Mobilo service by Mercedes, premium assistance

When you buy a premium car, you also expect the services associated with the vehicle to be premium, and not just reflected in the final invoice. Recently, after a minor breakdown I had the opportunity to try the Mercedes-Benz Mobilo Service.

This is a roadside assistance service offered by the brand, but with features rarely seen with other car makers, such as a mechanic travelling to the scene or handling the vehicle’s transfer to a workshop, so that we don’t have to worry about anything, and providing us with a replacement vehicle or an alternative means of transport.

Who is covered by the Mobilo service?

Any new vehicle of the brand up to two years old that has had its scheduled services carried out at the official Mercedes-Benz dealership. After that, up to 4 years, the service is renewed in each service period, provided that the service is carried out at the official dealership.

Once that initial period has ended, the Mobilo guarantee can be extended in 1-year periods. To do so, you simply need to attend an inspection at an authorised Mercedes-Benz dealership or workshop for a maximum of 30 years.

What does it cover?

You have roadside assistance at your disposal in virtually all of Europe, with a series of free services:

– Jump-starting or on-site repair of a breakdown up to a cost of 150 euros (or no limit if the vehicle is under warranty).
– Replacement vehicle for up to three days to guarantee mobility while the breakdown is being resolved.
– As an alternative to the replacement vehicle, Mercedes-Benz pays for plane or train tickets to continue the journey or to return home (up to 400 euros).
– If the car cannot be repaired within 3 working days, they arrange to transport the vehicle to your usual Mercedes-Benz dealership.
– Towing to the nearest dealership.
– Transfer to the airport or station, covering the costs of a taxi or public transport, up to a maximum of 65 euros.
– And administrative assistance abroad, for example, for procedures related to the breakdown, or an interpreter if necessary.

And in practice?

Now that we know what it covers and how, I’m going to tell you about my personal experience with a new vehicle that suffered a minor electrical breakdown. Just 10 km from my home the car stopped and the “engine fault” warning light came on. As it is a new car, I contacted the Mercedes 24-hour assistance (it was 20:00 on a working day).

They called me back quickly from assistance, confirmed that the car was under warranty and that they would send a mechanic from the nearest dealership, and within half an hour a Vito van arrived with a mechanic carrying every kind of tool to try to solve the problem.

The first thing he did was plug the diagnostic computer into the car, investigate the fault and see whether he could fix it. After more than an hour with the car, the fault didn’t seem to want to go away, so he offered me a replacement car that same day, which I declined as I was close to home.

The mechanic himself told me he would take care of transporting the car to the workshop, that I shouldn’t worry and could leave it in his hands. The following day they offered me a replacement car from the Mobilo service while they investigated the error, which fortunately was resolved in a short time.

I am also a member of RACE, a service I hope to review soon, after several years as a member and following its changes, but I have rarely seen a breakdown service that doesn’t just send a tow truck and leave it there, instead trying to repair the car, with resources, and also offering alternatives on the spot to guarantee your mobility, all of this at no cost to the driver.