicing unless it's under warranty.

Find a good independent mechanic and save a PILE of money.

SFCRetired · #8 03-13-2024, 09:34 AM

It's not just luxury car dealers who charge this high. I recently had to take my Mustang in for a warranty thingy and I noticed the labor cost was 200 bucks an hour. Labor was more than the parts and the parts were expensive.

I do not see how a young person/family can even afford a car in this day. Its crazy and not sustainable.

Birdbrain · #9 03-13-2024, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

I see the vehicles on the used car lots with the year advertised on the windows and I always wonder where a person gets some of them repaired and what the expense would be. I also see allot of old top shelf vehicles in poor neighbor hoods and look at them as bad decisions. I had a friend that would buy a new Toyota every year and park the old ones in his hanger by his jet. He didn't want to mess with the fancy stuff.

Is this a joke? About a man with a private jet who doesn't want to mess with the fancy stuff?

Birdbrain · #10 03-13-2024, 09:50 AM

This is an interesting story, because I own the same car, and I'm not particularly handy. Before I bought my GLK, I visited three independent Mercedes shops to ask questions. Now I cross-shop them when I need service. My last resort would be an MB dealer.

I can confirm that my Ford dealer also charges $200 per hour for service. What's harder with the Ford is finding an independent mechanic who's well-trained in my PHEV model.

Riverwolf · #11 03-13-2024, 10:01 AM

I am in the process of replacing the idler pulley and serpentine belt on my wife's 2007 Ford Escape. The idler pulley bolt broke off, throwing the pulley and belt. Independent shop could go as high as $1000.00+.
I am so far into it about $100.00.
Thank god for youtube.
It is a tough job and may be my last auto repair!

RJVB · #12 03-13-2024, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slothead56

I found a replacement unit on eBay, watched a few videos and replaced it today myself.

Kudos, but you were lucky that you didn't need to yell down the CAN bus that the car just got a new mirror!

TheGITM · #13 03-13-2024, 12:11 PM

Yep. I replace everything I can these days. I just replaced the master control board on a relatively new clothes dryer. It cost about $120 and took about 30 minutes total. Works great.

I have replaced HVAC circuit boards. I've replaced headlight/taillight assemblies. I once replaced a blend door actuator. I have installed my own garage door openers (by myself with no extra set of hands!)...

So many things can be done DIY these days thanks in large part to the internet and specifically YouTube. In my dad's day, he would go to the public library to find reference materials for whatever he was needing to learn how to fix...

Good job on the DIY work!

fitness1 · #14 03-13-2024, 02:18 PM

Good job on the home remedy - ridiculous what some shops are getting away with.

Can't read about "losing a mirror" without hearing this song in my head!

rmp · #15 03-13-2024, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slothead56

My wife smashed the right side mirror on our 2014 MB GLK 350 SUV. Ouch.

Took it to the dealer and they wanted about $1,700 to replace the entire unit.

$1,700. That’s a lot.

I found a replacement unit on eBay, watched a few videos and replaced it today myself.

$199 for the mirror and about 25 minutes of my time. Unbelievable.

I’m not a car guy at all, but I’m pretty handy and am really, really shocked by how simple it was to do this.

To all the shade tree mechanics out there…kudos to you for saving so much money. I can’t say I’ll start doing my own stuff all the time but for now at least I’m $1,500 ahead of the game.

$1,700 is just robbery. how do they sleep at night? (Probably easily)

similar issue with my wife's camry a few years ago.

a co-woker hit it backing out of his parking space and shatter the darn thing.

"What ever it costs, I'll pay for it!"

Didn't even bother taking it to the dealer or anywhere for that fact.

Ordered one off Ebay, it was under 200 bucks, and I had it in 2 days.

literally 10 minutes to replace it.

he paid us back for the mirror as soon as we showed him the replacement part, and that was that.