Mercedes-Benz Service A vs Service B, and whether prepaid maintenance is worth it

What Service A includes

Mercedes-Benz USA lists Service A as:

• Mercedes-Benz motor oil and oil filter replacement
• Fluid level checks and top-ups
• Tire pressure check and correction
• Brake component inspection
• Resetting the car's maintenance counter

What Service B adds

Service B covers everything in Service A, plus two more items:

• Cabin dust or combination filter replacement
• Brake fluid exchange

When each one comes due

Mercedes-Benz USA puts the first Service A at about 10,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first, and the first Service B at about 20,000 miles or one year after that. After that each one comes around about every 20,000 miles or two years, so in practice the visits alternate: A, then B, then A again, roughly once a year.

The exact schedule for your car is in its Maintenance Booklet, and some visits add model-specific items. On the prepaid plan's coverage chart, for example, the 30,000-mile visit adds transmission oil and filter, rear axle oil and an engine air filter on AMG CLA and GLA models.

Electric Mercedes-Benz models

All-electric models skip the oil change. Mercedes-Benz USA says new EQ models come with a two-year service package, with items such as a dust filter change, wiper blades and a multi-point inspection, and you can prepay for maintenance after that for up to four years. On the prepaid plan's chart, the electric model visits fall at 20,000 and 40,000 miles.

Prepaid maintenance: Premier and Star plans

Mercedes-Benz offers two prepaid maintenance plans. You pay for the scheduled visits up front at today's price, and the plan covers them at any Mercedes-Benz dealer in the U.S. and Puerto Rico:

• Premier Prepaid Maintenance, for new cars: 2, 3 or 4 years, up to 40,000 miles, in 1-year or 10,000-mile visits. It has to be bought before the first service or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.
• Star Prepaid Maintenance, for pre-owned cars: 2 or 3 years, for cars up to 8 model years old with fewer than 80,000 miles.

What prepaid maintenance doesn't cover

It covers routine maintenance only. Mercedes-Benz USA lists exclusions that include breakdown repairs, service done outside a Mercedes-Benz dealership, and the high-voltage battery and electric drive on electric models. The plan's coverage chart includes wiper blades, and doesn't list tires or brake pads.

Mercedes-Benz USA says the plans transfer to a new owner if you sell the car privately. You can roll the cost into your financing only when you buy the plan together with the car.

Is prepaid maintenance worth it?

It makes the most sense if you plan to keep the car for the plan's full term and service it at a Mercedes-Benz dealer anyway. You lock in the price, and each visit is paid for.

It makes less sense if you'll sell or trade the car early, or if you'd rather use an independent shop, since visits outside a Mercedes-Benz dealership aren't covered. On a lease, look at how many visits you'll actually use before the lease ends.

Ask me for both numbers side by side, the plan and the dealer's current price for each visit, and I'll lay them out on the car you're looking at.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between Mercedes Service A and Service B?

Service A is an oil and filter change with fluid, tire pressure and brake checks. Service B includes all of that plus a cabin filter replacement and a brake fluid exchange.

How often is Mercedes Service A due?

Mercedes-Benz USA puts the first Service A at about 10,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first, then about every 20,000 miles or two years, alternating with Service B.

Can I buy Mercedes prepaid maintenance after I buy the car?

For a new car, the Premier plan can be bought any time before the first service or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. It can only be rolled into your financing when bought together with the car.

Does Mercedes prepaid maintenance transfer if I sell the car?

Mercedes-Benz USA says the plans transfer to the new owner when the car is sold in a private sale.

Keep reading

• Mercedes Certified Pre-Owned: the warranty
• Ending a Mercedes-Benz lease in Florida
• Buying at Mercedes-Benz of Pompano
• See what's on the lot