By Antoinette Milienos for Daily Mail Australia
06:59 on April 27, 2023, updated at 07:54 on April 27, 2023
- The electric vehicle driver was charged $445 for the engine oil change
- His Mercedes-Benz is fully electric
- It is understood that the invoice has been itemized incorrectly
An electric vehicle owner has called a Mercedes-Benz dealership after being charged more than $400 for an “engine oil change” even though his car was all-electric.
The driver took his Mercedes-Benz EQA-250 to a major Mercedes Benz dealership in Melbourne, for a service on April 11.
In a video posted on social media, the driver shared his shock after discovering he was charged $445 for an engine oil and filter change.
Matty initially did not dispute the $700 bill, which is a limited service price set by the manufacturers, as he expected to pay a high price for a luxury car service.
“When I was driving, I thought it was about $700 for a service.
Upon further inspection of the itemized bill, he realized that the mechanics charged him for an oil and filter change even though his electric vehicle didn’t need one.
Fully electric vehicles do not need engine oil changes or filters because they do not have an internal combustion engine.
“I thought I’d take a quick look at the bill and $445! $445 for what? To do an engine oil and filter change,’ he said.
“The problem is this car is all electric. I was charged to change the oil and filter in an all electric car. Not hybrid – All electric.
“I thought I’d just check; I’ve been driving this car for two years; We’re checking again today for the 14th time – it’s definitely electric.
The video has received nearly 40,000 views, and fellow drivers have called the dealership.
“That’s the price you pay when you want to drive a Mercedes,” one person commented.
“Yes sir, we didn’t charge you for the oil, but we did shampoo the batteries,” joked another.
A third person added: “Obviously they put premium air in the tires.”
Others claimed the bill was poorly worded, as electric vehicles use synthetic oil that needs to be topped up during a service.
“Usually it’s a pre-filled invoice, what did the advisor write on the next page and what parts were replaced?” asked one person.
“Should be described differently for electric cars anyway. Someone is lazy at Mercedes,” wrote another.
“When EV owners are uneducated… they still use gear oils and motor oils, usually synthetic (man-made),” commented a third.
“You know they need oil for various parts of the car… engine, transmission, differential. The moving parts inside don’t say thin air lubricated,” wrote a fourth person.
The dealership declined to comment on the situation.
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 is the German manufacturer’s second electric model and Australia’s most affordable with an on-the-road price of $76,800.
The electric car is powered by a 66.5 kWh battery and offers a range of 480 km once fully charged.
