My wife took my 2000 C280 one day and hits a large pot hole on the highway. I drove the car the next day and noticed the car pulling to the right and said"I better get alignment done before it gets worse considering its my daily driver" I took it to my local shop and the bil came to $973.12. The work done was: 1. remove and replace front springs - $108.75
2. parts where suspension springs $160.00. wheel straightening- $125.00
3. remove and replace center sterring tie rob assembly- $195.75
4. tire rod assembly- $260.00
5. front end alignment- $59.95
6. good ole NYS sales Tax[:@]- $63.67
All adding up to $973.12
Does this seem like a fair price? All work done at a independant shop.

 

C280> you got off easy. A LOT MORE at a dealership. Went to ask them about this a year or so ago.
A $60.00 alignment??? The dealer quoted me $300 for my '05 C230K and said no other shop could do it except somebody
with the capability of doing MB cars alignments. He also said if there were any parts that needed to be replaced, it would go
up accordingly, but the "average" alignment cost was around $300. Don't you just love that. So consider yourself lucky. I could
have been worse. They do everything possible so that only THEY can work on these cars, don't they. Hmmmmm. Can't even
check your own oil anymore with a dipstick.

 

I knew I got a good deal. I looked at the bill and told my friend who works at the desk"Is this right"? I thought the bll was going to be like $2,000 or some crazy price like that. Dealer anted $300 for alignment? Who thats crazy. Im glad I use an independant shop.

 

Yeah, the price sounds right. I suppose the springs were rusty and needed replacing, given that you live in NY; I don't know that hitting a pot holealone would damage the springs.
However, I had to replace the coil springs on my 190E 2.6. After 18 years, the front end kept getting lower and lower due to metal fatique. I suppose if they had snapped on the highway it could have been catastrophic.
The price is fair, but it stinks that it had to happen in the first place. Nothing makes me angrier than riding on the road and then, "BAM"! hitting a hole. It happens in the rain when you can not see them. I can't believe MB is putting 19 in rims on their new cars.

Blue

 

Yes like you said Blue. This all accumlated over time. Its just hitting that pot hole was the last straw for it and needed to be replaced before anyting else got worse. But compared to other stories this does seem like a fair price.

 

UPDATE!! The actually bill came to $1,050.00. I had some filters replaced also. New Update also- so you would think about $1,000 later everything would be fine? WORNG! The alignment is still not right and the breaks are sqeaking. There is also a vibration comming from the car nd up my back in the seats(As if W202 are not uncomfterable as it right) So I called the shop back and told them it isnt right and they got me in for next thursday. We shall see what happines now.

 

Yes it needsrework it seems. It's probably that bent rim. You may have to take the rim to a specialty wheel repair shop with a horizontal lathe, but that will cost as much as a new wheel. I know some tire stores will attempt to heat the rim and bend it close to tolerance with a lever etc to save you money, but without a lathe it will never be precise. Maybe use it as a spare.

Blue

 

I did have the rim put back to normal and the alignment done all in the same day. It drives better but it is just still a little off. When driving down the highway I have the sterring whell to the right a little to keep the car straight. They said they would look it over again to check and see if they did anything wrong. Next thursday it will go in.

 

The vibration issue I think is the result of the wheel not being precise. Now it may look precise, but someone needs to take the tire off and run an dial indicator on the bead surface of the wheel. I bet no one did this. Often they simply make it "look" better to the naked eye, but do not actually take a reading.I have noticed that we MB owners take our"ride quality" for granted, until we realize what is required to get it back. I think alot shops do the same. The MB wheels and suspension are held at very high standards, and the regular tire store routine is simply not going to get it back. The pull to one side is likely the alignment as you said. Maybe they will get it right the second time since you have made them aware that you expect a higher quality.

Blue

 

When I took mine in for an alignment and got the car back later that day, I took the car out on the freeway and sure enough, the steering wheel was a teeny bit to the right as I went straight down the road. I called the service guy the next day to tell him about it. Ready?

"THAT"S NORMAL" he said. Then he told me it was meant to be that way because of the "slope built into every road".

OK>you can pick yourselves up off the floor now.

And, yes, I know about the "slope of the road".