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austen.regalado & Redline Reviews
Chad Swiatecki
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Chad Swiatecki
Nov 10, at 2:00pm ET
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Call it a car culture clash. German luxury met Japanese practicality when a Toyota tech tried to change the oil on a Mercedes-Benz SUV, and discovered that even routine maintenance can turn into a design showdown.
The clip from South Carolina lube tech Austen Regalado (@austen.regalado), which has been viewed more than 845,000 times, shows him dealing with the underside of a Mercedes-Benz GLS 450s, and the higher time and labor threshold for performing a routine oil change on the German model.
"We got these weird little teeny bolts," he points out as his camera navigates around the skid plate that has to be removed to access the drain plug and remove the oil. "People are like, ‘Oh, oil change on a Mercedes, so expensive.’ Yeah, this is why."
Underneath the GLS 450, and many other vehicles from the Stuttgart marque, lies not only the engine oil pan and filter but also a skid plate or plastic covering, which must be removed before the actual oil change work begins. That means removing multiple fasteners, sometimes eight or more bolts, to gain access. One forum thread even flags a "skid plate charge" for removing the screws as part of an oil change.
According to a detailed breakdown by FCP Euro, the cost of a Mercedes oil change at a dealership can range "somewhere between $180-$450" depending on model, engine size, and region. That premium is driven not just by higher labor rates, but also by bundled services, extra oil quantities, and sometimes multiple drain points or filter changes.
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In other words, when Regalado jokes "all this for the drain plug," he’s touching on the reality of luxury auto service: more time under the car, more dismantling up-front, and inevitably more dollars on the invoice.
Why does a luxury SUV require removing a big skid plate just to do routine maintenance? The answers lie in the overall design philosophy. Underbody covers improve aerodynamics, reduce noise, and protect the drivetrain and engine components from road debris and splash. However, they also increase service complexity: technicians must remove them, often using lifts, before accessing the oil pan or filter.
Moreover, many modern Mercedes engines require full synthetic oil that meets strict MB specifications, such as MB 229.5, and often require larger volumes due to twin-turbo setups or V-configurations. Combine that with dealership labor rates and higher expectations for tooling and training, and you have a recipe for sticker shock at the service counter.
As one commenter in the Reddit community put it: "They have drain plugs but … the filter’s on the top… they vacuum oil out the top so you don’t even need to get underneath."
That observation underscores how even the service process has evolved—and how it diverges from simpler models where you jack it up, undo the handful of bolts, drain, replace the filter, and fill.
It’s also worth noting that quick-lube shops may not use the correct oil spec or have the proper equipment. One blog warns that "a lot of Mercedes-Benz vehicles have multiple drain points… which means more time to make the changes."
For gearheads or everyday owners, the takeaway is clear: understanding what happens beneath the car helps explain the invoice. That $200+ Mercedes oil change is more than just oil and filter, and includes labor to remove a shield, drain complex systems, replace one-time-use plastic drain plugs, and ensure spec-correct fluid.
DIYers may save money, but need to weigh complexity: is a lift required? Do you have access to the correct filter cartridge? Are the fasteners re-torqued properly? And for warranty owners, using the wrong spec oil may void your coverage.
If you drive a Toyota or other simpler model, the comparison is stark: fewer under-body covers, fewer bolts, simpler access, lower cost. The next time you hear someone say "my oil change cost $XX," you’ll know a little more of what went into it.
Motor1 reached out to Austen via direct message on TikTok and Facebook. We’ll be sure to update this if he responds.
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